Movin' that way

[Stillphil]

I took a welding class before Christmas in preparation for building a 5th wheel or gooseneck camping trailer. I've been welding up everything I can find to try to get better at it. I've been scoping all I can about the motorized home thing and a trailer seems most practical for what we want to do. I got plans from Glen-L, which seem mainly a point for departure. I hope to really get started in late summer. That's when I am going to try to retire! Here's hoping.

One of my main questions is what to use for siding. Aluminum is so expensive. I like wood but that seems too short lived and heavy for a lot of traveling. I'd like to use plywood for strength and cover it with something waterproof and durable. Whatta you folks say about it all? How about galvanized steel?

Stillphil

[Griff]

Galvy steel isn't all that cheap either, have you considered vinyl? I suppose with steel or aluminum you could get full size width & height to your specs for your application. Seems you could get vinyl that way too, though.

I don't know what type of manufacturing is in your area, but if there are any places that fabricate large objects with any of these materials, check with them. Many times they will have LARGE pieces and / or rolls that are blemished or went down the autoline wrong and are defective that they will sell for pennies on the dollar just so they don't have to scrap it. When I worked for Bally Refrigerated Boxes, I bought (and was given) a lot of their reject stuff for various projects. They had all kinds of finishes and stainless steel. It is definitely worth looking into. Sometimes you can get it just for hauling it off.

[Sharkey]

I was going to suggest vinyl too, but in to form of vinyl siding. My new house has it, and it looks pretty good for something fake. Never needs painting, is rust and dent resistant, and most importantly, gives that traditional housetruck appearance.

Guess I got my construction nearly completed just in time. The steel and aluminum I put into the Crown would have cost three times as much today as it did when I bought it. Just the steel framing for the interior walls cost as much as the entire roof framing.

Galvanized would work, but it isn't going to give you the same surface appearance after painting that aluminum would. It will also need special preparation before painting, but then so would aluminum.

Many of the New Zealand housetrucks have plywood cladding. I personally wouldn't go this route (heavy and not particularly "automotive" enough for me), but it's all a matter of your preferences and budget. You will want to make sure that it's very well flashed and caulked. No roof eves on a vehicle to protect the walls from direct rain exposure.

[j_nigrelli]

rather than fester on "cost" - consider "value".

what will hold up the best over time? and would you want to replace the skin in 3 to 5 years after everything else is completed?

by the same token, ripping out worn carpeting or a cabinet wouldn't cause the same disruption as having to re-side or re-roof.

like the advertisement: "Pay me now or pay me later..."

[Griff]

j_negrelli makes a very good point. Another reason you might consider vinyl is that it won't ding or dent like sheet metal can, although I guess it could get cut / scratched. It IS easy to maintain, though.

[Stillphil]

Hi,
Thanks for the responses! I appreciate what you said, J_nigrelli, but what do you recommend for the best value?

I don't mind using sheet vinyl, but don't know where I would get it. Vinyl siding seems like it would have too many places the water could get into when going 1000 MPH down the hiway. I guess an internet search is in my future.

The commercial RVs mostly use Filon, which is a brandname for FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) That is very durable but the manufacturers don't much want to sell it to individuals. It goes to OEMs in the RV biz. They don't want guerillas like me to get ahold of it.

I have seen some fibrous coatings that claim to waterproof plywood but if I remember right, some folks on the BB have had problems with it. Yes?

Stillphil

[j_nigrelli]

my initial choice would be marine plywood with all the edges saturated with epoxy before install and both sides sealed with either paint or varnish - again pre installation.

then, in a couple of years you could skin it over with almost anything [fiberglass, FRP, or aluminum]. the plywood thickness would be govered by frequency and dimension or framing supports.

and the joints should be sealed after install with some RV flexible adhesive caulking. don't skimp here - think "marine" and you should be weather tight. a very complete job would be to leave a 1/16" - 2mm space between the exterior panels and lay in a piece of nylon mason's twine before applying the sealant. most sealants are flexible in two directions and if adhered to a third surface will tear.