Carpet on the wall ?

[Toykiter]

Hi all, just got a 1989 Lil Bigfoot and got long list of upgrades and one of the thing I can't find is where to get that ''rat fur'' like in Scamp carpet for walls/ ceiling. Any good suppliers in US? Thanks.
Plan is to replace all inside with new appliances, trim and build new custom mahogany furnitures with high end woodwork all around, hardwood floor, change bunk beds to 2/3 couch and add a new closet, change back window to smoked, new bigger fridge in the closet on door side, change stove to range oven stove combo. Drawers, more drawers, foldable counter extension table, Exterior hot shower. Already got Fridge, oven, cushions on order, full LED light systems with sensor lights in cabinets and a HD projector shooting from dinette on front see through screen and of course fantastic vent with remote. Did I miss something? Yeah got the solar for it too. Man cave should be ready by April. Stay thirsty my friends...
-Slawek.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Try Scamp.

[Raz]

Try searching marine carpet or marine fabric. Raz

[Donna D.]

Want Scamp stuff, Byron is right... try Scamp: Tan Headliner Wall Fabric (Per Sq. Yd.)

Or try locally for a business selling marine-grade fabrics.

BTW: to FiberglassRV... we're glad you're here!

[Ed Harris]

Welcome to the group &

Please tell me this is a Joke?

SCAMP!

It isn't too pricey either.

[Rick Mooyman]

WOW sounds like it will be very nice when done. But also sounds like it will be heavy. Mahogany is a beautiful wood but very heavy. And hard wood floors in a trailer I think would worp over time? I am doing a custom rebuild of a 1971 Boler and have weight savings in mind. I want to be as light as possible. Not a fan of the rat fur and the ensolite is gone out of my Boler. I am looking for something that will not trap dirt and dust.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

Welcome to the group &

Please tell me this is a Joke?

SCAMP!

It isn't too pricey either.

I guess what I was thinking is that Scamp doesn't make the stuff and probably doesn't use enough to have it specially made, so it might be available elsewhere, perhaps less expensive and in a wider variety. Now tell me Ed, would you settle for tan or gray rat fur when you could get hot pink or leopard spots. Raz

[fusedlight]

I should relate the information I shared with the folks at the recent Egg Rally up in Duluth. The "rat fur" is actually a product of a wonderful collaboration between the folks at Scamp, inner-city churches in Minneapolis, and community groups in Backus, the home town of Scamp. The folks in Minneapolis trap the rats and send the frozen carcases up to Backus (obviously, this is only done in winter!). There, the men in town skin and cure the rat pelts. Church sewing circles then take these finely prepared pelts and use ultra-fine needles and thread to sew them into the seam-free fabric used by the Scamp folks to cover the insides of their trailers. It's truly a win-win-win arrangement! Minneapolis lowers its rat population, folks in a depressed part of the state have employment, and Scamp gets a superior product.

[honda03842]

We were recently at the Scamp factory. The interior wall coverings, per Scamp, are washable. Our interior is 21 years old and really looks brand new. It's a rather impressive surface, particularly considering its age. It's also nice that it's backed by insulation.

As well as selling the interior wall covering, they also sell the adhesive to hold it in place.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by fusedlight

I should relate the information I shared with the folks at the recent Egg Rally up in Duluth. The "rat fur" is actually a product of a wonderful collaboration between the folks at Scamp, inner-city churches in Minneapolis, and community groups in Backus, the home town of Scamp. The folks in Minneapolis trap the rats and send the frozen carcases up to Backus (obviously, this is only done in winter!). There, the men in town skin and cure the rat pelts. Church sewing circles then take these finely prepared pelts and use ultra-fine needles and thread to sew them into the seam-free fabric used by the Scamp folks to cover the insides of their trailers. It's truly a win-win-win arrangement! Minneapolis lowers its rat population, folks in a depressed part of the state have employment, and Scamp gets a superior product.

That's just plain too funny.

[Toykiter]

Thank you for all replies.
@ Rick -I am also trying to shave weight on it and I will make cabinets with PLY and veneers. Only frames and corners will be solid. As for a hardwood floor if you prep sub with epoxy and put a membrane it will not move also its a good time to put insulation in the floor.Lil bigfoot is fiberglass all around what makes sub dry since moisture can't get in from underneath. I also plan to put few more coats on top to bring wood grain depth to life on all wood work.
I like idea of rat fur only because its taking care of insulation,moisture, working with odd shapes and hiding all imperfections on install. My second choose would be marine vinyl, a little harder to work with and I would have to probably pay someone to do it. I like to make my own stuff if it make sense of course. Some of the things we should leave to professional that spent all their live in trade as in the end it does save time, money and it looks better. That is why I have my cushions made since I didn't pick up sewing yet .
I know it seems like a long list especially when trailer is in good shape. My girl is asking me; so why do you do it? Well it makes me happy to make something I will enjoy later and it will be customized to my likes.
Glad you guys are here. Lots of useful resource on this forum that makes me inspired to do cool stuff with this Lil big foot.
-Peace.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

I guess what I was thinking is that Scamp doesn't make the stuff and probably doesn't use enough to have it specially made, so it might be available elsewhere, perhaps less expensive and in a wider variety. Now tell me Ed, would you settle for tan or gray rat fur when you could get hot pink or leopard spots. Raz

The rat fur sold by Scamp is actually very reasonable priced. But it can be found in the Marine or Automotive Ind. and is called a headliner - sometimes refered to in the automotive industry as Polyester felt headliner - can be found in a wide range of colours including Hot Pink!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Toykiter

I like idea of rat fur only because its taking care of insulation,moisture, working with odd shapes and hiding all imperfections on install.
-Peace.

I dont think yoy will get a great deal of insulation value from the rat fur - thats done by the foil bubble wrap insulation that Scamp buts under it.

[Toykiter]

@ Carol- I agree its not the best insulator. I plan to spray in a foam first. We want to go in the snow with it so isolation is a big deal. However rat fur just feels cozy too.

[Ed Harris]

I always thought that Scamp had its own Breeding Farm operation up there to make sure they have a consistent Long Hair Rat Supply in both colors they need? I am also fairly certain they are "Free Range" but I am not clear about why this matters?

The hole Church/Town/Scamp collaboration story just stinks of a conspiracy somehow and now I am not sure I want anything to do with it!
I am grateful the Liberal Media has not gotten wind of this right now for obvious reasons too!

I would hate for this to be sold off and outsourced putting a lot of Rats out of work just before the Holidays.

I guess if I had to decide though I would prefer with a Camo in some woodland color although I did really like the brown I had in my Scamp too.

Also I was always cozy inside my Scamp to about 0 degrees with a small heater going and about the same in the Casita which has arguably less insulation in it.

Ed

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Toykiter

@ Carol- I agree its not the best insulator. I plan to spray in a foam first. We want to go in the snow with it so isolation is a big deal. However rat fur just feels cozy too.

You might want to check the insulation rating of the spray foam before installing. The foil-mylar bubbles-foil that Scamp uses has an R-15 rating.


We've camped in 5° weather with our Scamp which has the mylar bubble/foil insulation and rat fur.

[GPJ]

I'd use the foam insulation. When you read the detailed information and specifications on the reflectix site, you see the need for an air gap on at least one side of the product for it to work as reflective insulation. When one side is glued to the fiberglass wall and the other side has rat fur or vinyl glued to it, then the reflective property of the product does not work and all you have left is the insulative property of the air trapped in the bubbles ie. R- 1.1 or so.

As the manufacturer says on their site (About Reflective Technology | What About R-values? ):

What if There is No Air Space Present on Either Side of the Product?
No Air Space = No Reflective Insulation Benefit
(An R-1.1 is provided from the product itself for the Reflective/Double Bubble material.)

I'd agree with a higher R-value when used as the manufacturer suggests (ie. when left uncovered by rat fur/vinyl, etc. as in the back of cupboards and cabinets), but when covered up, it is basically just bubble wrap.

With foam you get a bit better R-value ie 5-7 per inch, so with a 1/2" foam you get R2.5-3.5, and the product is firmer, particlarly around cut-lines.

[Perry J]

I have had the interior of my Lil Bigfoot covered in Scamp ratfur.

Scamp gave me the name of their supplier.
I called them and they wouldn't sell to me direct.
I ended up buying it from Scamp as I cound not find any on the West coast.

The big problem is you're going to pay allmost as much in shipping as you will for the ratfur.

You won't be sorry. Ratfur is probably one of the most durable, trouble free wall coverings available.

John

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by GPJ

I'd use the foam insulation. When you read the detailed information and specifications on the reflectix site, you see the need for an air gap on at least one side of the product for it to work as reflective insulation. When one side is glued to the fiberglass wall and the other side has rat fur or vinyl glued to it, then the reflective property of the product does not work and all you have left is the insulative property of the air trapped in the bubbles ie. R- 1.1 or so.

As the manufacturer says on their site (About Reflective Technology | What About R-values? ):

What if There is No Air Space Present on Either Side of the Product?
No Air Space = No Reflective Insulation Benefit
(An R-1.1 is provided from the product itself for the Reflective/Double Bubble material.)

I'd agree with a higher R-value when used as the manufacturer suggests (ie. when left uncovered by rat fur/vinyl, etc. as in the back of cupboards and cabinets), but when covered up, it is basically just bubble wrap.

With foam you get a bit better R-value ie 5-7 per inch, so with a 1/2" foam you get R2.5-3.5, and the product is firmer, particlarly around cut-lines.

The material Scamp uses in NOT Refletix, For one thing is has two layers of bubbles between the foil. The one thing I'm missing from my thermodynamics knowledge is the maximum size of air pocket to get an effective insulation. I know that an air mattress is no insulation, and closed cell blue foam pads are super insulators. Where the bubble size and the effect of double bubble are concerned, I'm not sure of. I do know that the wall on inside did NOT feel cold to the touch when the outside temperature was 5° F. The windows did feel cold and inside the area where the power cord comes in was colder than the trailer. The floor was cooler than the walls. My feeling that most of cold that came in, came through the window and floor. We were able to keep the inside between 65° F and 68° F without the furnace running all the time. From my memory during the day I think the furnace probably ran about 30% of the time.
I do agree on one point, I don't think it's a full R-15.

[LukeP]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

The material Scamp uses in NOT Refletix,.

Byron, do you know what brand it is? When I spoke with Scamp, they inferred it was reflectix, so I'm interested in who actually does manufacture it indeed.