Which Trailers Have A Double Shell?

[rabbit]

Originally Posted by DonnaD

AND, you'll notice right at THIS moment, there isn't any manufacturer building double-hull all molded trailers.

A few moments and pages later and EggCamper is indeed building a double-walled trailer comparable to the old Burros and UHauls. If they ARE NOT, it is going to be very, very difficult to explain the seamless, radiused transitions between furniture and walls, the central accousticord-covered section of the roof where the inner half-shells are bonded to the exterior, and the amazing internal vista of shiny gelcoat. If there is any fiberglass work more expensive and labour/skill intensive than spraying gelcoat anywhere but first thing on the mold and then cutting and compounding it down to look like it WAS the first thing on the mold, someone will have to tell me what it is.

jack

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by rabbit

A few moments and pages later and EggCamper is indeed building a double-walled trailer comparable to the old Burros and UHauls.
jack

Oh CRUD, I forgot about the EggCamper. Sorry. Especially to those that own that brand...

[Cathy P.]

The EggCamper website is where I actually saw the pieces that they put together and that became what I thought they were all like. I know there are a lot of variables in the pricing of the units with even the cost of labor in an area playing a big part in the list price, along with advertising and how many units of whatever is needed they buy at one time from another manufacturer since 10 units won't have the price break that buying 100 units would. Originally, we had planned to build a small trailer and even have the plans, Glen-L Sequoia and now we are looking at some other plans based on a small vintage trailer along the lines of a canned ham. "Around and around we go, and where we stop (shop/build) nobody knows."

[Bob Miller]

Wow, that little Glen L-Sequoia has a very neat floorplan.
Sequoia compact travel trailer

Just to remain somewhat of a purist I would try to use fiberglass outside sheeting. Those ribbed panels are well know leak promoters at the corners

[Donna D.]

I'm a researcher. I not only research for how I spend MY money, but how I spend my company's money. I spend thousands of dollars a year, not my own.. but the company I work for.

I've found, if it's my money, I can talk myself out of just about anything if I spend enough time and effort. There will always be something better or cheaper or something just around the corner.

But, sometimes I've found enough is enough. Time to stop and bite the bullet. I did that 10 years ago when I bought my Scamp. It's NOT my forever trailer, but it's perfect for right now. I have NO regrets and have made a ton of memories in the past 10 years. Yes, I could have continued to research and wait... and lost all those memories YMMV.

[GPJ]

Very well put Donna. We all seek perfection, but at some point reality dictates that we step back, weigh the relative pros and cons, and make the best choice based upon what is available to us in our own circumstance. Its about a summer of camping rather than a summer of shopping for a camper.

[accrete]

FYI the Parkliner interior is glassed to the single outer hull... No fittings go through hull

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by GPJ

Its about a summer of camping rather than a summer of shopping for a camper.

If I had waited until I could find or could afford the perfect trailer I had in my minds eye at the time I started looking, I would have missed out on a number of years of great trips.

When I purchased my trailer I was well aware that it had some shortcomings in regards to what I wanted and may need in a few years time when I could take longer trips etc. but it has actually worked fine even on the longer duration trips I have managed to get in. Is it my forever trailer Nope! Was I worried about losing money if and when I sell it? Nope, as a cared for fiberglass trailer will hold its value very nicely!

I sure wouldn't waste away a summer of camping looking/waiting for the perfect trailer to appear.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by accrete

FYI the Parkliner interior is glassed to the single outer hull... No fittings go through hull

hummm if thats the case then how are all your exterior fittings and vents etc attached?

[rabbit]

Birds have em.
Bees have em.
Even educated fleas have em.

That's the story of
That's the ignory of
thruhulls.


We knew what you meant Thom.

jack

[accrete]

Originally Posted by Carol H

hummm if thats the case then how are all your exterior fittings and vents etc attached?

well....when i read the OP the question eye saw (i'll check my eyesight) was the idea of screws or pop rivets holding fixtures and shelves in the structure...that idea was my context for replying that PL does not use mechanical fittings to attach interior parts such as furniture/shelving/etc to the hull...rather those items are fiberglassed in place. Sure any vent will be attached with some sort of mechanical fitting (or tape), but they are fairly minor issues and nearly always do not involve structural integrity/design issues.

BUT...then you look at my #035 and we don't have any appliance vents

[Cathy P.]

Thank you for your responses. We will be camping as soon as the weather improves. We bought the folding camper last summer because we did not have the time to travel to look for a FGRV. I'm guessing a lot of stickies get bought for that reason since many of us don't have the time to chase down a FGRV based on our location and family situations.

If I'm going to be spending a bundle of money (household income here is $35,000), I'm expecting a lot. Most things I just do myself so maybe building a trailer would hit the jackpot!

Thanks again and I'm so glad that all are happy with their campers.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by accrete

BUT...then you look at my #035 and we don't have any appliance vents

Next up:

"What about windows??? Got a license plate???? How's the trailer body held to the frame????"

Francesca

[honda03842]

Our trailer is.now 22 years old and it looks like it has the original rivets. We've had it for 3 years and covered a lot of the country and Canada and have not replaced a rivet.

That said if I were designing the Scamp there would be no rivets.

We've had both a Casita and a Scamp. The Scamp seems better insulated with insulation under the wall covering.

I like the permanence of the fiberglass cabinets but also like wooden cabinet doors. Cabinet doors are sort of like curtains, you can easily change them and make a big difference.

[accrete]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

...How's the trailer body held to the frame????"

Duct tape & super glue

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by accrete

Duct tape & super glue

WHEW!


Francesca

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by accrete

well....when i read the OP the question eye saw (i'll check my eyesight) was the idea of screws or pop rivets holding fixtures and shelves in the structure...that idea was my context for replying

remember Thom you are dealing with some old folks here and to expect us to remember what the context of the original question was 50 post later was! Gezzzzz

[accrete]

LOL, remember all the grey in my beard? I do have an AARP card in my wallet after all !

[George Nagel]

As someone who has worked in a profession that delt with insulation, R factors, U factors, thermal transmission, heat loss/gain and whatnot for 45 years i'd just like to say that most of this is just splitting hairs. The differnce in these small cubic footage campers, with the various insulations and hull thicknesses is the difference between running your heater rhree minutes or four minutes to maintain. Not anything to worry about.

[Francesca Knowles]

I have to respectfully disagree with you there, George...

Double hulls and/or insulated walls make a very big difference indeed when it comes to what in my opinion is one of the biggest comfort-related problems with molded trailers: condensation.

Even the smallest gap between the inside and outside surfaces will prevent its formation on interior surfaces, and as someone who's fought that battle for years I can tell you that for a fact.

Francesca