1962 22' Safari

[malconium]

Originally Posted by C_Ferguson

Hi Rob,

I appreciate the thought... but how would this be different than the use of foam in a house? My sense has been that if there was a ever a need to get out of the trailer fast, I could jump out the window by the bed almost instantly... I'm just thinking foam is the most efficient and easiest to install option... I'll probably try it and then have a better sense. I have to find someone that wants such a small job though...

There is one company that I know of that offers spray foam in DIY kits. Check out the following:

Foam Insulation Kits by Fomo Foam - Official Site

Their foam is Polyurethane which should have an R value of around 7 per inch. Personally I still favor reflective foil insulation for all sorts of reasons but I do think that the foam could have advantages. The above compny offers various different types and it may be possible to sprayfoam into the walls without completely removing the skins. It seems to be a bit on the spendy side though.

Malcolm

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Carlos, Do I recall you saying you had templates for the end cap segments? Did you mount your end cap panels over the fiberglass or did you remove it?

[jcferguson]

Hi, I do have templates for those caps - and I rivetted them to the fiberglass after cutting out the shelf section... there are some pictures somewhere back there...


c

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Carlos, Do I recall you saying you had templates for the end cap segments? Did you mount your end cap panels over the fiberglass or did you remove it?

Yay, I need same for my Safari project!

Zep

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Carlos, would it be possible to borrow them? I want to sheath my bathroom end cap in metal. I could also work from measurements if that is easier for you.

Zep, get in line...

[flyfshr]

Uh oh. This will have an impact on the 'throwdown' I'm watching with great interest.

Brad
FF

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Carlos, would it be possible to borrow them? I want to sheath my bathroom end cap in metal. I could also work from measurements if that is easier for you. Zep, get in line...

Hey, Big Boy, you look pretty tough in those shades with your headbone against the wall, but this is where age, experience, and cunning will be pitted aginst youth--rumor has it that the cunning part wins every time! Barring that, I'll get the Ex down in Alexandria or an old girl friend in Ellicott City to "drive by" and say hello...

Pure, unadulterated hijack, for which I apologize, Carlos. ....And suck up, of course.

Zep

[A-Merry-Can]

I think Carlos should put em on eBay!

ha!

JP

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by Zeppelinium

Hey, Big Boy, you look pretty tough in those shades with your headbone against the wall, but this is where age, experience, and cunning will be pitted aginst youth--rumor has it that the cunning part wins every time! Barring that, I'll get the Ex down in Alexandria or an old girl friend in Ellicott City to "drive by" and say hello...

Pure, unadulterated hijack, for which I apologize, Carlos. ....And suck up, of course.

Zep

Ellicott city is right down the hill and across the river... is she pleasant on the eyes? I always enjoy talking to a pretty girl... Please send the ladies by.

Determination, perseverance, and total disregard for the wallet is how I will get through.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Carlos, Are your templates for rent or hire? From one 1962 owner to the next, Can ya help brother out?

[malconium]

I would like to propose what I think would be a pretty simple approach to making your own templates. The approach could also be used to mark and cut the panel pieces directly without the use of templates. See what you think of the following technique:

1. Attach a strip of masking tape along the top edge and bottom edge of the area that you wish to cover. The tape should be just outside of where you want the new panels to come so that when the panels are in place one edge of the tape is even with the outer edge of the panels and the rest of the tape is fully visible.

2. Decide how many panels total you want to divide the area up into. Then divide each piece of masking tape up into the same number of segments by putting a mark at each dividing point. Probably the simplest thing to do here would be to divide the tape up into that many equal segments although there is no fundamental reason they all need to be equal.

4. Find something to use as a straight edge that is flexible enough to bow to fit the contour of the end cap you are working to cover but stiff enough in the other direction to stay straight. This could be something like a strip of 1/8" plywood, a metal straight edge or maybe a piece of bender board.

5. To make template pieces use something for your templates that has fexibility something similar to that of your target material. I would suggest something like thin plywood or poster board. The basic idea is to hold the template piece in the location where it will go and use the straight edge to draw lines on it between the marks on the masking tape. You can also draw lines on it along the edges of the masking tape if it overhangs by aligning the straight edge with the tape on both sides of the template panel. It might help if you have a second set of hands to work with you on holding the template pieces in place while you draw the lines. Alternatively consider using a small amount of some double back foam tape or carpet mounting tape in the middle of the panel to hold it while you make your marks.

6. I think that you could also mark directly on the target material if your pieces are not too much bigger than the area they are going to cover.

7. It would also make sense to me to install each piece as you make it. That way the starting edge of each new piece could be butted up against the last piece you installed to help ensure a perfect fit.

I would be interested to hear what any of you think about the approach.

Malcolm

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I was hoping to save some time.... I am starting from a place that both my competitors have been at for over two years. I am hoping to pass them in three months time. have you ever seen Monster House? Well at my house, it is Monster Airstream, and instead of a crew of 5 it is just me... not only am I going to have a complete bathroom, but I will have a bathroom that will bring Wally back from his grave. I can create the end cap myself, you are right.... I think it will be a 24 panel...

[Zeppelinium]

Malcom,

You have a perfect technique but I would add one comment. There is a reason that Airstream always have had an odd number of segments in their domes--the joint in the middle with an even number of segments is impossible--one or other has to lap and you have to get the slope equal on both sides. So, the odd piece in the middle eliminates a tough splice and allows you to have only one slope (one each side) to deal with.

As for sizing the middle piece, I think take the number of panels you want (say 13 or so--I think if you search through this thread you can find a photo that shows how many JC used), divide the total length along the long side by that, make the center one 50% wider, subtract that dimension from the total length, then divide the new length by 12. Don't forget to add the joint overlap width twice to the center panel and once to all the others.

An interesting problem is "where is the vanishing point?" The tapered ends don't all meet together up front (or in back), first, because that point is in the top part of the window and, second, because the curve of the roof isn't a hemisphere, it's sorta eliptical. If you look at the metal inside domes on something like a 60s Bambi you can see the effect. The tails aren't the same width. If you want to take this to an extreme, you can almost run all the segments nearly horizontal with the center segment running down between them an going all the way to the window--then you'll get an effect like the WeeWind shell, very Buck Rogers.

I'll be doing this on the front dome of my Safari, since I'm putting the bed up front and I want to take out the shelf/bookcase thing in the plastic so I can put storage above the bed.

Zep

[C_Ferguson]

Malcolms techinique is pretty much what I did, I have a post hidden somewhere in this mammoth thread with detailed pictures - I used tar-paper as the template building material, strong enough to hold up but flexible. I just cut tabs in the material and folded to the drawn line. I used the measurements from a 50's trailer for the initial layout.

Having said that, I'm happy to share my templates... I have the original wood ones, or I have traced them on some paper and could send that...


c

[C_Ferguson]

Here: post 37

http://www.airforums.com/forums/183286-post37.html

oh, post 37, I remember those days...

[Zeppelinium]

Carlos, when did you change your forum moniker? Anyway, you've been a hero here for a long time.

Thanks for the offer of the templates. I won't be "there" for a few more months, so I defer to the youngster in Baltimore, but only temporarily.

Zep

[malconium]

No wonder I forgot about your having shown details about your approach before. I found that post number 37 was more than two years ago! My appologies for unecessary repetition.

My main thought in mentioning the approach was that it seems to me that it would be pretty easy to make a set of templates that was exactly sized for a given unit. I had not thought about using tarpaper. Did you have any issues with the tar rubbing off on anything?

Malcolm

[Frank's Trailer Works]

thanks Zep but I can do it on my own... where the hotties at your sending by to see this youngin (41)? I want to be distracted...

[Frank's Trailer Works]

you know,I never felt young until I joined the WBCCI

[robandzoe]

I've found you out Frankie Boy - metal'ed end caps... Now I've got to one up ya!