kimberwarden
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17' 64 Oasis
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Post by kimberwarden on May 11, 2015 15:14:47 GMT -8
My trailer project has slowed down to a crawl because I can't find 1/8" ash or even birch paneling in 4 x 8 sheets ANYWHERE. My 64 Oasis is the typical layout with the dinette in the front and the door directly across from the refrigerator. The piece I need to replace is behind the dinette seat on the same side as the door, and the whole area could be covered with a 4x8 sheet. Since it doesn't abut any other panels on the same plane, (except for perhaps 4" worth above the door), could I just use 1/4"? Will the extra 1/8" make that big a difference when it comes to putting the skin back on?
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on May 11, 2015 17:18:12 GMT -8
It will make a difference but it's doable. I had the same problem.
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lakewoodgirl
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Post by lakewoodgirl on May 11, 2015 17:41:32 GMT -8
Do you have a local lumberyard or cabinetmaker you can go to?
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on May 11, 2015 18:55:31 GMT -8
I tried the local lumberyards, specialty plywood yards and the largest cabinet maker around. All came up with nothing. One old time lumberyard said they could get 1/8 inch birch but I would have to take all 50 pieces. No picking through the pile since "nobody will want this stuff" besides me.
It is a common problem on the East Coast. West coast members are scratching their heads wondering why we can't find it.
If somebody does find it near Raleigh, let me know where. Please.
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lakewoodgirl
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Post by lakewoodgirl on May 11, 2015 19:35:07 GMT -8
Man, I should load up a U-Haul and drive back east with a truck full! I could make a fortune!
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ladywendolyn
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Post by ladywendolyn on May 11, 2015 21:53:51 GMT -8
Gathered are some online sites that sell birch paneling and deliver... Do a search.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on May 20, 2015 19:52:27 GMT -8
You can use 1/4 inch on the wall at the place you are talking about if you are doing it from the inside and most people do the walls that way. Where it joins up at the 4 inches over the door just put a small piece of molding to kind of cover up the seam.
You can't get ash anymore unless you are in an area where ash paneling is made because for 5 or 6 years it was illegal to ship. Now it's legal to ship again but no one has bothered to order any.
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on May 21, 2015 4:53:56 GMT -8
What prices are you west coasters seeing out there for 1/8" 4x8 birch? I'm seriously going to check into the logistics and cost of having a long-haul truck driver bring some back for me.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on May 21, 2015 7:06:27 GMT -8
My most recent price from Ganahl Lumber was $23 per panel. And they allow you to sort through the stack.
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ndpap
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Post by ndpap on May 21, 2015 7:50:55 GMT -8
Boulter lumber in Somerville Mass sells 1/8" Birch for $40/sheet The are right off rt 93 outside of Boston... Really weird spot for a lumber yard... They have a website
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on May 21, 2015 10:10:31 GMT -8
Does anyone know a place for good 1/8 birch in NC, SC, VA or eastern TN?
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windborn
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Post by windborn on Oct 25, 2015 10:34:05 GMT -8
I'm reviving this frequently-asked question: is it too difficult to use 1/4" birch for the ceiling/front/back panels? Note that I have found a few places near me that have 1/8" and I'm willing to shell out for it, BUT my trailer was actually built with 1/4" (3/16"). I'd like to keep everything as close to what was built as possible, so would prefer to use 1/4". But is the general consensus that this will be way too difficult to get around the bends? If I switch to 1/8", does anyone have tips? I'm guessing it'll just be a matter of folding the aluminum over a little extra? (Come to think of it, it was barely folded over in the first place...)
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Oct 25, 2015 11:51:21 GMT -8
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gary350
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Post by gary350 on Oct 26, 2015 4:50:45 GMT -8
Lowe's in Murfreesboro TN has birch plywood paneling $12 a sheet. I am going there to buy another sheet today. I was there yesterday without my flat bed utility trailer to haul the plywood home they have about 60 sheets of birch in stock.
You may need to drive to another town to buy what you want. I needed laminate counter top in 4'x8' sheets I had to drive 108 miles to another Lowe's to buy a sheet. The Lowe's here could order it but I had to wait 3 weeks for it to arrive and the price is $20 more than the one I drove 108 miles to get.
I was determined not to put particle board in my camper trailer like the factories do. I bought a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 walnut veneer plywood smooth and flat on one side $30 it made a great kitchen counter top with the laminate counter top glued to the walnut side.
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windborn
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Post by windborn on Oct 26, 2015 5:11:12 GMT -8
I do have a few suppliers near me that either have 1/8" birch in stock or could order it for me and have it within 2 days. And I'm totally willing to get it if that's what everyone thinks is best. But since my Sportcraft was built with 1/4" (or at least, that's what was in there when I opened it up) I started to think that I shouldn't change what has worked for almost 60 years. I'm really just curious to see if anyone has made 1/4" work, or made the switch from 1/4" to 1/8".
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