msgoehring
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Post by msgoehring on Nov 4, 2016 13:43:17 GMT -8
I wouldn't use treated lumber anywhere in a trailer. Not only do the corrosive properties bother me, but the off gassing is an issue that would really worry me. I look at a trailer as a living space, and a very small one at that. If a product is meant for outside use, it isn't supposed to go in a trailer.
I know this is just my opinion, but I'd think long and hard about not only your safety, but your children's and grandchildren. Is it a good idea for them to be breathing in air from a trailer restored with chemically treated wood? Why not use hard wood to restore the trailer instead of the soft wood originally used? Isn't that already improving on what was there, meaning it will last longer with proper maintenance? My husband and I have used poplar in all of the framework of our trailer. No it wasn't cheap, or as easy to cut as pine would have been, but at least we know it's better built than it was in '57 and it had survived all these years.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 5, 2016 6:42:38 GMT -8
I wouldn't use treated lumber anywhere in a trailer. Not only do the corrosive properties bother me, but the off gassing is an issue that would really worry me. I look at a trailer as a living space, and a very small one at that. If a product is meant for outside use, it isn't supposed to go in a trailer. I know this is just my opinion, but I'd think long and hard about not only your safety, but your children's and grandchildren. Is it a good idea for them to be breathing in air from a trailer restored with chemically treated wood? Why not use hard wood to restore the trailer instead of the soft wood originally used? Isn't that already improving on what was there, meaning it will last longer with proper maintenance? My husband and I have used poplar in all of the framework of our trailer. No it wasn't cheap, or as easy to cut as pine would have been, but at least we know it's better built than it was in '57 and it had survived all these years. I have too thought long and hard about this. i will be returning the materials I have bought and getting all untreated lumber/plywood. would You think it okay to use the treated plywood for the bottom of the campers base, against the frame of the camper, under the floors structure. It appears that the stuff currently under there now is the 1/8th inch plywood stuff and I thought that the 1/2 inch would be an excellent up grade, but, I just dont know that much about this stuff. Thank You everyone for such good advice. I was in Billings yesterday. the only place that had that 1/8th inch plywood was Pierce RV and mobile homes at $50.00 a sheet. I thought that they was way out of their tree until I seen some of the posts of where to buy this stuff. I did find that Menards in Dickinson can order it in for less than $10.00 a sheet but I do not know if it would be the same stuff ot something suitable. It is called Lauan and it looks like birch from the grain of the wood in the pic; I ordered eight sheets. That way I will have enough in case I need to make repairs to My current paneling. I know there is mold on the stuff in the camper but I can not find the 1/8th inch paneling in plywood either. I guess I could use this Lauan stuff then paint it white before installing it. guess I`ll deal with that when I get there, after I get the campers base all built and installed back onto the trailer. Click here to look at the LAUAN Also, I looked at some stuff called Bead Board. it is made of plastic and looks like masonite on the back side. I thought about that stuff but it might be too stiff and possibly brittle to install into a structure that will be on the move. I thought when the temps gets cold, into the 10s and lower and I am traveling that the bead board might be too brittle and begin t crack, bust and break.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 5, 2016 6:52:16 GMT -8
I would imagine anything made for deck building would be corrosive resistant. Of course the other thing to consider about pressure-treated lumber is that dry is better than wet. Obviously because they're using chemicals that "dry" over several months. I'm no expert, but my feeling is that hard wood is better than soft wood for framing in key areas. Think Douglas Fur rather than framing pine. And pressure-treated is not really needed. As you will see in many threads, the key to protecting a vintage camper long-term is keeping the water out. If you can keep it under cover when it's not used, that's the best. Even tarp or cover will save it from damage. Above all, fresh putty is a lifesaver. You probably know all this, but for other people reading it's worth repeating. As far as I know, none of the real pros on this Forum use pressure-treated lumber and their campers last for years and years. -- Additional thought: As one of your articles hinted at, there is a debate on whether PT wood is safe in enclosed living areas. Some PT can apparently off-gas chemicals. Is a camper "living space" or ourdoor space? And how long does PT lumber take to dry out? A good quote from one of your links: "ACQ treated lumber will react very strongly with any aluminum, corroding aluminum fasteners and aluminum brackets very quickly. Even Aluminum siding will blister." I will see about getting Douglas Fir. Things here are so limited. If I can not get it locally I will see if I can get it through Menards in Dickinson. read the previouss quote. LOL I`ll be going there to get the 1/8th plywood.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 5, 2016 14:26:49 GMT -8
I took back the P.T. lumber and ordered in Douglas fir. Nice thing about this is, it will all come in as 2X2s, no ripping to dimension. LOL
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 5, 2016 23:40:24 GMT -8
I don`t like this waiting game. Maybe I`ll have to go fishing for a few days.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Nov 6, 2016 5:29:07 GMT -8
Luan is used mainly for underlayment. I've seen people use it for walls but it doesn't absorb stain (or shellac) as well or have the same grain as birch. Often it doesn't have any grain at all. Maybe what you ordered is different from standard Luan and will work just fine but I'd stain one panel first to check the match. Also, Luan I've used for underlayment is slightly thicker and doesn't bend as easily as 1/8" birch...which is always almost impossible to find.
If you're painting it and not doing sharp curves (bends) it may be fine if it's very close to the same thickness.
With all that said, what many of us have discovered is it's easier to stain or shellac the panels before installing. I've tried it after installing and it was a huge mess. My arm had a better shellac coat than the ceiling.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 6, 2016 7:20:22 GMT -8
Luan is used mainly for underlayment. I've seen people use it for walls but it doesn't absorb stain (or shellac) as well or have the same grain as birch. Often it doesn't have any grain at all. Maybe what you ordered is different from standard Luan and will work just fine but I'd stain one panel first to check the match. Also, Luan I've used for underlayment is slightly thicker and doesn't bend as easily as 1/8" birch...which is always almost impossible to find. If you're painting it and not doing sharp curves (bends) it may be fine if it's very close to the same thickness. With all that said, what many of us have discovered is it's easier to stain or shellac the panels before installing. I've tried it after installing and it was a huge mess. My arm had a better shellac coat than the ceiling. I would be using the Lauan for the skin on the outside of the camper. But, I am having second thoughts on that too. Maybe it would be better to get the stuff from the RV place for $50.00 a sheet. I thought that was way too expensive until I did a search and discovered that some people were paying quite a bit more than that. If I were to use the Lauan for the skin, would it be recommended to give it a good coating of outdoor paint, shellac or exterior clear before installing the stuff. I guess that My biggest concern would be that, due to the frost that would be created from the aluminum during the cold weather, would melt and begin to cause the glues to loose their integrity and then the panels begin to separate. I don't know, maybe the $50.00 a sheet stuff could be using the same type of glue too. Just too many unanswered questions about either of the choices. Maybe some that have gone on before Me might have some answers to this dilemma.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Nov 6, 2016 8:37:25 GMT -8
You mean Luan under the Aluminum? Interesting construction. If you want to reuse the skin it has to be exact, so you still have the issue of thickness to consider. Add even 1/4" to a wall and you may have issues. And will Luan bend for the radius? Here is a thought others may know more about... Do you need it at all? With 2x2 framing our (like our Forester below) I've never seen plywood on the outside. I wonder if they used plywood to smooth out irregular framing on that particular brand? It may have sped up production time and added strength. Usually we try to return the camper to original condition. It's always the safest way to go. So I'll be interested to hear what other people think.
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chametzoo
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Post by chametzoo on Nov 6, 2016 20:26:23 GMT -8
IMHO… plywood on the exterior under the aluminum, is useless and creates a place for moisture and mold to accumulate. Inserting a mold and moisture resistant insulation in between the wall framing will protect the interior plywood from moisture infiltration a lot more than plywood sheathing on the outside. Just take a look at nccamper's photos of the completely shredded and deteriorated plywood found under the aluminum.
A valid point has been raised regarding fitting the original aluminum without the thickness of the original exterior plywood present. You can compensate for that by applying 1/8" (or whatever dimension your original exterior plywood was) as "spacer" wood, so that your aluminum goes on as expected.
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msgoehring
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Post by msgoehring on Nov 6, 2016 20:53:59 GMT -8
I could swear there are two other brands of trailers built like this one with the frame sandwiched between plywood walls. I can't remember what they are again, I'll do some searching and see what I find.
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msgoehring
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Post by msgoehring on Nov 6, 2016 21:07:08 GMT -8
I found Scotty restoration and the walls look similar, only there is insulation between the walls and the skin: 1968 Serro Scotty Restoration by Heintz Designs by Heintz Designs Vintage Trailer Restorations, on Flickr I actually found a thread on restoring yesterday's trailers vikx did asking about putting the walls up on a Corvette trailer so it looks like that is the other one I was thinking of. Why not check out the Luan for the exterior walls and put house wrap up between the skin to keep the moisture from the wood? ? I think your trailer was so well insulted by the Styrofoam then the plywood that you would notice a difference if you leave it off. You did say that it kept really warm in there during the winter right?
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Post by vikx on Nov 6, 2016 21:21:07 GMT -8
I'm totally confused as well. Was there plywood next to the skin?? I would think you could use something like house wrap to contain the styrofoam rather than luan. I've never had a trailer with ply outside the framing...
Note: the Corvette mentioned above had plywood walls, no real framing.
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msgoehring
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Post by msgoehring on Nov 6, 2016 21:43:03 GMT -8
😲😱😵😙🙈🙉🙊 and on that note, since I've confused even myself, I'm going to bed. (Makes crazy sounds and shakes head at self as she sheepishly goes away)
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Nov 7, 2016 5:34:01 GMT -8
The photo of the shredded exterior plywood is from MrMarty51's blog.
Mrmarty51, if you eliminated the plywood you can always trim the skin to fit but if you replace it you'll need to be 100% the same thickness or the aluminum won't fit. I did a poor job saying it above.
I wonder if the exterior plywood was a vapor barrier or a structural support because the company felt the panels they were using inside might provide the necessary strength?
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 7, 2016 6:01:02 GMT -8
I'm totally confused as well. Was there plywood next to the skin?? I would think you could use something like house wrap to contain the styrofoam rather than luan. I've never had a trailer with ply outside the framing... Note: the Corvette mentioned above had plywood walls, no real framing. Yes, there was plywood between the roof/siding and the frame. There also was a layer of real heavy duty aluminum foil between the plywood and the roofing/siding. I thought that after installing the plywood skin that I would use Reynold heavy duty aluminum foil and then tyvek over that for more of a moisture barrier. My son that lives in Wasilla also texted Me and suggested that I go back together without the Lauan plywood. he too thought that would be a wasted step. It sort of seemed to me that the siding/roofing was lacking slightly on being big enough to do a real thorough job of covering the camper, but the plywood and wood I believed had swollen out of proportion due to all of the leakage and rot. I just thought the plywood skin was a necessity because that was the way it was from the factory, or home builder. I still have not found any pics. of a camper that is exactly like this one so I am thinking, maybe this thing was some sort of a kit or a home made. It is titled as a home made of 1972 or so. Upon My first look at nccampers Shasta I thought that is what it is but upon closer inspection of various pics. of the Shastas it definitely is not one of those. Thank you everyone for Your replies.
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