Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels?

hilcandoit
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1965 Arrow Little Chief

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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 22, 2017 12:34:51 GMT -8

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Post by hilcandoit on Oct 22, 2017 12:34:51 GMT -8

Hello all/anyone. I'm a newbie with a 1965 Little Chief, currently trying to learn about my options for replacing rotten paneling.

I've removed all the metal from my wrap and found that I will need to replace 4 of the 5 original panels. Oddly enough, my top panel—the one Larry calls the key sheet—has no water damage. It isn't even sagging!

I have no idea what my original panels are made of. Luan was the guess of my semi-informed local helper, but when I sent Larry an email containing miscellaneous wood-related queries and photos, he said it wasn't luan, and I guess he oughta know.

Anyway, I'm gonna be calling all lumberyards within a 50-mile radius tomorrow, and I wish I knew what to expect, price-wise, for 4x8 sheets of the various paneling options. (Birch? Oak? Luan? Others?) The lumberyards around here don't tend to put this info online...some of 'em barely even have websites. Have any vintage-trailer folk come up with a general price guide—maybe even with the pros and cons of these various woods—to help the dummies choose appropriately? With regard to paneling, I'm more interested in utility/affordability than beauty right now, but that's just me.

I am watching every tutorial I can, and I bought Vikx's book before I started doing that, but I'm working outdoors and pressed for time, so I'd love to know about any "cheat sheets" available on this topic.

P.S. a choose-which-insulation cheat sheet, written at the "explain like I'm 5" level, would also be wonderful.

Here's a link to my "interior" photos: photos.app.goo.gl/hASUxkx7U9mUzw9B2
and "exterior" photos: photos.app.goo.gl/pjR0GDCJmh7uhe1T2

Thanks.

vikx
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 22, 2017 20:13:27 GMT -8 hilcandoit likes this

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Post by vikx on Oct 22, 2017 20:13:27 GMT -8

You will probably need 1/8 sheets to follow the ceiling curve. I use the best I can find with a nice grain. It's hard to price in different areas of the country, but here it runs from $22 up to $40 per sheet.

Also, I highly doubt you'll be able to get your trailer weather tight before winter. Buy some tarps to protect your work. It usually takes me at least a year to do a complete build, 6 months if the trailer has some good "bones". So take your time and don't rush to beat the weather.

Vive Le VTT!!

BE NICE OR BE DELETED.

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vikxtrailers1.shutterfly.com/

hilcandoit
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 23, 2017 6:14:04 GMT -8

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Post by hilcandoit on Oct 23, 2017 6:14:04 GMT -8

Thank you, Vikx. It's helpful to know that 1/8 may be necessary. My wall framing has very little water damage, so I'm going to press on trying to at least get the wrap done. I don't have a 9-to-5 job just now, so we'll see.

hilcandoit
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 23, 2017 10:13:46 GMT -8

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Post by hilcandoit on Oct 23, 2017 10:13:46 GMT -8

I don't love the looks of this stuff, but it is cheap and available in my area:
www.menards.com/main/paint/paneling-planking/paneling/dpi-trade-woodgrains-4-x-8-conestoga-oak-hardboard-wall-panel/p-1444428737223-c-8168.htm?tid=-5983978227591498444&ipos=48

I found the above material mentioned elsewhere on VTT—not sure where, I'm kinda lost in the labyrinth at this point—and would love to hear from anybody who has used this particular paneling or has an informed opinion about it.

Again, I'm going for UTILITY over beauty and mid-century fidelity....I want to make my camper comfy and pleasant, but she won't be entered in any beauty pageants.

mobiltec
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 23, 2017 16:57:57 GMT -8 hilcandoit likes this

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Post by mobiltec on Oct 23, 2017 16:57:57 GMT -8

Oct 23, 2017 10:13:46 GMT -8 hilcandoit said:

I don't love the looks of this stuff, but it is cheap and available in my area:
www.menards.com/main/paint/paneling-planking/paneling/dpi-trade-woodgrains-4-x-8-conestoga-oak-hardboard-wall-panel/p-1444428737223-c-8168.htm?tid=-5983978227591498444&ipos=48

I found the above material mentioned elsewhere on VTT—not sure where, I'm kinda lost in the labyrinth at this point—and would love to hear from anybody who has used this particular paneling or has an informed opinion about it.

Again, I'm going for UTILITY over beauty and mid-century fidelity....I want to make my camper comfy and pleasant, but she won't be entered in any beauty pageants.

I don't see anything at all wrong with that paneling. And later on if you don't like it you can always paint it LOL...

God grant me the strength to restore the trailers I can,
The courage to strip the parts off the ones I can't,
And the wisdom to know the difference...

www.cannedhamtrailers.com

mobiltec
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 23, 2017 17:00:10 GMT -8 hilcandoit likes this

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Post by mobiltec on Oct 23, 2017 17:00:10 GMT -8

And if you need a really good tarp that will withstand the weather for at least 2 years, go to Tarpsonine.com Also known as Tarps Direct. They sell the best tarps I have been able to find. WAY better than the ones at the big box stores. Get the Silver Poly... That's what I have been using and it will with stand 3 summers in 114 to 117 degree heat.

God grant me the strength to restore the trailers I can,
The courage to strip the parts off the ones I can't,
And the wisdom to know the difference...

www.cannedhamtrailers.com

hilcandoit
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Bldg-material ignoramus: price guide for panels? Oct 23, 2017 17:48:11 GMT -8

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Post by hilcandoit on Oct 23, 2017 17:48:11 GMT -8

Thanks, Mobiltec, for weighing in on that cheap paneling. If I don't find something better, I'll feel more comfortable buying it—now that it has your OK. (Watch, now everybody will want it....Larry says it's OK!!)

I did sorta start to go down the formaldehyde-free rabbit hole after reading various threads here on VTT, but I didn't get far.....When I called the nearest Home Depot to ask if this PureBond stuff could be special ordered in 1/8 thickness, the employee I talked to acted like I was totally crazy. So I mentioned the web page I just linked to, which advertises "easy special order" of this and that, including special thicknesses. She put me on hold for a long time so she could confirm that the web page exists, then she came back and said I'd need to hold some more. Maybe I should have persisted, but I was getting a lousy vibe from the whole phone encounter so I hung up during hold #2.

I probably can't afford the formaldehyde-free stuff anyway. Still, it woulda been nice to get a price and find out for sure. Sigh. I guess this kind of thing is par for the course, right?