Thread: suitable ply plus finishing it

If the radius of the curve is too small and the curve then too sharp, the risk of surface cracking would be high I think.

Have you considered bending to shape by steam or when one side; the outer side; is damp?

Painting would be fine, but a quality undercoat and finishing 2 coats would be required.

Caravans were covered this way for a great many years, so with care, no reason a camper should not be.

A layer of fibreglass cloth and marine epoxy, and a coat of paint. Strengthens and waterproofs the ply, and the paint keeps the UV of the epoxy.

Thanks for the replies so far, I should have mentioned before that all panels will be flat ( 4 sides and a roof ) so no bending is used.

If I went with the painting option would it be better to use a quality water based paint rather than an oil base

Trev6

Trev,

Any Plywood EXTERIOR GRADE or better will do what you need, 6mm Pacific Maple Ply would be sufficient.

As for exterior protection, as per a previous post, a layer of light Fiber Glass cloth with epoxy resin, then I would PAINT with 2 Pack paint, .This will give a hard wearing gloss finish.

Water base paint will not last as long or be as durable, nor will Enamel Paints, .

My 2 cents worth.

Jeff

If you are having the marine ply flat and vertical with angles, ther are a couple of considerations. The angular joints should be well sealed with a flexible filler, one of the Sikaflex will do the job, and then covered with maybe either PVC angle covers, again flexible. The horizontal surface(s) need special care.....it would be desirable to have the top or roof with a gentle pitch or slope from the centre to each side, much like a tent, to allow water to drain sufficiently.

In my opinion, the use of fibreglass cloth and resin would be counterproductive. There is a different co-efficient of expansion and contraction of the two, and this can lead to separation. If fibreglass is considered, then making a complete fibreglass shell would be the way to go. However, fibreglass is not really flexible, and cracks easily unless thick enough to withstand the rigours of a trailers vibration and bouncing.

Definitely I would use oil based enamel on the timber, as described in my previous post. Sure, repainting will be necessary, but so does a house need repainting. Epoxy paint will most likely crack under the duress and stresses described above. Water based paint is a no-no.

The longevity of your trailer cover will result from proper design and construction, followed by care and preventative maintenance as required.

Good luck with whichever way you choose to go!