Thread: plywood caravans

Surferboy,
I can't really help you with info but I will be following your progress with interest because I want to build a slide on camper to go on the back of my ute. I was going to build it out of exterior grade ply (because I use a fair bit for work) and coat it in epoxy. Some of it will be a sandwich construction of ply/polyurethane foam/ply (to save weight and because I have the foam). So a bit like stitch and glue boat construction in some aspects, screwed/pinned to hold it together than taped and glued on the seams. If you're not familiar with this technique it may be worthwhile to check out the boat building area here for information on these techniques.

Mick

There was a site somewhere that had/has plans for both caravans and trayback vans ie: for F100s from years ago... I will have a gander around and see what I come up with

I gotta do the same thing its sorta slowly falling apart out there

Okay one for Mick first an oldie but you bein you can make it even better than the site shows!

Still lookin for the caravan ones

Okay cant seem to locate the old plans site but GlenL has a variety here that are bloody cheep... GlenLs plans are worth the money by the way

When I was a very young bloke, old man built a plywood caravan from scratch (plywood was reasonalby new then) it would have been '65 or 66.
He was a shipright so it was built like a boat.

timber framed plywood skin and coverd in fibreglass..... just like the new fangled plywood and fibreglass boats that were about then.
It must have been reasonably light as it was towed by a 50's morris oxford(that had a 1500 engine) from townsville to brisbane.
it slept 4 & had a galley that opend up out of the back.

cheers

Ive often wondered with the years that have gone by since those days such as soundy alludes to if it would still be possible to build one... either a slide on for the F100 or a proper caravan... from timber using fibreglass and the epoxys of today and would it pass the test? I mean since the 60s the laws have changed INCREADIBLY in all areas so Im wondering if its changed in this as well?

So okay say I go ahead and build one like the one linked to fit the F100 using the newer stuff would it pass muster when taken over the pits? or would it nowadays have to be made of ali and have all the new fancy dancy shyte that seems to be common to the marketted parade of slide ons out there today?

Or a caravan built from scratch? using wood and ply and fibreglass etc would such pass the pits?

Just curious... cause im damned sure she would find a rifle and shoot me if I built it but because of the laws that have been passed since that time it couldnt be registered... the wasted time and money alone would drive her over the edge!

So? Anyone know?

I don't know the answer WD, but I guess State specifications for constructions (road worthiness) of vehicles are available on the net.

soth

Shane,
I'm under the impression that if I build a box to fit on the back of my ute then the only transport department requirements that it needs to meet are the same as for any other load I choose to carry ie dimensions, weight distribution and safe tie down. The only other consideration would be a gas certificate if it had any gas appliances fitted. A caravan would be another story, but I'm not interested in building one of them.

Mick

Not only can you still buy old ply vans you can also by a cd with plans (ebay)
Some people are using the ply vans for their historic re vehicles to stay in sync with the time frame and last year there was a 26 dodge at our rally with a teardrop van behind easy towing and cheap comfortable camping.
Why try to build 1 in this day and age when you can buy an oldie
Pete

Originally Posted by fxst

Why try to build 1 in this day and age when you can buy an oldie
Pete

tsk, tsk. Nearing 1500 posts on a wood work BB and you ask that question! Dear, dear me.

soth

Ahh the Drivel's gone and the good old days are back!

Nine posts and not even hint of an answer!

Well done chaps!

There are a few informative sites (including some posts on the boat biulding fora round here) that will tell all in terms of plywood, but in essence what you need to know is:

The letters A B C D refer to the grade of the face of the ply. AA being perfect both sides down to CD being not real good on one side and worse on the other.

The glue used for exterior grade ply and marine ply is the same, however the standard for marine ply requires that it has fewer voids, and often more plys for the same thickness. Here are a few links to get you started:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f34/marine-ply-vs-structural-ply-28564
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f14/marine-regular-ply-29789
http://www.chpi.com/pages/grades.html

On balance, don't skimp on the ply. It's not that easy to replace the ply on a completed caravan, and as a percentage of the total cost of the project it's insignificant.

Check out a few like-minded people here:
http://www.trikesaustralia.com/teardrop/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/teardropcampers/

Mick, most of the plans like the Glen L one's are overdesigned to billyoh, keep it light as you describe and you won't be sorry!

Maybe a whole new thread is needed?

Cheers,

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

................Maybe a whole new thread is needed?......................

Planning to starta new thread when I get closer to building. Will post some drawings of layout, construction methods and details for feedback and then mybe a WIP. I've been sketching designs on and off for a year now and it's changed several times due to changes in circumstance. After having a "demountable" toolbox on the back of my V8 4wd hilux that weighed 1200kg I can confirm that I'll be doing my utmost to make it a lightweight.

Mick

Thanks for the response guys

bitng midge, thats the kind of info i was after so i have some idea what i'm talking about when i go shopping. seems most places in Perth like selling imported marine grade ply which is good on one face but bogged up on other side and i dont know whats inbetween (which is probably all i need for the caravan as only one side is exposed to the weather)
Then i'll need to find out what to seal and paint it with and how to seal the joins between sheets (i pulled 4 sheets off that will be replaced)

wild dingo, yes you can build ply caravans and get them rego'd OK. need to meet gas and electrical requirements as well as roadworthy rules

mick, came to this forum cos i figured the best guys to talk to regarding keeping wooden things waterproof would be guys actively bulding wooden boats (but i thought caravan questions didnt fit in the boat section ) i'm sure this forum will be very helpfull

soundman, do you have photos of your old mans homebuilt caravan ? check out the following website (they love old photos)
www.vintagecaravans.com


ps tried to put picture on posting but it didnt work
copied from photobucket and pasted on reply(same as i do on my other forum), shows up on preview but doesnt go anywhere
I know computer stuff about as much as i know how to do woodwork

HAPPY EASTER GUYS

there was a show on diy channel about doing up a caravan(travel trailer). one of them flash aliminium jobbys (cant think of the name) the yanks like. look on there website. might give ya some ideas?

edit: just had a look on http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_..._40679,00.html and its a "Airstream" 27'

mmmm okay Mick... sorry I seemed to have drivelled instead of responding properly to the question asked

HOWEVER!!! In my defence I considered the option of supplying plans and sites that offered them as an oportunity to show some like minded wombat sitting quietly at his/her computer thinking to themselve "Bloody bobby dazzler!! wonder where I can get some plans for one of them?" so I supplied the answer to what I percieved as a potential question from the quiet ones... and as you may be aware I do like to think of the quiet ones from time to time and so tend to pre-empt the questions to supply answers to their unasked questions (and I hate the term lurker so I like to call them the quiet ones )... its also in my defence of course of note that having a set of plans even over designed ones such as GlenL has on his site was a thought that perhaps for the small sum he asks for them even with the conversion its cheep he would have a set of plans to start playing around with ideas with... and so I was in my own way helping

Just as I was helping when I posted the one of the vintage slide on for the F100... I knew you and others need challenges and I thought what better way than by giving them a set of over designed and bloody annoyingly stupid use of idiot things to get their juices up... and therein lay my alterior motive... see I was hoping by doing so just such as your own good self would grab hold of them and redesign it leaving out all the idiot suppurbative gunk and extras and use modern materials and ideas so all I had to do was click and save your plans and follow your build and I could do it too... of course!!! Id give full credit where credit was due that being to such as you and of course to my own self for showing you the plans in the first place!! MY GOD IM BLOODY BRILLIANT EH??!!

I could just as easily have supplied info on Boate Coat West System along with others and supplied info on Plys as well... but thought I would go the route of plans... to me this gave a double edged response to the original thread posters intent and I knew some wombat would come and give him that info as indeed you did.. AND!!... I take all credit for the intentional thread drift as I felt one was required and called for... and so I took it upon myself to do just that... but as you yourself must by now be aware it didnt remain that way for long cause it was you yourself who bought it back on tack!... bloody legend mate!!

Now... I was further thinking... while I tend to agree with the comment that such as GlenL has over worked these things... they are at the same time only plans did I bloody say that??? only plans??? strewth Shane!! ... but I must continue... no seriously I must!!!... And so as such the internals can be fiddled with changed around and made to suit ones needs... the timbers used in the plans from that site are such as Sitka Spruce, Oregon and other light US timbers with heavier timbers being such as Mahogany... nothing whatever as on the heavy weight side as our own Jarrah or others... so what could be termed over designed due to the use of heavy timbers is just so much codswollop in my opinion since their timbers dont come near our own... and as said one can use whatever timber one chooses to build it with... no??

Unless you meant over designed in the internals? If so then change the floor plan to suit... me I would definantly change the layout they suck big time! but they give you demensions and layouts you can play with till you find your own happy medium... pretty cool in my book specially at the price

We agree? goodoh ol son!