Update: On my RV Building Plans....
UPDATE: On my RV building plans Well, you spoke..... and I listened. Thank you to all those that provided feedback to me on my RV building plans. Your ideas and suggestions have been very helpf...
Forum Discussion
Thought I would dig up a few "resources" which may help to explain some of the pitfalls of Darla's design.. Hopefully you will find some of this info enlightening..
Although the plans are “dated looking” they will give you some insight to typical RV construction and I would recommend the following website for a real good look at actual home built RV plans..
Nothing says you have to follow the plans to the "T" but you will gain some inside knowledge on how a typical RV is constructed.
There are even photos posted by folks who bought and built the plans.
GLEN-L RV PLANS
“GLEN-L is the name of proven quality in the do-it-yourself field, and we gained this reputation simply by offering the best R-V plans available. There may be other so-called "bargain" plans available, however, we doubt that you will find ALL of what we provide in our various Plans & Pattern packages regardless of the price. Remember, the value of a good set of plans will be repaid many times over by preventing mistakes and wasted time, not to mention shoddy construction and possible safety hazards to your family.
Only GLEN-L offers all of these features...
Plans: With our Plans you receive a unique "package" that is complete and intended just for the R-V you have selected. All our plans are intended for amateurs who may have little or no experience reading blueprints. They are based on decades of experience providing plans to the amateur builder and cover all phases of the construction. The quality of our plans is so highly respected that you have no doubt seen them featured many times in national magazine articles.
Instructions: Our voluminous GLEN-L Construction Manuals are furnished with all Campers and Travel Trailers. These manuals are the finest available and include numerous photos of the construction taken during the prototype development. Our Husky & Outback include step-by-step instructions as a part of the PLANS. In short, we leave nothing to chance.
Material Listings & Layouts: All campers, travel trailers, and pick-up covers have material listings of wood and fastenings for the basic structure so you can determine costs before construction begins. Camper plans come with material layouts so you can cut the plywood with a minimum of waste. Travel Trailers have listings which tell you what plywood panels to use and where.
Patterns: Only GLEN-L provides a real full size patterns system to simplify and speed construction of the sidewalls of your camper, travel trailer, or pick-up cover. No additional layouts are required. You assemble directly over the pattern sheets we provide thereby assuring the size, shape and symmetry of your recreational vehicle.
With this system you receive a full-length pattern for campers giving all contours and positions of sidewall members. With travel trailers you receive full height patterns giving the contours and positions of sidewall members at front and rear ends to perfectly "key-in" the simple GLEN-L sidewall construction. You also get full size patterns for the wheel well cutouts and for the cambered roof beams of the trailer. We know that the value of our pattern system will exceed many times the price of the package.”
The sidewall typically used in RVs actually works a lot like a trussed beam when the inside paneling is attached to the 1x2s in the side walls and therefore the side wall panel BECOMES PART of the strength of the RV trailer.. This allows the RV manufacturer to use lighter steel beams under the trailer box since the walls strengthen the RV.
The following is discussions on truss beams
HERE
HERE
“Why trusses?
A truss provides depth with less material than a
beam
It can use small pieces
Light open appearance (if seen)
Many shapes possible”
Another very good resource is from a fellow who built a 5th wheel trailer from scratch
Original thread
CHAD'S 5TH WHEEL THREAD #1
Second thread
HERE
A very good read on “composite sandwiches” although the article focuses on the marine applications the principle is the same when used for any lightweight yet strong panels.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN THE FOLLOWING LINK.
FOAM CORE COMPOSITE
Here is a snip of the link.. but in the link they give some diagrams which should help understanding of the principles.
“Sandwich Principle
The sandwich concept is based on two main ideas: increasing the stiffness in bending of a beam or panel and doing so without adding excessive weight.”
Something else that I have noticed missing in your design is a secondary “emergency egress”, in other words you have only ONE way out of the trailer in case of fire.
If the door gets jammed or the fire is in front of the door you have no other way to get out.. This is critical that you have a secondary egress, typically in RVs you have one door and ONE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW. In the case of my TT I have two doors and STILL have a emergency egress window..
Not to harp further on the door thing, it IS easier to make a hasty exit if the door swings outward.. Having a exit door which swings inward will cost you precious seconds of time which may be the difference getting out alive or not..
Inward doors also wastes your usable floor space, a three foot wide door will require a min of a 3’ x 3’ area inside the door which NOTHING can be there.. Not even a shoe. And if you want the inward door to be able to swing more than 90 degrees open then it will take an additional 3 ft of wall space (you need 3’ for door opening plus 3’ for the door to swing against the wall eating up 6' of wall space)..
Although the plans are “dated looking” they will give you some insight to typical RV construction and I would recommend the following website for a real good look at actual home built RV plans..
Nothing says you have to follow the plans to the "T" but you will gain some inside knowledge on how a typical RV is constructed.
There are even photos posted by folks who bought and built the plans.
GLEN-L RV PLANS
“GLEN-L is the name of proven quality in the do-it-yourself field, and we gained this reputation simply by offering the best R-V plans available. There may be other so-called "bargain" plans available, however, we doubt that you will find ALL of what we provide in our various Plans & Pattern packages regardless of the price. Remember, the value of a good set of plans will be repaid many times over by preventing mistakes and wasted time, not to mention shoddy construction and possible safety hazards to your family.
Only GLEN-L offers all of these features...
Plans: With our Plans you receive a unique "package" that is complete and intended just for the R-V you have selected. All our plans are intended for amateurs who may have little or no experience reading blueprints. They are based on decades of experience providing plans to the amateur builder and cover all phases of the construction. The quality of our plans is so highly respected that you have no doubt seen them featured many times in national magazine articles.
Instructions: Our voluminous GLEN-L Construction Manuals are furnished with all Campers and Travel Trailers. These manuals are the finest available and include numerous photos of the construction taken during the prototype development. Our Husky & Outback include step-by-step instructions as a part of the PLANS. In short, we leave nothing to chance.
Material Listings & Layouts: All campers, travel trailers, and pick-up covers have material listings of wood and fastenings for the basic structure so you can determine costs before construction begins. Camper plans come with material layouts so you can cut the plywood with a minimum of waste. Travel Trailers have listings which tell you what plywood panels to use and where.
Patterns: Only GLEN-L provides a real full size patterns system to simplify and speed construction of the sidewalls of your camper, travel trailer, or pick-up cover. No additional layouts are required. You assemble directly over the pattern sheets we provide thereby assuring the size, shape and symmetry of your recreational vehicle.
With this system you receive a full-length pattern for campers giving all contours and positions of sidewall members. With travel trailers you receive full height patterns giving the contours and positions of sidewall members at front and rear ends to perfectly "key-in" the simple GLEN-L sidewall construction. You also get full size patterns for the wheel well cutouts and for the cambered roof beams of the trailer. We know that the value of our pattern system will exceed many times the price of the package.”
The sidewall typically used in RVs actually works a lot like a trussed beam when the inside paneling is attached to the 1x2s in the side walls and therefore the side wall panel BECOMES PART of the strength of the RV trailer.. This allows the RV manufacturer to use lighter steel beams under the trailer box since the walls strengthen the RV.
The following is discussions on truss beams
HERE
HERE
“Why trusses?
A truss provides depth with less material than a
beam
It can use small pieces
Light open appearance (if seen)
Many shapes possible”
Another very good resource is from a fellow who built a 5th wheel trailer from scratch
Original thread
CHAD'S 5TH WHEEL THREAD #1
Second thread
HERE
A very good read on “composite sandwiches” although the article focuses on the marine applications the principle is the same when used for any lightweight yet strong panels.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN THE FOLLOWING LINK.
FOAM CORE COMPOSITE
Here is a snip of the link.. but in the link they give some diagrams which should help understanding of the principles.
“Sandwich Principle
The sandwich concept is based on two main ideas: increasing the stiffness in bending of a beam or panel and doing so without adding excessive weight.”
Something else that I have noticed missing in your design is a secondary “emergency egress”, in other words you have only ONE way out of the trailer in case of fire.
If the door gets jammed or the fire is in front of the door you have no other way to get out.. This is critical that you have a secondary egress, typically in RVs you have one door and ONE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW. In the case of my TT I have two doors and STILL have a emergency egress window..
Not to harp further on the door thing, it IS easier to make a hasty exit if the door swings outward.. Having a exit door which swings inward will cost you precious seconds of time which may be the difference getting out alive or not..
Inward doors also wastes your usable floor space, a three foot wide door will require a min of a 3’ x 3’ area inside the door which NOTHING can be there.. Not even a shoe. And if you want the inward door to be able to swing more than 90 degrees open then it will take an additional 3 ft of wall space (you need 3’ for door opening plus 3’ for the door to swing against the wall eating up 6' of wall space)..
