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
Gdetrailer wrote:
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)..
Okay GDE.... You're a strange bunny hon. I can't tell if you're trying to help me or trying to waterboard me? Your posts are kind of extensive and I am really trying to understand your point. Are you suggesting that a cargo trailer conversion is inferior to a typical fiberglass production trailer? I got it that you don't like the floor plan or that you think I am going to spend too much to do the conversion. But, get back to the cargo trailer for just a sec... are you suggesting that a high quality vehicle can not be produced from a cargo trailer? Are you telling me a company like this (see link) that builds $500,000 conversions can't figure out a way to put a shower enclosure, bed and 48" kitchen counter in a 15' cargo trailer??? Are you telling me that a company like this that builds high tech mobile command centers for Homeland Security hasn't figured out a way to properly insulate or is going to do "shoddy construction?" (and there's dozen others like this company)
http://www.beckercustomtrailers.com/trailers/custom
Addressing you point about reselling in the future; First, all trailers, motor homes, Class B, C or whatever depreciate the minute you drive off the dealers lot. So in building this trailer I am not giving any thought to it's value years later...only to the value it is to me now. For example I'd rather have no oven and more space now than put one in so I can get an extra $400 selling 6 years from now. (And incidentally my internet research reveals many consumers are also opting to omit an oven/stove from their new RV purchases so it's not quite the radical idea that's implied.)
Now I can tell you that even with my limited knowledge of RV building construction I did employ what I think are smart design decisions which might add to resale value if I ever did decide to sell it;
1) There are no slideouts, no steps, no odd shaped areas... it's a simple open rectangle design with 4 straight walls. Meaning, once a solid structure is built and the key components are installed (tanks, vents, a/c, etc.) the rest is just cabinetry and so it can be gutted easily an remodeled. So if in the year 2021 it was mandated by law that all trailers have ovens I could have one installed in an afternoon. If someone wanted to add another bunk that could be done. If someone wanted to add a flush toilet, a door to the shower, a door to the bathroom or change the vinyl flooring it could all be done easily.
2) Okay, here's the biggie. Ready? No matter what I do this cargo trailer (even if I put the entry door on the roof) it will always be worth at least something as a cargo trailer or hauler of something. (Whereas an an old gutted fiberglass RV isn't really worth anything except to someone that wants to do a complete rebuild such as you did (how big is that demographic?)
You noted that my floor plan did not have another point of egress. Please look again. It has a small rear emergency hatch type door (not unlike the door you would see on the back of a school bus) that only opens outward. I didn't want to put it in, but I just didn't want to have that regret. Also, both windows are egress windows that push out.
While I was waiting at the airport today I was looking at trailer rebuild you posted. You are quite a talented carpenter. I'm not sure I like things like an air conditioner on the floor, but it looks as if you put some time into it. I understand that you did this as a hobby project, but what do you think your 2-3 years of labor time were worth? Thank you for all your comments. Regards, -Darla
