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Doug Miller 303
01-31-2009, 2:09 PM
All,

I just found this forum, and immediately signed up.

I've got a question that is kinda related to boat building, but won't be in a boat.

I've got an Airstream travel trailer, and I'm getting ready to start a long and drawn out remodel of the interior. Travel trailers share the same space, weight and vibration issues that boats do, so I figured this would be the best place to ask questions.

I am planning on starting with the front lounge that folds out into a bed, and then proceed from there to the galley, the bed and wardrobe, and lastly the head. This is from the front of the trailer to the rear.

So here goes:

1. What is the best sort of plywood to use? Weight/strength ratio is very important here. Is an exterior grade glue between the layers best? Stability thru many climates and humidity/temp changes?

2. What sort of construction would one use for the galley set up? I'm thinking of 1x2 with pocket screws for the frame work and 1/4" plywood to fill in.

3. Drawers??? What is the strongest, lightweight drawer construction method and material.

4. Drawer sliders? I'm thinking of utilizing waxed maple slides to maximize available space in the drawers, but not sure of the methodology.

5. Plywood vs. solid wood? I won't object to using plywood for everything, provided I can stick with the theme throughout the entire project and find some good looking plywood that can be left unbanded. Has anybody done this?

6. Can you provide me with links to sites that sell these materials?

Any and all information will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug

Jim Creech
02-01-2009, 1:23 PM
Doug,
Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Suggest Okoume or Sappele Plywood. The stuff I occasionally get from Harbor Sales is great stuff but expensive. There are no repairs on the A side, no voids in the inner plies and all plies are equal thickness( dimensioned in mm) Finishes well bright and just looks good. www.harborsales.net.

Doug Miller 303
02-01-2009, 5:14 PM
Jim,

I just looked at some photos of different figuring available for Sapele, and I'm in awe. The fiddleback and curly really caught my eye. The heavily quilted is beautiful, but I think it would be a bit too gawdy for anything other than a Victorian home.

I went here: http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/sapele.htm

How does Sapele and Okoume look together? I'm thinking Sapele for face frames/drawer fronts and Okoume for the plywood.

Do you normally cover everything with epoxy? Or do you utilize different (and less expensive) finish methods for interior parts?

Thanks for the link.

Doug

Jim Creech
02-01-2009, 5:43 PM
For interior cabinetry on a Airstream any cabinet finish will be fine. Do Not use epoxy as a finish. It wasn't meant for that. Personally, for this application, I would use a wipe-on poly. There are others here at The Creek that will disagree and offer different opinions, all good. Finish your cabinets as you would the cabinets in your home with something durable and easy to clean.

Doug Miller 303
02-01-2009, 6:14 PM
Jim,

Thanks for the information.

I'm a big fan of polyurethane, and use it whenever I can. It is easy to apply, looks good, is very durable. However, I've heard bad things about it when used in situations that expose the finish to temperature and humidity extremes. Claims of cloudiness, from what I hear. I've never seen it myself.

I'm leaning towards an oil of some sort. Possibly a polymerized linseed oil.

Doug

Doug Miller 303
02-01-2009, 6:47 PM
Scratch out linseed oil and put in tung oil. I got the two mixed up in my head.

Craig Coney
02-01-2009, 10:54 PM
Doug,
Just remember that in an RV you need to keep the weight down. If you are not careful, it is easy to go overboard on how you build the cabinets and add alot of excess weight you didn't have before. If you build a good frame, you can get by with 1/4" panels for the cosmetics. If you look at how they are buidling cabinets in the new units, you wonder how it works, but it does and they have alot of strength.

For the slides, I would recommend one of the brands that is made for the RV/Marine industry that locks when pushed closed. I can't recall who makes them, but they are similar to accurides or KV.

I would stick with a poly finish for the interior. I use WB finishes, but if you are worried about the humidity issue, you could use an oil based poly finish. I haven't heard any issues about temperature extremes causing problems with poly finishes. General Finishes has wiping OB Poly which may work well for your application.

Also, make sure that the finish dries outside of the unit and has plenty of time to gas-off so the fumes don't stay in the trailer for an extended period of time.

Neal Schlee
02-06-2009, 3:00 PM
Doug,

Another option might be re-skinning the panelling and use (new doors, drawers, counter tops) the existing interior. If I recall the Airstreams were built well.

I recently did this with a 1973 American Road Fiberglass Camper, it turned out great and was alot less work than a total gutting.

Neal

Doug Miller 303
02-07-2009, 1:42 PM
Doug,

Another option might be re-skinning the panelling and use (new doors, drawers, counter tops) the existing interior. If I recall the Airstreams were built well.

I recently did this with a 1973 American Road Fiberglass Camper, it turned out great and was alot less work than a total gutting.

Neal

Neal,

That is a good thought, and I appreciate the comment, but the 1970's were rather flimsy in build quality. The corners of the cabinetry are made of an aluminum extrusion, with 1/4" plywood for everything, and then faced with tambour doors.

My thoughts were to increase the amount of drawers in the galley, so as to have easy access to as much of the space as possible. Currently there is a cavernous opening under the sink, but the space is actually unusable. One cannot reach the back right corner without some kind of painful yoga position.

I also have to remove the galley in order to replace the furnace, and this is my perfect opportunity to do some upgrades. Hopefully I'll be able to find a buyer for the old parts as I remove them (woohoo for ebay)

Doug

Doug Miller 303
02-07-2009, 1:45 PM
Jim,

After much research, both on the forum and via the internet, I am now leaning heavily toward Waterlox.

I really like the idea about it being easily repairable.

Thanks,

Doug

Loren Hedahl
02-08-2009, 9:47 AM
Would it be possible (or practical) to re-use the aluminum framing? The 1/4 inch paneling can be replaced with new 1/4 inch hardwood plywood of your choice, or with the thin multi-ply type that is only 4 - 5 mm thick.

With the thinner ply you can apply most anything as a finish surface. I particularly like the look of upholstery vinyl or even real leather. There is no limit to the choices.

For ideas get books on making custom auto interiors and custom boat interiors. Also check out the vintage RV sites.

Doug Miller 303
02-11-2009, 8:57 PM
Would it be possible (or practical) to re-use the aluminum framing? The 1/4 inch paneling can be replaced with new 1/4 inch hardwood plywood of your choice, or with the thin multi-ply type that is only 4 - 5 mm thick.

With the thinner ply you can apply most anything as a finish surface. I particularly like the look of upholstery vinyl or even real leather. There is no limit to the choices.

For ideas get books on making custom auto interiors and custom boat interiors. Also check out the vintage RV sites.

Loren,

I had previously thought about the idea of using the old aluminum framework with some new plywood. I'm just not sure if it will work though. The extrusions aren't manufactured anymore, and I would require many more, and varied, parts in order to be able to make this "bank" of drawers that I see in my mind's eye. There is another system similar on the market today, but I much prefer to work with wood.

I've signed up to the Airstream forums, and have acquired lots of knowledge in there. I'll be starting a thread there soon, and give you a link to follow along when I do.

That being said, I've finally acquired some details on the NK method of building drawers with wooden slides. It took quite a bit of searching, but I found it. I kinda like the idea, and might be able to modify the original design to make it even better. (I should've gone into R&D, because I can destroy anything, and then figure out how to make it better.)

I've also found some ideas on a more traditional approach of building wooden slide drawers utilizing a dado in the side of the drawer. This would be mated with a "rail" screwed to the side of the carcass. This method would probably be a bit easier to fix vs. the NK style.

Now, let me throw another wrench in the works and see what kind of replies I get.......I'll be living in this Airstream full-time and only have those tools available to me that I currently carry in the truck. i.e., no tablesaw, no jointer, no router table, no planer, etc. However, I will have my most excellent Bosch circular saw, a hand held router, porta-planer, miter saw, and cordless drill. I'll be getting a Kreg jig for my birthday in a few days. Oh, and let's not forget that I also have copious amounts of "stubborn", and "perfectionist" both.

Thanks for the replies,

Doug

ben bothwell
03-16-2009, 8:39 PM
I may be a little late to this thread, but the best/lightest way to build cabinets for your aplication is with alluminum honeycomb sandwich board with a wooden veneer. It can be a little pricey but the weight/strenght ratio is second to none. I used to build cabinets and furniture for gulfstream airplanes, obviously weight is a huge factor in planes. We once built a telivision cabinet similar in size to the one I have at home for a G4. My t.v. cabinet in mahoganny weighs in at about 350 lbs., the alluminum one looked nicer and only weighed 73 lbs. The aluminum can be cut on any standard tablesaw with a carbide blade, and it is easy to work with because it is so light. Good luck with whatever you do.

Ben