"Affordable Adventure" Budget-Friendly FOAM Trailers
Foam Trailers with their lightweight construction and budget-friendly materials are a great way to discover the outdoors in an affordable way. With today's high priced small camper trailers you have to find alternatives that won't hold you back from exploring the world. Foam trailers, also known as foamies, are not only light, but also require very minimal tools and time to assemble. They are highly insulated for both cold and hot weather camping. With their low weight they can be towed by practically any vehicle. This would include electric vehicles, motorcycles, and even mopeds. Say goodbye to overpriced alternatives and say hello to the freedom of affordable adventure!
Join our community of passionate adventurers and make sure to take some time to check out our playlists to understand all the small camper trailers on the market. If you have a camper, then we suggest checking out all our gear focused videos as well as tips and tricks to make this lifestyle successful for you.
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🟡Generic Fantastic Fan: amzn.to/440cz3l
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Tom, if you’re reading this comment, make sure you give us an update on how your trailer is holding up. And if I didn’t remember to say it in the video, Tom, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Hi, Drew! Good to see you again. 😊
Please say hi to May and the kids for me. 😊 😊
Hey, hey. I was wondering when you would come around. Good seeing you too.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks! 😁 I was busy cooking and fixing the drip line on my house A/C. 😊
@@JackFalltrades Oops, I missed this one. They say hello!
This is what the tear drop trailer market needed. We don't all have $29,000 to make our camping dreams come true.
Exactly
All you need is an incredibly expensive CNC cutter. Or a LOT of patience.
That’s why I camp in a dome tent.
Where can I purchase this assembled?
Until they catch on to this idea and start retailing these for $29,000.
This may have already been pointed out in the discussion stream, but Tom could have a tidy side business offering his CNC files for sale. His build is pretty impressive.
I think the better play would be to sell the precut panels as a kit.
@timothymckee7693 you wouldn’t really need a company to help cut the foam to assemble the final form of the structure of the camper, you can diy a hot wire cutter to cut the foam with almost the same or better quality so all the pieces interlock with precision
@@earpig I was thinking the same. Buy the material for, say, 10 kits, get them cut, sell them, and repeat. Or even just accept orders, cnc and ship, without any stock cut parts (but a longer shipping time). He could charge 2x the price of the foam sheets, make a nice profit. and still be selling something amazingly affordable. Of course, for encouraging people to 'di it themselves," selling the files as well is a great idea.
There's that "build" word again! That's such a ignorant word
Can you enlighten us on why that’s an ignorant term?
Boat builder here. Sometimes foam needs to release gases. I would recommend doing the interior fiberglass first. Make sure to use a metal roller to saturate all of the fiberglass. For the outside after glassing Then wipe the whole thing down with acetone, so long as there is no external foam. Then spray on the outer coating. Do the coating in an area without humidity. Dont spray it on an 80 degree day.
@Bikes0420 yep, just a bed on wheels is all many of us need.
@@Bikes0420 >>Rolling coffin
Hey, lotro nerd (great game!), I'll do you one better: find the guy with the foam building system here on youtube. (KZhead will ding me if I search & link it) It's MUCH better than this build. For starters he laminates screen to all the foam on at least one side. In addition to adding major major strength it probably covers the outgassing. I believe you can walk atop one of his rigs. Additional thought: seems to me a standup version would not be too hard. Cap slips over foundation on rails, lift it up & support with 1x2s or metal rods. Few insulation issues to deal with... but then again some drafts in this kinda unit might be for the best...
@theminister1154 can you give me the first few letters of the other channel
I don't know the channel, but he actually does the foam work in Van Builds. That may help your search@@Brianf1977
Another thing that cut the price down is Tom knowing a guy that just happens to have a CNC, willing to play around with Tom's project. Nice work, too bad we cant buy the pre cut pieces to assemble in a kit or a template.
Yeah, I would totally pay for a kit, or at least the files for a trailer size of my choosing. His hatch is my favorite part. You can actually shelter from the rain while you're cooking back there. Definitely a lot of potential in something like this.
Pre cut pieces I would so pay an extra amount
Cutting foam is not exactly rocket surgery. Measure twice, cut once with either a long bread knife, a hobby shop hotwire or a turkey carving knife, taking your time and all is fine.
Another option would be using a maker space to get access to a CNC machine.
@@G_de_Coligny I made my own hot wire foam cutter out of an old computer power supply and a scrap hacksaw. Worked just as well as a store bought cutter, but was absolutely free.
Hey Drew... I have made a few changes to the camper... I changed out the cork ceiling with a carpeted one, i think it makes it a little quieter inside and seems to be holding up better. I also added a wire shelf inside, it gives me a lot of space to put things that I like to have handy like my phone, change of clothes vs having a lot of that stacked up along the sides. I can't remember when I did this, but I took the whole thing off the trailer and fiberglass the camper to the floor. Before that I had the camper foam glued to the floor with "great stuff" and strapped it down to the trailer in fear that it would break free and fly off on the road.
I love this design and how you designed it to interlock! Would you be willing to share the CAD files for this?
I’d be interested in the plans too!
Many schools are adding CNC routers (ShopBot trade name) to their Fabrication Labs. If you don't have access to one you may want to check the schools in your area. Teachers are always looking for projects the students can use to learn the design process and equipment setup. Many labs need revenue to keep them going since most were initially funded by seed grants. Offer to pay $100-$200 and they'll probably be very interested. Thanks for bringing this project to us and thank you Tom for sharing with us!
Try diamond plate for the front cap. The extra weight would actually help at highway speeds.
I never even thought about the weight being a benefit on something this light. Thanks for sharing. I know Tom will appreciate it.
I was one of the first foamie builders. They said that a trailer made of foam would blow apart going down the freeway. We proved them wrong. I really wanted to push a foamie to the limits. I have been beating on a square drop that I built in 50 hours for over 4 years in the back country. It is still going strong. Can't go wrong with a foamie.
What happens on hard bumps ?
@@jayrigger7508 It goes airborne...
I'd just let my wife ride in it .till we got where we was going. it will not come off the ground!
@@leeboy244makes for a quiet ride too 😂
Post us some pics of yours
We just “finished” our foamie and love it! No fancy cnc machine but we got it done. Get 21 miles to the gallon and stay comfortable in all weather. Foam all the way!
Just about to wrap up my foam bicycle camper. Mine will only ever see 15kph, so I was able to keep it well under 100lbs. I am disabled, so I also added an electric motor to my mountain bike, but if I ever end up on a mobility scooter (that would be modified by me of course lol) one day I wanna still be able to pull it around. The frame is made from a steel tube bedframe, and the bent plywood slats, with a 1x2 frame holding it all together, and a laminate floor which is also partly structural. I insulated the floor and poor man canvases the entire underside, and then shot it with bedliner spray. I did test the bedliner over glue/canvas/latex lamination weeks in advance and there were no reactions but we will see over time. I put in a braking system that ties into my bikes brakes and also has a locking "emergency brake" lever that locks the brakes on. I havent done the interioe yet, but the plan is to build all cabinetry with the same foam board laminated in veneer wood though instead of canvas. Havent tested yet but think it will work if laminated on both face sides. I found a cheap window frame on Amazon but will have to cut my own glass.from old aquariums or something.
Awesome! Love seeing people build their own travel trailers. We just got into teardrop trailers a little over 7 months ago and love seeing how other people take on the small trailers. Wants me to make my own.
At Lowe’s or home depot or any large store like that you can buy sheets of pvc, that would probably be a great fix for the front. It’s light weight and pretty sturdy to hold up against rocks, wind, weather, etc. and it can probably just be glued on
PMF(paint covered canvas) is very rock resistant. Rocks bounce off.
@@kennethwers I’ve never used that, I know they make a textured FRP that would probably hide little marks
A word of caution, the sheet PVC tends to expand a lot and buckle when the sun warms it up. FRP panels would be better with the smooth side out for a better look, though they are quite a bit more expensive than the PVC.
The weight savings is amazing. I would have never thought of a form teardrop camper.
Me neither. And I love it!
Hope they don't get a hail storm.
I had the best time of my life camping from 15-21 yrs old. When I was homeless. You'd be surprised at how little you need to feel safe and comfortable.
So I’m sitting on my sofa sketching plans to convert my utility trailer into a camper. I’ve been watching KZhead van life videos for ideas and came across your video! Talk about perfect timing! Thank you SO much for sharing this video with us.
Thanks for the overview of this amazing trailer, Drew. It would be wonderful if someone produced these commercially to give a low-priced option for those that are not able to build a DIY version. It would also be great for someone to host a workshop/course to build these together, like those that offer courses to build canoes or kayaks... Foamy Farming 101! 😊
I agree with you!
Agreed, on everything you said! I would for sure join that workshop.
Love the idea of a workshop/course. I'm admiring all this DIY stuff, but I don't have access to tools & lack skills.
@matthedlund502 yes, it would also be fun to gather with other teardrop fans and share ideas on design and finishing, perhaps even planning some adventures together down the road
I would love one of these! It would be great if there were self-build kits that people could select from according to their design preference. That way if you weren’t able to build it yourself, you could approach someone who could build it for you. An additional design feature could be a WC cubicle and clothes closet/cupboard. How would it fare in terms of flammability?
I have a total 37 yr. career working with composites. This procedure used on the trailer is sort of the same kind of thing but not exactly. anyway, i think that the builders idea that the blistering on the front of the unit was caused by heat from the sun coupled with poor adhesion with the foam. It might help to cover the front with thin plywood glued to the foam with foam adhesive that is available at most lumber yards & big box stores. This will provide much better adhesion than trying to glue the glass directly to the foam. Also, just abrading the foam with 36 grit sand paper that is hand held ( no machine sanding) might give the foam enough "tooth" that it will adhere to the overlay. Good luck.
I just love that you work so hard to bring us the latest and best teardrops. Thx
Along with what i had in it, I also built an ammo can propane firepit which was easy and fun to do... no more worrying about getting to a wet campsite with wet wood for a fire, this really does the trick!
$25 a sheet for the foam?!? Where's he getting it at that price?!? It's $60 a sheet here in Tennessee. I have plans to make a 6x12 foamie teardrop similar to the Bend Trailer design. So wish it was $25 a sheet here. Love that he had someone with a CNC machine to help him do the puzzle piece construction.
I did film this about a year ago. If foam is following all the other material prices in the US, I could see it being higher today. And yes, I thought that CNC was a nice touch. I’m excited for you to start working on that trailer. Let us all know when you get it done. I’d love to hear more.
2 inch foam 4 x 8 sheet at HD; < $50. N. Ca. 07/10/23
Tip: if you first prime foam with KILZ brand latex based primer, the foam can then accept any kind of paint without melting.
Thank you for a no-nonsense video! Camping stuff is often loaded with clickbait, but this had no fluff and just the info I wanted about construction, weight, price, and a features overview.
I saw one going down the road yesterday. Going north in Illinois. I searched KZhead to find exactly what I saw yesterday! I was traveling north on 57.
Creativity never ends! Just loved it. 350 pounds = 158.76 Kg, are you kidding me? Super impressive. How good will this go into a truck bed camper? Into raining? Into hot weather. His way is just awesome! Thank you for another great find Drew! I bet you got impressed, didn’t you?
Yes, I was truly impressed. The whole time I’m sketching out in my head how I would design mine. Haha. I was thinking bike camper. One of the biggest problems with truck campers is the weight. Even with the lightweight aluminum they’re using today they still put a lot of stress on a lightweight truck. That’s a good thought about what would a foamy look like in the back of the truck. Well, not really look but perform? I’m really excited to hear Tom chime in here in the comment section about how it’s holding up. Great seeing you on here.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you amigo. Always around for your updates and posts.
kzhead.info/channel/PLKapAHa8ZlZg0YwFtRAvcxv8D5sOiayiC.html
It’s so cool to be somebody’s amigo. The only time I’ve been somebody’s amigo was role-playing in Spanish class. 😂
@@PlayingwithSticks Let’s use “compa” then, so it’ll be something new and even more regionalized. 😎
Drew, Great job on the video again! Thanks again for taking an interest in my Foamie... It was a great project and looking forward to what I might come up with next!
Hello, are the person who CNC'd the panels? If not, who did it for you. I really like this teardrop. Great job
I love this trailer. You did an awesome job. I'm curious about how you attached it to the trailer. My biggest fear is how light it is the box blowing off going down the road. That may only be my luck I don't know.
Beautiful, Tom. And the subdued color with no wild graphics is worth a lot! So, all I need are detailed blueprints, and a willing friend with a CNC machine. Sooo - never gonna happen.😮
Good job. West Systems Epoxy does not melt foam and is SUPER strong. It's not cheap but it would really make this indestructible... (realitively).
This comment is gold! Thank you so much for sharing.
Total Boat epoxy works the same and is a little cheaper. Many KZhead sailing channels use Total Boat epoxy. I used it over spray foam on my 18 ft sailboat with no problems.
Flex Seal anyone?
The way it came out, wow. Foam is such a good isolation material too. If done properly, no wood is truly needed. Busy designing my first trailer and Foam panels are playing an integral role in it. Combining Foam with other composite materials (to keep it water tight) to build a 1 piece trailer shell.
So cool to hear what you’re doing! Would love to hear more once you’re finishing it up.
Got to be careful around fire and sparks.🔥
Check out the fire rating for foam board insulation. Residential building code requires covering it with fire rated dry wall. Never smoke in bed.
Love the last sentence.
Noted
This opens up a whole spectrum of new ideas !!. Thanks. I can do this
I love this build! Thanks for showcasing it here.
Great project! For the front, you might want to consider bed liner or automotive stone guard paint. Both can be mixed to any color. It would help with road hazards when towing and be more durable. Thanks for sharing - again - great project!
Am thinking bed liner on the whole thing or at least the front/lower would be beneficial.
Another layer of cross woven fiberglass across the front would solve the issue on the front
That's Pretty Ingenious Actually!!! The Fact that you can Choose what type of trailer you want to put it on is a Great Seller as well....Me Likey🤙🏽
Agreed! I’ve seen people do travel trailer style foam campers, like campers that look like an old vintage canned ham. And they build them on top of worn out pop-up trailers. Pretty creative.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you for doing alot of research & reporting on them. You have a lot of important inputs I've not considered in this field. I'm always tuned in for your stuff when I get a notification. You have Great Content & your Editing is on Point,,,Travel Safe & Ride On💯❤️💎🤙🏽
My goodness, I’m so embarrassed by my response. I did it all through the phone with dictation and it turned out awful. I’m glad you wrote back so I am able to change it. Sorry about that. I wasn’t trying to be lazy, sometimes my phone shows me the text and then I hit send and it seems to change it. 😆
You made my day with this comment. I truly appreciate everything you said here. That’s why May and I do it. We always said, if at least one person gets something out of this then it’s worth it. Crazy to find out there’s a whole community who loves nerdy camper things like us.
@@PlayingwithSticks 🤣 Naw that's technology for ya! No Worries @ All, I'm from the pre-internet days of the Old and I find Channels such as yours that have Valuable content on the Net, Some are Great and Some not So Great but I always appreciate the One's who are thorough with theirs. I realize that taking footages and Editing them let alone the actual event is a lot of time being $pent is a lot of work in it Self. I have to give Credit where Credit is Due Plus (not to be Selfish) I want to Keep Learning & Watching. BTW You have a Beautiful Family Cheers to them & You! Making Memories with them is an Epic Journey and it's a joy to See. My Son is a Young Adult & he's having his Own Journey of which I am Very pround of him for. Thank you for the kind Words & You are Most Welcome💯❤️🙏🏽💎🤙🏽
Great simple design, well done
This is super cool. I actually just got a harbor, freight trailer myself. I’m thinking about putting some sort of removable camper on the back of it. That way I can still utilize the trailer for things.
Would love to see his CNC files for cutting the pieces. What an awesome job. If he does any kind of formal plans, I hope you will post a link to it.
I got to tell you, initiative some people have. That was pretty cool. Yes, my vote would be there was some contaminants on the insulation before the paint. Could have been even been oils from your skin or moisture. I would bet a precoat would work well. Would love to get updates on that throughout time. And distance traveled. Great job!
Thanks for chiming in about the bubbles. That makes a lot of sense. Like you, I am really eager to hear more about his trailer. I have a feeling we will hear from him soon. Him and I chatted about this video being posted just the other day.
@@PlayingwithSticks Being one of the first persons to build a foamie and having built 5 foamies in the last few years, I would say there is a few issues at play with the delamination. The biggest is probably a contaminate on the surface that did not allow a good bond, but there are other things to consider as well. When I build my foamies I sand the foam to break the sheen and wipe it down with alcohol. Then I paint the foam with a bonding primer before applying the PMF. The bonding primer has a better grip to foam than glue and or latex paint alone. I then apply canvas using a 50/50 mix of water and Tight Bond II. Tight Bond II grips to the bonding primer real welll. The way I apply PMF allows the canvas to shrink as the glue dries which pulls out wrinkles and makes a drum tight skin which resists the bubbling issue. I have been beating on my 4'x8' foamie for over 4 years in the back country and still looks as good today as the day I started. You can check out it's adventures on my channel .
Wow, gr8 DIY trailer. A custom insulated economical lightweight teardrop. Best part is the camper can b upgraded w/ new & improved feature as the person continued camping. Thx 4 sharing on Utube.
Great idea, it took me two years off an on t I finish my build. I used PMF and skinned in aluminum. I didn't cut any corners but I have about 6k into it. Next build is going to be a foamie
Smart, simple, and lovely.
Well said.
We agree!
Economical, inexpensive, light weight, ease of construction, minimal amount of materials = Go out and enjoy the great outdoors without taking a second mortgage out on your home in the process. What not to love? Enjoyed the vid, here's one for the little guy! 👍
Glidden Gripper Primer is a great product to laminate flat material to this pink foam. I made some doors for a shed this way and it was sweet. You can use Fiberglass panel and laminate it to the foam core board.
My mind is blown , this is awesome!
I love the creativity. What is it like to tow? Is it flying around behind you? Highway speeds? Semi passing? What about rocks flying up on the front end? I would have stopped at the campground and asked for a tour.
I just ordered a tow package and I'm hunting for a trailer right now to do a build like that! Very inspiring video and I can't wait to get started 🙌🏾
Go for it! I built one last winter and I'm not even handy. We used the frame from an old jayco popup. You can find them cheap because they rot out really easy.
Get one from Harbor Freight. They are under $600.
Looks awesome. Great job!
Love this idea.
I think what’s neat about the foamie, is this video just barely scratches the surface about what you can build for low coast. Their are a lot of low cost rigid foam products out there, that have specific architectural applications. It will be neat to see what the community does.
Agreed! Well said.
I would suspect that the bubbles in the paint might be spots where the foam may have had grease or oil on it or where it got heated a bit and melted a bit. I'm leaning more toward contamination though. I agree that priming it first might have helped to prevent it.
A most excellent informational video. Thanks to you both.
Few notes on this after having a client share the link with me. Weight is probably not 350 lbs. Might not be fully 500 lbs, but there is more non foam contents than Tom originally mentions at 3:30. Things like the stabilizers, the doors, fan, lights, paint, storage box on the tongue, etc that he goes on to eventually talk about. I believe the trailer itself is a touch over 275 lbs, each door is probably easily 30 -40 lbs. So close to the 350 lbs without any wood or anything else yet. All to say if you're really counting on 350 lbs and something like 400 lbs is going to be the line on make or break ( say you plan on towing with an ATV safely ), I would look into the weight of all the materials a bit more before starting the build. 10 hour assembly is something that comes from many hours of trial and error with the glues and fitting Tom talks about, as well as the trial and error from it seems other builds if you've gotten to a point of using a CNC machine. If this is your first build, expect in the range of ~40+ hours. If this is your first build, also expect a higher budget. Last I saw those trailers I think was ~$500+ not $350, and if you don't have any bigger tools like a circular/table saw, etc you will find you could easily spend another $300-$500+ in tools. Also, the doors I've seen recently are closer to $400/each. So you can obviously save by maybe just doing one, or possibly sourcing some of the items used, but it seems that maybe these supplies and their prices were purchased more than a year or two ago as all the ones mentioned seem to be what these items cost new a couple of years or more ago. This is all to say that in the end you can definitely have a lightweight trailer that's easy to tow and possibly store, but if you're going into something like this with a hard budget and hard expectations on weight, especially doing it for the first time, do as much research as you can ahead of time to avoid situations like having to buy materials again from measurement or cut mistakes, and possibly having to deal with having a finished project that simply ways too much for what you had in mind.
My initial guess is there were some small amounts of moisture under the paint. Any trapped moisture will expand (1600x) as it vaporizes. I also suspect these bubbles will worsen.
That would make a lot of sense. I really appreciate you taking some time to share this.
those were my thoughts too
Did I hear him right in that he didn't apply any paint/adhesive to the foam before laying the cloth on the foam? We used to do that with fiberglass and the resin made for it when glassing boats and surfboards. You could roll the resin soaked cloth or mat to get out air bubbles and make sure it was saturated. If I heard him correctly, I'm guessing the paint/adhesive mixture didn't soak through the glass cloth to the foam sufficiently everywhere. Great build though.
@@squatch2461 You are the first person to mention this theory. Which makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for sharing.
@@PlayingwithSticks De nada. It's best played as a team sport. 🤙🏻
It's a beauty! I need to make one for my E-bike😃👍🏼
Go for it! That was my thoughts exactly.
This is super practical. I like it
Very interesting, keep these vids coming
I would love to see a set of plans for his trailer. The link to the instructables above is for a full curved teardrop. I love his simplified design with no curves.
You dont need a cnc machine to cut these, a custom hotwire cuts foam cleanly and quickly, good luck on your builds everyone!!
So true! And I bet even my favorite electric turkey cutter would work too. 😂 that’s my favorite trick for cutting memory foam. I think Tom did the CNC thing more as a fun project than a need. It looked like him and the guys at Camp-Inn had a fun time doing it.
@@PlayingwithStickslol, using the CNC machine was definitely a Tim the tool man Taylor move 😊
Definitely a Tim the tool man Taylor move! Grunt, grunt, grunt.
Great work, looks awesome !!
Bears will love the way foam insulates and preserves the goodies inside . 😅
I built an airplane oujt of foam and fiberglass. I used Epoxy adhesive which is designed to adhere to the glass cloth and the foam so it sticks so well it is stronger than the foam itself and will not delaminate. It also cures extremely hard so provides puncture and abrasion resistance. It IS more expensive than other adhesives but the advantage is worth it. You can then paint overe the surface for UV protection and esthetics.
... Ok this is FUNNY. Drew, you realize most bike campers are made like this LOL. either no frame or a very light frame of wood or aluminium tubing, foam then an outer coating of either plastic, fiberglass, or other "thin" skin for water resistance and such.
Yes, we have been studying bike campers extensively for two years now. We’ve actually been playing with them a lot they just haven’t hit the channel. With my lack of time, I don’t know if you’ll ever hit the channel. Some things are just meant for our family I guess. But I so want to share our bike camping lifestyle someday. It’s been super fun. We’ve even been integrating it into the motorcycle camping as well. People are so creative in the bike camper world. There’s so many designs to be inspired from. We actually had a hard time choosing one. And I still have a really unique one in my head that I haven’t seen done before. My plan was to work on it with Charles. But Charles and I are just struggling to get the roadworthy camper done. Currently it’s licensing a home built camper that has no chassis. 😂 Did I not tell Charles! Haha. We’ll get it on the road someday.
I'm building a full size living quarters complete with kitchen stove, sink, and refrigerator with a stand-up shower and toilet. I am using carbon fiber as my skin with the foam as an insulation. Both, interior and exterior will have carmbon fiber skinning. That gentleman did a great job on his unit. I reallu enjoyed watching this video. Thanks for making this video.
Your camper sounds like it’s going to be awesome. Thank you for sharing this. It’s comments like these that inspire us to build our own.
Next time you could try using epoxy on the fiberglass cloth instead of latex paint. You could paint after but the epoxy would make it more waterproof, hard, less chance of detachment of the cloth, it’s much better.
You would have to seal the foam with something first. The solvents eat through xps
@@jeffreymoffitt4070 yes but it would be a much better end result in my opinion. It was just a suggestion. Either way it’s a nice trailer. Good job.
@@jeffreymoffitt4070 Epoxy resin will not affect styrofoam, it's polyester resin that will chemically affect it.
@@jeffreymoffitt4070What about bears 🐻 ? 😮
@@1STGeneral I think the bears would also have to be coated with something first.
Really love to hear from anyone with one of these after a couple years of use.
My thoughts exactly!
Will possibly be buying this camper and would be happy to help answer that question
AMAZING!!!!!
You did such a good job fitting it all together, why not just use resin over the glass? The structure would be so much stronger and last longer. On a small build like that the cost is not that much more. Regardless, nice job! Love it!
>> why not just use resin over the glass? >The structure would be so much stronger and last longer
@@frankschwartz7405 what? 😂 Everything you said is wrong )
@@jlpease995 >>why not just use resin over the glass?
@@frankschwartz7405 epoxy doesn’t smell and won’t melt the foam and it’s what you use on fiberglass, not paint, ask anyone who has knowledge of it, I’ve built two boats and am about to start an 80 footer. The design and execution was perfect just could have used epoxy would have cost an extra $50-$100 gallon and then you have something that will endure.
@@jlpease995 >>epoxy doesn’t smell and won’t melt the foam and it’s what you use on fiberglass
I would like to know if it floats! 🤔 Thanks for the vid Drew! Very interesting indeed! Have a great 4th!
In theory, yes. But in reality that trailer and all the gear in it would have to be very well balanced. I’ve heard many stories of people taking non-foam teardrops across river crossings. And when they looked back in there mirrors, the trailer was floating, but sideways. I have a feeling those trailers wouldn’t float for very long though. But a foamy? You could probably come to a dead stop in and float for a little bit 😂 thanks so much Brad for the support! We are so excited about the 4th. I grew up in a small town that just has incredible events. It always feels so good to be with family and friends on the 4th. Brad, you have a great fourth as well! Again, your support means more to us than you know. It’s still hard for me to imagine people coming back to watch videos about the same nerdy things I’m into. So cool!
@@PlayingwithSticks I had a sinking feeling you were going to say that about the foam trailer! 🤣
May and I wish we could do witty sayings like this. Her and I just don’t have it in us. I like to think it’s a muscle, I just need to use more and it will appear. 😆
@@PlayingwithSticks HA! You have had some very witty things to say in your videos! It sounds like you guys are going to have an amazing 4th! 🙂🎆
💥 🧨 🎇
Great stuff. I wanna know about the foamy at the end w/ the slide out?
Fantastic design and implementation. I will stick with PMF for mine.
OMG!!! I absolutely loved Tom's trailer. As a single lady who would have to hitch and maneuver the trailer alone, this is a fantastic solution. Is Tom planning on bringing this foamy into production? I would be customer Number 1.
Haha. I don't think Tom is ready for that. But, he is an enthusiast. Having a trailer this light would have so many benefits for many of us.
Maybe Tom will take you with on his trip, if his wife doesn't find out.
@@comment8767 was she the one that went airborne after hitting a famous pothole? No? Ok my mistake.
Hey! I watched a guy make his camper using garage doors, which are basically Phone board on the inside and then on the outside they may have some metal. As a matter fact, I’m gonna attend to similar Build to that.
I love it! That is truly innovative. I love hearing when people use what they have available.
Nice. Like the construction technique and finish.
I have a $45,000 30 ' camper but have been looking for a small camper I could tow with my 4 wheeler and this looks perfect! 👍
Would be interesting to weld up a angle iron frame - a little more work/skill I suppose but could then make the panels slot in with the same Kevlar good stuff and then glass the inside corners… might make it super easy to repair an entire panel too.
That's a good idea. The very thin angled metal, with the holes and you could fasten it together using small nuts & bolts.This way you could keep the weight down, yet give it some structural integrity.
That's kind of a genius idea! I'm just a bit curious of the structural integrity of it. Like, what happens when someone accidentally stumbles and falls into it? Would the foam and joints be strong enough to keep it from collapsing?
I too, would like info on how tough it is.
Good question! I gave it some good pushes when I was there. It’s solid. But, like you said if somebody came driving into it pretty fast it would just break pretty easy. But I am assuming they would be brakes that could be easily joined back together. I would look at this like something fragile, but not disposable. It probably wouldn’t take much to patch one of these up. And I am talking resources and time. I would love to have one of my own, and just really beat on it to have a better answer for the community in regards to longevity of the build.
I have a feeling we’ll hear from more foamy owners in this comment section soon. I’m really looking forward to hearing what they say.
This technique has been used decades ago to build boats and airplanes, so tougher than one might think. There’s also a foamie test video driving one over a super rough road to see if it can take it. The fiberglass/PMF wrap apparently creates a really rigid shell.
At 8:00 they talk about how it has fiberglass mat + resin on the outside instead of poor man's fiberglass. That reinforces it a LOT, it's very strong stuff. I've made costume armor out of close to the same stuff, fiberglass mat and resin over foam floor mats (EVA foam). I've made helmets that can support a whole person's weight, 200 pounds or so.
Very interesting. I loved this video.
Wow this is great stuff. hope to see more designs in the future.
Really like the whole thing and thinking about making one myself! But one concern I have is...yeah it's light, but that might be to light! Only 350lbsgoin down the road and you hit a nice crosswind, that might not end well😮 Maybe I'm wrong, but doesn't hurt to see how my brain works.
That is the first thing I thought of when he said how much it weighs!
I would think once you load it up with your gear, it should be stable
Sweet
That’s pretty awesome isn’t it!
WOW! Great video
Absolutely love this.
Us too!
Airplane pioneers like burt rutan have been making planes out of fiberglass covered foam for years, theyre far stronger and more durable than their aluminum counterparts the g loading on a velocity is greater than 9 g's
The experimental airline industry never ceases to surprise and amaze me!
Cool build. I have never heard of a foamy. The CNC definitely helps with the cutting of the panels. How is the durability of these foamies? I wonder how the exterior would be if the applied Raptor (or some other bed) liner. To me it would help with chips, waterproofing, and a little bit of structure. Foamies, who knew?
You are the second or third person to mention a bedliner. Like you, I think it makes a lot of sense. My guess is why it isn’t commonly used is to keep the weight down. But if you’re towing it with a big vehicle, why not?
My first thought on bedliners was that they might contain solvents that wouldn't play well with the foam, but most of them claim to be solvent free, so I dunno, maybe it'd work. Same thing w/r/t using epoxy for wetting out and bonding the fiberglass, and using an epoxy based paint for the exterior. No doubt both would up the cost and weight a bit, but I reckon it'd be within 20% or so and be a lot more durable. I'd love to see a bit more testing. My guesstimate is that spraying with bedliner would add 150-200#, so starting at 350, you're talking 500-550# final. That's a lot more as a percentage, but still quite light in the grand scheme of small camper trailers, and it's mighty tough. My concern would go the other way in that it might load the underlying foam a bit too much and cause some sagging or else risk the joints, especially where they meet the trailer bed..
@@KerryBenton Yes, bed liner would add some weight and I get it with the solvents and interacting (breaking down) the foam. I think your weight estimate is a bit high. An eight bottle kit of Raptor from TCP Global is listed at 23 pounds. (21 sq feet / bottle to our recommended 18 mil film build) I have sprayed/used Raptor liner and it doesn't gain weight (at least significantly) after you spray it. Weight gain, yes; however, I don't think it is as much (or bad) as you think.
@garretlewis4103 plus you would be removing the weight of the fiberglass and resin. Might end up lighter??
Everyone is talking bed liner. My buddy put that on the outside of his pickup, you would be surprised at how much the rough texture of it cut down his gas mileage.
Looking into building possibly such a trailer and a foamy boat in the future. I work too many hours working for this so I will wait until I retire to do anything. I am building and testing samples and hopefully a garbage can house out of foam construction panels. I have found that painting the roughed up foam first ( basically use sand paper to remove to smooth surfsce) first and then applying the burlap, old bed sheet, or fiberglass window screening and then immediately painting the reinforcing media produces better bonding & strength to the foam than using wood glue on my samples and foamy winter air conditioner cover I built. I found that after drying that another light coating of water based exterior paint improves the surface finish and weather resistance of the samples. I have place these samples outside during the winter and freeze and thaw weather that exists in Ohio. I have wanted make some samples up with fiberglass cloth from a boat building supply store and exterior paint like in this video. I am looking for a surface with fairly good impact resistance ( toughness verses just structural strength) and decent strength to the structure. My best sample so far has been the fiberglass window screening ( which will break when impacted with my hammer) with a canvas or old bed sheet painted on top of it. Could you be so kind as to comment on how the fiberglass cloth holds up to impacts as in my hit it with a hammer test? Perhaps you or the builder of the foamy trailer haven't tried this. If so please respond by commenting; " You don't know how well it holds up to impacts".
I have a Rockwood Premiere Lite (tend on wheels) camper that's got black mold in it and waiting for the cooler moths here in North Florida to begin tearing it apart. This gave me some interesting ideas, even though I don't know anyone with a computer controlled saw.
I think something like this would be great as the light weight would make it easily towable by a Subaru (like a Forester or Crosstrek) with a 1500 lb tow limit. My concern is that foam has no strength so I wonder how these would hold up to regular use and towing on our “less than ideal” roads.
Poor man's fiberglass is the key. Watch the whole video.
I just got a Forester Wilderness it gives you an extra 1/2 ground clearance and an extra 1500 lb of towing capacity 3000 lb.
Clever. I'm wondering if, being so light, how much does it bounce when hitting holes in the road or going over railroad tracks. And wonder if the foam helps with sweating inside. My brother would have had ideas, he built his own Fiberglas cars. Maybe this will catch on.
I am picturing this, bumping around similar to anything we haul with a utility trailer. Which is quite bumpy. With the limited weight on those over sprung leaf axles, they often can get pretty bouncy if you don’t have a big load on them. And the foam should be a great insulator in the summer. I noticed with the Bean Trailer it stayed cool all summer long, where my home built teardrop that wasn’t as well insulated, got a little warmer. It was still cooler than the outside, but not by a whole lot.
The LG Five Wide stays cool longer than one would think, but when it's really hot, it's hot. Foam would have been an improvement. I have ordered a rechargeable fan for the dog because I can't spend a fortune on an a/c. Someone said put a wet towel in front of the fan, so maybe. I had hoped the Kelty Backroads would help, but it was hot under there. I may have to give up camping in July-August. The LG off-road loaded with water and all is pretty good at not bouncing. But this foam trailer at four foot wide could be very useful to many, including motorcycles. I'd be concerned also about light weight when it's windy.
@@WildcatPhoto I was hoping the Kelty Backroads would offer good cool protection as well. It seemed like the right design with that big back window. Two years ago I purchased one of those mini swamp coolers for like $20. The Arctic Air Pure. Sounds too good to be true, but I have often wondered how it would work in a small space like your 5 wide. One of these days I will have to test it out.
Well, the weather guessers said 70 degrees up in the Oregon Cascades lakes which is where I tried it. It was supposed to be a shady spot, but three or four trees had been cut down. Naturally. Then it got to 80. I put up the Backroads, opened window. If the wind had come from a different direction, it would have helped. Later, there was a huge thunder storm and cloudburst. It worked well to keep us dry at least. Once I had a cheapie little swamp cooler thing that was supposed to be swell. I knew swamp coolers didn't work well in humid weather, but it was useless, and I sent it back. There may be something better now.
@@WildcatPhoto Good point on the swamp coolers not performing well in humidity.
Wow!! This is really cool.
No frills. Perfect and honestly all ya need if you are one man, or a couple camping. Maybe a 12v fridge and AC for me, though 😅. Pretty cool.
I am not DIY savvy, but I have been looking for a low cost, light weight trailer like this. I don't want water hookup, I don't want a stove....I have all these things I just need the trailer itself (must have lights for transport though lol.) I would purchase if it is commercially sold !
The beauty of the foamy is, it’s very forgiving. You can start with some rough cuts in your garage with just the tools you have. And then from there you can shave it down and refine the shape. I think for many people who are hesitant to do a Trailer project, this would by far be the best option.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you for the reply. This would be great, but I do not have any type of tools that would allow me to do this. Let alone, I don't even know where my husband keeps his tools, lol. This is why I opt for purchasing one. By the way, I appreciate all your Video content that you provide! May God bless you and your family!
Very interesting... kinda makes ya think. I'm curious about how it is attached to trailer. Also, are there commercial facilities where you could get the foam cut?
I’ve seen this attached in many different ways. Even as simple as ratchet straps. But I assume that wears down that foam pretty quick. most I’ve seen though use lag bolts or u bolts.
As for commercial facilities, that’s a good question? A really neat thing about foam if you don’t have to be exact. I’ve seen people build these, and treat them more like a pinewood derby car in the Boy Scouts. They essentially make some rough cuts. And then whittle it down from there into the right shape.
Great question, how did they attach it to floor?
@@plantingseedsproductions4195 My guess would be lag bolts, but hopefullly Tom will get on here at some point and answer some of these questions. Like you, I would be interested to know.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks, interesting build with more potential. I hope this inspires others. Drew, keep on keeping on!
Wow! Glad this popped up on my feed. I do quite a bit of off road camping (tent) with a jeep. I occasionally see off road trailers, but the cost and especially the weight make me question the sanity of the owners. But 350lbs! Wow! Definitely gonna look into this some more! Thanks!
Glad this was helpful
Very cool. I'm thinking of doing a large version of this and having it rhino line sprayed to make it stronger
Is there any way to get the cnc plans he used or maybe we could pay a small fee to access? I'd love to have a starting place for the plans and i also have a friend with a cnc machine. This would be a fun summer project!
Tom and the guys at Camp-Inn are truly altruistic people. I’m pretty sure once Tom sees this, he probably will be able to find a way to get those plants to you. Tom wasn’t able to purchase a trailer at Camp-Inn because it was a bit out of his budget. And his friend at camp-inn said I will help you make one. How cool is that! I bet there are not many Teardrop manufacturers out there who would do something like that. I’m assuming Tom will get on here fairly soon to answer some of these questions.
@@PlayingwithSticks That is amazing, I think his trailer turned out great! I'll reach out to the guys in Camp-inn and see if they would be willing to help us get those plans. I think this would be a really fun project!
I would gladly pay double your cost to have one of these built for me.
Sounds like there may be a business opportunity here!
I only have a little Ford Fiesta to pull with so weight is a major concern. My Apple Card is screaming “use me, use me.”
So would I -- labor cost....no way!
The bubbling surface with fiberglass underneath, I used to do fiberglass work, you need to gel coat over it with an epoxy resin and catalyst. It will harden like a boat surface.
Omg this is amazing
I need to make something like this to avoid paying rent. This is less than one month's rent!
I love it! We avoided rent for the last three years. Not only did we save a lot of money, our family had a ton of fun adventures. But make sure you do it, right. Year three we moved into a converted cargo trailer thinking we would love it. And it just turned out to be a really tough camping\living season. It just wasn’t the right fit for our family. I suggest to people to rent something off of outdoorsy for three days. Within three days you’ll know exactly what type of camper you need.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks for the detailed reply. I am a single man with no kids so I don't need as many comforts as a family. I biked from Yellowstone to Rawlins, WY in 12 days so I'm used to sleeping in a tent.
Sometimes, you might be surprised it’s not about the amenities. The cargo trailer had all the bells and whistle’s, but our family lived much better in a tiny little teardrop trailer. It’s really more about the design and functionality based on the individuals needs. I hope that makes sense. What we thought we would need as a family, was actually the opposite. We needed less, not more.
The best method for the fiberglass cloth is to use epoxy like used for boats. It adds waterproofness and the rigidity. As long as the foam is clean of any residual and dust.
Thanks for sharing!
Crazy to not use epoxy
Does epoxy melt foam?
@@michaelperry1210 only in rare instances. Epoxy gets warm but not warm enough to melt foam unless you're filling a deep void.
@@michaelperry1210from my understanding Polyester Resin, or fiberglass resin melts foam, epoxy ones used for boats doesnt melt foam