A foam camper makes a lot of sense. As little as 1 inch foam walls laminated with fiberglass offers enough strength, good thermal insulation, weight savings, and water resistance.
@@AstroLanderRV I saw a video of someone doing fiberglass screen and an adhesion primer. Screen then foam then more screen and end up with a lot stronger end product compared to just foam alone.
Is there any framing or is the structural strength entirely from the roof, I notice you stand on the roof in a later video, is the roof just foam? I ask as I have to mount solar panels on a foamie and want to know that it will be strong enough, the span should be smaller than yours. Thanks
Hello James, our foamie's structure gets its strength from layers of laminated and staggered panels. Our roof is 6 inches thick (3 layers of XPS foam boards laminated together with their seams staggered). Our walls are 4 inches thick (2 layers of XPS foam boards with the same construction method). Is your foamie a single layer of foam on the roof? If so, I do not have much knowledge on the strength of a single panel. If it has at least two layers of panels, I would be pretty confident in its strength in holding solar panels.
Hey there, it is low expansion spray foam intended for window and door frames to prevent bowing. It keeps the laminated panels closer together and is sticky as could be!
Greetings from Australia . I’m currently making a Trailerable Houseboat can you please tell me … What type of glue did you use in the cans to join it together ? cheers thank you Phil
looks like they used an adhesive foam, like for sticking up plasterboard. but "foam fusion" is apparently the best glue for adhering these foam boards to each other.
Hello Phil! We used low expansion pressure spray foam intended for window and door frames. It worked great for us. I'm excited to see more of your houseboat. I sometimes imagine having secured our box to a pontoon boat haha. Sounds like "foam fusion" is a good recommendation, too!
Hello Kevin, yes, we used spray foam as the adhesive. I wiped off the foam panels with alcohol and then perforated them with a carpet roller to increase the surface area for the spray foam to bond to. I didn't do too well filming the process due to being in a rush, unfortunately.
@@AstroLanderRV Thanks for the info. I'm in the process of designing a camper on top of a 5x8" aluminum trailer using foam for insulation and some mods to make it 6x10.. My design is a little complex which will require bulkheads to maintain the structural integrity as I plan to integrate a rear hatch with a ramp to carry one of my motorbikes. It'll be hauled by a mini cooper S or BMW i3 with a maximum tow weight around 1,500 lbs, with the trailer being ~200lbs plus 300-500 lbs for one of the motorcycle. I'm really crossing the red line. LOL.
@@kevinnguyen5588 Your setup sounds like it's going to be really cool! Are you making videos along the way? I am a huge fan of using small'ish vehicles for big things. What bikes do you have?
@@AstroLanderRV I''m thinking of a design similar to the Scamp 13 footer if I want to store the bike inside, or a teardrop with a motorcycle carrier at the rear. A roof top rack for my 10' ocean kayaks. My mini is already hauling a 21 cubic feet roof top carrier, so I'll be hauling A$$. I own an Aprilia Scarabeo 500ie, Aprilia Mana 850, and Piaggio MP3 500. I'd like to add a cafe racer bike but no more room. Ppl already give me the WT.... when I'm driving down the road with the 21 cubic foot roof top carrier, so I wonder how they would respond if there's a trailer with kayaks behind it. LOL.
I found your channel while looking at different van builds for ideas. I never knew anything about building with foam. My curiosity led me to teardrop and truck campers built from smart (Poor Man’s Fiberglass), lightweight, and cost effective materials. Some of these guys go off-roading and across very challenging terrain for years with no issues. So, here’s my crazy but serious question. Could this method of building be used to build affordable structures to house the homeless even for short term transitional housing, if not long term?
Hey there, I'm happy your found our channel! The overall strength of this assembly style is very strong, like you describe. It makes sense since it was first used to build airplanes and boats. This would certainly work for some people to live in short or long term. We lived in this one for over a year and only needed to plug in for power 2-3 times (while in especially long periods of storms). It is very strong and incredibly insulated. My thoughts on utilizing it as a resource for community members is the building and zoning codes in cities and towns. I believe there are some similar construction methods used to provide shelter for people in California.
Haha not quite. It is incredibly strong and holds up at 80mph on the freeway. Foam laminate is a really sturdy construction, and it has been working great for over a year and 5,000 miles!
A foam camper makes a lot of sense. As little as 1 inch foam walls laminated with fiberglass offers enough strength, good thermal insulation, weight savings, and water resistance.
That's for sure! Some real epoxy fiberglass would be a really good choice, too.
@@AstroLanderRV I saw a video of someone doing fiberglass screen and an adhesion primer. Screen then foam then more screen and end up with a lot stronger end product compared to just foam alone.
Interlock would have helped a lot on this net project!! Glue panels that interlock. Nice job
All of our panels are staggered and "interlocked" using a shiplap-type of assembly method, which is how it got its structural strength. 😎Thank you!
This is so awesome and unique, can't wait to see where this goes.
up in the air rolls twice and takes out a Prius
@@Naughtius_Maximus It's made it 5,000 miles without doing such a maneuver.
A fan of foamys and Astro's so subscribed. Would love to build a small foamy.
I appreciate your support! Astros and foamies are fun topics 😎
Hello from Jakarta... it's really great. Can't wait to see the next steps.
Hello, and thank you for your support!
Is there any framing or is the structural strength entirely from the roof, I notice you stand on the roof in a later video, is the roof just foam? I ask as I have to mount solar panels on a foamie and want to know that it will be strong enough, the span should be smaller than yours. Thanks
Hello James, our foamie's structure gets its strength from layers of laminated and staggered panels. Our roof is 6 inches thick (3 layers of XPS foam boards laminated together with their seams staggered). Our walls are 4 inches thick (2 layers of XPS foam boards with the same construction method). Is your foamie a single layer of foam on the roof? If so, I do not have much knowledge on the strength of a single panel. If it has at least two layers of panels, I would be pretty confident in its strength in holding solar panels.
Scaffolding would help, park along side a loading dock ?
Is that just spray foam, or is it a type of adhesive?
Hey there, it is low expansion spray foam intended for window and door frames to prevent bowing. It keeps the laminated panels closer together and is sticky as could be!
How/ what materials do you use to connect the foam walls to the bed of the van?
I used six carriage bolts to sandwich the floor between 3/4" plywood and the frame. It held impressively well!
Greetings from Australia . I’m currently making a Trailerable Houseboat can you please tell me … What type of glue did you use in the cans to join it together ? cheers thank you Phil
looks like they used an adhesive foam, like for sticking up plasterboard. but "foam fusion" is apparently the best glue for adhering these foam boards to each other.
Hello Phil! We used low expansion pressure spray foam intended for window and door frames. It worked great for us. I'm excited to see more of your houseboat. I sometimes imagine having secured our box to a pontoon boat haha.
Sounds like "foam fusion" is a good recommendation, too!
yeah ok. HOW did you secure it to the body???
Hello Randy, we used carriage bolts to secure the foamie to the chassis.
@@AstroLanderRV ??? so your screwed lags (which use now nuts) into the frame of van? lags are meant to be used into wood not metal
@@RandyWells24 Sorry, I meant carriage bolts. (Updated previous comment) ua-cam.com/video/D4hV7ikEnhs/v-deo.html
Where u using spray foam instead of glue ?
Hello Greg, the spray foam is an incredibly strong adhesive and holds onto the foam really well.
Spray foam as adhesive?
Hello Kevin, yes, we used spray foam as the adhesive. I wiped off the foam panels with alcohol and then perforated them with a carpet roller to increase the surface area for the spray foam to bond to. I didn't do too well filming the process due to being in a rush, unfortunately.
@@AstroLanderRV Thanks for the info. I'm in the process of designing a camper on top of a 5x8" aluminum trailer using foam for insulation and some mods to make it 6x10.. My design is a little complex which will require bulkheads to maintain the structural integrity as I plan to integrate a rear hatch with a ramp to carry one of my motorbikes. It'll be hauled by a mini cooper S or BMW i3 with a maximum tow weight around 1,500 lbs, with the trailer being ~200lbs plus 300-500 lbs for one of the motorcycle. I'm really crossing the red line. LOL.
@@kevinnguyen5588 Your setup sounds like it's going to be really cool! Are you making videos along the way? I am a huge fan of using small'ish vehicles for big things. What bikes do you have?
@@AstroLanderRV I''m thinking of a design similar to the Scamp 13 footer if I want to store the bike inside, or a teardrop with a motorcycle carrier at the rear. A roof top rack for my 10' ocean kayaks. My mini is already hauling a 21 cubic feet roof top carrier, so I'll be hauling A$$. I own an Aprilia Scarabeo 500ie, Aprilia Mana 850, and Piaggio MP3 500. I'd like to add a cafe racer bike but no more room. Ppl already give me the WT.... when I'm driving down the road with the 21 cubic foot roof top carrier, so I wonder how they would respond if there's a trailer with kayaks behind it. LOL.
so amazing! wheres the frame? lol
Thank you! Our structural strength comes from the method we used to laminate the foam, so the laminated foam jenga'd together is our frame haha.
@@AstroLanderRV thanks for responding!!! Im a big fan!
Very interesting. I'll sub and watch more. Cheers.
and the hummer?
The H3 has also been retired 😳
I found your channel while looking at different van builds for ideas. I never knew anything about building with foam. My curiosity led me to teardrop and truck campers built from smart (Poor Man’s Fiberglass), lightweight, and cost effective materials.
Some of these guys go off-roading and across very challenging terrain for years with no issues.
So, here’s my crazy but serious question. Could this method of building be used to build affordable structures to house the homeless even for short term transitional housing, if not long term?
Hey there, I'm happy your found our channel! The overall strength of this assembly style is very strong, like you describe. It makes sense since it was first used to build airplanes and boats. This would certainly work for some people to live in short or long term. We lived in this one for over a year and only needed to plug in for power 2-3 times (while in especially long periods of storms). It is very strong and incredibly insulated. My thoughts on utilizing it as a resource for community members is the building and zoning codes in cities and towns. I believe there are some similar construction methods used to provide shelter for people in California.
Camper build in one day, lol, and maybe fly off the truck in 5'
Haha not quite. It is incredibly strong and holds up at 80mph on the freeway. Foam laminate is a really sturdy construction, and it has been working great for over a year and 5,000 miles!
Haha, “spooge” is that an Idaho word? I grew up in Idaho and used that word all the time, left Idaho and never heard it again.
Haha, very well could be an Idahoan word.
We used spooge in Oregon too, hello fellow spoogemiester.
Mine flew apart on the freeway
Holy smokes! That is scary. Was everyone alright?
Astrolander is a proper name for this space cadet. 😅
Glad you think so! haha
If a space cadet can do it I might actually have a chance completing a similar project
@@iczer01 get after it! 😅
Your name is strange Dingleberry.
It sure is 😅
HAve none of have of them got 1 brain cell between them. Like watching Beavis and Butthead try to assemble a Tesla.
@@robhamilton4736 what is the point of your comment?
Clip ONE branch.....
We've clipped plenty of branches on forest trails, and did our best to avoid any big ones.
Why are you talking into a squirrel butt?
Haha that's our microphone 😅 We have a windscreen attachment on the end, and it grabs people's attention.