Project Extended Pop-Top Aerodynamic Camper Shell ('99 Tacoma)

[86toypickup]

@ a8ksh4 yep you've got it right standard cab 2wd manual 4speed(wish it was five) I've recently had a radical idea of cutting a wedge out of the center of my bed to tapper it back if that ever happens it'll be dithering down the road

on a differrent note I just noticed that you from Folsom I grew up there and visit my parents every couple months

[86toypickup]

Stuppid auto correct I ment further not dithering

[a8ksh4]

I had one like that for a while when I was, probably, just out of high school. It was old enough to have a carburetor on it... late '70s or '80s, and automatic. I couldn't get it pass smog and ended up selling it. :/

Folsom's a nice town. I grew up in Redding. it seems like there are a lot of the same recreational opportunities here - nice lakes, bike paths, and trails.

[ThomCat316]

As long as your fabric isn't too fragile you should roll or squeegee a thin coat of resin onto the surface of your foam, then lay the precut cloth segments into place, then add resin to the cloth and spread it out until you have no dry spots, then lay peel ply over all of it and squeegee it firmly to get the last bits of air out of the cloth. Make sure you get all the wrinkles out of the peel ply also - they are tough to fair out after. Also make sure there are no small dips to bridge in the foam shell - they will become air pockets themselves.

8.8oz twill is a good weight, but I'd suggest going to Raka.com for their 6" biaxial stitched 12oz. or 17oz. tape wherever you need a good solid hard patch or strip.

As for fairing, buy fumed silica and glass microbaloon from them also and make your own epoxy fairing compound. You'd be amazed how much microballon you can work into a small volume of epoxy - just make sure to add a bit of fumed silica so it doesn't tend to slump. "Stiff peanut butter" is a workable consistency.

Go to Google and type in "tnttt lite house' - the very first result is my teardrop trailer build journal - said trailer just got back from 2,265 miles behind a '96 Sonoma (here's why I am following this so avidly) at an average of about 23MPG, with a couple tanks near 25MPG.

I am really looking forward to finding out what your end result is - I am thinking of stretching the frame on the Sonoma, removing the bed and building a Kammback camper for times when I don't want the teardrop along, but I really wanted to see how it worked out for someone else first! :-)

Enjoy the process!!

Whitney

[a8ksh4]

Awesome. I'll look forward to reading over your build this evening.

[ChazInMT]

ThomCat, you should put your build pics here on Ecomodder with a new thread, that's amazing work you did! I post my photos to TinyPic and then just copy and paste the "IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards" that they give you on TinyPic into here to post pics in a reply. The Ecomodder forum format for photos is not as user friendly to deal with I have found. Try to keep the width below 700 Pixels so it will appear OK here. Lemme know If I can help you get it going, then we can remove this post from here so as not to bend A8ksh4s thread too much more.

Again, Great Job on your TearDrop!

[Varn]

Thom
Would like to see some of the stuff you have built. Sounds like our experiences are similar.

Originally Posted by ThomCat316

As long as your fabric isn't too fragile you should roll or squeegee a thin coat of resin onto the surface of your foam, then lay the precut cloth segments into place, then add resin to the cloth and spread it out until you have no dry spots, then lay peel ply over all of it and squeegee it firmly to get the last bits of air out of the cloth. Make sure you get all the wrinkles out of the peel ply also - they are tough to fair out after. Also make sure there are no small dips to bridge in the foam shell - they will become air pockets themselves.

8.8oz twill is a good weight, but I'd suggest going to Raka.com for their 6" biaxial stitched 12oz. or 17oz. tape wherever you need a good solid hard patch or strip.

As for fairing, buy fumed silica and glass microbaloon from them also and make your own epoxy fairing compound. You'd be amazed how much microballon you can work into a small volume of epoxy - just make sure to add a bit of fumed silica so it doesn't tend to slump. "Stiff peanut butter" is a workable consistency.

Go to Google and type in "tnttt lite house' - the very first result is my teardrop trailer build journal - said trailer just got back from 2,265 miles behind a '96 Sonoma (here's why I am following this so avidly) at an average of about 23MPG, with a couple tanks near 25MPG.

I am really looking forward to finding out what your end result is - I am thinking of stretching the frame on the Sonoma, removing the bed and building a Kammback camper for times when I don't want the teardrop along, but I really wanted to see how it worked out for someone else first! :-)

Enjoy the process!!

Whitney

[JRP3]

Originally Posted by ThomCat316

As long as your fabric isn't too fragile you should roll or squeegee a thin coat of resin onto the surface of your foam, then lay the precut cloth segments into place,

For me it's easier with large pieces to lay the cloth on dry and then work in the resin. If you have help to lay down the cloth on wet resin then it might be easier.

As for fairing, buy fumed silica and glass microbaloon from them also and make your own epoxy fairing compound. You'd be amazed how much microballon you can work into a small volume of epoxy - just make sure to add a bit of fumed silica so it doesn't tend to slump. "Stiff peanut butter" is a workable consistency.

It's not as easy to sand as regular polyester bondo, if it's just a thin layer to be sanded down for cosmetics I'm not sure I'd bother to use epoxy resin and silica/microbaloon.

[ThomCat316]

Originally Posted by JRP3

It's not as easy to sand as regular polyester bondo, if it's just a thin layer to be sanded down for cosmetics I'm not sure I'd bother to use epoxy resin and silica/microbaloon.

I'll agree about the ease of sanding with polyester, but I've developed a tendency over the years to prefer to stay with one resin system on a given job. I don't use polyester at all anymore, so epoxy is a given for me. I just wanted to point out that it was fairly trivial to make epoxy fairing compound as long as the resin is handy.

That said, I don't see why not to use regular bondo, as long as there's enough post-cure time on the sanded/peel-ply finished epoxy for the excess amine to blush out and get washed off prior to using to polyester. Peel ply is a real finishing problem-solver. Make sure the peel ply extends well past the edge of your layup so it's easy to grab and start pulling. Easier to peel off when the resin is still green, but not too difficult even after full cure - waiting to full cure will resolve amine blush issues as well. Post-curing in a heat tent or out in the sun (120-130F part temperature) for 4-8 hours will make it work even better and ensure best possible amine crosslinking prior to peeling and finishing.

As for applying the cloth over pre-wetted foam, I usually lay it out dry, cut and mark as necessary, roll it up, wet the foam, and then unroll it. It's more difficult to get set right the first try, and extra hands are nice to have, but it tends to wet through better and stays in place better than when I'm wetting through the cloth first. YMMV, and experimentation is your best buddy.

Gojo Natural Orange Pumice Hand Cleaner does a great job of isolating uncured epoxy and making little tiny balls out of it - perfect for getting those little bits off your skin and out of your hair.

I just love all this composites stuff, and hope you're having fun too! Can't wait to read the numbers at the end!

Whitney

[gone7]

I'm wondering if anyone has thought about using Twintex. It came to my attention recently when it was referenced in a program about Alaskan products and how it is used to create those wheel skids on airplanes. It is supposed to be lightweight and strong, and an improvement over regular fiberglass.

Would it be a good material for this type of application?