I know it’s been three years ago, but I just now seen the video. I’m thinking you doing a great job. It’s gonna be wonderful to be out dry camping beside a lake someplace like the way you design it and putting the epoxy on the way you’re doing it all to be waterproof👍👍
I've built a number of boats from wood that I epoxied and glassed over. I also built my own teardrop about ten years ago that I fiberglassed/epoxied. I think this process intimidates a lot of people when in fact, it's really quite straight forward and is very forgiving. Air bubbles in the cloth are nothing to worry over because, if you'll just be patient and keep working them out, the cloth will conform even to compound curves and lay down just fine. In addition to the advantages you did list here, there are two advantages to this process that I don't think you mentioned and they are: 1. the fiberglass cloth adds abrasion resistance and is quite easy to repair if you nick or bang it out in the real world. and 2. the fiberglass/epoxy combination makes for an absolutely superb base for just about any paint you want to apply. Once, I've gotten my epoxy sanded as smooth as I wanted, I simply primed it with automotive primer and sprayed on automotive paint. I've always gotten very good results with a wet look that rivals even show cars. There is one thing I would have done differently. I would have applied the epoxy with squeegies or bondo spreaders. It doesn't have to be super smooth because you're going to come back and sand things anyway. Also, next time, see if you can find a friend to mix the epoxy while you spread it. You won't have to sand between coats if you've got your next batch of mixed ready to go before the previous coat kicks. As long as it's still tacky, keep working. Having one person mix while the other spreads makes the project go fast and easy.
All I can say is WOW you picked the absolute hardest way to apply that you could! It is by far easier to card it on with plastic scrapers! You get much better weave fill so you get a smoother finish And you are not throwing away rollers FULL of epoxy that could have been on your surface, you also should have applied your next coat when the previous is still tacky! That way you eliminate the need to sand between coats, you get a MUCH better bond between layers as it is a chemical bond instead of a mechanical bond with sanding, and you are sanding away epoxy which is a total wast of product and leaves you with a thinner final overall application! Also overlapping the corners would have been a better idea as the majority of the strength of the structure is gained by glassing the corners. Just a bit of insight from someone that has applied hundreds of gallons of the stuff.
Mike I have a old 1994ish hipoint fiberglass trailer and would like to make the floor last. underneath is wood and it looks like it’s not sealed in any way. Could I do this to the bottom to help make the floor last much longer?? Or could I perhaps use the epoxy only just to seal it? The floor feels plenty strong but I want to make sure it does not get water damage with the bare wood.
You see this all over YT, guys doing stuff wrong, that's fine for them, it's their time and money. The problem is guys with less knowledge copy it thinking it's the best/correct.
@@jonathansimmonds5784 I think your judgement here is a bit harsh, and your own experience lacking a little bit. This application is not structural, and while Mike is correct on the application process he described being superior for a structural application, in this video he is simply doing a single layer of cloth over plywood for a weather proofing application. The corners should have been covered/overlapped but only for continuous coverage to prevent water ingress, and not for structure as you can clearly see mechanical joining with hardware in said corners. The only real failure I see is that there was no epoxy applied to the edges of the boards at the window and door openings, or overlapped the top corners, which are the most at risk for weather damage. That being said, he did also state that he is going to epoxy in some corner trim, which should seal those at risk corners anyway. We could debate all day about what is best for X and Y, but at the end of the day this person is simply doing a single layup of cloth over an impregnated board and 3 mechanically bonded coats, likely to get the smoothest finish possible in the way he knows how. More than adequate to weather proof the exterior. The only real argument that holds up is the waste of materials mentioned by Mike.
@@jacobhendrickson8935 the problem with totally sealing wood is that it is a naturel material and it wants to breath to some extent. If you completely seal it changes in temperature and humidity will eventually cause the epoxy to fail. If you use something that will flood and soak into the wood on the initial application and then apply subsequent applications at the proper time interval as per the manufacture of the product recommends so that you get an actual chemical bond instead of just a mechanical bond that you get from letting it cure and then sanding it you will be ok.
I’m building a camper now, trying to figure out how to do the fiberglass portion, as I’ve never done it before. You’ve got the most helpful video I’ve found yet. Thanks
Great video. I am also building a diy camper in my garage. Soon I will need to be starting fiberglassing. I was hoping to just use the matting in the corners and epoxy the rest
Great watching you do this process.........roughly how much epoxy did you use ? I am planning on building one as well and am trying to gather my supplies prior
Hi Mark , I am looking to build a camper , are you happy with your choice of using epoxy ? I would think it would be the best choice as the corners are sealed from moisture , also may I ask how you finished off the bottom of your sheets , did you epoxy those ? Just thinking moisture wicking up from the bottom , Thankyou Kevin from Australia
Hey Mark! Love your process and love your production skills! Please be careful, watching you hold that glass without gloves made me really itchy, though!
I finished an aluminium camper which I’m happy with. I need a project to keep me afloat after losing the love of my life. So tomorrow I start a plywood camper. The aluminium camper I built with best available materials throughout and is waterproof after my test run of 4,000kms. Next one I’m doing something special. It’s to be very light, cheap, quality finish, towable by a family car, will have a lift out side panel making it suitable to be used as a coffee selling kiosk or weekend away for a couple. I will build it very similar to the French Carapate but full height inside. To seal it I will employ the method I learned as a boy repairing WWII fabric aircraft. I will seal it with clear coat to which I will stick fine quality linen and brush and card soak more clear coat. Light sanding between coats. The sides will flow over the roof 2” clean cut. The roof clear coat soaked linen will lap to the edge over the 2”. The side linen will be mid-dark blue....the roof yellow linen which solves problem over water seal and brilliant inherent color. (Colour in Australia) Will make 2” timber trim to give it style and it will be butyl taped on so no holes. The opening side for food/coffee awning (or fresh air camping) I may leave natural marine ply. The entire unit will sit and overflow my box trailer and I could market it stand alone if I choose. Light aircraft are monocoque and require little framing nor heavy skin. Don’t over-engineer your campers.......
Peter, that French Carapate looks pretty cool ( czcams.com/video/GwA5m97nxw8/video.html ). Would really like to see what you build. Tall enough to kind of walk about would be good for your kiosk idea but unnecessary for camping. Good luck.
Hey Mark, Thanks for the video. I am building a hard top on my pop camper. I am not sure if I should purchase a fiberglass cloth or a mat? Which one do you think is better? Could you share where I can buy the fiberglass from? Thanks
Hello, I have a Honda Goldwing and I'd like to make a teardrop camper to pull with the motorcycle however I have no experience at all with this kind of thing . Do you think that I could use something like a honeycomb center cardboard material for the camper and cover the cardboard panels with fiberglass cloth and resin to waterproof and structurally strengthen it. Thank you for your input.
I think it is possible. With that said, I am not an engineer. I have seen smaller campers meant to be towed by a motorcycle. There's probably plans out there.
@@IdRatherMakeItMyself-Net Hello Mark, thank you for your input. I keep looking for plans I just wish that I knew what kind of person would know if I could use a honeycomb cardboard as a base for applying fiberglass cloth and resin. I like your build it looks great. Thanks again
I would prefer to use slow cure epoxy and saturate wood and apply second coat then fiberglass rather than let cure and sand this forms a better bond with wood , also I would heat the piece up in mid day sun and bring in and epoxy while wood is cooling and outgas bubbles won't form.
For this application, the lighter weights of cloth work just fine. I would say a 4oz cloth is very easy to wet out and lays down really well. Another reason to use the very light cloth is that you don't want to sand into the cloth when prepping for paint. If you have a heavier, more structural cloth, you will need more epoxy to completely wet it out and then exposing the fibers from oversanding will create some real problems trying to get it smooth again.
Another thing that I've read sanding epoxy before it is completely cured is toxic. Also, if I'm sanding, I mix micro balloons with epoxy. otherwise, it's too hard and tough to sand
Do you all see my point now, after a few months I've revisited this and sure enough, there are guys saying how wonderful it is. It isn't as Mikes Micro Shop also points out. I wish there was a way to censor YT and stop incorrect information being circulated. The most stupid thing I saw was the removal of the pumps! West System do a really good video (British, naturally) that explains how to use the pumps correctly, you possibly didn't know they need to be primed before each use.... I agree wholeheartedly with not using a roller, I've been in the boatbuilding industry over 45 years and was college trained for two years, a lot of book learning as well as on the job training. CZcams gets me so mad sometimes!!
Health has been great. In a well ventilated shop epoxy doesn't pose much of a problem for someone who does it occasionally. The garage doors were wide open and a good breeze was blowing through.
One of the best reasons for using MAS epoxy is that it contains no VOC. (Volatile Organic Compounds) Thus, MAS does not require a respirator to apply. It's my personal favorite epoxy. A boat building friend of mine has severe allergic reactions to many other brands of epoxy but he uses MAS for the same reasons that I do - no reactions. It's good stuff.
I know it’s been three years ago, but I just now seen the video. I’m thinking you doing a great job. It’s gonna be wonderful to be out dry camping beside a lake someplace like the way you design it and putting the epoxy on the way you’re doing it all to be waterproof👍👍
I've built a number of boats from wood that I epoxied and glassed over. I also built my own teardrop about ten years ago that I fiberglassed/epoxied. I think this process intimidates a lot of people when in fact, it's really quite straight forward and is very forgiving. Air bubbles in the cloth are nothing to worry over because, if you'll just be patient and keep working them out, the cloth will conform even to compound curves and lay down just fine.
In addition to the advantages you did list here, there are two advantages to this process that I don't think you mentioned and they are: 1. the fiberglass cloth adds abrasion resistance and is quite easy to repair if you nick or bang it out in the real world. and 2. the fiberglass/epoxy combination makes for an absolutely superb base for just about any paint you want to apply. Once, I've gotten my epoxy sanded as smooth as I wanted, I simply primed it with automotive primer and sprayed on automotive paint. I've always gotten very good results with a wet look that rivals even show cars.
There is one thing I would have done differently. I would have applied the epoxy with squeegies or bondo spreaders. It doesn't have to be super smooth because you're going to come back and sand things anyway. Also, next time, see if you can find a friend to mix the epoxy while you spread it. You won't have to sand between coats if you've got your next batch of mixed ready to go before the previous coat kicks. As long as it's still tacky, keep working. Having one person mix while the other spreads makes the project go fast and easy.
All I can say is WOW you picked the absolute hardest way to apply that you could! It is by far easier to card it on with plastic scrapers! You get much better weave fill so you get a smoother finish And you are not throwing away rollers FULL of epoxy that could have been on your surface, you also should have applied your next coat when the previous is still tacky! That way you eliminate the need to sand between coats, you get a MUCH better bond between layers as it is a chemical bond instead of a mechanical bond with sanding, and you are sanding away epoxy which is a total wast of product and leaves you with a thinner final overall application! Also overlapping the corners would have been a better idea as the majority of the strength of the structure is gained by glassing the corners. Just a bit of insight from someone that has applied hundreds of gallons of the stuff.
Mike I have a old 1994ish hipoint fiberglass trailer and would like to make the floor last. underneath is wood and it looks like it’s not sealed in any way. Could I do this to the bottom to help make the floor last much longer?? Or could I perhaps use the epoxy only just to seal it? The floor feels plenty strong but I want to make sure it does not get water damage with the bare wood.
You see this all over YT, guys doing stuff wrong, that's fine for them, it's their time and money. The problem is guys with less knowledge copy it thinking it's the best/correct.
@@jonathansimmonds5784 I think your judgement here is a bit harsh, and your own experience lacking a little bit. This application is not structural, and while Mike is correct on the application process he described being superior for a structural application, in this video he is simply doing a single layer of cloth over plywood for a weather proofing application. The corners should have been covered/overlapped but only for continuous coverage to prevent water ingress, and not for structure as you can clearly see mechanical joining with hardware in said corners. The only real failure I see is that there was no epoxy applied to the edges of the boards at the window and door openings, or overlapped the top corners, which are the most at risk for weather damage. That being said, he did also state that he is going to epoxy in some corner trim, which should seal those at risk corners anyway.
We could debate all day about what is best for X and Y, but at the end of the day this person is simply doing a single layup of cloth over an impregnated board and 3 mechanically bonded coats, likely to get the smoothest finish possible in the way he knows how. More than adequate to weather proof the exterior. The only real argument that holds up is the waste of materials mentioned by Mike.
@@jacobhendrickson8935 the problem with totally sealing wood is that it is a naturel material and it wants to breath to some extent. If you completely seal it changes in temperature and humidity will eventually cause the epoxy to fail. If you use something that will flood and soak into the wood on the initial application and then apply subsequent applications at the proper time interval as per the manufacture of the product recommends so that you get an actual chemical bond instead of just a mechanical bond that you get from letting it cure and then sanding it you will be ok.
@flaid yes and I am giving him advice on how to not waste product and get a better final result.
I’m building a camper now, trying to figure out how to do the fiberglass portion, as I’ve never done it before. You’ve got the most helpful video I’ve found yet. Thanks
Thanks for taking the time to video your build!
Really Nice! Awesome job!👍
Mark, this is really cool! 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing,really impressive!
This thing looks great
Hi Mark love this project. I've just started my box trailer inspired by you buddy thanks 😊
Great video. I am also building a diy camper in my garage. Soon I will need to be starting fiberglassing. I was hoping to just use the matting in the corners and epoxy the rest
Looks great with the wood
Great video thank you for sharing
Even with the door open I got light headed just watching the video 🤪
It actually didn't smell that bad. Some epoxy resins are worse than others.
Put epoxy on with wet roller. Take it off with dry roller. Mama mia!!! (Nice job, overall)
Great watching you do this process.........roughly how much epoxy did you use ? I am planning on building one as well and am trying to gather my supplies prior
Hi Mark , I am looking to build a camper , are you happy with your choice of using epoxy ? I would think it would be the best choice as the corners are sealed from moisture , also may I ask how you finished off the bottom of your sheets , did you epoxy those ? Just thinking moisture wicking up from the bottom , Thankyou
Kevin from Australia
Hey Mark! Love your process and love your production skills! Please be careful, watching you hold that glass without gloves made me really itchy, though!
Hello,
Would it be expensive to fiberglass/waterproof over a tiny wood house that is 3x2 (6m2)?
Thanks.
I finished an aluminium camper which I’m happy with. I need a project to keep me afloat after losing the love of my life.
So tomorrow I start a plywood camper.
The aluminium camper I built with best available materials throughout and is waterproof after my test run of 4,000kms.
Next one I’m doing something special.
It’s to be very light, cheap, quality finish, towable by a family car, will have a lift out side panel making it suitable to be used as a coffee selling kiosk or weekend away for a couple.
I will build it very similar to the French Carapate but full height inside.
To seal it I will employ the method I learned as a boy repairing WWII fabric aircraft. I will seal it with clear coat to which I will stick fine quality linen and brush and card soak more clear coat. Light sanding between coats. The sides will flow over the roof 2” clean cut. The roof clear coat soaked linen will lap to the edge over the 2”.
The side linen will be mid-dark blue....the roof yellow linen which solves problem over water seal and brilliant inherent color. (Colour in Australia) Will make 2” timber trim to give it style and it will be butyl taped on so no holes. The opening side for food/coffee awning (or fresh air camping) I may leave natural marine ply.
The entire unit will sit and overflow my box trailer and I could market it stand alone if I choose.
Light aircraft are monocoque and require little framing nor heavy skin.
Don’t over-engineer your campers.......
Peter, that French Carapate looks pretty cool ( czcams.com/video/GwA5m97nxw8/video.html ). Would really like to see what you build. Tall enough to kind of walk about would be good for your kiosk idea but unnecessary for camping. Good luck.
Hey Mark, Thanks for the video. I am building a hard top on my pop camper. I am not sure if I should purchase a fiberglass cloth or a mat? Which one do you think is better? Could you share where I can buy the fiberglass from?
Thanks
It's just me, however, I would have made sure to overlap the cloth on the corners and the seams where the plywood joined!
If I was worried about strength, I would have. With the addition of the wood trim that I epoxies in place, it is nice and strong and weather tight.
Always fill the weave for a smooth surface
How much epoxy did you use on your camper?
What kind of fiberglass did you use? Based off looks, I'm guessing it was 4oz or 6oz Boating Cloth, but not sure.
I believe it was 6 oz. 4 oz would have been sufficient.
Hello,
I have a Honda Goldwing and I'd like to make a teardrop camper to pull with the motorcycle however I have no experience at all with this kind of thing . Do you think that I could use something like a honeycomb center cardboard material for the camper and cover the cardboard panels with fiberglass cloth and resin to waterproof and structurally strengthen it. Thank you for your input.
I think it is possible. With that said, I am not an engineer. I have seen smaller campers meant to be towed by a motorcycle. There's probably plans out there.
@@IdRatherMakeItMyself-Net Hello Mark, thank you for your input. I keep looking for plans I just wish that I knew what kind of person would know if I could use a honeycomb cardboard as a base for applying fiberglass cloth and resin. I like your build it looks great. Thanks again
Great camper, could I use epoxy on a DIY camper made of plywood and then paint it over the epoxy?
I've only done it with with the fiberglass and epoxy resin. I've heard you can do it with just the epoxy.
👍
I would prefer to use slow cure epoxy and saturate wood and apply second coat then fiberglass rather than let cure and sand this forms a better bond with wood , also I would heat the piece up in mid day sun and bring in and epoxy while wood is cooling and outgas bubbles won't form.
What weight fiberglass did you use?
For this application, the lighter weights of cloth work just fine. I would say a 4oz cloth is very easy to wet out and lays down really well. Another reason to use the very light cloth is that you don't want to sand into the cloth when prepping for paint. If you have a heavier, more structural cloth, you will need more epoxy to completely wet it out and then exposing the fibers from oversanding will create some real problems trying to get it smooth again.
how much epoxy did you use?
I can't remember exactly. It was probably a little more than a gallon and a half. 1 gallon of the resin and 1/2 gallon of the hardener.
Hey Mark, where did you acquire the cloth?
I am pretty sure I ordered it online from clcboats.com
@@IdRatherMakeItMyself-Net Thank you Sir!
Roll it over on its side!!!
Another thing that I've read sanding epoxy before it is completely cured is toxic. Also, if I'm sanding, I mix micro balloons with epoxy. otherwise, it's too hard and tough to sand
use a roller and brush, it is not difficult
Do you all see my point now, after a few months I've revisited this and sure enough, there are guys saying how wonderful it is. It isn't as Mikes Micro Shop also points out. I wish there was a way to censor YT and stop incorrect information being circulated. The most stupid thing I saw was the removal of the pumps! West System do a really good video (British, naturally) that explains how to use the pumps correctly, you possibly didn't know they need to be primed before each use....
I agree wholeheartedly with not using a roller, I've been in the boatbuilding industry over 45 years and was college trained for two years, a lot of book learning as well as on the job training. CZcams gets me so mad sometimes!!
HOW IS YOUR HEALTH TODAY IF YOU DONT MIND MY ASKING AS FIBREGLASSING WITHOUT A RESPORATER ???
Health has been great. In a well ventilated shop epoxy doesn't pose much of a problem for someone who does it occasionally. The garage doors were wide open and a good breeze was blowing through.
One of the best reasons for using MAS epoxy is that it contains no VOC. (Volatile Organic Compounds) Thus, MAS does not require a respirator to apply. It's my personal favorite epoxy. A boat building friend of mine has severe allergic reactions to many other brands of epoxy but he uses MAS for the same reasons that I do - no reactions. It's good stuff.
I cannot tell it this guy is 30 or 75 years old....
Dude I would just put resin and I wouldn’t a fiberglass rags . I would just old fabrics from white T-shirts
The time that took I could of carved one out of piece of tree stump
This is not a fiber glass camper. This is a camper made of wood with fiberglass shell
I recommend checking out these plans. I am a woodglut customer and I am very happy with the plans they offer