Month: June 2020

It’s really coming together! This weekend we finished the walls and started sheathing. There’s a completely different vibe standing on the trailer now. Once enclosed, you can really start to visualize the space.

The green stuff you see is a special product called “Zip System.” Rather than simply using standard OSB or plywood, this stuff has a waterproof coating on one side. Each of the seams will be covered by rubber. This creates an air and water barrier around the whole structure. It costs a bit more but it appears to be well worth it.

One of Fred’s friends, Dan Korb, pointed out the fasteners we were using to anchor the foundation to the trailer. Initially, we were using 5/8″ zinc-plated bolts with jam nuts. However, after finding a vendor who could supply them in a decent time frame, they were all replaced with their Grade 8 equivalents and a gob of red thread-locker.

This increased each bolt from a load strength of 33,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds. The tensile strength of each one increased from 60,000 pounds to 150,000 pounds. So, yeah, we’re set.

Headers were fun (not). The headers above the doors were more “normal” than the sides, since the lumber can be cut and tossed around by one person. However, the sides were… wow. All headers were built by fusing a 1/2″ sheet of ply between two “two bys”… either 2×4, 2×6, or 2×12.

Not sure, but I think this is weekend #2 of framing the walls. We were able to get up the majority of the left side as well as install the headers for the two entrances. The rear entrance is much taller than the front since the floor will be raised almost 15″ in the rear half.

Next up are the mid-sections. See those wide boards on the floor? Those are to span the wheel wells and are incredibly awkward (a 1/2″ thick piece of ply glued between two 2×12’s)!