u/CmdrNeoGeo

I know I’ve posted on here multiple times trying to find answers regarding core materials, matrix materials, and etc. Now after trying very hard to find something “affordable” and obtainable has made me doubt if I’ll truly get into fiberglassing. I’ve done fiberglassing before by using the little 8 square feet sheets at homedepot and some cheap quart epoxy. Never really paid attention to the price per square foot of all of it cause I was just making little projects. However, after trying to price and find a crap load of combinations of resins and fiberglass cloths and mats and core materials, I can without a doubt say that this is not affordable and way to much the work and effort for anything bigger than a glorified large box. I grew up always hearing how amazing composites were and how they can be supper affordable if you look hard enough but I cannot find anything resembling that. Many of you have suggested and recommended us composites(almost religiously if I’m being honest) but they are very expensive. Yes I understand I am building something considered “large” but this is thousands of dollars and even with the price increase of plywood and traditional building materials don’t come near the price somehow? Am I doing this right? Do I have the wrong idea about composites? What is the secret to this or am I just gonna have to give up?

I've been struggling to find cheap and efficient core material that wont rot or burn. The Burn part is more manageable but the water proof part is essential. I have decided to go with PMF since the cost is just so much more dramatically accessible. I can't find any decent core materials. OSB boards are extremely economical but have so much risk with water that it could run a bunch of progress. I'm planning on putting 3 (7feet by 6feet by 6feet) rooms together in a homemade tiny home. I have looked at EPS foam and found that they are just barely affordable at home depot but I think without proper fiberglassing they aren't gonna be strong enough for my needs. I was thinking about fiber cement boards as they check off all the water resistance and fireproof but are incredibly brittle and heavy. I dont know what else I could use that is also affordable. Do any of yall have any recommendations?

Im building a camper shell and it’s roughly 450 square feet in total. I wanna do both sides of either the OBS wood or the XPS foam. I might even do EPS but I don’t know yet. But I am tryna figure out how many gallons of resin i will need. And then where to get it affordably and hopefully cheaply. If anyone can tell me how much or what formula to use that’ll be very helpful!

Putting together a camper shell(I know big surprise) it’s a 220 inch long and 80 inch wide camper. Ive made smaller ones with various success but this will match the size of my truck(ford f150 1997). Im getting something bigger as Im moving further out of Houston. I’ve looked into xps foam and obs as core materials. Somehow both are similarly priced per square footage. Then I priced some e fiber glass cloth and epoxy. That’s nearly 1,500 to 2,000 dollars depending on where I get the epoxy. Both of these will fit to either osb or XPS foam. Preferably I would like the XPS foam for the insulation and lightweight. The cost of the epoxy and cloth fiberglass is a major deterrent. The alternative ive looked into and worked with before is polyester resin and chopped mat. This unfortunately won’t work with the XPS foam but I’ve used it on OBS before and the results are an insanely strong board. But the cost only really drops to like 1000 or 1200. Depending on where I get the resin. Then there’s Poor Man’s Fiberglass. I’ve used the heavy duty canvas and the titebond 3 before. This sticks to both the xps and the OBS(the OBS better than the xps) but obviously this isn’t exactly the strongest thing ever. It has its limits in terms of strengths but I’ve never tested at this scale before. It does bring the price to like 500-700 or even lower if I don’t use the heavy duty canvas. It really does make the cost enticing. I’ve enjoyed the results of PMF before with various degrees. Mostly with ease of use but I for example climbing on it has always made me worried. And at this size I don’t think it’ll hold. What do you all think? Any tips for cost savings? Any tips to improve performance of PMF?

Putting together a camper shell(I know big surprise) it’s a 220 inch long and 80 inch wide camper. Ive made smaller ones with various success but this will match the size of my truck(ford f150 1997). Im getting something bigger as Im moving further out of Houston. I’ve looked into xps foam and obs as core materials. Somehow both are similarly priced per square footage. Then I priced some e fiber glass cloth and epoxy. That’s nearly 1,500 to 2,000 dollars depending on where I get the epoxy. Both of these will fit to either osb or XPS foam. Preferably I would like the XPS foam for the insulation and lightweight. The cost of the epoxy and cloth fiberglass is a major deterrent. The alternative ive looked into and worked with before is polyester resin and chopped mat. This unfortunately won’t work with the XPS foam but I’ve used it on OBS before and the results are an insanely strong board. But the cost only really drops to like 1000 or 1200. Depending on where I get the resin. Then there’s Poor Man’s Fiberglass. I’ve used the heavy duty canvas and the titebond 3 before. This sticks to both the xps and the OBS(the OBS better than the xps) but obviously this isn’t exactly the strongest thing ever. It has its limits in terms of strengths but I’ve never tested at this scale before. It does bring the price to like 500-700 or even lower if I don’t use the heavy duty canvas. It really does make the cost enticing. I’ve enjoyed the results of PMF before with various degrees. Mostly with ease of use but I for example climbing on it has always made me worried. And at this size I don’t think it’ll hold. What do you all think? Any tips for cost savings? Any tips to improve performance of PMF?

I got a 80 inch by 220 inch design drawn up for a tiny home that fits a full size bathroom kitchen and bedroom ironically. Then I have a two story version as well that fits a living room and game room as well but that’s for a different topic. Im mostly more looking at the smaller of my designs. How much do y’all usually spend on trailers? I see some for my specifications being around 6 or 8 thousand dollars. Those are also around 10000 pounds of support which I won’t need for the single floor version. Im doing a fiberglass foam body. So what are your thoughts of this? How much should I spend in Houston texas for a trailer?

Sourcing the right trailer axles

I’m in the planning phase of building a tiny home on wheels and trying to dial in the before I go too far.

Estimated finished weight: \~10,000 lbs

Likely bumper-pull (not 5th wheel)

Trying to keep cost reasonable but still safe/reliable

Highway use, not just short moves

Best axle configuration for this weight:

Tandem 5,200 lb?

Tandem 6,000 lb?

Triple 3,500 lb?

Pros/cons of going heavier vs just meeting the rating

Whether it’s worth stepping up to higher load range tires (F/G)

Brake setup recommendations (1 axle vs both axles)

I’ve also considered:

Using salvaged axles (even looked at van axles), but leaning toward proper trailer axles for simplicity and weight efficiency

Maximize safety and durability without overspending or massively overbuilding.

Would really appreciate input from people who’ve built or towed similar weight tiny homes:

What setup did you go with?

Anything you’d do differently?

Any brands or axle types to avoid?

Thanks in advance — trying to get this right before I start buying parts.

I’m in the planning phase of building a tiny home on wheels and trying to dial in the right axle setup before I go too far.

Current target specs:

Estimated finished weight: ~10,000 lbs

Likely bumper-pull (not 5th wheel)

Trying to keep cost reasonable but still safe/reliable

Highway use, not just short moves

What I’m trying to figure out:

Best axle configuration for this weight:

Tandem 5,200 lb?

Tandem 6,000 lb?

Triple 3,500 lb?

Pros/cons of going heavier vs just meeting the rating

Whether it’s worth stepping up to higher load range tires (F/G)

Brake setup recommendations (1 axle vs both axles)

I’ve also considered:

Using salvaged axles (even looked at van axles), but leaning toward proper trailer axles for simplicity and weight efficiency

Main goal:

Maximize safety and durability without overspending or massively overbuilding.

Would really appreciate input from people who’ve built or towed similar weight tiny homes:

What setup did you go with?

Anything you’d do differently?

Any brands or axle types to avoid?

Thanks in advance — trying to get this right before I start buying parts.