roof with Styrofoam - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

dandaman · 12-08-2020, 01:10 PM

I have a 2006 Starcraft travelstar XLT with vacuum bonded roof the master bedroom portion had a big hole in it so I ripped it off and now I have this big section of nothing is it okay to add studs and just put a new roof on this trailer instead of trying to fix all this messed up heavy styrofoam and if so what would I use as studs because these are like five to six feet apart as it is now and it's Square aluminum tubing if I added would would it be too heavy

JackandJanet · 12-08-2020, 04:45 PM

I don't know that any members in this HiLo forum have any experience with Starcraft trailers, but I'm guessing the roofs are similar. I wouldn't think adding aluminum ceiling rafters/studs would be too heavy, especially if you used "box beam" or "I beam" type material. How was the styrofoam used? I would think it's there mostly for insulation, not as a structural component.

- Jack

dandaman · 12-08-2020, 04:58 PM

Really there are no pictures on the internet of someone reframing these ceilings like I said I have the first room of the ceiling torn off and it has an inch and a half Square aluminum tubing thats five feet apart a piece of plywood is only for feet.I'd really love an idea of how to do this and a cilly not sag because eight feet is a long ways to go with plywood on top the ibeam idea sounds pretty good if I can find some inch and a half thick I was initially going to tear this whole roof down but I'm kind of discourage now I might just try to fix the front room the where its level and just braced the rest of the trailer up from the inside I've already ordered a membrane to put back on it thanks for the reply

The Ohioian · 12-09-2020, 08:12 PM

pics would be great.. how handy are you.. the weight of an air conditioner did your model come with them, if it does not have one and the manufacturer did put one up there than you could add that much weight. I would use aluminum square and brackets with small sheet metal screws if I did not weld. what about foam sheets and Fiberglass reinforced plastic sheets glued together on a curve maybe embed the aluminum square.. that's my two cents.

dandaman · 12-09-2020, 08:28 PM

This unit does have a air conditioner into pieces of square tubing running from one side to the other holding it up is sagging a little. Today my membrane came in so I started tearing off the rest of the old membrane, also went to Home Depot and bought some two-by-fours studs that I plan on ripping and half on the table song and I brought a bracket for each side a one-by-one angle bracket that is I'm going to screw it to the aluminum that's on the trailer wall I'm going to make they roof as flat as I can with them and I bought seven pieces of quarter inch Luan to replace what I ripped off today here's a few pictures of what I took are the bathroom skylight it's about the worst spot other than the bedroom so I think I will keep the Styrofoam in there because I have no other choice at this moment[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]20201204_080953.jpg[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

The Ohioian · 12-09-2020, 08:47 PM

it think you'll be fine with your plan. maybe add gussets. also I think some of these trailers are squared with the cabinets make sure the hardware holding them to the floor and sides/ roof and side are attached. I've seen rotten ones get a weird bounce.