Steve and Karen
Ranger
I've done a few modifications and additions to the trailer using 3M tape. I thought I'd impart some of what I have learned about it. I like the idea of tape because like many others, I'm averse to poking holes in the trailer, or the skin. And for the most part the installations are reversible. Which is good because you can't always be sure that you will continue to like your mod, or that your components don't in time fail, or need replacing, sometimes with a completely different sized component. If you sell your trailer, it's nice to be able to point out the reversibility of any modifications.
My first experiment was a solar panel system (flex panel and removable frame-stand) that I attached to the top of the trailer using 3M VHB (Very High Bond) #4952. This is a special tape designed to adhere to "slippery" plastics like the HDPE I was using. This required the use of a 3M primer on the HDPE to allow the tape to stick to it. I just did a magnetic knife holder in the galley.
Among my findings:
1) There are dozens of different types of 3M tape, each with its own characteristics and applications. It is best to do your research as it is likely 3M has a tape that is designed for your specific substrates and purpose. Some of these tapes are meant to keep windows on high rises in winter. So there are few situations where it won't work. Pay attention to the product numbers. And if not listed, source the spec sheets elsewhere for all you need to to know abouts its uses and application. These can vary widely. Metal on metal is the stickiest of situations. In a good way.
2) The tape has an "elastoviscosity" which means that over time the tape will ooze into all the pores of the substrate to enhance the adhesion. It takes some time for a full "set".
3) This adhesion can sometimes be accelerated and further enhanced with the use of modest heat, like a heat gun on low, or a hair dryer. Each tape has their own ideal application conditions, and maximum temp to speed up the process. (this is useful if you are doing mods in November, like I am now).
4) You may have to really look to get the right tape in the right dimensions and the right quantities, at an affordable price, especially if you're doing a small job. Getting some "worst case scenario" tape like a 1" wide roll of the 4952 may be a reasonable solution.
5) Removal or replacement can sometimes be as simple as mechanically getting under it with something thin that doesn't mar the surfaces. 3M also makes a tape dissolver if you need to go that far. You could also test with standard solvents like acetone. I haven't gone that far yet.
6) The tape does have a shelf life. However, the roll I got from 2019 is still going strong. It's best to test any old tape before trusting it completely to the job.
7) The tape sticks very well to the PU surface of the marine ply in the trailer. It sticks too well to the standard panelling under the hatch, and it removed some of the thin surface veneer when I tried to reposition it. Not sure if the mahogany or the bamboo would hold up any better. Probably.
There's likely a few other tidbits I could come up with, but these should allow you to at least start on that addition or modification that was puzzling or stymieing you, if making holes and setting screws was bothering you.
My first experiment was a solar panel system (flex panel and removable frame-stand) that I attached to the top of the trailer using 3M VHB (Very High Bond) #4952. This is a special tape designed to adhere to "slippery" plastics like the HDPE I was using. This required the use of a 3M primer on the HDPE to allow the tape to stick to it. I just did a magnetic knife holder in the galley.
Among my findings:
1) There are dozens of different types of 3M tape, each with its own characteristics and applications. It is best to do your research as it is likely 3M has a tape that is designed for your specific substrates and purpose. Some of these tapes are meant to keep windows on high rises in winter. So there are few situations where it won't work. Pay attention to the product numbers. And if not listed, source the spec sheets elsewhere for all you need to to know abouts its uses and application. These can vary widely. Metal on metal is the stickiest of situations. In a good way.
2) The tape has an "elastoviscosity" which means that over time the tape will ooze into all the pores of the substrate to enhance the adhesion. It takes some time for a full "set".
3) This adhesion can sometimes be accelerated and further enhanced with the use of modest heat, like a heat gun on low, or a hair dryer. Each tape has their own ideal application conditions, and maximum temp to speed up the process. (this is useful if you are doing mods in November, like I am now).
4) You may have to really look to get the right tape in the right dimensions and the right quantities, at an affordable price, especially if you're doing a small job. Getting some "worst case scenario" tape like a 1" wide roll of the 4952 may be a reasonable solution.
5) Removal or replacement can sometimes be as simple as mechanically getting under it with something thin that doesn't mar the surfaces. 3M also makes a tape dissolver if you need to go that far. You could also test with standard solvents like acetone. I haven't gone that far yet.
6) The tape does have a shelf life. However, the roll I got from 2019 is still going strong. It's best to test any old tape before trusting it completely to the job.
7) The tape sticks very well to the PU surface of the marine ply in the trailer. It sticks too well to the standard panelling under the hatch, and it removed some of the thin surface veneer when I tried to reposition it. Not sure if the mahogany or the bamboo would hold up any better. Probably.
There's likely a few other tidbits I could come up with, but these should allow you to at least start on that addition or modification that was puzzling or stymieing you, if making holes and setting screws was bothering you.
