Roofing the easy way

Putting the roof on a (curved) trailer is an unusual challenge. You have to use wood thin enough to bend but still thick enough to have some strength. People use a plywood that is 1/8" thick commonly known as "luan." How do you attach it to the frame? Nails? Screws? That would look awful. Not to mention this is a roof and needs to become waterproof. You glue it to the structure. Next problem: how do you hold in place a flexible piece of plywood over the outside of a curved surface? If you're like me you leave those nasty old stake pockets on the trailer and make use of them (picture 1.) Most people use ratcheting straps to hold pressure where you've laid down glue (picture 4.)

Next problem: when you put pressure on one side of the wood it bows the other way. How do you keep from having a wall shaped like a saddle? (Picture 2 + 3)Read more