1/2” vs 3/4” Bulkheads?

[eporter123]

I've worked a bit with resins and cloth over the years, but I'd prefer not to on the Chinook. Obviously those would be the best ways to go, but I guess I'm looking for something a little easier to put in place, and then potentially re(move) if I dont like the layout. It's daunting starting with nothing, I really want to try and get the layout right the first time, but I might not...

Maybe I can bond more wood strips to the outer shell, and/or use existing strips and then attach bulkheads with some kind of metal brackets?

[Blue~Go]

Since there are numerous ways of attaching the bulkheads, I'd say it depends on how strong you expect it to be, where you plan to drive it, what your future plans are, etc. The way it was done originally was not the necessarily the "best" way, but it certainly seems to have sufficed for the intended use (basically paved road driving for the most part, I'd think, since they seemed to be marketed to folks "moving down" from Class A's later in life). Doing that, they seem to last for decades, as built.

Kind of a non-answer, but it's one of those "it depends" things, I think. Lots of ways to go about it and some are stronger than others. How much strength is needed is a function of your use case.

So, I'd say for any alternative type of construction, think about the stresses that will likely be put on the attachments in your type of usage (which may or may not be the original intended one, and then whether that would work (sheer, tension, bending, etc.) Also think about any loads that will be transferred to the shell, and if they will be point loads or not. Fiberglass is not super happy with point type loads. Also, it doesn't take that kindly to repeated flexing (especially the gelcoat).