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Old 01-29-2021, 02:44 PM   #1
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Wheel well covers necessary?

Probably a stupid question, with an obvious answer, but I've been wondering about something.
It seems like everyone frames out and covers their wheel wells. If there is not going to be any weight on them, why build the box? Two of our wheelwells are going to be under couches and a third under a bunkbed. The fourth will be under the composting toilet, so will be weight bearing and will obviously be very well supported, to hold the weight. But why do we need to make boxes around the other three that will be covered up by furniture and never have any weight on them? Just curious. We will be covering them with some sort of thermal barrier, but wonder if a wooden box over them is also necessary? What purpose does it serve?

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Old 01-29-2021, 03:05 PM   #2
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The damage done by a tire tread coming loose is why the wheel wells are so over-built from the factory.
A whole section of my floor is bowed about an inch from a tire that went loose. If there weren't two layers of heavy gauge steel etc I couldn't imagine the damage it would have done.

Folks all have their own ideas and do what suits them best. But I'd rather have them and not need them, then need them and have a wooden box instead.
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:11 PM   #3
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No, the metal wheel covers are there and will of course stay there. I was asking why people build the wooden frame and plywood boxes around those metal covers.
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:20 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maggie01 View Post
No, the metal wheel covers are there and will of course stay there. I was asking why people build the wooden frame and plywood boxes around those metal covers.
Oh, ok. Hmmm IDK- I guess to insulate and add a flat surface?
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:23 PM   #5
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I boxed mine in so I could completely cover them with 2" XPS foam board for insulation purposes. I could have essentially rounded this box to conform to the shape of the wheel wells, but I would have gained very little useful volume from doing this and it would have been more difficult to build cabinets on top of them. If you're covering your wells with the same thickness of insulation as you're using elsewhere in the build and you already have the things that will be over them supported, there's no need for a box.
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:25 PM   #6
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You don't need to build a box around them. Mine do kinda, one under a bed, one under closet floor, one under a couch and one under a desk. None have a special "box" just part of the build process.
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Old 01-29-2021, 05:34 PM   #7
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I boxed mine to have a flat surface for stuff like my fridge. Plus stuffed it with fiberglass insulation. If it going to be under something no need to box it.
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Old 01-29-2021, 07:59 PM   #8
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Mine a not boxed

Insulated, yes, but not boxed.

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Old 01-29-2021, 10:55 PM   #9
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Well OK then. It's just that all the builds you see on youtube, the wheel wells are framed and have a plywood box over them, even if they are under couches or beds and I wasn't sure why. Again two of ours are under couches and one is under a bunk. We have only the driverside back wheel cover that will have any weight on it (a composting toilet) and that one will definitely be framed and covered with 3/4" plywood. All four have the steel cover on them. I just wasn't sure why I would need the framing and plywood box on those other three that will be under furniture and won't have anything on top of them.
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