I am about to (finally) lay track on my new layout.
I’m persuaded that the sound deadening properties of camper tape are worth the hassle, and I’ve tentatively decided to use the homobed/camper tape combination described by by Bob Kingsworth in Realistic Reliable Track.
My only concern is long term deterioration caused by the us of such a soft roadbed. Kingsorth suggests soldering joints to prevent them from working loose over time – I’m hoping to avoid that.
This post is mainly to seek reassurance from long time camper tape users that it’s not that bad, and that camper tape as a primary roadbed or sub-roadbed is satisfactorily reliable. Or, to warn me off before it’s too late.
I thought I saw a more recent article that used caulk with the camper tape, rather than just relying on the adhesive that comes on the tape. This shoudl be far more reliable long term as the adhesive won;t dry out and let loose. And since caulk never sets hard like construction adhesive, there should be no compromise of the sound deadening properties (and anyway, when you ballast it will form a tighter connection between the track and roadbed then the caulk does).
I used campers tape with homabed on my layout. I have had it for about two years with no issues of rail jointers working loose, but most of mine are soldered.
I tried camper tape on some temporary track several years ago. It hit me with a double whammy:
It lost its grip on the dessicated plywood in about a week. The adhesive just gave up.
It latched onto the plastic Atlas flex ties like a million micro-leeches. Cleaning it off would have been a bear if I had intended to relay the track where the sun is supposed to shine.
The re-lay track ended up in a hidden staging yard, permanently anchored to extruded foam with latex caulk. So far, it hasn’t come loose.
As for camper tape, it isn’t even doing a good job of anchoring the protective rails on my pickup bed. I guess it doesn’t like desert climate.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a Mojave Desert garage)
I am not familiar with camper tape. But the article by Chuck Hitchcock that introduced most of us to the use of flexible latex adhesive caulk to lay track - the method I now use – also advocated the the use of “topper tape” – August 2003 Model Railroader. He described it as “a self adhesive vinyl foam tape used to insulate pickup truck caps.” He wrote it was tacky on just one side so you still needed the adhesive caulk to mount it to the benchwork , then the protective skin is removed and the track pressed into place on the sticky top. He also said the skin has to be removed first when going around curves and it is important not to stretch the tape so that the thickness is uniform.
So I assume from that, that the sticky side built into the tape is not intended to adhere to the plywood, but to the ties and track.
That tape, along with dozens of other ideas (ever try carpet tape) just don’t have any advantages to the tried and true cork, but now we tend to caulk the cork down and caulk the track to that. lot’s of other things work, but not for everyone as we all live in different climates and environments. Some have even had problem’s with cork but that is by people who did not ballast or used old stuff that had been subjected to who knows what.
I used cork roadbed over 3/8" camper tape over 1/2" plywood. No nails, staples or spikes- all DAP caulk. All track joints soldered to rationalize the number of feeders - either solder a feeder to each rail, or solder the rail to the next one that has a feeder.
All working fine. VERY quiet operation. I am able to reduce the volume on sound locos to 20% of full. Everything is as smooth as the work put into the plywood sub-roadbed.