Lessons Learned

Some thoughts on the trailer build:

• This blog is sure a lot more fun to work on when I've got a few beers down the hatch.
• Need to get some Norm Abrams DVD's
• Cholula is awesome on Taco Bell tacos.
• Need to start getting plans together for the Galley cabinets

Lights, check.

 Look at all of those lumens.  This thing works great, and has those new fangled LED's in it.  Low current draw, low heat, etc, etc.  It lights the whole interior up very well.  I like it.

All right, I managed to install accessory plugs in the cabin.  One of these will be dedicated to the electric blanket, the other one will be exclusively used for lighting cigarettes and charging cell phones.

 Interior pic of cabin illuminated by new light system.  I need some trim.  You should have seen the piece of trim that I tried to bend around the curve of the lid.  It flew apart like a spring loaded mousetrap and smacked me in the face.  Fail.

A picture of the light.  It's got two settings.  On and off.

Slightly concussed

So I started doing some of the preliminary work on the cabinets tonight when my head was suddenly introduced to something hard and unforgiving for the second time this week.  I managed not to get any blood on the trailer, but I decided to retreat into the house.  Perfect timing for blog updates.

 Here's a few pictures of the hatches.  These things were a pain in the ass.  That's stained oak lining the compartments and serving as a support, and a sheet of aluminum on the inside for some swoop factor.

These will be perfect for storing all sorts of contraband and other nonsense the authorities don't approve of.

 Ahh yes, another shot of the hatches.  I've seen other teardrop makers turn these make this a location to place a portable toilet, but that's really not my style.  I'm the only shit that's going to be allowed accommodations in this thing.

Here are the hatches shown shut, and the flooring.  They almost look hidden, with the exception of those huge stainless hinges giving them away.  I haven't decided what kind of handles or pulls I'm going to put on these yet.  Don't worry, I will find something completely tacky and garish to add for effect.

 Holy progress, batman.  It looks like I've got the ceiling framing in.  Looks like I'm not to far away from starring in that tv show about the gypsies who live in their trailers that my mom is always talking about.  All I need now is a cooler of beer and some cheap lawn chairs to throw in front of this thing.

 Notice the framing for the "Fantastic" fan that I am going to add  This is supposed to be the most bad-ass fan that you can buy for these things.  Reversible fan direction, comes with a light in it, and could probably be used as a backup fan for a swamp craft. Only the finest equipment for my caravan.

Add witty and clever caption here.

 Oh man, looks I've got the interior lid in.  It's 1/8" luan with a light maple hue.  The rest of the top will be covered in an inch and a half of insulation and covered in aluminum.  I spent alot of time getting that thing in so that it was one piece, so no seams.

Here is an attempted shot at the inside of the cabin after putting the ceiling in.  Notice the light colored lid, and the dark walls.... definitely interior decorating here.  Just wait until I get the tapestries on the walls, and the bear skin blanket that will cover my NASA foam mattress when I am done.  Perfection.

You may have to hold your head like an ostrich to get an idea of what this looks like.

Check out the bracket that will be house the shutoff switches for the entire trailer.  They are 30 amp switches.  I made that thing with a drill press and some angle I had laying around.  It doesn't look like a hack made it when you look at in person, but the audience should know better.  That inline fuse is so that I don't burn the whole trailer down when my 25 amp coffee maker kicks on in the morning after I turn it on with my Arduino poowered key fob.

Progress

Flooring is in.  I've got the side walls insulated, wiring in.  Next step is to finish the hatches in the cabin and then to start framing the ceiling in the cabin

Teardrop - More progress

I started the weekend with the goal of getting the walls up on the Teardrop.  Goal met!

Here is the first wall going up.  I've got a 2x4 propping it up from the other side to keep it from falling over.

 Now both walls are up.  The framing in between the walls is the start of the bulkhead which will separate the galley from the cabin.

 Looks like I fit!

More framing of the bulkhead going in.  Framing is 3/4" pine that is glued and screwed.

Rear Bulkhead framing complete.

After framing, I started paneling the rear of the cabin.  It's 1/4" hickory paneling that has been treated and is water resistant.  Cool stuff.

Rear bulkhead and completed paneling.

 Here's a shot of the galley, featuring the deep cycle battery I picked up today.

And the galley with some paneling.  Next step is to start running wiring where I need it to go before skinning the interior walls of the cabin

Teardrop Trailer Build

I've just started working on a Tear Drop Trailer build, and thought this would be a fun way to document the experience.

This is the box of trailer parts that showed up in the mail after I got tired of looking at Teardrops and decided to build one.  I decided the spare tire and front jack was a good investment.

This is the trailer under assembly, along with one of the side panels to check for length.  Looks like I'm going to have cut part of the back off to make the trailer match the length of the side wall.

Here's one of the walls I cut.  It's the profile that the trailer will have when it's all finished.  Notice the huge door.  Should be easy to crawl in and out of. 

Most of the trailer is assembled, and floor framing has started. This is the beginning of the floor framing.  The two pieces of plywood are actually "hidden" storage, and will be accessible via hatches in the galley and the kitchen.  The floor is framed with some 2x4s that I cherry picked out of the stack at Home Depot.  I got lots of dirty looks, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do!

More Trailer sub floor stuff.

I finished framing the floor, and started painting the bottom with asphalt emulsion to help keep moisture out.  Careful with this stuff, I almost lit the whole trailer on fire tonight when my router kicked some sparks into some wood shavings and lit a fire.  Very exciting for awhile in the ole' garage tonight!

After painting the bottom of the trailer with the emulsion, I laid 3/4" insulation down and covered it with sheet aluminum.  The remaining black plywood in the floor will be routed out and be used as access holes for the hidden hatches.

Here's another pic of the floor

Insulation getting laid out before covering with sheet aluminum

Yep, here's the floor again.

Trailer at an early stage of the build

 The trailer floor is now bolted to the trailer, and all of the hidden compartments have been cut out.  Next step is to start framing in the hidden compartments, and then once that's done, put some lids on them.

Check out the sweet dirtbike in the background- Ahh Yeah!

Here's a closeup of the spare tire that I installed on the bottom of the trailer tonight.  It's held in with carriage bolts suspended from the floor.  The floor has been reinforced with 3/4" plywood here that is covered in insulation and aluminum.  The wing nuts are secured with pins to prevent backout.

Here's another picture of the spare mounted below the trailer.