Teardrop Trailer part 6

To seal the wood sides I am using Helmsman Spar Varnish.

 My plans call for 7-9 coats on each side. Sanding with 400 grit paper between coats.

 So I have taken over every inch of usable flat space in the garage.  I really was going a little crazy and needed a break from the varnish, so Kevin helped me to put the walls up on the frame to see how well everything fits.

I am only 5'3" tall.  Those giant tires bring the bottom of the trailer to 18".    This will place the galley counter top about mid chest for me if I do nothing to change it.

me and the hubbs checking to see how well we fit inside

Shelves , bulkhead and galley counter top

The fun is over... back to work.. I have a lot of varnish to add.

a fresh coat of varnish

Teardrop Trailer Part 5

The Trailer Floor

The trailer floor is coated with vehicle undercoating spray.... 6 cans!

I premarked all of the predrilled holes in the frame in order to bolt the floor to the frame. Then I predrilled the holes.

Before bolting on the trailer bottom, I removed the hinges, and added a few bolts to convert the trailer frame so it cannot fold anymore. and to secure the frame for the suspension springs.

floor bottom bolted to frame

before adding the top of the floor frame, I ran the electrical wires, and laid in the foam insulation.

Teardrop Trailer Part 4

Now that all of my components are cut, I can sand and stain sides and doors.

I chose a Cabernet stain for the exterior and interior trim, and Willow for the exterior trim and interior.

Left - no stain
Right - willow stain

Staining door exterior

Left - Interior Stain
Right - Exterior Stain

gratuitous Selfie

Cabernet Stain

Teardrop Trailer Part 3

Building Components

So before I can start doing things like stain and urethane, I need to do a lot of cutting.  A lot.

Yes, my sides, doors and trim were already cut, but there is still a lot of cutting to do.  Components to be built that will make things go faster when I begin assembly.

First, I decided to use ash for my hinge spar, so i rough cut it and laminated  with construction adhesive for a stronger spar.

I am planning to make my hinge higher than the plans call for, so I laminated 2 - 10' x 8" boards and cut the curves for my hatch frame.  Instead of clamping, I screwed the boards together while the glue set.

Next I built the front bulkhead.

And then I cut scabs (trim) for the build.  I made a lot of sawdust!
 Once the scabs were cut I sanded each one, and stained them using the stain I chose for my exterior color.

I also built the frame for my fan box, but there was nothing impressive about it, and I didn't take pictures.

Teardrop trailer Part 2

So I had to select a base utility trailer for my camper.  I purchased the Northern Tools 4'x8' folding utility trailer.  After pushing it around the garage for weeks, I decided to just put it together because it would be easier to move around the garage, and I could leave it foldable until i was ready to build my floor, and it would take less space in the garage.

SO, I didn't like the wheels that came with the trailer, and I ordered these 14" wheels and tires.  I had no idea at that point what changing one thing like wheels would change down the line.

But they look great don't they?

It is a darn shame that they touched the trailer.... what's a girl to do?

Hub Spacers of course! (who knew such a thing existed?)

This improved things a bit, but I still didn't have the room I needed to be able to install a fender.

So I found a bigger spacer!

 These spacers bolt onto the hub, extending the bolts out and extra 1.25".... they are soooo shiny!

What else could changing the tires possibly effect?

Teardrop Trailer Part 1

Over the past few years I have been falling deeper and deeper in love with Teardrop trailers.  I have a friend that built one, and I saw a couple at Pietenpol Fly-In in Brodhead, Wisconsin last July. 

 I was hooked.  

So I started researching plans so I could find the shape that I loved, and find something within my skill level. Finally I decided to buy plans from Big Woody Campers.  When the plans arrived I was sure I could make this camper.  Then I started stalking the BigwoodyCamper.com website

They had so many kits on the site that took a lot of the guess work out of the process, they even had a wood kit.

The website indicated that shipping was not available for the woodkit..... you think that is going to stop me?  Heck no!  I called Jennifer at Big Woody, and talked to her at length.  So we came up with a plan, and I was the first customer that she shipped a wood kit.  So in August 2014 I began the process!

We had it shipped to the local FEDEX terminal, and I picked it up there (it saved me a ton on shipping)

So I got the kit home, and laid it out, checking for damage, and everything was great!

Next I needed to pick out stain color, so I went to Lowes and picked up a bunch of colors that made me happy, then I started mixing and matching them to see what color combination I liked best.
I also started laying out blue tape to get an idea of how I wanted to lay out my galley.

Now all I needed was time, and I was not going to get any of that until Marching band season was over.  In my spare time, I drew out my galley, over and over to find the perfect layout for me, and I started shopping for supplies.