NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

This is the place where you can introduce yourself, and include a photo if so desired.

NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:50 pm

Name's Felix, and I am from Northern California. I used to work on older cars until I got bored with them, but for whatever reason, a teardrop (TAB) trailer caught my eye as I drove by a local RV dealer. I then saw that I could build my own. At first I was headed toward Birch Camper, but then I stumbled across a pretty trashed old aluminum-clad homebuilt of unknown vintage. It was cheap, and I towed it home that same day.

As I started digging into it, I realized it was almost a total rebuild job, in large part due to the "make-do" general attitude the prior owner used while making repairs. So I am starting afresh, replacing a bunch of stuff, re-wiring it for all new LED lighting, and putting in a new galley (I am particularly concerned about the new hatch that needs to go on that galley!). I have been using suggestions from TNTTT for a month now as I have been tearing down and slowly rebuilding everything.

Looking forward to contributing what I can!

-Felix
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Shadow Catcher » Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:47 am

Welcome to the forum and we look forward to pictures. Advice, more outlets than you think you need.
User avatar
Shadow Catcher
Donating Member
 
Posts: 5993
Images: 234
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:26 pm
Location: Metamora, OH

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby S. Heisley » Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:35 pm

:) Welcome, Felix! NorCal is a good place to be.

Best wishes on your re-build. Watch for gatherings in the spring, starting around the end of April, and stop by (or camp) to look at home builds there. (I think, by the end of April, COVID will start to be under control; and anyway, we'll be outside in the fresh air!)

People love to have you look and are ready with lots of ideas and advice.
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:16 pm

I uploaded a bunch of stuff to my gallery!

I work on this thing nearly every day like it was a compulsion.

http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/album.php?album_id=5176
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby twisted lines » Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:31 pm

S. Heisley wrote::) Welcome, Felix! NorCal is a good place to be.

Best wishes on your re-build. Watch for gatherings in the spring, starting around the end of April, and stop by (or camp) to look at home builds there. (I think, by the end of April, COVID will start to be under control; and anyway, we'll be outside in the fresh air!)

People love to have you look and are ready with lots of ideas and advice.



Keep after it;
APRIL is coming faster then you think I have a two year head start on you, maybe I will be close enough :thumbsup:
Racking up; And Rapin foam
User avatar
twisted lines
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1218
Images: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2018 4:37 am
Location: Jefferson
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby mournlight » Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:10 pm

Hey, Felix-
The first one I had was a small GoLittleGuy trailer similiar to what you are rebuilding. The thing I learned was that the flooring was not well secured to the sidewalls. On mine, the sidewalls actually extended below the floor, and one mis-placed floor jack where I had tires replaced separated the floor from the frame. I didn't know it until I got all the way to Washington state.
So, based on my experience, I'd urge you to reinforce that junction. I also learned the hard way that not much waterproofing had been done to the lower edge of the wall.
I loved that tiny trailer. Worst case scenario, if I got stuck, I could pick it up and swing it around. It was great to have a dry place to sleep but not be carrying much weight.
If I built one that small again, I'd put some solar on it. Those new flexible panels are nice. I love the solar I use now.

It looks like you are moving fast on your rebuild. Isn't it fun?

Good luck!
mournlight
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 6:14 pm
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby S. Heisley » Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:07 pm

:SG ...Looked at your pictures. The trailer has good "bones". You've got the nasty tear down stuff done and are doing good on the rebuild. Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Tue Mar 02, 2021 4:22 pm

All Righty!

I had to take a few weeks off from working on my trailer, while I attended to kid stuff. But I am back.

At first, while I was tearing out rotten stuff and replacing the structural things that needed it, it felt like I was clipping along at a million miles an hour, and that I would be done at the end of April.

Then, I started doing some electrical work That slowed some things down a bit, but I kept at it.

Then, I took about 6 weeks off to work with my daughter on a project of her own.

And now, I have been back to work about 10 days. I am trying to work on a cabinet/shelf across the "head" (?) of the interior. I realize that I have never done any cabinetmaking or finish carpentry before in my life... and that such work is a totally different animal. It seems to take days to make barely noticeable differences. It is especially difficult to make pieces that fit the curved upper interior space. Plus, if you want it to look any good, you need to be crazy accurate and careful while making your cuts.

But this challenge comes with awesome learning opportunities, and I am certainly learning a lot! I uploaded more pics to my account.
-F
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby S. Heisley » Tue Mar 02, 2021 11:31 pm

:SG Looking at your pictures, it seems you're doing great! :thumbsup:
Remember, you're on teardrop time. You do what you can when you can.
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:51 pm

mournlight wrote:Hey, Felix-
The first one I had was a small GoLittleGuy trailer similiar to what you are rebuilding. The thing I learned was that the flooring was not well secured to the sidewalls. On mine, the sidewalls actually extended below the floor, and one mis-placed floor jack where I had tires replaced separated the floor from the frame. I didn't know it until I got all the way to Washington state.
So, based on my experience, I'd urge you to reinforce that junction. I also learned the hard way that not much waterproofing had been done to the lower edge of the wall.
I loved that tiny trailer. Worst case scenario, if I got stuck, I could pick it up and swing it around. It was great to have a dry place to sleep but not be carrying much weight.
If I built one that small again, I'd put some solar on it. Those new flexible panels are nice. I love the solar I use now.

It looks like you are moving fast on your rebuild. Isn't it fun?

Good luck!



I would really like to put solar on the trailer, but that is much later on in the build. When I ripped out the floor to replace the water tank support straps, I noticed that the original builder had a bunch of carriage bolts holding everything together with heavy large washers. I think that will be sufficient.

So far as jacks are concerned, I plan to have jacks like these welded onto each corner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V25XP8B/?c ... _lig_dp_it

Again, that would be an add-on sometime later in the game.

The whole point of the trailer is exactly what you point out: dry and warm; light and small. I don't want something big. I don't want something heavy. I don't want something that has huge maintenance requirements, or that needs to be stored in a large side yard. I want something that fits in my garage, sleeps exactly two, and allows me to get away from "the things of man" from time to time.

-Felix
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:53 pm

S. Heisley wrote::SG Looking at your pictures, it seems you're doing great! :thumbsup:
Remember, you're on teardrop time. You do what you can when you can.


I so badly want to USE the trailer, that it is hard sometimes to take my time on things like cabinetry. That and my constant need to run to YouTube for tips on how to measure, cut, bevel, install, etc., makes this stage slow going.
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:29 pm

Notes about the lessons I have learned so far. Some of you may think this is all common sense, but for a car guy working in wood for the first time, these are important new knowledge to me.

1. Invest in graph paper; plan and draw things to scale before you go cutting your wood.
2. When buying tools, spend decent money on a good square, drill, and chop saw. If you still have money, consider a radial arm saw instead of a chop saw. If you STILL have money, a table saw would be really handy. You can skimp some on other tools.
3. If you have to make several identical wooden parts and you don't have a way to cut then all out at the same time, make a template or jig.
4. When making things out of wood, it is ok to cut them a tiny bit bigger than necessary and then plane/sand to fit. A tiny bit too big can be adjusted. A tiny bit too small is scrap.
5. Speaking of scrap, don't throw anything away after you cut. You never know when you'll have need of an oddly shaped or very small piece.
6. Clean up after yourself every day. Especially if your wife parks her car in the same garage you are working in.
7. It is nice to have a speaker or TV in the garage to listen to podcasts or cool documentaries while working (I really like playing "Travels by Narrowboat" on the TV while working. Look it up on Amazon Prime Video.).
8. If you have a one-time need for a specific tool, ask around before spending money. Sometimes your friends have stuff you never would have guessed they would own.

That is all for now. I keep chiseling away.
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby pchast » Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:22 pm

Good guides to go by, those. :thumbsup:

I'd be leary of getting a radial arm saw.
They take more care to avoid injury.
Some training is a good idea.
pchast
Platinum Donating Member
 
Posts: 2023
Images: 97
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:47 pm
Location: Athens, NY
Top

Re: NorCal, here, jumping in with both feet

Postby Felix_Esq » Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:42 am

I'm moving my commentary about the rebuild to a "build journal" thread, here: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=73563&p=1274442#p1274442

Thank you all for the comments so far! I am having a great time learning all this carpentry stuff.

-Felix
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. -Lloyd Daubler

Build Gallery
Build Journal
User avatar
Felix_Esq
Donating Member
 
Posts: 55
Images: 102
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:03 am
Top


Return to Newbies, Introduce yourselves

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests