Introducing 1130451B

[1130451B]

My requested username was too long and I couldn't think of anything on the spot so I'm 1130451B now.
As of now I have no place to build anything, we are looking to sell our home soon and move somewhere where I will have a outbuilding to hobby in. I got into travel trailers because I want to travel and I really liked the TAB320's as they are super small and towable; however really expensive. I looked at some other examples like; Hiker, Rustic Trail, Scamp, etc... but it seems that the dealers in my area are still stuck on large wood/aluminium framed trailers and I cannot find anything in the used line excepts for Airstreams or TAB's that are usually quite expensive.
I am familiar with plywood fiberglass construction and skin over frame boat building and I got thinking, if I can find a frame to fix up maybe I can build something like a large tear drop or smaller benroy type rig. Other than clc boats I have not found any plans using the wood fiberglass/stitch and glue methods; found lots of wood frame builds which eventually brought me here.
What I am looking for are some build ideas, plans, and techniques to help me make something light (Honda Ridgeline Light) and moderately rugged enough for service roads. Then perhaps construction can begin once we settle on a new home!
Cheers!

[1130451B]

Hey I found this really cool links called design resources, has anyone one the forum built one? I tried to search it and I didn't get anything; maybe using the wrong wording?

[QueticoBill]

Well, first time there in several years and it seems to be missing the designs I recall being there.

[tony.latham]

I found this really cool link called design resources, has anyone on the forum built one?

Hellooo from Idahooo...

You might specify which design you are referring too. If you are asking about the generic Benroy, the answer is, yes --seveal have.

Tony

[1130451B]

Tony
Actually I was being rather general purposefully but you have a point... I did a google search; for the 1947 found a few, not sure if they were using the plans or not but some looked to be very close in design. Then I searched the Midget and only found one that was specifically referencing the plans and another that could be but it didn't say. Got nothing on the 14, 15, and 18 foot ones.
Searching on the forum either returned a slue of builds, that I enjoyed perusing, but not distinctly from the vintage plans. When I try to filter it out I get no returns.

I am interested in all the builds but specifically interested in the 12' to 16' ones; I want to be able to stand and I would like to setup a bed and washroom, not sure if I'd rather an internal or external kitchen setup. The smallest I think my wife would tolerate is something like the Rustic Trailers Grizzly or Kodiak. My tow vehicle is an MDX so as long as I stay within a Ridgelines limits I will be fine.
But really I am just poking around and seeing what people have done in their builds; if they did a stick frame or an encapsulated shell, Pros and Cons. Using mechanics illustrated/popular mechanics plans I think is a great place to start. My cousin built a small boat called the Mustang for fishing and it turned out great. He then built a slightly bigger duck boat from the same type of plans that has been our "pickup on the water". SO I think their plans haver merit and was just wondering how they turned out by other builders.

[Socal Tom]

The generic benroy plans are easy to follow, and pretty complete. They are worth a read, what ever you decide to build. If you get serious its worth buying one of the builders books such as Tony's.

I'm a fan of the external kitchen. Its a pretty small space in these little trailers, keeping the cooking heat, fumes and mess outside helps keep the interior dedicated to less messy things, and if you are camping your supposed to be outside. However, it really depends on the weather you expect to see. I camp in the warm, so its usually fine. When the wind comes up things can get challenging. The worst wind I had to deal with meant moving my stove inside, so if your design leaves you a little flexibility anything is possible.

Tom

[tony.latham]

The smallest I think my wife would tolerate is something like ...

I have little respect in general for the RV industry, but the one thing they seem to get right are the floor plans. You can usually find them on their websites.



Tony

[1130451B]

Tom, my thoughts exactly! All I need on the inside is my little hiking stove to make a coffee before braving the cold. If the weather is bad, really bad, thats the only time I think I would want it inside. Even a heavy rain, as long as the wind is low enough to keep the drops from falling horizontally cooking outside shouldn't be an issue, for me anyway. Also, I'm camping I am suppose to be outside. The camper is suppose to work like a carrier and and basecamp; I envision going to a National Park with a backpack and doing my thing (hiking, canoeing, bushwacking, etc...) and then comming back to something where I can make a decent meal and have a rest before heading home. Or when I visit family, whenever I get to do that again, I have a place to stay because most of my relatives don't have enough spare rooms for a family of 4 to stay a week (No kids! they can sleep in the tent, the house, or the bunkhouse this is imagined for me the wife and dog. If it is really bad weather then yeah. Point is I am not planning on a family of 4 trailer). So yeah, mobile basecamp and spare room. Something I can take back to the family camps or park on the wood lot for a winter weekend of snowshoeing and sledding. I have been really eyeing the 18 footer plans in the 14 foot configuration.
And yes, books are good! Before attempting to build my kayak I bought 2 books on skin on frame and stich and glue building as well as a canoe building book called the Canoe Shop which is great. I definitely plan on grabbing a well recommended book before starting a project like this. The Skin on Frame Greenland Kayak book saved my arse countless times! The section on First Aid was very helpful j/k he didn't have a first aid section I had to consult 811; maybe they should have a first aid section...
Anyway, cheers

Tony;
I hear ya on both points. I like the Tab and Elite floorplans, I think Trillium had some good setups too. One of the things I am concerned about is weight and how to know how to align your floor plan to get a 10% tongue weight distribution; should the bed be in back and the washroom up front? Does it matter? Will having food, stove, cooler, water, etc in a rear galley make the tongue weight too low? I noticed quite a few mass produced rigs were rather heavy on their tongues compared to the overall weight. I think if I keep the heavy stuff over the axle as much as possible it will be ok, but knowing what is and isn't heavy during the planning would help.

[tony.latham]

One of the things I am concerned about is weight and how to know how to align your floor plan to get a 10% tongue weight distribution;

The axle location on these two drops is identical (near 60/40 on the frame).



Both have a seven-gallon (55 pound) water jug in the galley. Both have a cooler that weighs close to 50 pounds loaded. They go out loaded and come back empty.

The tear on the right, Flash, has the battery in the tongue box. Flame, on the left, has the battery in the galley.

With Flash, we put a swing-away bike rack on the back and two mountain bikes. (I didn't care for them back there, BTW.)



With Flame, I built an over-the-tongue-box bike rack:



Here's my point; Both teardrops tow the same. (Albeit Flash seemed a bit unstable with the bikes back there but never did the heebee-jeebie thing.)

Tony

[Socal Tom]

Tony;
I hear ya on both points. I like the Tab and Elite floorplans, I think Trillium had some good setups too. One of the things I am concerned about is weight and how to know how to align your floor plan to get a 10% tongue weight distribution; should the bed be in back and the washroom up front? Does it matter? Will having food, stove, cooler, water, etc in a rear galley make the tongue weight too low? I noticed quite a few mass produced rigs were rather heavy on their tongues compared to the overall weight. I think if I keep the heavy stuff over the axle as much as possible it will be ok, but knowing what is and isn't heavy during the planning would help.

I'm not Tony, but... There was a spreadsheet around for helping estimate tongue weight. It was handy. Keep track of the weight of anything you buy for the trailer. You can also get estimates for any wood you use etc. The two heaviest items will probably be the battery and the water tank. I'd plan to put the water tank over the axle, so that full/empty doesn't impact weight much.

I see a lot of people on here really over thinking tongue wt (IMO). The important thing is that you have AT LEAST 150lbs or 10% which ever is MORE. when checked on flat ground as hooked to the TV> If you TV can't handle that weight then you need a different TV.
Actual tongue weight changes as you drive, wind resistance can lighten the tongue, going up hill will lighten the tongue. I've had trips where I've had to stop and adjust the weight because I had more sway than I liked. Build in ways to adjust and you should be fine. In my case, I move the ezup further forward on the bed, or put a propane tank on the tongue.
Tom

edit- Tony and I were posting at the same time. His experience echos what I'm saying. ( I did forget that moving a cooler around can impact the weight as well. I've got a drink cooler, that usually goes in the TV, but If I need more weight on the tongue is goes in the TD.

[1130451B]

Sorry about that I switched your names it would seem. Lots of good info there; I found a youtube channel showing why trailer weight distribution is important and the types of instability too much and too little tongue weight will have. They had a little truck on a tread mill with a trailer behind it and some weight. Very technical lol