Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Note: I just had a little drooling session with Cary about a copper clad Camp-Inn, with copper plated fenders and a Cherry wood interior.
The discussion was based around that teardrop marking a milestone in Camp-Inn's production of their 500th teardrop.
If that trailer was to be raffled off and the proceeds donated to a very worthy cause, what would you be willing to pay for a ticket?
Please only vote if you would be willing to buy a ticket, or feel that it should not be sold or raffled and be put in a museum.

(Trying to fertilize a seed here)

Sounds cool but hopefully they will do a clear powder coat over the copper unless someone wants a green tear eventually or they want to spend all their time polising with bon-ami or twinkle at the campground.

Nick.

I would go with automotive clear coat over the copper to keep it in a polished state, or patina it and "lock" the patina with clear coat.

Would that work? I've always understood that copper and brass oxidize from the inside out and no sealer would prevent tarnish or patina from developing for very long. Just curious. BTW, I love the idea of copper on a tear - very classy look...

Dave,
I have a copper and brass sculptured trophy from my kinetic sculpture racing days, although it's quite dusty at the moment, (it's been sitting out in my shop for several years) it seems to look just like it did the day I won it back in 1982. It only had a cheap clear rattle can sealer sprayed on it.
It's not your typical spit polished type of finish either, in fact it has some soot accents on it from an acetylene torch here and there.
But hey... I'm no expert on metals so I really don't know... maybe the clear sealer just slows down the oxidation proccess?

Now, remind me again how this happened. Just kidding Dean. It might be a good excuse for building it. It does need to be done sometime. Right now the raindrop is the special one we are sneaking in.

We get asked all the time about clear coating tears. Not a good idea. Stones chips in paint are bad enough but if you get them in the clear you get those neat oxidation blooms from them. Notice airstream only clear coats the upper parts.

Think of the old GM alloy wheels with the clear coating on them. Eventually (especially here in Wis.) you end up sandblasting the clear off the wheels and just hitting them with wheel cleaner once in awhile.

I would opt for a good wax job and good chemical cleaner occasionaly. Better living through modern chemistry.

Cary

Hey Cary,

I sure would like to see the raindrop... Think maybe you could email me a photo to share when you walk out the back door for your Minden trip?

Mike...

P.S. We won't be able to make Minden this year... we don't have the time or the teardrop...

P.P.S. Can I send you some business cards that you can pass out to visitors at Minden?

Mike,

I probably won't make Minden myself either. My wife is expecting our second little one about a week or so before. But Craig, Betsey, Joe and his family are planning the trip.

I'll have to keep that idea in mind of dropping you a picture. We plan to post a picture here about that time. Perhaps we can time it so that the people going to Minden will be arriving about the same time we (I) post a picture. Can you try to remind me Mike?

I know you are going to like it. We changed the design rather drastically recently and added more functionality to it. Something you will appreciate I suspect.

Anything you want taken to Minden we should be able to take for you. Let me know.

Cary

Sure I'll remind you...

Congrats in advance on your new little one...

Mike...

Cary,
You are absolutely right about those wheels.
Somebody (Maybe DestinDave) was talking about coming up with a special wax/chemical treatment kit.

Dean,

Boy that would be cool if someone come up with a good bare alum/copper treatment kit. We would be interested for sure.

Our most sucessfull cleaner/protectant has been the stainless steel appliance cleaners out there for cleaning your kitchen appliances. Stainless steel magic and ZEP brands have been the two we like.

Cary

Cary,
Here's what I was refering to...
(I've underlined the important parts)

DestinDave wrote:I wonder exactly what Airstream trailers are coated with. I did some detail work on an Airstream a few years back and the owner was adamant about using pure paste wax (no cleaner added) so I wouldn't scratch the factory coating and invalidate his warranty. I used an aluminum protective coating in the marine industry which was impervious to UV, fuel, acid, salt, dirt, grease - basically anything except abrasion. Application was very tedious and had to be just right for an effective finish. It was also very expensive (my cost for 8oz kit was almost $400) which was enough to do all the metal on a 42-46 foot boat. I am looking into the possibility of kits for teardroppers but I feel like it will probably be cost- prohibitive. More on this later - when I have more info.

Dean,

Oh, that is interesting indeed. The underlined parts are important. The cost could be a big killer of course.

Cary

Not to mention...if you park it long in one place, it will kill vegitation it comes in contact with, esp where there is water run-off...