Bubbles version 2.0: DONE!!!

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: The Buildup Begins!

Postby S. Heisley » Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:03 pm

Fabulous! You did good, Martin and Liz! You definitely made Bubbles your own more than ever!
May you have many, many years of enjoyment with your "new" teardrop. :applause: :applause:
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: The Buildup Begins!

Postby Wolfgang92025 » Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:19 pm

Martin and Liz

The changes you made look really great........ :thumbsup: :applause: :)
Wolfgang

Image
User avatar
Wolfgang92025
Lifetime member
 
Posts: 1059
Images: 651
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:16 pm
Location: Salt Lake City area, Utah

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: The Buildup Begins!

Postby PKCSPT » Wed Jun 12, 2013 4:43 am

Truly amazing rebuils,, Bubbles looks great
121172 116946 159644
PKCSPT
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 1515
Images: 61
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:27 pm
Location: Minnesota
Top

Back to the shop!

Postby Martinjmpr » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:45 am

Well, she's back to the welding shop today. While camping this weekend, the jack wheel nearly collapsed. I asked the guy at the shop if he could reinforce the plate that the jack wheel is attached to so it won't bend when trying to move Bubbles around.
Martin and Liz and our new T@B Clamshell "Livia"

Our old Teardrop "bubbles"
Bubbles version 2.0 build thread!

Our Facebook group:
Colorado Teardroppers and Tiny Trailers Camping Group (FB)

States we've visited with Bubbles and Livia: Image
User avatar
Martinjmpr
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Englewood, CO
Top

Re: Back to the shop!

Postby Ron Dickey » Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:05 pm

Martinjmpr wrote:Well, she's back to the welding shop today. While camping this weekend, the jack wheel nearly collapsed. I asked the guy at the shop if he could reinforce the plate that the jack wheel is attached to so it won't bend when trying to move Bubbles around.

I had to have a plate added on mine it was to low and he added a plate so it was higher. And when it was time for a new one (first was harbor Freight) I could use the back side because he added holes. I did have mine welded on for that reason when it was time to change I would need to grind it off.

Ron
121377......134179
Inside almost done--Trolly top has opening windows & roof.doors need assembling--pictured above waley windows..galley 1/3 done
Cross Bow in Build Journals....http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=54108
User avatar
Ron Dickey
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 3069
Images: 711
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Central Coast, CA
Top

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: The Buildup Begins!

Postby Oldragbaggers » Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:52 pm

I love all your modifications and you have a totally unique and personal trailer. Very nice!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

Build Journal http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=45917
Visit our blog at http://www.oldragbaggers.com
Image Image
User avatar
Oldragbaggers
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 1842
Images: 331
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:22 pm
Location: Essex, MD
Top

DONE!

Postby Martinjmpr » Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:56 pm

Okay, not 100%, there are three very minor details that need to be finished, but for all intents and purposes, Bubbles is finally finished!

The issue that I struggled with the most was installing the dual-locking-bar rear hatch closure. I knew this would be difficult, but in retrospect, if I had known HOW difficult I think I would have suggested something different. Everything about this was hard.

What I learned was this: A dual locking bar system is great, but it has to be more or less designed when the trailer is built. Trying to 'add on' the locking bars required multiple levels of fiddling around, trial and error, and to be honest I'm not 100% thrilled with the results. But it works and it's done.

One of the difficulties we ran into was that the center latch mechanism and the two supporting braces were substantial, heavy pieces of metal. I didn't know if the thin wood of our hatch (about 3/8" plywood) would support such heavy pieces of steel. So, I came up with the idea of simply using a thicker piece of plywood on the other side and bolting (not screwing) the pieces from the back. I would have just put in rectangular blocks, but Liz came up with the idea of "mini-teardrops." Since I now have a band saw (a $20 garage sale find that Liz picked up a few weeks ago!) cutting the teardrops out was easy, and then sanding them smooth was accomplished with a bench sander.

In this picture the center reinforcing "teardrop" and the left one have been put on, the right side has not been installed yet:

Image

The reason I haven't installed the right side is because I had to make sure the bars were lined up and functioning before I could position them.

Getting the bars in was easy. Figuring a way to "lock in" to the side of the trailer itself was not! Furthermore, I had drilled over-sized holes in the 'ribs' of the hatch which were ugly, and I needed to cover them up. At first I thought I'd have to have some thin sheet metal fabricated, but then I found these at Home Depot:

Image

Those are steel "straps" used in home construction to 'tie' two pieces of lumber together. The large hole in the center is the perfect size for the locking rod to go through. But the best thing about these is that while they're made of metal, they can be cut with shears. These are what I made with them:

Image

...and I installed them at every place where the rod passed through wood. Not only does it "guide" the rod, it also "dresses up" (i.e., conceals!) the oversized/ugly holes I had to drill to get the rods through in the first place!

Image

Image

Image

I put similar pieces in on the side of the trailer where the hatch closes, and the locking rod slides into the metal ring, making for a very solid lock up! But it was a sonofabitch to finish!

After we had the locking rod and the three little teardrops installed, we put in the last "drip rail" where the builder had put in an ugly metal drip rail and where my removal of that ugly metal rail had left some damaged wood. We installed the same "leaf pattern" wood trim, painted, polyurethaned and then sealed with silicone. Here is the final result of what the rear hatch looks like:

Image

Next we had to move the fenders. You may not be able to tell from the other pictures I posted, but after we installed the fenders for our 06/07 camping trip, we realized they were too high and too far forward. So we had to move them back and down for a better, closer fit. How close? Well, close enough that I actually had to remove the wheel in order to screw in the fenders!

The result is much more aesthetically pleasing:

Image

Having the wheels off gave me a chance to test out the spare. It fit just fine. Considering the cost, it was an awesome find. $25 on Craigslist, and if the tire looks brand new, that's because it is.

Image

OK, so the white spoke doesn't fit with the rest of the "theme", but hey, it's a spare! And at the present time, it doesn't even ride on the trailer, it rides in the roof rack of my tow vehicle!

I also ordered a fantastic set of taillights from eBay. They are LED lights and because of that, they are "surface mount" (meaning I didn't have to cut a hole to accomodate the 'bucket' that lights often have.) They are extremely bright and even pulse when the brake lights go on. I installed them onto the fenders, and the only thing I have left to do is wiring them up (but I have tested them out, so I know they work with our wiring.) HMMM...I just realized I didn't take any photos of the taillights, but you can see them in the above picture. I'll put better ones up later.

In the meantime, while I was working on that, Liz was working on some of the other decorations. She wanted to hide the tongue of the trailer when we were parked and got an idea to make a "picket fence." She did this all herself, with no help from me: She picked out the boards, cut the pickts on my table saw, and put the whole thing together. Then she painted it and started going crazy with the stencils!

Image

Finally, she added license plates from states we had taken Bubbles into or through. She tried to find 1961/1962 plates when she could, since those are the years we were born. Nice thing about this is that it folds completely flat for travel and will make a nice addition to our campsites.

Image

Here's Shaila posing in front of Bubbles. Notice also the green indoor/outdoor carpet, which will fold up and stow neatly in the tongue box, so we can have a little "lawn" when we camp!

Image

So, for the most part, she's done. A little work this week and then Friday we take off for Glacier and Yellowstone! We plan on taking her out a lot this Summer, and will probably see some of you at the whatever Teardrop gatherings we can get to. We plan on being at the Walk the Winds in Wyoming in August, and then with Pam's Last Gasp of Summer trip in September near Canon City.

Thanks to everyone who provided suggestions/guidance/encouragement along the way! We hope to see you all on the road!
Martin and Liz and our new T@B Clamshell "Livia"

Our old Teardrop "bubbles"
Bubbles version 2.0 build thread!

Our Facebook group:
Colorado Teardroppers and Tiny Trailers Camping Group (FB)

States we've visited with Bubbles and Livia: Image
User avatar
Martinjmpr
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 175
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Englewood, CO
Top

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: DONE!!!

Postby Junkboy999 » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:32 pm

She looks Marvelous ! ! ! :thumbsup: :applause:

There was survival time in this build I was going as why did you guys do.... or How about this.... Like the Tile. I wondered if you were going to finish the tile around the edges. But now seeing it all complete it looks ( again ) Marvelous. I like the french thingy too. Hides the tongue, no running in to the hitch and getting grease on your leg. You can hang your tags on it and a Name banner. I seen a few people that take too much stuff with them to set up around the campsite. That is just about right. I like a carpet, few solar lights, and a flag.
User avatar
Junkboy999
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1259
Images: 52
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:18 pm
Location: Wichita, KS
Top

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: DONE!!!

Postby S. Heisley » Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:32 pm

:applause: Terrific Job! :applause:
Now, Go Have Fun! :yes: :vroom:
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: DONE!!!

Postby Woodbutcher » Mon Jun 24, 2013 6:29 pm

You both did great! I wish I was coming to Walk the Winds this year to see the finished product. It's hard to believe it's the same trailer. :applause:
User avatar
Woodbutcher
Platinum Donating Member
 
Posts: 4187
Images: 45
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:01 pm
Location: Chicago Suburbs
Top

Re: Bubbles version 2.0: DONE!!!

Postby mezmo » Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:05 am

You need to start calling Bubbles, "Eliza" !

You've done the TD version of Pygmalion/My Fair Lady with your
redo on her.

It's definitely "Loverly" !

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo
If you have a house - you have a hobby.
User avatar
mezmo
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1817
Images: 194
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 4:11 am
Location: Columbia, SC
Top

Previous

Return to Build Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests