by Glenn Butcher » Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:33 pm
Having done a lot of household remodeling, I've learned it works for me to take each piece of the job and do a specific assessment of my ability to produce an acceptable result. In that vein, here's a breakdown of a TD build, with some notes on what would make it simple:
1. Trailer Frame: Get a kit, Northern Tool or Harbor Freight. Only requires bolt-together skills, and the result is road-worthy with no further engineering on your part. A trailer that is sized to fit your camper floor makes things easier.
2. Floor: Basic wood skills. Right-angle cuts and shapes. Wood screw/glue assembly. Undercoating is required to make waterproof; requires basic painting (and hand-cleaning) skills.
3. Profile (side walls): Basic wood skills. Solid plywood walls are easy, if insulation isn't a big concern. Curves can be as simple as circle radii. Or, go for a Weekender or other box shape without curves. Sabre saw cutting for curved profiles. Wood screw/glue assembly to the floor and ceiling spars.
4. Ceiling/Roof: Basic wood skills. Wood screw/glue assembly. Curved profiles require consideration of material that will tolerate the bending, strapping/clamping to hold the shape while the glue sets.
5. Doors/Windows/Vents: Wonderfully ready-made items are available. Installation is easy: just trace the door/window/vent opening on the wall, cut it out, and mount with butyl tape and screws. Placement is at your discretion, mostly. You'll need at least one vent to keep from suffocating...
6. Outer covering: Runs the gamut from paint to aluminum, pick yer poison. Just do it sufficiently to render the shell waterproof. Sheet siding requires cutting, tools ranging from tin snips to routers. Trim installation is probably required for most sheet siding, drilling and screwing. Fiberglassing is an option; relatively easy to lay up, but requires a bit of sanding to make a decent surface.
The above gets you a minimal sleeping compartment using a drill, saber saw, and maybe a circular saw, in addition to the regular hand tools. Some other considerations:
1. Rear Galley: Just a little more than basic wood skills, challenges are in making the hatch and cabinets. Selecting a boxy profile can simplify hatch construction. Cabinets can really be as simple or complicated as you desire, from a counter and plank shelves to finished cabinetry.
2. Insulation: Depends on your climate, and which seasons you intend to camp in. If your roof is an interior and exterior skin separated by spars, sticking foam in between the spars is a no-brainer. Cookie-cuttering, insulation-stuffing, and skinning your walls is not hard, just time-consuming.
3. Plumbing/Electrical: Electrics can run the gamut from None to dual 110v/12v multi-sourced (solar, wind, grid) configurations. Same with plumbing; my favorite is the 7-gal blue water jug under the counter...
Safety Note: Cutting and drilling power tools can be dangerous, but it's not hard to use them safely. Keep close track of the blade/bit at all times, whether its moving or not. Just last week building the bike carriers for my trailer I minorly gouged my palm with a spinning drill bit because I got in a hurry. Eye protection is a must, both for power tool and hand tool work. Don't stand in water when using power tools (my dad has a story...). Keep track of your power cord while cutting. Gee, I'm sounding like the warning labels on a ladder...
Become familiar with the "dynamic" of the power tool, that is, how it moves, even how it sounds. This is also important for doing good work; you may find it useful to make practice cuts/holes in scrap before you do the real operation. Also, for close fitting stuff (really, not a lot of that in basic TD construction), I tend to make my first cut 'fat', then work my way to the line with successive passes. I do less of this now that I know where my blades are, so to speak, but that thinking follows the adage, 'it's easier to cut off excess than add back from an over-zealous cut', or something like that...
What continues to amaze me about the teardrop concept is the wide variety of construction choices ranging from simple to complex that all will yield a decent trailer for camping. Poring over the build journals is fascinating to me, both in making choices for my own build and just admiring others' choices. Also, this group is ready and waiting with constructive answers to any of your questions; you won't find that easily elsewhere in the Internet...
Disclaimer: I'm not an accomplished TD builder, yet. I need to be an accomplished garage-cleaner first. Also, I don't mind the more experienced builders hacking on my above musings...