Lance and Becky's Sagwagon

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

Postby Cliffmeister2000 » Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:17 am

The Boler is a great little trailer, and if you weren't 2,300 miles away, I'd be seriously interested! :thumbsup:
God Bless

Cliff

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Postby parnold » Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:46 am

I'm not 2,300 miles away, and I might also be interested in the Boler. Let me know when it's ready for sale!
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:08 am

Will do Paul. Just waiting for the title to come.

Thanks Tom. I could never do the quality work you're doing.
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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Postby DMcCam » Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:35 am

Hey Becky, excellent start on your teardrop! Enjoy the journey!

All the best,

Dave
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:56 am

Hello all. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I have been working on the teardrop when weather permits on the weekend. (Weeknights I am just too wasted by the time I get home from work.) I am also working on a website both for documenting the build and also for informational purposes for other beginners. I will post a link to that in my signature as soon as it is up and running.

My frame is finished and looks great. My new Dexter Torflex axle should be arriving any day now. It's a #9 axle with EZ Lube and rubber capacity at 1200#. I decided not to get the brakes right now but ordered the flanges so we could easily add them later if we change our minds. I am ordering new wheels and tires today, 14" wheels and radial tires which will be a nice improvement over the 12" wheels and bias tires that were on it. (Although it apparently ran with them for many years and did OK.) The insulated floor is finished, but I will not attach it to the frame until after the axle is installed. I also pieced some luan underlayment together so I could make a template for my sidewalls. I am going to build insulated sandwich construction walls so I will figure everything out on the template first and then use it to cut my walls.

Can't believe it is supposed to snow tomorrow. That will definitely put a cramp in my style. Maybe I'll have to clean house for a change and let the teardrop sit. I have very little space in my garage to work so if I want to work on something in there I have to roll the rest outside.

My tongue jack ready for paint and new hardware.

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All done and reinstalled. Looks like new.

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Insulation added to the floor assembly.

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I put 1/8" ply over the insulation. I used epoxy to glue it on (the name of the game on the bottom is waterproof-waterproof-waterproof....) The staples are just there to hold it until the epoxy kicks.

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Next I put on two coats of CPES and then 6 oz. fiberglass cloth.

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Two coats of resin later and the floor is done. The last thing I will do before I flip it over and attach it to the frame is put on the nasty black goo. (Did I say waterproof?)

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My future wall template. The extra foot and a half of length will be nice in the end, but having to s-t-r-e-t-c-h everything makes it a little bit harder in the meantime. I'm thinking a lap joint to put together my plywood for the walls. For the template I just pushed the wood together and slapped a scrap of fiberglass cloth over it to hold it together. I guess for an old boat rebuilder, the first thing that comes to mind is always fiberglass.

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So, there we are. All the news that's fit to print. Except...we sold the Boler. We put it on eBay. By the time it sold we had 99 watchers. Made a few bucks. (Which will of course go toward the teardrop.)

Have a nice weekend all. Stay warm and dry!!

Becky
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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We have a profile

Postby Oldragbaggers » Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:04 pm

After the sensationalist weather forecasts of Friday, and the rainy, snowy, dreary crap we woke up to yesterday, I thought this weekend was going to be a wash. But lo and behold the rain stopped, the sun came out , the stars aligned just right and I got to go outside and play with my teardrop.

My profile template is cut out. It is straight out of the generic Benroy plans, and nothing you guys haven't seen diozens of times before
except this one is MINE!!!!

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There may be a little tweaking before it's all said and done. (So glad I did it on $10 a sheet luan before putting a saw to the real stuff.) After looking at the pictures here for a few minutes, I am thinking I might move the door a few inches toward the rear, and maybe soften the front curve just a little bit. I am done for today though, so I have all week to think about it.

Have a great week all!!!

Becky
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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Postby parnold » Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:34 pm

except this one is MINE!!!!

:applause:

Looking good!

Congratulations on the Boler sale.. I was watching it on Ebay, but it went just a little too rich for my budget at the moment.
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Postby S. Heisley » Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:54 pm

It looks really good but I agree with you that moving the door back just a bit would benefit you; especially if you ever want to put some cupboards or shelves inside, up front.

Congratulations on selling your other trailer. That will help pay for all the wonderful things you will do with the one you are building! :thumbsup:
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:02 pm

Thanks guys, we're glad the Boler sold so easily. Still waiting for the new owner to make arrangements to have it moved though. I hope that doesn't turn into a problem. You never call these things over until they're over.

When I measured for the door I used the measurements in the Generic Benroy plans and just measured from the front. What I forgot to take into account was that those plans are for an 8' long trailer and mine is almost 10' long, so it just doesn't look balanced. I hadn't planned to build any cabinetry up front because we will be storing our bicycles on the tongue and so the front end will have enough extra weight already. But that may change too, especially if the tow vehicle changes somewhere down the road and weight becomes less of an issue. Having the flexibility to modify or add at that time might be nice.

I think there is a lot of benefit to making a practice template though and having an opportunity to study it for awhile before you start cutting the actual walls. Things look different full size than in photos or scale drawings. And no amount of looking at something will substitute for being able to get a feel for it. Now that I see the door (which is a very nice size by the way), I have decided I not only want to move it, but I am not as fond of the shape as I thought I would be. I think I would prefer it square, like the Outback Teardrop door, or I might even decide to spring for a factory made one. A couple more days of thinking and I will hopefully have it figured out.

But this is the greatest part of the fun, the creative process, there being no absolute right or wrong way to do it, and having the freedom to have exactly what you want. (If you're able to figure out what that is!!)
:?

Becky
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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Postby kinto » Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:22 pm

i haven't updated my build journal in a little while, but after having *finally* figured out how to mount & weatherproof homemade doors i have one thing to say... if i ever build a 2nd tear i'll probably go with factory made doors. i was trying to save money by doing it myself, but in reality after the cost of a window, handle hardware, hinge, weatherstrip, trim, mounting screws & washers, epoxy, primer, paint, urethane & many many hours spent i don't really feel like i've saved much at all. (the problem solving has been interesting though.)

anyway, your build is going great... keep it up! :thumbsup:

kent
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:41 pm

Kent, you just said what I have already been thinking. That's the way I am leaning too. I wish they weren't so expensive, but you're right, all the other stuff for a homemade door adds up too and the if we allow ourselves to attach even minimal monetary value to our time, it's probably cheaper in the end.
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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Postby aggie79 » Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:49 am

Becky,

The profile looks fantastic! You can't beat the classic lines of the Benroy. I know you felt really proud to stand it up on your trailer.

I have to echo Kent's sentiments. In most cases, if you are buying the materials, making doors costs almost as much or more than buying them. And their construction consumes a tremendous amount of time.

Having built my doors, I can now see why many of the teardrop manufactures that don't use factory doors use a "D-shaped" door profile. The straight portion of the "D" is perfect for the hinge side and the curved portion of the "D" eliminates miters and/or very tight radii at the corners. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, the design reduces the amount of construction work and areas susceptible for water infiltration.

Keep making sawdust!

Take care,
Tom
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:09 am

Thanks Tom. I appreciate the comments. Yes, putting the profile up there was a big moment. I think that's when it became "real". And I agree with you totally about the door. Will be ordering one.

Becky
Life is sooooo good.........
Sail...camp....bike...repeat
Becky

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Postby crumbruiser » Tue Nov 01, 2011 7:06 pm

It looks very nice, you should be proud. :thumbsup:
As for me, I can't wait to say this "My profile template is cut out. It is straight out of the generic Benroy plans, and nothing you guys haven't seen diozens of times before
except this one is MINE!!!!
8)
Congradulations.
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Postby Oldragbaggers » Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:10 pm

I had received a call from Rob at RW Trailer Parts (in Linthicum, MD) earlier in the week that my new axle had come in, so as soon as we were awake and in our clothes yesterday morning we were out the door and on our way to pick it up.

The axle is a Dexter Torflex #9 torsion axle with EZ-Lube hubs, 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern, 10 degree drop on the arms, rubber rated at 1200# and brake flanges (but no brakes).

With the down angle and the larger wheels/tires the trailer sits perfectly level behind the Jeep now. If I ever need to pull the trailer with my Hyundai I will just use a draw bar with a bit of a rise.

I was considering getting electric brakes for the trailer, but after talking to the distributor he actually talked me out of it. He said that the small (7") brakes that they use on that small axle don't have much power to them. He says he's never seen one that couldn't be turned by hand with the brake full on. He didn't think it was worth the investment for a trailer as light as ours. I agreed, but I ordered the K-flange anyway so that brakes can be added at a later time if we change our mind. I think it would help with resale also if a prospective buyer had the option of adding brakes.
I had no idea how dramatic the difference was between 12" wheels and 14".

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Once we got it home though we were off to meet friends for an afternoon at the gun range, so teardrop stuff had to wait until today.

I only had one day to work on the teardrop this weekend, and with the days being so short, it seems that progress is coming very slowly, but here's the update.

The first 30 minutes is always spent moving everything out of the garage, setting up sawhorses, putting down drop cloths, getting the tools out, etc. etc. All my "parts" at this point (floor, 10' solid 3/4" plywood walls) are too heavy for me to lift alone. Poor Lance has trouble getting his own projects done when I am working on the teardrop because I am constantly asking him to help me move something in or out of the garage. I will be so happy when the walls are up. I will be able to handle all the pieces on my own after that.

Once I got set up the first order of business was to wash the amine blush off the bottom of the floor.

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While that was drying, Lance and I dropped the old axle off of the frame so he could install the new axle and wheels and tires for me.

He had to drill 2 new holes for the top mount for the axle, but other than that everything fit perfectly and it went on without any problems. He is always there to help me with the hard stuff.

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The angle of this photo is a little screwy, but the trailer sits perfectly level behind the Jeep now. At least it appears that way to my eye.

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While the floor was drying and Lance was drilling new holes for the axle mount, I got the router out and made the lap joints for one of my side walls. I am just horrible with a router. I do a fair to midland job with most other tools, but not the router. I did the joints on one wall last weekend. I took off too much and had to fill the gap with thickened epoxy. This week the cuts were better, but not perfect. Still have a little bit of a gap. A little bit more thickened epoxy and all will be right with the world.

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The last task for today is coating the road side of the floor with black asphalt emulsion. I used Henry's. It's found in the roofing materials section of any big box hardware store.

First I taped off the edges of the floor because they are going to be bonded to the tops of the 2x4's that will run along the sides of the frame. You guys call this stuff "evil black goo" for a reason. What an unholy mess.

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I also coated 2 sides of the 2x4's, the side that faces the frame and the bottom side that faces the road. The top side will be bonded to the floor and the outside will be bonded to the walls.

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The bottom of the floor is now done. It looks great and after curing good this week it will be ready to install permanently onto the trailer next weekend.

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Another 30+ minutes putting everything back into the garage and I am done for the day.

Have a great week!!

Becky
Last edited by Oldragbaggers on Sun May 19, 2013 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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
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