Completing what someone else started. 5'X8' benroy??

[D Cat]

Hello,

I've finally got around to working on my tear project. I had bought the project aready started by a gentlemen in MO. It didn't have a trailer as he had planned on building it to slide into a 5x8 utility trailer when he needed to use it. It was basically the floor, sides, top assembled. He has skinned the top with canvas and spar varnish. It is double wall and insulated from the floor to the ceiling. This seemed like a really good start and would make building one by the coming spring possable with my limited time due to other projects going on. The problem is, in a perfect world, I would have done just about everything differently. Thats not to say the guy who started on it didn't do a good job. This was exactly what he was wanting to build for his needs but mine are a little different. After lots of time considering what to do about it I've decided to finish this build as best I can to meet my needs and make a quality tear that will last a long time. I plan on building another one in the future and doing it exactly the way I want it then.

That all being said, I'm going to post my build here, somewhat limited in detail, and look forward to your feedback to keep me going in the right direction. I've been lurking aournd this site for about a year and can't tell you how much information and inspiration I've gotten from this site!

[D Cat]

Here are some pictures of what I basically started with minus the trailer. When I picked it up I just slid it into the back of my pickup and them put it up on blocks under my carport whild I found a suitable frame to modify to fit and put it on. I've recently completed that and it is now on its own wheels.

[D Cat]

Some of the frame work I had to do on a 6x10 trailer I bought for 50 bucks. By the time I was done it had a new 2000 pound axle and wheels and tires off my 1966 corvair. I ended up with a new set of tires when I bought the car. 13 inch wheels and new 195/85/13 tires.













Not real detailed I know. I changed it several times before I finished. Started with some kind of a spring, torsion axle. I changed to torsion stub axles that I had but then opted for a new 2000 pound axle in the end. The torsion stubs were a little over rated for my trailer and I have a use for them on another trailer I'm building to carry canoes and camping supplies.

[D Cat]

I've got several things going on with the build. I'm working on the galley, which isn't as easy since I'm designing on the fly and not much was taken into account by the previous builder. I think I have a game plan though. I am planning on mounting a 5000 btu ac in the back and venting it simular to Casey Dogs. Hope you dont mind CD, I really liked your set up and think it will be the easiest to work around with my project already past the stage where things like that should have been engineered into design. I'm also working on the fantastic fan. I had to frame that up as it was not intended to have a vent fan. Luckly the interior roof skin was only ran part way up from the front. I'm waiting to order my shed window come payday so I'll be starting on the doors soon to I hope. This will be another tedious work around as the inner and outer door skins were cut before the wall skins were sandwiched together creating a small mismatch between the inner and outer part of the door skins.

I built the hatch, skinned it and got a start on the galley cabinet framing over the last 3 days. I'm using a living hindge and installed the hatch temporarily to check fit and function of the hatch. It wasn't too difficult mostly because my hatch doesn't have a lot of curve to it. The peice of ply I skinned it with bent easily since I had to bend across the 48 inch part of the ply not the 8 foot direction. The 48 inch width gave me more than enough to cover the hatch in the length direction.

[canned o minimum]

You've done real good with what ya started with...It's always difficult to go "over" sumone elses work.

This way you will have sum experience when ya build one YER WAY .

[canned o minimum]

You've done real good with what ya started with...It's always difficult to go "over" sumone elses work.

This way you will have sum experience when ya build one YER WAY .

[D Cat]

Yes it is. I've decided its pointless to worry about the things I wish were different and just deal with what I have. It will be a good learning experience.

[canned o minimum]

Good outlook...do yer best with what ya have... Then go have FUN !

[D Cat]

Got a chance to work on the tear a little Sunday. Got my shed windows ordered and my 5000 btu ac unit made it in. I'll get to start on the doors and windows on my next days off I'm hoping. Just kind of done a few odd and end jobs on it this week. Got the rest of the interior skinned. Couldn't match the ply exactly to what was aready installed when I bought the project but I don't think it will look too bad. Thinking of putting carpet on the walls and leaving the top wood. Anyone do this? I'm thinking it might help the acoustics a bit. I also have decided to go with square doors instead of the "D" shaped ones that were cut in aready. The "D" wasn't framed up completely so it had hollow places around the opening that I was going to have to fill in. I think the 14"X21" shed windows will look a lot better with the new door shapes. The framing was aready there for the square door and is going to make building the doors much easier I think. Still need to cut the final vent fan opening in the new interior celing that I put it when the glue gets all dried.

I got a little more of the galley cabinet framing done. This is much more time consuming building at this stage instead of doing it before putting the sides up I think but I'm liking the layout so far. Planning on using a lot of idea's I've gotten from all my lurking around this site. There are some amazing builds you guys have done!!!! Anyway, here are the few pictures I took after working on it a few hours this weekend.

[D Cat]

Got a little time to work on it the other day. Got my 5000 btu ac in. It was very small.
Working on the framing to isolate the air supply and exhaust for it. Have my vents to put through the wall but haven't started that yet. I ran the ac and was very suprised at how little air was actually moving through the rear heat exchanger. I was worried about being able to efficiently duct the air out 90 degress through the side without restricting the flow too much. Turns out that shouldn't be an issue at all. My box to redirect the air to the outside is only 2 inches deep.

Made the slides for the galley upper cabinets and glued them in place. Turned a couple of brass finger pulls and put them in the doors. The wood used is all kind of mis-matched but I think it looks ok. The interior roof panel is going to be the same way so why fight it, just go with it right?

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took. My windows are suposed to be in today so I'm anxious to get started on the doors. this week hopefully.

Here is the small ac.




The rear ac exhaust diverter box


Glueing the slide door rails in.


Slide doors coated with clear Poly


Slides doors installed in upper galley cabinet.

[D Cat]

Got to work a little Friday on the Teardrop. Cut the other door opening out square and built one of the doors. The door openings weren't framed exactly square so I cut the ply larger, screwed it to the side and marked it with a pencil. Then cut it out to match. It wasn't off much. Can't notice it really unless you measure. Put the Galley cabinets back in to free up the space in my shop. Completed the air duct for the rear of the AC. Here are a few pics of the progress.

Here is the galley with the sliding doors installed. They worked great.






Here is one of the doors. I like the shed windows. Think they are the perfect size. Looks better with the square edged doors instead of the rounded too I think.









Going to get a little vacation time around Thanksgiving. Hope to get the door, sides and final canvas on the roof done then...Going to be a busy week for me!!

[crumbruiser]

Hello D Cat. Looks good, really good. May I ask where you got the black framed windows?
Frank

[D Cat]

Crumbruiser,

They are actually brown. They do look black in the picture. I would have perfered black and was planning on painting them. The vents for the ac are black and I wanted the window frames to match. Not sure if I am going to still paint them black or not. The only other color option was white.

I got them from ebay. Shed windows, 14 X 21 with safety glass. Cost was about 70 bucks for both shipped I believe.

[crumbruiser]

Thank you very much for that info! I never thought to look for "shed" windows. That will save me some big bucks when the time comes.
Frank

[D Cat]

Your very welcome. I ran across the info on this site for them. The information here is amazing. It can even be a little overwhelming at times. So many good ideas it can be very difficult to decide which route to take with your build.

Daymond