Bob Henry's 4x7

[bobhenry-TNT]

Thanks, Frank

The thrift is not by design but necessity .

Wife was 2 years unemployed and now part time under employed and under paid so things are real tight. My builds are rather frugal, I wish I had the resources others on here have to add the bells and whistles and eye candy. However , when we are camping we have as much fun as the next guy.

Truthfully I really enjoy the building more than the camping I guess that why a just can't stop with one or two or three

 

[WhitneyK]

It just goes to prove that we can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!

 

[crumbruiser]

My build is going to be thrifty out of necessity too. I have 1 wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs and 1 income! I will more than likely have more fun in the design and build as well.
We are alike.
Frank

 

[Deryk the Pirate]

I can relate as well 14.5 months unemployed working as a temp now for $37 bucks a check more then unemployment.... hopin to get hired for sept 1st and a lil raise lol

 

[StandUpGuy]

I can relate as well 14.5 months unemployed working as a temp now for $37 bucks a check more then unemployment.... hopin to get hired for sept 1st and a lil raise lol

Good luck to you Deryk.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Well it was a busy weekend......

Sat AM got started about 8:00 AM put on the final cabinet door and remover the temporary FRP roof. Cut in for the window and temporarily installed it. Cut the halo trim to install around the window and tacked it into place to check fit. Turned my attention to trimming out the door inside and out. It took a bit of doing as the plywood cut out was not square and 45 degree cuts do not work on a parallagram. Trimmed the opening a bit wider and trimmed the inside square and full with a 3/4 +/- door stop reveal. The outside trim was trimmed even with the opening where possible but square was of greater importance. Once the outer halo was screwed temporarily in place the inner door was fit and trimmed to fit inside the outer halo with 3/16 spacing for clearance. The portions of the piano hinge left from the cabinet install was cut in half and installed top and bottom of door. Put a quick drying coat of acrylic poly on the wood to seal it somewhat as an evening shower was predicted. I replaced the temporary roof and picked up my toys just before the rain moved in.

Sunday morning I removed the window trim again and installed the cove plastic on the very bottom edge of the right side wall and slid the frp that was again removed from the roof into the now screwed on edge trim. I taped and braced the FRP from the outside and went in and removed all the window panes and screwed thru the corners of the now empty sash to locate the opening. I had to add 3/4 inch to each of the 4 sides to fit the window properly so back outside I added the 3/4 and using a 4" grinder carefully cut the opening. A little grinding and a great fit was made. I filled the voids between the osb and the aluminum window frame with 100% silicon caulk and then carefully reinstalled the window trim to hold the FRP in place. Grabbed the router and a flush cutting bit and cut the waste from the 4x9 sheet of FRP to now fit the wall.

All in all it was a good bit of progress.

 

[WhitneyK]

SLOW DOWN BOB!!!

You're makin' me look bad!!!

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

BUT mine ain't near as pretty inside as yours is !

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Well another fun filled weekend working on Rip Van Winkle......

doors framed in and side marker lights are on
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my polish power port.
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red rear clearance lite
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taping into the extention cord for the side markers
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the front clearance lite
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test fitted the tail lites into a scrap of frp
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tail light fit rear ( yep found this one at goodwill )
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ever wonder what to do with a burned out sealed tail light? Take your toy grinder and cut out the back and install a new 1157 bulb and if you don't have the handy dandy plug just cut the wires and splice on.
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tried my hand at some home made mini casement windows to be installed in the door.
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All in all a good weekends worth of work Had to remove all the driverside trim and door to install the FRP. Installed the 4x9 sheet and cut out the door opening. Then reinstalled the door trim and the door. Router cut the 4x9 sheet to the side profile with the router. Used eye protection this week didn't want another eye problem like 2 weeks ago. I drilled and mounted the clearance lites and wired and soldered all the joints and taped up well to avoid any problems down the road. All 6 marker lights and both tails were finally tested and all work as planned

I cut out the door center for my little tiny home made casement windows. But for lack of some small hinges they would have been installed. The window halo trim is installed and the entire nose FRP is now in place, lacking only an aluminum strip at the bottom to cap it closed. Mother nature teased me into quitting early with a little shower that lasted about 5 minutes longer than it did for me to pick up my toys and put the extra material on top of the trailer to protect it from the rain.

Oh well I needed to do a load of laundry anyway !

 

[S. Heisley]

I'm enjoying watching your build, Bob. Keep the pics coming!

 

[LDK-TNT]

Hey Bob

Just how many campers did you build? I bet this is probably the smallest one yet isn't it. It looks good, keep the pics coming!

 

[campmaster-k]

Great job Bob. I like the windows you are making for the doors. Keep up the good work.

 

[Woodstramp]

Dude, we have the same power port! Great minds think alike.

You build looks great.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Hey Bob

Just how many campers did you build? I bet this is probably the smallest one yet isn't it. It looks good, keep the pics coming!

Rip Van Winkle is #5 since I joined the forum in Feb 07 Everybody is in the album !
I could have even more fun if I didn't have to work for a livin' !

P.S. You would have lost your bet. Eggbert was my first teardrop and he was only a 3'x5' on a HF 40 x 48 frame.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Man! miss a day or two and you are lost in the rear of this build journal thread

Goofed off last weekend as far as the trailer was concerned. Worked my butt off with a yard sale Saturday toteing and dragging junk around. I think we put back more than we drug out

Sunday was spent trimming trees and burning brush and mowing and weedeating. I hurt , just to old to work this steady.

Well I felt guilty so Tues evening I ripped the 4x9 sheet down the middle and installed it on the final uncovered portion of the roof. After the FRP was screwed into place at each spar 3" in from the outside edge I ice dam taped the centers uncovered 5" ( Oh did I mention my 4' wide trailer some how grew to 4'5" including a 3/4 overhand on each side)

I will have to purchase one more piece of FRP to cut the center 10" strip to cover the void and the roof is done. It is weathered in now so I feel better with the rain coming in later this week.

The tail lights were nervously cut into the FRP roof at the rear and I only made one tiny boo-boo that a spot of white silicone will fix easily. I also installed a license plate holder I found floating around in the garage. I still need a license plate light and to install a 4 way flat on the end of the wires already ran, then the running lites are done. I am ready for a road trip. I may have to drag out the Goldwing and see what happens this Saturday.

 

[aggie79-HILO]

Bob,

You're almost done with Rip VW. I like it! How many trailers does this make for you now!

The ice dam tape is a good detail. You almost wonder why the trailer manufacturers don't use the stuff. My TD is held to the frame with trailer deck screws through the floor into the steel tubing. I used the same stuff - actually window flashing but made of the same material as ice dam tape - applied to the top side of my frame. The good thing about this stuff is that you can penetrate with fasteners and it seals all around it.

Take care,
Tom

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Bob,

How many trailers does this make for you now!

Take care,
Tom

See 3 posts up

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

The latest update......

Worked a few minutes each night this week and am almost road ready.

lookin' thru

lookin thru 2

license plate mount ( the dirty piece is just a temporary rain deflector. The rear is not fully screwed down so I can finish wireing the license plate light that I need to purchase yet.

here are my recycled tail lights now installed.

told her it wouldn't work !

Here is the shot she was trying for my rolling tool storage shed

a close up of the toys

here is the passenger side to date

and the drivers side to date.

Have a 3 day weekend coming up so if my shop roof don't leak to bad I just might get done.

 

[S. Heisley]

Your wife took a self portrait pic without even trying! ...Good one!

(I like the extended pinky, too! TeeHee!)

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Week end update.

My funky eye protection , Having learned the hard way the dust and shards off of FRP will give you a real nasty eye infection I went looking for some full coverage safety goggles. Like most things in my life they were misplaced somewhere so I went and fished out my full faced motorcycle helmet. Looks funky but it worked. ( More of the brides crisp photography )

Here is the front all colsed up and the center strip in place

A closeup of the rosettes

Here is the passanger side with the side table installed

and the driver's side dish washing station

Here is the dish station converted back to a flat top table.

If the side tables look familiar they are borrowed from the chuck wagon build !

I need to caulk all seams well and put on the front and rear final trim at the bottoms and purchase two new tires and it is ready for the road.

I did take it for a 4 mile test run Monday Labor day and it pulls great.

We did try and test sleep it but it is a bit small for two fat people so it will be up for sale as soon as the final touches are on it.