You don’t know what you don’t know

[Wrecit]

As a 30 year carpenter who is tasked with helping train the next generation of carpenter way to often the title of this thread is one of my favorite go to statements to well intentioned but not so knowledgeable apprentices.

No matter if your a teardrop builder or ctc guy let’s hear what part/s of your build caused this thread title to be true.

For me being a carpenter by trade I think most of my ctc build, while being WAY slower than I had hoped has been fairly uneventful however my don’t know what you don’t know issue has been to constant calculating and recalculating my rigs total weight to insure it can drive down the road. My day time job is building homes and commercial as well as industrial sites that have a fairly static load that doesn’t move much. Making sure not to overload my leaf springs, keeping the overall load even left to right as well as not making the hitch to light or to heavy has kept me up a few late nights.

[tony.latham]

This is the way I put it in my book:

Keep this in mind: I don’t think anyone has all the skills to build a teardrop until they’ve done it. Don’t be intimidated. There are two things you need to possess to undertake this project: persistence and a willingness to learn. The needed skills are the ones you learn as you build. Teardrops are built in steps. Just take each a step at a time and you’ll get it done.

Tony

[mountainminded]

The availability of materials and supplies has been an unexpected but constant struggle for me. As a small production builder I’m discovering that many of the parts and supplies that have worked so well in my previous builds are no longer available. This involves everything from Baltic Birch plywood to insulation and plumbing parts. “Buy it when you see it” is the best advice that I can offer because if you design your trailer with a specific item in mind there is no guarantee of availability when you need it.

[Tom&Shelly]

Most of the things we worried about during our build haven't happened (yet). Score one for thinking ahead to what might go wrong, asking advice (on this forum mostly), and taking common sense precautions.

But then there was that day in Rhode Island when we were preparing to leave and noticed a large pin on our trailer hitch was halfway out. Turns out it was a manufacturing defect--the pin was supposed to be peaned over to prevent it from coming off. We missed it for months of travel (all the way from New Mexico to the east coast), our trailer builder missed it, and the hitch maker missed it. Only thing holding that pin in before was the paint. Obviously it could have been a big lawsuit if the worst happened; it was in no ones interest to let that go.

Luckily, we had been exploring the evening before, and noted a back way out, that avoided traffic, and came out on US 1 at a boat trailer place. The couple were very nice and found a 5/8 inch bolt that fit in place of the pin. That, with a nylock, are still doing the job, and we see no need for a better fix.

Never saw that problem coming and it would have been much more serious than most.

Oh, one thing that taught us was that it's not a problem (for us) to leave a few hours built into our schedule for emergencies. If you have to make 6 hours that day instead of 8, you stress less and may even have two extra hours at the end of the day to enjoy at your campsite. Probably we're doing it wrong to have to think that way in the first place, but we're out to see the continent as much as camp.

Tom

[twisted lines]

I had my turn as an apprentice, long ago.
Now it is so much simpler to say Google it.
Because anything you tell them; That's not what Google say's

Yep that 60 / 40 thing, No one knows what your putting in it, where the Axle goes,
Or what your pulling it with better then you.

Most recently I have been dealing with a door,
Tore mine out measured, put a new one in 3 months later.
Took Months to resolve, Some young Guy Built the dam thing and the door wont Open or Close, fix it.
Think I am building at least two doors for my (Foamie) That's keeping me here.

Yep I tell her Google it too, Because I know She thinks it has to be Her way

[tony.latham]

Yep that 60 / 40 thing, No one knows what your putting in it...

My previous teardrop had the battery in the tongue box. It had a rear hitch receiver, we put a heavy bike rack in it and loaded two mountain bikes on.

Our "new" teardrop has the battery in the galley. It has a bike rack over the tongue box.

They were obviously loaded grossly different and both tow fine. Both have the axle near the 60/40 point. That rule works.

Tony

[featherliteCT1]

This is the way I put it in my book:

I don’t think anyone has all the skills to build a teardrop until they’ve done it.

Tony

Well said!