Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I finally got out yesterday to work again on the Jewel Box and got to thinking about the K(eep) I(t) S(imple) S(weetheart)! method, or using what you have on hand, or just trying to save $$$ ... mostly about the materials or items used that aren't really building materials or RV components.....

So what did you come up with and how did you use it ?

Here's mine: (with gratitude to whoever came up with it first)

1 Bicycle inner tube under the door hinge

2 Power strip for my "electrical system"

3 Plastic kid's pencil box for my fuse box

and everyone knows now about the popular stainless steel bowl made into a sink...

Good Thread!

Lets see...you got my good one about the sink...

1. Wood trim (screen trim), instead of track for galley sliding doors.

2. Same trim, on exposed cut edges of 3/4" birch.

3. 3/16" (5 mm) birch plywood samiched together for cabinet doors.

4. Trim/molding on cabinet doors, to get that professionally made look. sort of...I hope.

I'm not done yet, So I 'm sure I will add more later.

Mk

I used two carpenter pouches (go ahead, guess what I do for a living . . . ) as catch-alls inside the cabin -


They hold remotes, wallets, keys, medications, and the like. I also used two of the spring-loaded door clips, mounted vertically, for clothes hooks . . . they snap up out of the way when they don't have weight on them.

Marvin

Tear Fan wrote:I used two carpenter pouches (go ahead, guess what I do for a living . . . ) as catch-alls inside the cabin -


They hold remotes, wallets, keys, medications, and the like. I also used two of the spring-loaded door clips, mounted vertically, for clothes hooks . . . they snap up out of the way when they don't have weight on them.

Marvin

Awful nice 45 on that door trim, Marvin. Those look like factory made door frames (weather stripping) or did you make them??

geron

Oh, to keep in line with the thread.

Picked up a $.69 low profile 120vac switch from HD and made a bezel from scraps to hold it off the wall for my porch light switch. One layer of 3/4" birch, one layer of 1/2" red oak and a wood switch plate. That leaves plenty of room for the wiring. 'Tain't fancy but it was cheap. EDITED: Oh, have to drill holes for those screws (big holes) cause those brass screws will twist off very easily -- voice of experience???

Geron wrote:
Oh, to keep in line with the thread.

Picked up a $.69 low profile 120vac switch from HD and made a bezel from scraps to hold it off the wall for my porch light switch. One layer of 3/4" birch, one layer of 1/2" red oak and a wood switch plate. That leaves plenty of room for the wiring. 'Tain't fancy but it was cheap. EDITED: Oh, have to drill holes for those screws (big holes) cause those brass screws will twist off very easily -- voice of experience???

Hey Nice!!! I spent ALL weekend trying to make a switch plate!! Even got a cut finger for all my troubles And still came up with nothing..nada..and looky here what you did. Very nice!!

I decided to mount my switches on the headliner above the door. With stainless steel blank outlet cover w/ cutout for toggle a switch.

(Note to self: clamp wood down when drilling holes, or you will get bit.)

Mk

Geron -
Can't take credit. Ours is a 5 X 8 Yoder Toter, made by the Amish in Ohio. Boy, do they do some nice woodwork. I know I'm impressed!

Marvin

Tear Fan wrote:Geron -
Can't take credit. Ours is a 5 X 8 Yoder Toter, made by the Amish in Ohio. Boy, do they do some nice woodwork. I know I'm impressed!

Marvin

Seems like I was supposed to know that from somewhere way back when.

Oh well, short term memory -- gone.

g

Thrifty or just plain cheap?

I scavenged, Found, Accumulated,
That nice plastic lattice for inside my hatch just laying around at work for years.
Aluminum hinges from an old cooler on the golf cart.
Jack stands - to be returned now that I bought scissorjacks.
The Makita screwdriver also to be returned.
The small refrigerator they were going to throw out.
A nice piece of crown molding to hide all my wires was laying in the garage since 1989.
Our old mattress that is still plenty comfortable, sure beats the ground or hard floor.
2 Brackets for the Hatch Pole.
The 24' Awning that ripped at work and had to buy a new one.
The stitching undid and the awning store couldn't repair it.

I almost forgot, we had to replace the fountain in the pond at the golf course and the new one came with a circuit box and timer and box. Didn't need it because all the stuff was already in the pumphouse. I used the circuit box and made a 12volt box out of the timer box.
2 old stereo speakers from work collecting dust on top of the file cabinet for years..
I made new boxes for them and recovered the front material.

OH! Something else I almost bought last night .... for near the sink area in the galley, a 'basket' type thing to attach to the side wall for holding some little things....

* look around the bath accessories section at WalMart , Target etc.... yes, like where the towel bars and toothbrush holders, and such are. There are some of those different soap holders etc that are different sizes , some almost the size of a small shoe box... and have huge strong suction cups... But you'll notice there is a whole or indention where you could use a screw , maybe add a washer too.... I found some at WM and Big Lots too, that are like for the corner - a triangular shape and could hold a lot .. like s& p, spices, etc. Only about $4 .

* another note: Last night at Wally World , I noticed in the dishes area where the kid size melamine dishes are , they had some $1.26 divided plates... and not really small. I found these in Red, just what I want to match my bowls and tumblers I already have ! Then over in the summer stuff they are putting out all that summer party / pool dishes, etc and have the same type divided plates but in summer pastels, and the exact same size !!! Definitely not just for kids, I looked at it and got four of them .
I know there are always paper plates and plastic utensils, but that just creates more trash too.

What else???

To go with my theme, I've picked up some old typewriter rollers. One will go in the closet to hand the clothes on. Another will be a towel rack in the kitchen area. I have a third one but haven't decided where to put it yet.

Cut off the spines of some old books an they will be glued to the front of two overhead cabinet doors. To look like a shelf of books.

We were given an small stainless steel sink, we'll be using for our sink. The graywater tank will be a bucket for the first year, possibly two. Until we decide if we want to add a graywater tank under the floor.

We're also using the extension cord with a surge/power strip for our electric for the first year. We're hoping that next year we'll be able to put in the electrical system we want but we'll be waiting on the funds to do it.

We salvaged two windows and a door from the junkyard. We also pulled off some levelers from the side of a junk trailer as well.

And I collected/collecting newspaper headers to laminate them on the counter.

I also have the keys from an old typewriter as well as my inkwell collection that will go in the trailer. I'm antiquing and reproducing some old family photos for the interior decor as well.

I went with a green stain I had left over from a furniture piece I finished for our kitchen and using some paint from one of the rooms we painted as an undercoat for the counter tops.

I've been thinking and collecting for a while for the Inkwell's decoration theme.

Lynn

Tear Fan wrote:I used two carpenter pouches (go ahead, guess what I do for a living . . . ) as catch-alls inside the cabin - They hold remotes, wallets, keys, medications, and the like.

Marvin, you are brilliant! Thanks for a great idea!

I had to use some screw-in hooks to pull my galley hatch into more of a curve - you can just about make them out in this picture:

Anyway, I left them in place. On the upper edge of the hatch they make handy places to hang keys, ball caps (you can almost make mine out hanging on the inside/upper left) and clothes, and the ones on the outside (bottom) get the occasional dish towel or lantern.

Joseph

Lynn Coleman wrote:
Cut off the spines of some old books an they will be glued to the front of two overhead cabinet doors. To look like a shelf of books.

That sounds REALLY cool!!!

I used the quarter round I messed up in teh cabin, to hold the insulation in. I about had a stroke fighting it to get it to stay in the curve Until I thought of this.





Mk

I built the Crocodile Tear for $593 because I bought as little as possible.

OK, let's do thrifty. All this is in my Personal Gallery if you want to look.

1. I used a soldering gun to melt the wire runs through the styrofoam insulation.

2. The 14-gage wire came on two reels bought $1 each at garage sale.

3. My running light wiring from trailer to hitch is inside a garden hose.

4. The lock for the battery box is a ratchet from a ratchet-type tie-down.

5. The fuse box used to hold socket wrenches.

6. Interior light is a 13-watt compact fluor4escent bulb inside a Mason jar.

7. The door is a hollow-core door for an indoor water heater enclosure.

8. The door lock is a spare one left over from building the house, keyed with our house key.

9. The roof vent fan is a big computer fan.

10. A "sit-up bar" on the bottom shelf inside the trailer is made from a sanded broom handle. It helps you sit up from laying down position.

11. Rubbermaid plastic boxes fir on shelves instead of building cupboards with doors.

12. Bungee cords hold Rubbermaid boxes on shelves.

13. Inside ventilation uses two 3" computer fans.

14. Old aluminum tent poles hold the hatch up. To stow the, I use broom clamps on the sides of the galley.

15. Galley light is an old gooseneck lamp.

16. Paper towel holder in galley was an old wooden towel rack.

17. Sink is a plastic dishpan that drops into a hole in th counter.

18. Kid's pencil box is used to hold pocket contents at night.

19. Windows came out of wrecked campers.

20. Fenders were made from a blue plastic 55-gallon barrel.

21. Used Jeep rims at $5 each with tires donated by a friend.

22. Interior wood was selected based on donation of excess plywood from friend.

23. Masonite closet doors were leftovers from solar cooker project.

24. Diamond plate was donated by a friend.

25. 12-volt electrical plug-ins came from thrift store.

26. Our dinner plates are advertising specialty Frisbees... work great!

27. Water supply is an Aquatainer, $8 at WalMart.

All this proves is -- you can build a trailer very cheaply if you're a good scrounger and have good friends who give you stuff!

I needed some angled steel to reinforce my trailer and had a brainstom ,
instead of spending money on steel I used old bed rails that I had laying around,since then I have been finding bed rails all over the place and have 6 pair, all for free. people throw these away everytime they get a new bed and most of the older ones are made out of some pretty nice angle.
I even cut up an old fold up bed that I was going to haul to the dump. I have accumulated quite a nice selection of steel this way.
Aaron