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Teardrop/Cycle Hauler Build 4.0: The Rise of The Phoenix

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:06 pm
by sandman
Well Sportsfans,

With a fresh new start to my build, I wanted to put the past behind me so I deleted all the pics from my album of past failures and started this new thread where hopefully I will detail the completion of my teardrop/cycler hauler build which I am now calling "The Phoenix" since this is the 4th and final attempt at building my own tenament on wheels. Much has been learned from everyone's advice on my last failure so I am incorporating a few design changes this time to help keep the structure straight and true.

I redid the entire subfloor joist system and ripped the 2x4's down to exactly 3" tall to make them dead even with the 3" steel angle rails of my trailer. When I got finished with the subfloor, I secured the floor down using six 3/8" x 5 carriage bolts with steel washers and nylon locknuts to hold the teardrop to the trailer. I spent yesterday under the trailer putting another coat of asphalt emulsion on the floor and on the new subfloor system. Satisfied that the floor perfectly in place and ready, I went to troweling huge amounts of Robert's Outdoor Carpet Adhesive to the inside of both newly made walls. I ended up using 1 gallon bucket per wall and allowed the adhesive to set up for 20 minutes before lowering the carpet in place and rolling it smooth with a roller.

I let the carpet set up overnight and came back every few hours and smoothed out any lumps or folds in the carpet. The next morning, I had two very nicely carpeted walls. I took my carpet blade and went all over trimming the excess carpet off so it would take the shape of the teardrop wall. As long as I kept a sharp blade in my carpet knife, it went very smooth and the results were very pleasing...boy did I need that to bolster my shattered confidence from the previous teardrop fisaco.

Anyway, here is pics of the Progress thus far...

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Here's the two new freshly routed and sanded wall panels being dryfit on the floor to make sure everything will line up.

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Here's a front shot of the dryfitting walls. I have seen this step before...oh yeah, I have actually made it this far once. :lol:

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Here's both walls after being carpeted with indoor/outdoor carpet and then trimmed with a carpet knife.

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After trimming the newly installed carpet, I made a nice 1 1/2" tape line where I could finish putting asphalt emulsion on the part of the wall that will be exposted to the elements. It came out pretty nice and clean.

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A nice close up of the nice even line of asphalt emulsion. Yep, I am finally doing something right. :thumbsup:

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Here's the foundation of the teardrop all ready for the walls to be glued and screwed back into place.....AGAIN!!!

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I spent all of today preparing the walls to be glued and screwed to the foor assembly with the addition of MadJack's patended aluminum angle providing extra support for the wall by also being screwed and glued to the floor. Both walls have been glued and screwed into place.

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Another angle of the freshly installed walls. Instead of using Liquid Nails, I followed MadJack's advice about using the PL Brand adhesive and must say this stuff was much nicer to work with but it sets up quicker than the Liquid Nails.

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A nice shot through the doorway of the freshly installed walls with carpeting. I left the carpet loose at the bottom so I could gain access to install the angle iron reinforcements. After both angle irons are installed, the rest of the carpet will be glued down all the way to the floor.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:45 pm
by Miriam C.
:woohoo: :beautiful: :wakka wakka: :hammer:

Good job!!!!! Sometimes it just takes a little extra.... ;)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:02 pm
by neal b
great job keep up the good work just take your time and you will have a great teardrop :thumbsup:

neal b :D

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:10 pm
by Niall
well done sandman..............looking great ! :thumbsup:

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:07 pm
by madjack
...luke-ing good SM...take your time and do one step at a time...we build from the inside out...the floor goes down...the walls go up...the bulkheads go in...then the cabinets and lastly the spars/ceiling/insulation/roof...oh yeah...don't forget to wire it all up along the way as well :D ;)
madjack 8)
p.s....damn sure bet that we are rootin' for ya.........MJ

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:15 am
by SaGR
Awesome!

Keep going!

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:54 am
by elmo
Looks Great Sandman! :thumbsup:

Keep up the great job.

My new KTM 950 Adventure arrives on the 21st!!

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:25 am
by volfanatic72
It's looking great Sandman!!! 4th time HAS to be the charm.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:14 pm
by sandman
Thanks for all the nice words, guys. I need all the encouragement I can get!!! :lol: That's one thing for sure, I am taking my sweet time and letting things gel before moving on to the next step. As I have learned from my last failure, I am keeping the right angle jigs in place supporting both walls until I get a few roof spars installed. The weather has been bad here today so I haven't got anything done yet. Next step is the roof spars.

After reading the post here on the forum about the Glue Wars, I decided to not use Gorilla Glue on the roof spars like I did before. I am going with Titebond III for the spars and internal cabinet frames.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:40 pm
by Classic Finn
Sandman Congratulations :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:
We new you could pull thru it... :thumbsup:

Now you see why we didnt let you throw in the towel...That is Very Nice...Yahooooooooooooooooooo :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Im really happy for you.. way to go.
:shake hands:
Classic Finn

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:24 pm
by jdarkoregon
I might get in trouble, but good decision on the glue! The ONLY part of my tear that has given me problems is where I use that Gorilla Glue. You are doing the right thing.

Now, listen to MJ's advice.

Great job, it really looks like it will be a very useful Teardrop

John

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:52 pm
by sandman
Thanks again for all the nice words and great advice!!!! I could not do this without this site and all the great members. On a side note, to those who have gained pearls of wisdom and haven't donated to keep this place going, I strongly urge you to dig into your pockets and donate to T&TTT to help Mike out. Believe me, it's a lot of work and expense to keep a site like this going. I am also a site admin of a dirt biking forum and depend on my fellow forum members to help bankroll the site. Ok, enough campaigning or begging for donations... 8)

I managed to put in 3 roof spars yesterday using Titebond III. I got some ratchet straps and pulled the walls together to provide constant clamping pressure while the glue set up overnight. I decided to only install 3 spars at a time and then clamp them and walk away for 24 hours. This seems to be working VERY well. I am being extremely slow and patient this time around and so far it has paid off. By tomorrow night, I will be back at the same point in my build as when I experienced my catastrophy.

One thing I love about using Titebond III glue is the easy clean-up. When installing my spars, a bit would drip onto my carpeted walls and I could simply wipe it off with a damp rag and it didn't even stain the carpet. Gorilla Glue would have ruined my carpet plus the clean-up is a real BBBBBBBEEEAAAAAATTTTTCCCCHHH!!!!.

Here's some pics of yesterday and today's progress.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:33 pm
by jdarkoregon
Bulkheads and supports for those walls, don't do much till you get somethin back in

John

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:22 pm
by SaGR
No kidding John!

How wide is that thing?!? I thought it was 5' but that sure looks more like 6'.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:57 pm
by sandman
My Teardrop is really a clone of the Little Guy Sport which is 76" Wide. Mine is also 76" wide x 85 3/4" floor. Yep, she is a wide-sally. I can actually sleep in it crossways too. The teardrop is not going to break any new ground as far as originality and I have no plans to work off of. This build is mainly for giving me a warm place to sleep while on dirt biking trips. She is going to have heat, A/C, Car Radio, 6 Speakers, DVD, & TV.

Last year, I went to a big dirt biking event in middle Tennessee and only packed shorts and my tent. Well, the weather took a turn for the worst and the temps dropped 30 degrees in about 4 hours plus it rained and flooded my tent and sleeping bag. I ended up freezing my butt off and had to go sleep in my truck the rest of the night. When I got back from that trip, I discovered Teardrops and this site. I vowed never again to ever sleep in a tent after 3 days of freezing cold weather.