Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

New roof rack under construction - similar to Len's. Had to allow for vent opening. Wood yet to be installed.

Looks good Dan!!! how do you plan on attaching it? Doug

Looks great Dan

Doug
Possibly a flat tab welded to the bottom of the tubing, then screwed to the top. I don't plan on removing it once installed, but I am going to include a detachable awning/privacy curtain system that will attach to the roof rack once at camp.

prohandyman wrote:Doug
Possibly a flat tab welded to the bottom of the tubing, then screwed to the top. I don't plan on removing it once installed, but I am going to include a detachable awning/privacy curtain system that will attach to the roof rack once at camp.

I did one with an angle going over the side then screwing it in sideways.

I have fassened them both ways with no problems.

Looks great.

Happy Trails

Len

Idea for the mounting: how about a post mounted on a flat tab? Mount the post assembly to the trailer and the posts would insert into the downlegs of teh rack. If you then drilled and bolted the posts in the rack legs it could be removeable in the event your roof vet needed attention and you would avoid srewing and re-srewing into the trailer body avoiding sloppy holes.

I'm one of those people who may over think things at times but even dumb ideas occasionally spark good ones!

Looks Great so far!!

I know I asked this before, but how hard was it welding the conduit together? I think that's what you did. It looks good!

prohandyman wrote:New roof rack under construction - similar to Len's. Had to allow for vent opening. Wood yet to be installed.

Dan that is very nice..

How high is it above the Fan? Also what diameter tubing is used?

Classic Finn

Very nice Dan,
Did you bend the tubing and how did you attach the tubing together?
We're gonna need more pics

Scott

Yes Scott I welded the tubing with a MIG welder, and bent the pieces with a tubing bender from Lowes. I just sent a pm to Heikki regarding welding galvanized metal. Zinc galvanized metal creates Zinc Oxide fumes, or "metal fume fever".
When zinc vapor mixes with the oxygen in the air, it reacts instantly to become zinc oxide. This is the same white powder
that you see on some noses at the beach and the slopes. Zinc oxide is non-toxic and non carcinogenic. Extensive research into the effects of zinc oxide fumes has been done, and although breathing those fumes will cause welders to think that they have the flu in a bad way, there are no long-term health effects. Zinc oxide that is inhaled is simply absorbed and eliminated by the body without complications or chronic effects.Typical “metal fume fever” begins about 4 hours after exposure, and full recovery occurs within 48 hours. The symptoms
include fever, chills, thirst, headache and nausea. All of these symptoms, pain and suffering, as well as lost work (and play)
time, can be avoided entirely by simply not inhaling the zinc oxide fumes.
USE A RESPIRATOR!

Must be handy to know how to weld, the more I'm on this forum the more I think it might be something I should try.


Scott

I didn't say I knew how - my welds look like cat puke So I have to grind them alot after welding to "smooth" them down.

Jst83 wrote::applause: Must be handy to know how to weld, the more I'm on this forum the more I think it might be something I should try.


Scott

Doesn't always help to know how!! I know how, but do not have a welder (can't justify for the amount that I would use it)! I do look around to try and find one on the cheap that will still fill the need that I think I have. BTW: Mig welding is pretty easy, stick welding takes a bit more to learn and get decent at.

Dan, the rack looks great. After a little grinding and some paint, no one will know what your welding looks like. Important thing is that it holds the parts together!!!

toypusher wrote:Doesn't always help to know how!! I know how, but do not have a welder (can't justify for the amount that I would use it)!

Can't you rent one? I probably wouldn't use one much myself and it would give the wife something else to trip over in the garage maybe not a good idea

Scott

Jst83 wrote:

toypusher wrote:Doesn't always help to know how!! I know how, but do not have a welder (can't justify for the amount that I would use it)!

Can't you rent one? I probably wouldn't use one much myself and it would give the wife something else to trip over in the garage maybe not a good idea

Scott

Yes, you can rent them, but that is not always convienent. If I need to tack something together now, I need to find one to rent (HD rents them) and minimum is 4 hours @ $40.00 or so. Takes time and is pricey in the scheme of things. Now, when I get to build my new teardrop (funds shortage right now), I will be able to get all of the steel together and cut, then rent the welder for a half day or at most a full day and Get-R-Done. So, yes it is nice to be able to do welding, but I would rather have my own. I know that I would use it alot if I had one, but can't justify it right now.