Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

How do you store your trailer? May I have a few opinions with regard to durability and maintenance if stored outside.

After looking at some of the beautiful woodie builds here on the forum, I may go with a woodie build rather than aluminum skin (undecided). I will have to store it outside in the elements (Long Beach, CA). Of course a minimum protection will be some sort of cover that breathes.

Iffn I ever get done...mine will be stored outside. On my boats (glassed with spar varnish)...they just get put outside under the porch or blocked out in the back forty. With spar varnish...you do have to give them a good cleaning , light sand , and a fresh coat of varnish every couple of years to keep them nice. My problem is rain...your problem might be sun... and I think that may even be worse than wet for a properly built woodie!!!

Cliff,

I agree with Dave. If you're building for outside storage a half a dozen coats of spar varnish would be the best bet, although there are some 2 part "system" type specialty coatings on the market. It takes maintenance to keep a woody looking right.

I used Helmsman Spar Polyurethane, but did so knowing I was going to store my TD in the garage. But I have used Bristol Finish on a classic sailboat and had great results and could do several coats in a day. The stuff is hard to remove though once on there. Check it out - http://www.bristolfinish.com/

Cliff...I'd make sure that you keep the sun from hitting it. That's going to be the toughest on it. Woody boats need regular finish maintenance annually depending on their exposure to UV especially sitting on a lake. I think using epoxy will make the surface more durable and auto clear makes for easy touchups if needed. I keep the woody tear in a spare garage and the boat under a pole type barn, since I have the space. In addition to the sun and snow I also have limbs and pine cones that fall from 100'+ in the trees on the property. Doug

I've been keeping mine under a tarp-type garage. No troubles.
I am mainly concerned about flying objects, winged or otherwise, droppong something!

I'm wondering the same thing, I'm building a woody and may have to store it outside in the harsh Boston winter. It would be exposed to freezing cold, snow and sleet. I hope this doesn't happen but it is possible. How do i want to prepare for this?

Art

cuyeda wrote:How do you store your trailer? May I have a few opinions with regard to durability and maintenance if stored outside.

After looking at some of the beautiful woodie builds here on the forum, I may go with a woodie build rather than aluminum skin (undecided). I will have to store it outside in the elements (Long Beach, CA). Of course a minimum protection will be some sort of cover that breathes.

Mine's stored outside. I have good quality marine plywood and a good quality spar varnish on it. It's faded in some spots and needs a touch up in others but that's what Kate calls "patina" and we like it.

Joseph

Art Mini wrote:I'm wondering the same thing, I'm building a woody and may have to store it outside in the harsh Boston winter. It would be exposed to freezing cold, snow and sleet. I hope this doesn't happen but it is possible. How do i want to prepare for this?

Art

I would think the best way to prepare for storing a woody trailer outdoors in Boston is to go down to the closest marina and look at what the weather has done to the brightwork on the boats there. What you find should prepare you pretty well for what is going to happen to your trailer.

Or, you could build a frame and shrink wrap it.

Or have a cover made. One thing, it is good to avoid is having a plastic tarp directly against the wood finish for long periods of time, that is just my opinion though.

Or put the trailer in a self storage garage. I'm thinking about this option myself because I need the garage space at home for another project.

Hey Cliff you can do like Bud and do a fiberglass sides then he had them airbrushed like wood. You can see his teardrop in my photo link in my web site http://azroundup.net/photos/2008_fun_run/index.html
Eddie

Here is a better picture before installing the trim.

I posted on another thread similar to this one also.

Ah, here is the link. http://tnttt.com/viewto ... ight=shack

I did like Steve and finished with the Spar urethane. But I have had a problem with cracks where the trim meats the skin. I plan on epoxying all of these areas sometime this summer.

Mk

emiller wrote:Hey Cliff you can do like Bud and do a fiberglass sides then he had them airbrushed like wood. You can see his teardrop in my photo link in my web site http://azroundup.net/photos/2008_fun_run/index.html
Eddie

Eddie, Looks like someone is already driving their new toy around!

Wow! nice airbrush technique! One of the reasons, why I may consider a woodie build is that the materials are all readily available. I guess I won't know until I am in the middle of the build which way to go. Depending on the measurements, and available skin material available will determine what will eventually be used.

Hmm... Fiberlass sides... can present all kinds of graphic color schemes!

Yes Cliff I have been driving the ol streetrod around. I already have over 4000 miles on it since November. The Airbrush artist said it would have come out better with a different base coat. Bud painted it before checking with the painter.