Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Even though it's not entirely done, I couldn't resist taking my Cubby out for its first camping trip. The exterior and cabin are done, but the galley has a way to go. Some pleasant surprises...
1. It held together in one piece! I've built things like kitchen cabinets and some furniture, but never anything that had to hold together while traveling 65mph on the interstate. My stomach was in knots to start the trip, but I soon realized that things were going to hang together. After a while, I hardly knew it was there.
2. The Cubby was a breeze to back into the campsite, and setup in no time. I stayed at a national forest campground in Northern Wisconsin, with 33 campsites, everyone of them lovely. A great spot for a maiden voyage!
3. The Cubby was even nicer to sleep in than expected. Six inches of Knox Foam mattress was as comfortable as my bed at home. My bed at home, though, doesn't have a skylight above to look at stars, nor a door next to it to swing open in the morning to admire the woods.
4. As others have mentioned, people love to stop by and ask questions about the teardrop. One lady told me she was getting rid of a 28 foot RV, and asked if I would build her a teardrop. I told her that I'm not quite ready to build teardrops for sale, but it was a nice compliment.
5. Everything about camping with a teardrop is just plain easy and convenient. I can't wait to have a kitchen to cook in!

I'll try to post a pic....

that's a really nice job on the construction. It looks GREAT!!!.

I can't wait to start my construction, but it will be a while longer, maybe early next year.

Chuck,

Great job on the Cubby!

Scott F.

What's up Chuck!!!....great job on the cubby...it is pretty cool when people come by and ask about your project isn't it?? What amazes me is that so many are surprised that you made it yourself....and that's where all the satisfaction is....You did great, congratulations....enjoy...Doug

As someone else said it looks GREAAAAAAT I am just itching to get started on mine. Have the steel, axle, springs, and wheels. Just waiting for my youngest son to give me a hand with the welding. You've done a great job.

What a fine job you've done on your cubby.
Love that loominum!!!!

Bev

Thank you all for the kind words. Folks in this group know how much time and effort go into building your first teardrop. I'm sure it was easier for some, but I sure felt that I had my hands full at times. Thanks again!

Hi Chuck,

Are you a Wisconsin guy? I am in Waukesha County and trying to find anyone semi-local I can hang out with and talk trailers.

I am currently about one-third of the way through my Cubby build.

Would love to see yours if you are anywhere within a few counties of me.

-Ben

Chuck,

Great looking Cubby! Welcome to the Cubby club. Lots of us out there and plenty more on the way! Love my Cubby, but already planning a larger one (5x9 or 5x10). Probably a Trailer for Two profile.

Congratulations on the maiden voyage and hope you have many more!

Kerry

You guys with your TDs that actually leave the backyard or garage to go camping make me SICK!

Go, Chuck! Have a ball! Don't worry about us morons here who are hoping to get rolling by 2007! Go ENJOY the adoration of all those beautiful girls in tight tank tops, pushing your significant other aside, just to get closer to you and your TD and the ecstacy that awaits them!!!

Sorry, I got carried away. It really does look fantastic.

I just use the above scenario as a motivational tool to keep me working harder on MINE.

IraRat wrote:You guys with your TDs that actually leave the backyard or garage to go camping make me SICK!

Don't worry Ira, next month will be a year that I've been working on mine. I was hoping to be finished in a year but it doesn't look that way. You may even be further along than I am.

asianflava wrote:Don't worry Ira, next month will be a year that I've been working on mine. I was hoping to be finished in a year but it doesn't look that way. You may even be further along than I am.

It's quicker to build when you don't worry about squaring things up, and when you only measure things once.

It also saves time to let this thing stick out here a little too much, and to allow that other thing NOT to stick out enough over there.

Actually, I had to go to HF Friday to pick up a duplicate receipt for the trailer, so I can eventually register it. (My bird ate the receipt, I swear--I didn't lose it.) I see that I bought it on April 4th.

It sat for a few weeks, so I'm looking that I had a start date of around May 1. That means I'm going on 4 months. I was shooting for a completion date of Labor Day, so that sure ain't happening. I figure to have everything really done, with the galley 70% done, by Oct. 1.

A lot of this has to do with your energy--and money--running out before the thing is completed.

IraRat wrote:It's quicker to build when you don't worry about squaring things up, and when you only measure things once.

Ira,
You're right about the measuring. Measure twice and what do you do if you come up with 2 different answers? You measure a third time, same problem, if it matches one of the first two that's a good thing, but if it doesn't you are measuring a fourth time.... So my idea is to measure once or you might not ever make that cut. I've got the kindling to prove my point. I also have a wood lathe that I can make mulch on.

Steve in St Augustine