Pop-Up Standy!! Is it a Reverse Tear? Mini Compact?

[jonesgirl]

I’ve finally decided on a design to build. I really wanted a traditional tear profile, but it just didn’t meet my needs. I’m going to spend the majority of June and July traveling in this camper exploring the Western states, and continue the genealogy research I began with my father a few years ago. – I’ll also be taking short winter trips, attending gatherings, and occasional weekend retreats.

I want to be able to be self-sufficient inside but have the option to set up a kitchen outside. I also want to be able to build it quickly so I can leave soon and have more time on the road. (If possible I’d like to complete in the next 2 weeks. (OK...stop laughing)The sooner it’s road ready and campable, the happier I’ll be!! -- My car has a tow limit of about 1000 lbs, but I don’t intend to have this car much longer so this build will be a practice for the next one. For now, I want to keep the TTT as light as possible. Once it’s framed and skinned, I’ll weigh it before I start adding to the inside. – If I can swing the weight, my air-conditioner weights 45 lbs and fridge about 20 lbs empty and I’ve got those close to the axle. I still need to look at weight balance and distribution and am certainly open to suggestions. I have the advantage of using the electrical system designed by my brother-in-law so that will save a lot of time. I'll figure out the battery set-up very last before I finish the inside. I've already purchased and used the ?converter? I hooked it up to my car battery to light my storage area-but that was too simple, so I must be missing something.

I’m going to try to add pics of my plan to this post, but if I fail, look at my photo gallery. For some reason the drawing for the back side will not post in the album. I’ll have to try it again later when I have more patience! Also, sorry I took actual pictures of my paper plan, but my scanner is S-L-O-W….

I’m very open to suggestions so chime in anytime! As for a name… I’m thinking about “The Tree House” with artwork on the side that resembles an Oak or Maple Tree. – I need to put more thought in to that.


Hey! It worked!!
Teresa

[neal b]

I like it GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FOOOOOOOOR ITTTTTT. I hope you get it finished for your trip. Now the fun begins get the sawdust a flyn. Have a safe trip.
neal b

[Miriam C.]

You have a great design Teresa. I think you will need to choose your hinge very carefully.
I think in a heavy rain you might have some leaking with some.

[Prem]

Teresa,

Wow. You're sharp. Nice drawings!

I want to be able to be self-sufficient inside but have the option to set up a kitchen outside. I also want to be able to build it quickly so I can leave soon and have more time on the road. (If possible I’d like to complete in the next 2 weeks. (OK...stop laughing)The sooner it’s road ready and campable, the happier I’ll be!! -- My car has a tow limit of about 1000 lbs, but I don’t intend to have this car much longer so this build will be a practice for the next one. For now, I want to keep the TTT as light as possible.

If you're looking for someone to give you realistic feedback, I'll volunteer. I'm not going to be negative, just practical, according to my experience. Plenty of others will probably give you even more valuable insight than me, but here goes:

1) Most passenger cars are not built for load hauling and towing. Got a hitch and wiring for trailer lights already on your car? Towing is harsh on small vehicles: Automatic transmissions need an after-market fluid cooler to keep the transmission from burning up. Small motors may be over taxed and blow a head gasket or worse. Brakes and brake fluid new?

2) 2 weeks? Do you have an experienced crew, the chassis built and all the wood parts already to go together? (Just shopping for the materials takes me more than two weeks because some of it has to be sent via USPS or UPS.)

3) Safety glass window for RV application, not breakable glass in a house window.

4) How big is your shop? Big enough to build two walls and the bed of the trailer all separately and simultaneously? If not, add more time for glue, resin and/or paint to dry on just the section you're currently working on.

5) Got a full quiver of power saws, router, drill/screw gun, drill bits, router bits and hand tools?

IF you need to hit the road two or three weeks from now, realistically, consider buying something already made that is well under 1,000 pounds. There's a FOR SALE section on these forums.

I wish you the best, whatever you decide! And let us know how your trip goes.

Prem

[S. Heisley]

Prem wrote:

If you're looking for someone to give you realistic feedback, I'll volunteer. I'm not going to be negative, just practical, according to my experience. Plenty of others will probably give you even more valuable insight than me, but here goes:

1) Most passenger cars are not built for load hauling and towing. Got a hitch and wiring for trailer lights already on your car? Towing is harsh on small vehicles: Automatic transmissions need an after-market fluid cooler to keep the transmission from burning up. Small motors may be over taxed and blow a head gasket or worse. Brakes and brake fluid new?

2) 2 weeks? Do you have an experienced crew, the chassis built and all the wood parts already to go together? (Just shopping for the materials takes me more than two weeks because some of it has to be sent via USPS or UPS.)

3) Safety glass window for RV application, not breakable glass in a house window.

4) How big is your shop? Big enough to build two walls and the bed of the trailer all separately and simultaneously? If not, add more time for glue, resin and/or paint to dry on just the section you're currently working on.

5) Got a full quiver of power saws, router, drill/screw gun, drill bits, router bits and hand tools?

Hi, Teresa:

Prem was giving you a harsh dosage of reality. Dreams are wonderful incentive but reality is a b!!ch. However, the power of a strong woman with a strong dream can be unstoppable!

- The tow vehicle versus the weight of the trailer is a BIG factor. Lots of people on this forum tow with small cars; but, you should definitely try to shrink things down some. 72x81" is going to be too heavy for most light weight, low gas mileage vehicles.

- I'm pretty sure that the camp-able in 2 weeks thing was a joke. Some people have built in...maybe a couple months(?) However, I'd allow at least a year if you want something that's not going to leak or fall apart soon after you build it. (You still might find a small leak or two.)

- Safety glass? Yup! Good call.

- It’s best to try to do one part at a time. Build your chassis and deck first. They make a handy surface to build your walls on. (Just don’t accidentally screw or glue your walls to the deck before you’ve got them raised! ) If you have a two car garage, you can put the trailer on one side and back your car out to give you room to work on the other side. At night, store the sides and roof on top of the deck.

- You don't need a plethora of tools or a lot of muscle power but they definitely would make the job easier and faster. Having the Godsend of bro and a dad to help and lots of tools to borrow might get you on the road in a few months.

Mostly, have patience with yourself, your future trailer, and the people around you. When someone asks you if you’re done yet and you know you aren’t anywhere near done, just remember you’re on teardrop time and most people don’t even know what that is.

[mikeschn]

Dreams are wonderful... and you could probably get the floor built in one weekend, and the walls up in the next weekend, but then you have a ton of details to work out.

Have you seen the escape hatch I built? Just for fun, go here, and look at the dates on the photos... http://www.mikenchell.com/WWEH_Photo_Album/

And that was an aggressive build!

It took me 8 days to get to this point...


And 18 days to get to this point...


And on the 34th day we were ready to go camping...


Mike...

P.S. BTW, you might want to consider an Escape for yourself as well, and it ended up weighing only 800 pounds.

[Prem]

Wow Mike!

Thirty-four days? That's FAST!

Nice finished product!

Prem

[S. Heisley]

I've seen picies of Mike and Chell's first Teardrop as well as the Weekender and the Standy....now, this one? Or is that the standy and I just hadn't seen the lifting back?

I believe there is a learning curve with the first trailer. Experience building anything helps shorten the duration of the build. Mike (and Chell?) have built 3? 4? (more than one).

As stated previously, having lots of good tools available and good human help can shorten the build time as well. Factor in any advantage you have, including time available to work on it, youthful energy, desire, and good health, as well as previous experience and plain old fashioned knack for it, and the build time to completion can diminish. Mike definitely has the knack and enthusiasm. We all profit from that and are fortunate for the knowledge he provides through this forum. Without that, it would take even longer for most of us to build our first trailer.

Thanks, Mike.

[S. Heisley]

800 lbs? Ya know, had I seen the one that Mike just posted here, I might have decided to build that instead of what I'm doing. Sandwich walls are a lot of work and, after seeing this one, I wonder if they are really worth the weight difference that I was led to believe.

[jonesgirl]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have a great deal of respect and confidence in all of your comments. I’m not sure how to respond. A dose of reality is never easy to swallow. It’s not my first unreasonable dream and it won’t be my last.

Ya know, it’s hard to stick a post like this out there. I’m new and although I’ve posted on the Newby page, there’s so many new members that no one can possibly remember anything I’ve posted over there. When I posted my plan, I didn’t want to write a novel, but I also didn’t want to be too vague. Maybe I should have explained myself a bit more….

I’m a Facility Director in a large building built in the 1920s. While I’ve never actually built anything like this, I’ve spend a lot of time “talking shop” to contractors, builders, plumbers, and electricians during maintenance, repairs, and renovations. I know what a good build looks like, and the process of a build, but I have to admit, that knowing about a build, and actually taking tools in hand and building are very different. My work schedule revolves around the college academic schedule, so I have summers off. As of now, I can build from sun up to sun down. There’s no way it can be finished as quickly as I’d like, but I was just hoping to get it road ready/campable, weather tight and not embarrassing to drive. Every summer I regret not taking the opportunity to travel about the country. Every year I pledge to travel “next summer.” Well, schools out again…

Here are some other things I either failed to mention or copy from my Newby post: the floor is already done! Even better, I already have all the tools I need (and then some) and I’ve also purchased all the lumber, nails, screws, and even a Krieg jig. Except for the deep cell battery, I’ve got all the camping supplies, air-conditioner, fridge, windows, and other goodies that make life in a teardrop more comfortable. The only thing missing is my TTT.

I don’t have the ideal tow vehicle or trailer frame and I can't change either of those factors right now. I love some of your ideas, and would be great for my NEXT build. I chose a very simple plan with no curves and few cabinets so that I could get on the road as quickly as possible. I’m building in a storage unit at an alternate location. If I take my time and build slow, I’ll get to spend most if not all of summer in a hot and humid unit with no air-conditioning. OR I can build something (anything) quickly and spend the summer in the mountains or by the beach, or visiting family and friends in other states. For me, it’s an easy choice….I’m hitting the road!!

You all are the pros, and the overwhelming opinion so far is that my timeline is unreasonable. Again, I think you know what you’re talking about so I’ll take your word for it….I do have all my days, nights and weekends free until the end of July. There HAS to be something I can accomplish! I just need to figure that out. With a floor done, I should at least be able to build four walls and a roof very quickly and use that this summer. The idea of sleeping alone in a tent scares the #@% out of me!!
Sounds like I’ve got some decisions to make….

Teresa

[Prem]

Teresa,

Way cool! I stand (delightfully) corrected. You're well on your way with the build. I think you can get it road-worthy in two weeks, but you might have to fore go the swing-up section if you find things coming down to the wire for your date of departure. (The canvas and the fine details of the swing-up section will eat up a lot of time to get it just right and water tight.)

You could frame in the swing-up section's opening and cut it out later after your trip and build that part to match your original plan.

SO happy for you!

Prem

[S. Heisley]

Okay, then! Lots of time; already got tools and supplies and even a place to build? Then, I'm with Prem on this. Go for it! You'll feel safer with 4 walls and you can put an EZ-up or tarp over top, if need be. It sounds like you already know what to do and are doing it. Good for you! With that kind of spirit, there's a good chance you'll Git 'r done!

[RAYVILLIAN]

Teresa HI I think that we met down at the non floating float trip. I was going to suggest that you check out Mike's Escape Hatch, it looks similar to what you have planed, but he's already introduced you to it. Edevans has built one on a 6' wide pop-up camper frame with 1/2" plywood sides and 1/4" roof and hatch sides and came in around 800 lbs.
The 6' width is going to be what hurts you pulling with a small car not the weight so much wind drag is a gas mileage killer.

As far as the 2 week build if I remember right you work at a school and have summer vacation and lots of time coming so it would be a long haul but go for it. I'm pretty sure that Steve Wolverton built the Puffin 2 in close to 2 weeks.

Good luck
Gary

[RAYVILLIAN]

I'm back here is the link to Ed's thread on his WW/EH trailer.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... er+warrior

Gary

[jonesgirl]

The 6' width is going to be what hurts you pulling with a small car not the weight so much wind drag is a gas mileage killer.

Hello Ray- Yes, that was me at the almost float trip gathering. Everyone made me feel so at home and it was great to see the variety of TDs there. --I was so happy to see your Warrior there. That was actually my first choice when I was deciding on a design, but I shyed away because it looked so heavy. I would have never imagined it could weigh in at 800lbs! When Mike suggested it I was tempted to throw out my summer plans and go for it. I think it's a strong possibility when my living circumstance change and I can build at my own home instead of across town.

You're right about the frame width vs. the width of my car. I began framing the walls this afternoon and decided to bring the walls in 6 inches on either side. Now it's more in line with my car's width. Since the floor is already built out to the original width, I'll find a way to work it into the design. -- that means I'll have to turn my bed around and rethink the inside. I guess I'll leave the framing exposed in the inside so I can add strength where needed with the new arrangement.
Teresa