Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Not really ready for a Build Journal...not moving fast enough yet...but at least I'm Starting to roll forward a little bit!

First was the 10 x 17 Portable garage from HF, followed by the 5 x 14 lowboy trailer since I got tired of looking at used stuff! I figure I'll rip the boards up to make the bottom framework...buying the trailer without the boards was only $30 cheaper.

That's my 12mos German Shepherd Akula (Shark) and the wife's Scotty, Abby. The shepherd and my 13wks Belgian Malinois pup are my two working dogs but the pup, Modi< wouldn't sit for a pic!

Here's the design concept I'm starting with, AND I'M OPEN TO IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS!



It's a 6 x 12 tear built over the walls of the lowboy, with Sam/DesertMoose's big drawers underneath within the lowboy walls and two feet of room left at the front for outside storage.



It's a combination of teardrop and dog trailer...I'm planning for two crates placed end-to-end inside the smaller doors 24w x 26h x 36l



And the idea is that I will be able to attend a couple more dog trials per year because I won't need to pay for the hotel. The tear will be used as an evacuation pod during hurricanes, and for somewhere for LOML to hang out when she gets bored at the dog trials, but for the most part her idea of camping is the Holiday Inn. That being said, I'm planning for enough room for a king size mattress just in case. She's already calling it a mobile MRI and I'm planning for the Horny Tow'd's Stargazer window as well. Hope you don't mind me "borrowing" your ideas and pics, Sam! I figured it was easier than learning how to link to your album!



If you have a better idea how to incorporate the crates into the tear, or anything else you see that I'm missing, let'er rip! In the meanwhile, I'm still thinking!

Thx, Lee

Hi & Welcome Lee/KiltedGunn,

Here's a link to another build, in this same section, that
was done for bicycles, but its design could be easily used for your
purposes too. [aka: The "Portable People & Pup Palace" ?]

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=55299

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

Thanks, Norm. I've been watching Woodi's build with interest lately, along with reading anything and everything I can on the forum since I found it 18mos ago!

But while I want individual doors to get each dog in and out separately, so that they don't have to run across my bed with dirty paws, I Don't want them in a separate compartment like Woodi's design. This way, we'll all benefit from the A/C and, since the crates I'm looking at have a side door as well as an end door, I'll be able to access the dogs from inside the cabin if necessary.

Another thing I had to consider is that, in the event the wife and dogs need to evacuate (my job doesn't allow me to do so) and our young adult children join her, the dogs may be pushed out of the Tahoe into the tear. If that's the case, I want the dogs crates as far from the TVs exhaust as I can since evacuations tend to be stop-n-go traffic.

I suppose if I put the crates up on a bunk like the 2+2, I could shorten the tear by a foot or so.

Thx, Lee

I have played with a design for what you are wanting. I am going to build a TD that will be able to house my service dog but give me access to her while in the TD. I have several photos in my galley showing the configuration if you want to check them out. The area for her is under the cabinets at the foot of the bed. Since you need more room than I did you can get rid of the closet I have on the driver side for more room. I even have an access door to her area so that no muddy paw prints will be on my bed. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions just let me know.

Curtis

Very nice design, Curtis!

Care to share the Sketch-Up file so I can get a closer look at some of the details? I especially like what I can see of your galley design!

Looks like you created an alcove to plug a crate right in to, as well! You're right, extend that all the way across and it fits my needs perfectly!

Thx, Lee

Wow, I had no idea a new trailer would need so much effort but, hey, you get what you pay for right?

So apparently, Texas Trailer Supply puts their boards on, THEN welds the end pieces Over the boards, THEN paints!



So, after cutting/grinding off the end pieces, which I won't need anyway, I brushed off the little bit of rust that I found and painted everything with rubberized undercoating.



Next began the floor. As the basement floor, I'm using 23/32" Exposure 1 tongue & groove ply painted with Behr Weatherproof primer/sealer/stain





Followed by the waterproof flashing, which I learned about here on the forum, for the roadside





Finished the weekend out by laying it out flashing up so the asphalt goo has a week to settle in the heat before we flip the pieces into place and join them with liquid nails and more flashing over the seams. Probably be a coupla weeks before I get to do anything else.

The last picture also shows the 3/16" hardboard I'm planning to use to make my mock-up then pattern, and the trailer dolly I bought after two days of rolling the trailer in and out of the garage! Should've bought That on Day 1!

LOML says I took Labor Day WAAAAYYY too seriously!

If you want to message me your email address, I can try to send it to you tonight when I get off. Just let me know.

Curtis

Following your build, like the idea of teardrop/dog trailer combo for hunting. Update when you can ...

KiltedGunn wrote:
It's a 6 x 12 tear built over the walls of the lowboy, with Sam/DesertMoose's big drawers underneath within the lowboy walls and two feet of room left at the front for outside storage.



She's already calling it a mobile MRI and I'm planning for the Horny Tow'd's Stargazer window as well. Hope you don't mind me "borrowing" your ideas and pics, Sam! I figured it was easier than learning how to link to your album!



Thx, Lee

Lee: Not at all!
We're real happy with our tear, and I hope any ideas you get from it works out for you.

I'll be watching this build.

Sam

Did you ever finish this build?