New guy, first Tear

[Dean Williams]

Hello all;


I've been thinking about building a teardrop style trailer for some time now, and I came across this forum a short while back.
I have read quite a lot here, but still only scratched the surface. There's certainly a lot of info here!

Anyway, this is my first post here, so I hope I have this in the right place.
I played with a lot of different profiles, and finally settled on one that suits me. My little wagon isn't much of a tow vehicle, so it had to be light. What I'm working on should come in around 450 pounds, which should keep the lone squirrel in the engine compartment happy.

The design is a single person rig (just me) that will take a twin size mattress with a little room to spare. It's also small enough to tuck in behind my Suzuki without much wind resistance.

I have a few pics here to show what I'm up to. Started as a Harbor Freight trailer, and has plywood sides. I have all the stringers done, and just finished the frame up for the back hatch today, (no pic of that yet).

I was a welder by trade, but no woodworker to be sure. I've found a lot of help in that department here, though. Thanks very much to all!

So, that's it for the intro to the group. Here's what I have to share.



This was just the first side I cut, sitting on the frame to make sure I liked it before I started rootin' and gougin'.


Both sides up, door cut and a few stringers in.


Same thing.

I'll try to put up a shot or two of the finished hatch tomorrow.

Dean

[PaulC]

Hi Dean, Welcome to the ward................ ooooops......................I mean forum You at least have a head start on some and you have certainly appeased the "pics guru" because he just luvs da pics. Enjoy your time here and keep us posted.
Cheers
Paul

[madjack]

Dean, welcome aboard...glad you came outta the dark and posted a couple of pics...that looks to be a nice unit you are settin' up...looking forward to more pics..we do luv 'em ya know
madjack

[Dean Williams]

Thanks for the welcome, guys.
I made a little more progress today. I think I have about got the easy part done. Just the remainder of the top skin to go. Then the finish work, which I expect will take about twice as long as what I have so far, (probably longer, really...how will I know when I'm done???).

[PaulC]

Dean, Did you double up on the stringers where the hatch hinge normally goes? Lot of strain in that area or do you have another idea for the opening mechanism?
Cheers
Paul

[Sonetpro]

Then the finish work, which I expect will take about twice as long as what I have so far.

Welcome Dean, The finish work will take you 3 times as long and you'll change your plan a few times too.
Looks like you got a good start. I like the profile.

[Dean Williams]

Dean, Did you double up on the stringers where the hatch hinge normally goes? Lot of strain in that area or do you have another idea for the opening mechanism?
Cheers
Paul

Paul;
Yes, I did double the stringers where the hinge will go on the body side. It just has one on the door itself, though. Maybe I should block it in between the door stringers against the hinge mount for the door, yes?

Thanks for catching that!

Dean

[Dean Williams]

Then the finish work, which I expect will take about twice as long as what I have so far.

Welcome Dean, The finish work will take you 3 times as long and you'll change your plan a few times too.
Looks like you got a good start. I like the profile.

Thanks Steve.
There's bound to be a few "engineering bumps" to come along yet. Hopefully I won't find any nasty flaws in the structure.
I looked at a lot of Tears trying to get an idea of what I might like in a profile, that I still felt was buildable with my medocre wood skills. I ended up drawing a bunch of different sized circles on a CAD program and moving them around to see what would fit on a piece of 4x8 ply.

[PaulC]

Dean, Would'nt hurt to block the door, but I'm the king of overbuilding with my tears. I'm not sure what the others do so it could be okay. If you are going to fit gas struts I would suggest blocking the door mounting point.
Cheers
Paul

[modestowelder]

Paul C,

I am considering building a trailer like this sometime. The intimidating thing to me is the curved back hatch. I am concerned with symmetry, hinges, and maintaining alignment (to keep i water tight). I like your idea of storage drawers.

Did using drawers speed build time? An alternative might just be to have a compartment for storage and a door.

Jeff

[PaulC]

Jeff, Check your PM's

Cheers
Paul

[Whirlwind]

Hi, I'm new here too, have been "lurking" for a very short while.

After years of tent camping I want something different. Recently, after looking at other campers/trailers, I decided to look at teardrops. What a kewl way to have something unique and personal!

So now I'm in the "thinking/planning" stage. Who knows how long that stage will last.

Dean, can't wait to see how you finish out your new toy!

Whirlwind

[PaulC]

Hi Whirlwind, Great to see you have decide to "come out" This means you are now committed to all things to do with Td's. Keep us posted and don't forget to post a pic every now and then because Madjack "just luv's da pics"

Cheers
Paul

[Dean Williams]

Dean, can't wait to see how you finish out your new toy!

Whirlwind

Well, I'm still hard at it. Looks about the same as in the last pic I posted, but now has blue and white goo spread all over it. Bondo and wood filler, that is. Sealing up the little cracks and checks in the wood, and filling and tapering the corner joints.

Think I got a case of "sanders wrist" sanding on the silly thing a few hours this evening. Ack! Sanding is like cleaning up dog poop in the back yard. No one wants to do it, but everyone wants a dog (or TD, in my case).

[Whirlwind]

Thanks for the welcome Paul. Glad to be here. Glad I discovered this place.

Sanding. Ugh. I remember helping my dad in his workshop many years ago (back when dinosaurs walked the earth. LOL). And it seemed like I was "always" sanding.

This is going to be a challenge for me. I've tinkered a bit through the years, but haven't done anything serious in a LONG time (except helping a friend to build a playhouse for his granddaughter (a small replica of the antebellum place the family lives in).

But, I'm creative, and not afraid to get my hands dirty. The ex took most of the tools when he left, so I'll be adding to my collection as time goes by.

Question: Have any of you bought any of those "plan books" off Ebay? Or have you just done your own design?

Whirlwind