Hello from Oregon

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Hello from Oregon

Postby Stuart » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:37 pm

Howdy all, glad I found this forum, but let me explain how I happened across this great site, it was strictly by accident.

Over the last year, I've done searches on the internet looking for information on making a small camper shell to fit the little utility trailers that come from places like home depot, and have always come up empty handed in my searches.

I figured my best bet was to buy 5x10 back yard doll house and convert it to fit on my trailer, but as some projects go, it got put on the back burner while other projects took precedence, then came the 55 year old boat trailer that was ready for the scrap heap that I bought off someone for next to nothing and brought home to do a complete rebuild on it, it's kind of been the laughing stock of the family because of all the work I've put into it while not having a boat to put on it .....yet, but that will come in time.

I pretty much got the trailer finished up last week except for needing to replace the odd ball wheel bearings, and in doing an internet search for the wheel bearings, I happened across a link to this site, and couldn't resist seeing where that link to "tiny travel trailers" took me.

I was amazed to read of so many people doing the very thing I've been wanting to do with my little utility trailer, and now with the boat trailer, (minus the boat) about done, I can see myself spending some time on this site, reading, researching, and gathering information for my next, long put off project.

I've done a lot of traveling, camping, both in our 20 foot Prowler travel trailer, and also tent camping with the utility trailer, and I can see where, with the help of this site, building that little trailer up into a small camper is going to ad to our camping adventures,

Last year, I pulled the small utility trailer full of tent gear from Oregon to Minnesota and back, and it would have been a nicer trip had that trailer had a little camper shell on it.

The truck I use to pull the 20 foot travel trailer uses a lot of gas, at the fuel prices being close to $3.00 a gallon now, it gets expensive as the fuel mileage drops from 20 mpg down to about 12 mpg when I'm pulling the big travel trailer, so now I have some good incentive to get a little camper built, with things being the way they are now, and it's just the kids and myself, I think we can have a lot of fun with this.

I want to thank you guys for such a great site, and I'm going to enjoy reading and learning, and posting pictures as this little trailer becomes a reality.

I'm still looking for that perfect little boat to put on the boat trailer, but after what I went through rebuilding the trailer, the boat is going to be the easy part.

Stuart
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Postby bledsoe3 » Sat Oct 13, 2007 1:02 am

Stuart, Welcome to the forum. It's always nice to see another Oregonian join. If you want to see one before you build or buy, let me know. I'm in Portland if you need to see one.
If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.
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Postby Mike C. » Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:09 pm

Welcome Stuart,

Hope you enjoy the forum. Glad you found us. I think if you look around, you will find something here that will meet your needs.

See you around. :thumbsup:
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Postby Stuart » Sun Oct 14, 2007 2:29 am

Thanks for the welcome Mike and bledsoe3, I haven't had much of a chance to look around the forum yet, but I have seen a few projects or pictures of projects that people have built, there are some nice looking trailers here.

my camera is misplaced at the moment, when I either find it or replace it, I'll get some pictures up here, the trailer I have I think is the perfect candidate, it's a "Haulin" 4x8 flatbed, but the fenders are flush with the bed of the trailer, so I could easily build something on it that would measure about 5x10.

from the limited searching I've done through the forums, it seems from what I've seen that most all the campers you people have built are permanently attached to the trailers, I want to build one that will be removable, I use the trailer for tent camping, hauling a tractor, it gets borrowed a lot, and also gets used for yard debris, garbage and moving, so I don't want to take away from the multiple uses of the trailer, I had thought of building a removable shell for it with camper jacks, my idea was to build something that might look like an old turn of the century mountain type cabin, with either shingle siding or bat and board siding.

Stuart
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Postby mikeschn » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:06 am

Stuart,

Welcome to the forum. Glad you finally found us.

Spend some time here, we've got lots of information!!! :o ;)

Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...
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Postby bravebear » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:10 am

Hi Stuart;
If you want a removable camper for a trailer build a pickup camper.
Just revise the plans to fit your needs. I saw one where they used a hoist to remove the camper from the trailer. Jacks will work also.
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Postby neal b » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:22 am

welcome to the best spot around just sit back and enjoy all the great teardrops and enjoy your build when the time comes along :thumbsup:

neal b :D
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welcome and bravo !

Postby Jules Martel » Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:53 am

hi , we must congratulate you for your recycling action :applause: :applause: :applause:

this is truly the Option to have in the world today, and since that 50 yrs young boat trailer as probaby more meat than a red t, you made a great choice, keep on re-using stuff, the world is literred with them, youl save your $ and help the planet.

good luck

my dream belongs to you and them.

Jul
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Postby SmokeyBob » Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:59 am

Wel :shake hands: come

Have a great day
Bob
Pics for Building the Alegria I
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Postby Stuart » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:08 pm

Thanks for the responses, and yes, the old boat trailer. As simple as they are, was a challenge, but that's ok, it's right up my ally, I heard a lot of "there's no way you can do anything with that" and "it's ugly" it also got a few laughs when I told a few of the curious lookers what I was going to do with it, now I wouldn't be afraid to haul it across the country, I know it's weak points, and strong points, and when I finally find an old 12 foot aluminum boat to put on it, I'll do the same thing with the boat, it should make for a pretty nice looking package, total cost so far, about 100 bucks.

I'm kind of getting into this little travel trailer thing, I found myself this weekend, looking around, and I've collected a few things for the small trailer over the years, I've had ideas going through my head all weekend on how I want to build it.

I saw an old trailer in google pictures a while back where the roof was a boat hull (and a removable one at that) also saw an old cabin that had the same thing, that's just some of the ideas I've been thinking about.

What ever it ends up being, I want it unique, a one of a kind, if for no other reason then to make it easy to find in a parking lot, with my old forgetful memory, finding my truck in the mall parking lot can be an entire Saturday afternoon affair.

Stuart
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Postby Stuart » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:17 pm

I came across something interesting, I've been thinking more on building a small camper for my utility trailer but really needed to get this boat project out of the way first, well, a couple of days ago, I looked at a boat that the guy told me was a "trailer" brand boat, when I got out there, it was a "Trailorboat" boat, the Klamath model, I knew that trailorboat made teardrops in the early 60's so I thought this was an interesting twist to my little adventure, it's not the one that went on top of the early teardrops, this one is aluminum, but being made by the same outfit I thought was kind of an interesting twist, I was going to post some pictures of it, but couldn't figure out how to do it. I'll get that little boat project finished up this weekend, and start the planning stages on the utility trailer camper.

Stuart
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