Teared up in Baghdad...

[Shanman]

Hello everyone,

My name is Shannon and have been researching building a teardrop camper with my two youngest sons. I've had a lot of fun looking at plans etc. A little about my teardrop ideas:
- I would use a bolt together frame for time saving
- I am pretty good at project and have built a wooden kayak (i.e. I think I can actually build a teardrop:)
- I would like it to match (in color hopefully, and adventurous styling) my '99 Land Rover Discovery II
- Looking for a build that is QUICK...i.e. no sandwich walls:)
- Will use LED lighting throughout and need space for a 32' flatpanel tv and Wii
- Am most fond of a traditional shape, with more modern windows and fenders
- What I fear the most: BUILDING THE FLOOR! ...and how to trim the doors and exterior (metal edging)

Of course I won't be able to start building it until next year sometime...but am excited. I love the idea of it being so small that it will result in real close-knit time with my younger two (soon to be 7 and 4). My wife doesn't like camping so I am not factoring her in;)

Anyways, that's me in a nutshell. So now you all see what your tax money is doing on nightshift! Looking forward to chatting with you all in the forums!
Shannon

[tearhead]

Good to have a fun and absorbing project to look forward to! Welcome to the board!

[madjack]

Welcome...are you in the service or didja take a wrong turn somewhere???...regardless, we can help ya...the floor???...the floor can be as simple as a sheet of ply layed out on the steel frame...door and edge trim, we can help ya with as well...sounds like ya got plenty of skilz needed to build a teardrop so, enjoy the ride!!!!!!
madjack

p.s. we luv da pics around here...got any you can share from your(present) neck off the woods(or desert as it may be).............mj

[Oldragbaggers]

Welcome Shannon,

Thank you for serving your country, for that you have our heartfelt thanks and appreciation.

It will be a great project and an excellent way to de-stress when you get home, which I hope is very soon. I'm sure your kids will love spending time camping with Dad and making up for lost time.

i am just starting my build as well, I have a few different teardrop plans and have read them all over and over and honestly, it just looks like a series of a lot of small projects that add up to one whole cool thing. None of them individually look that hard so if we just take it one thing at a time, it'll come together and we can definitely do it. My 2 fears are the door and the hatch, but deep breath and GO.

Take care of yourself over there, come home safe, and welcome to the forum.

Becky

[Shanman]

Hello all!

Thank you so much for the friendly welcome! To answer MadJack's question, yes I am active duty Army and working currently in the International Zone (Old name Green Zone) in Baghdad. I am a liaison to an Iraqi command center. SOOOO...unless there are rockets flying I'm essentially looking at teardrop plans and doing my best to stay alert on my 12 hour nightshift.

In my room, next to the door I have printed out a photo of a teardrop so that I can see it each day (next to my childrens' photos) and stay motivated. I believe I have settled on a nice, what I think is traditional, perfectly rounded teardrop shape with a simple galley and LED lighting system with a vent w/fan. I enjoy the idea of the teardrop for the same reason I like tents...it keeps the kids close. Which is what I miss the most.

I'm sure when I start the build I'll have tons of silly questions for all of you experienced builders out there...and they will start soon simply because I want to start ordering parts so that I don't have to scurry about when I get home looking for things. Of course right now we don't even know when we are coming home...but personally I'm all for the Presidents' 31 December end of mission. Department of State can take over from there:)

Again, thank you all for the wonderful welcome. Oh, and just as a note..what I have found the most helpful in my search are CLOSE UP photos of things. I find that I have questions about things like "how much does the galley hatch overlap the sides?" and the photos are a great help with understanding!

Take care everyone and I'll be seeing you in the forums!
Shannon
P.S. I think I want yellow sheet metal:) I'll have to figure out where to get that!

[Shanman]

I have something in common with each of you that wrote!
- I have a house in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Very close to Wisconsin)(went to college in the UP).
- I grew up in S. Louisiana (MadJack) near Lafayette.
- And I currently live in Maryland near U of M:)

Small world!

[tonyj]

Floor? FLOOR? You're worried about the stinkin' floor? Wait until you discover the cast iron forum, or the coleman lantern crazies.

Looking forward to seeing you tackle the floor, and many thanks for your service to our country.

[CliffinGA]

Welcome Shannon from Ga and thanks for your service even if its a night shift looking up TD's . You probably have ties here also as I work on base at Ft. Benning, Mon-Fri usually .

As far as yellow aluminum check and find listings or sites for sign company's in MD and alot of times they carry or can order you 4 x 8 sheets of colored AL. I found one here in Atlants area that I can mill finish for $50 a sheet and colored for $80-100 depending on color.

Cliff

[Shanty]

Shannon,

If you're installing a 32' flat panel TV in her, can you still call it a TT?

Shanty

[Oldragbaggers]

Great tip, Cliff, about where to get colored aluminum.

[Billy K]

Semper Fi and Hooah!!

You might serve in the 'other green machine' and I may be old, fat, and slow..but, Thank You and All who wear a uniform.

Our oldest just returned from Afhani-land (10th).

As others have said, NO Sweat on the floor. The hard part will more likely be storage AND the "I-Max feel" of the 32"r....

All fun and easy ... most of the time...

and just another degree of smallness.... I deliver heavy equipment up d'er ay..through Escanaba to Marquette and east, all the way to Drummond Island.

Be safe, keep yer head down (rear echelon is dangerous, too!) And, may your family think you were only gone a week!

[nrody]

First of all thank you for serving. Thank everyone else there too!
Best of luck on your build. You will find wonderful people on this forum to give you advice on all parts of your build.
Again Thank you for your service. We recognize and appreciate it.