Hi from North Central Florida

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi all,

My husband and I have been planning to build a trailer for quite some time. Originally we looked at remodeling a small 13' trailer. Then we looked at Teardrops and fell in love with them. However, we also realized that they were too small for me to use when I'm on the road for my work. I needed a portable office. Anyway, we are currently working on a 6'X12' Tiny Travel Trailer. I hope the size still qualifies as Tiny. javascript:emoticon(':)')

We're having the frame made by a company that works with heavy-guage aluminum. The projected date of delivery is this coming Monday night, Jan. 15. I'm figuring probably Wednesday.

I've been reading this message board every so often getting all sorts of wonderful ideas and I'll be happy to share our progress and what we've learned and had trouble with as we go along.

[madjack]

Lynn, welocme to the madness...I take from your post that you are going to go with an Al frame...if so, that will be of much interest to many here, who have thought about doing the same...got a profile/design figured out as of yet...have you seen Dale's(cracker39) Squidget or Steve Wolvetons new build...both would work for ya and Dale sells complete plans to his...don't forget to take pics for us...'cause we luv 'em and keep us posted on your progress....
madjack

[mardors]

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to the forum
I think size 6' x 12' qualify to TD, if you retaining shape of the tear.
Good luck with the build.

[mikeschn]

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to the forum.

A portable office. Now that sounds interesting. Will it have a satellite dish on top too, so you can connect to the internet on the road?

Mike...

[RAYVILLIAN]

Welcome Lynn. 6 x 12 diffently puts you in the TTT range though it isn't a tear if it has an inside galley, so I've been told. The aluminum frame sounds interesting can't wait to see some pic's of your build.

GAry

[S10CHEVY]

Welcome Lynn,

I have some knowledge of aluminum, and things to be aware of. I work in an aluminum extrusion plant, here in western Pa. Werner Ladder use to own us, and we built ladders. The same dimension steel versus aluminum, is that steel won't give like aluminum. Also aluminum will wear out way quicker where there are moving parts. Know this from ladders, where the spreaders are attached. Frame wise it will work well, cause there won't be moving parts, but where the wheels and springs will be, if it was me, I would use steel members, and attached it to the aluminum frame by bolting it together. Could someone draw a sketch? Say if the springs end to end, were 3 feet long, would have 2 pieces of angle steel, weld on the pieces of steel to bolt the springs to, and bolt this to the aluminum frame. This is just my opinion.

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi all,

Thanks for the warm welcome. To answer some of the questions, yes, we're using an aluminum frame but we're not using aluminum on the walls or upper supports. It is strickly the trailer frame. Now, I might be saying that wrong calling it the frame, in which case, please correct me.

As for the portable office; it's for my research trips when I'm researching a location for a new book. I'd love to have the trailer done now because I'd love to run up to Dahlonega, GA. to do some onsite research for a book proposal I'm hoping to send to my editor by Feb. 1. However, dreaming and planning for the INKWELL (the name of our TTT) is taking me away from some constructive use of my time. As for the satellite while on the road, I'd love it but can't afford it right now.

The trailer is not ready the aixle did not arrive on Friday as anticipated. The estimated date for it to be ready is now Wednesday. So, I'm going to bump it up to a week from today. Yesterday, I visited with my dad and consulted with him regarding some of the design/plans we have for the Inkwell. We have already made our first mistake. I had the guy building the trailer sink the crossbeams for the floor 3/4 to inlay the floor. My dad said the flooring should go out to the end of the trailer frame. I've spent the morning going through various posts, Steve's thread on his Puffin build is excellent, and saw that it is how most of the trailers, if not all are constructed. So, to solve the problem we're going to put in spacers on the 2"X2" supports to bring them up to the level of the outer frame, then place our 3/4 ply down for the flooring.

I've also taken note of some of the comments and we'll be painting the bottom of the ply before we attach.

S10Chevy I appreciate the input on the aluminum, the aixle and springs are steel, at least it looks like steel to me.

Regarding the design of the outershell, it is definitely a TTT not a teardrop. The curves scare me. Going over Andrew's page of various designs, the closest would be the Dinette for the outer structure. I have some drawings that probably won't make much sense to anyone but me. But I'll try to upload into the album.

Thanks again for the warm welcome and I'll be posting as we begin the journey of constructing the Inkwell.

Lynn

[Bill Fernandez]

Hi Lynn thats a good name my wife has that name also. Welcome you will get all the help you neen in this forum.
Bill

[Podunkfla]

Lynn... welcome to the madness
We are almost neighbors... I'm about an hour away in Live Oak. I escaped Jax about 14 years ago. My ex still lives in Middleberg.

As for doing curves, they really aren't as hard as they look. Many first time builders have done it with no building experience at all. And, I think rounding off the front end does make a difference in gas mileage, aside from lookin good.

Anyhoo... If I can be of any help, I sure will. Just PM me anytime.

friend ~ Brick

[Lynn Coleman]

Thanks for the welcome Bill & Brick.

Bill I might be emailing you on some of the places in the area for information on where you obtained certain supplies. Keystone Heights is very limited.

Brick, we are reconsidering putting up the curve corner in the front since reading Steve Wolverton's fast build and how he used 1/4" ply without any special steaming and such. We're still not certain, just working through the process.

Lynn

[Ira]

Welcome, Lynn!

What kind of a book?

[MOKI SEAKER]

Wecome Lynn, sounds like you are going to have fun with your build. The people here are just great, and can help a lot. Some don't know how to spell to good tho. Jim G

[Podunkfla]

Thanks for the welcome Bill & Brick.

Bill I might be emailing you on some of the places in the area for information on where you obtained certain supplies. Keystone Heights is very limited.

Brick, we are reconsidering putting up the curve corner in the front since reading Steve Wolverton's fast build and how he used 1/4" ply without any special steaming and such. We're still not certain, just working through the process.

Lynn

Lynn... A couple layers of 1/8" plywood is even easier to bend than 1/4" and you end up with the same result. I have used luan "doorskins" for curved projects too. They are very inexpensive 36" x 80" thin plywood meant for recovering doors. Usually $7. or $8. a sheet at the bigbox stores. You just tack one edge, apply construction adhesive to the spars and and pull them down with some cargo straps (one layer at a time).

friend ~ Brick

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi Ira,

I write what they call Inspirational Fiction, basically Christian Fiction. Most of my books are romance, historical and contemporary. But my primary goal is to write larger fiction books as well as mystery suspense. I do have my first mystery suspense published but I haven't sold another...yet.

I have thought of doing some non-fiction based on some of the research I've uncovered but they would have a very limited market so I'm not sure I'll get around to those.

The book I want to set in Dahlonega will be a historical romance with the backdrop of the Gold Rush there in the 1830's. If the publisher buys the book, I'll be traveling into the area with one or two of my grandsons and we're going to do a little panning for gold just for the fun of it.

I'd love to have the INKWELL done in time for that trip. However, We'd love to have the outer shell finished in time for our anniversary at the end of March. I know the interior won't be done by then but hopefully the exterior so we can try it out.

Lynn

[Lynn Coleman]

Thanks for the welcome Bill & Brick.

Bill I might be emailing you on some of the places in the area for information on where you obtained certain supplies. Keystone Heights is very limited.

Brick, we are reconsidering putting up the curve corner in the front since reading Steve Wolverton's fast build and how he used 1/4" ply without any special steaming and such. We're still not certain, just working through the process.

Lynn

Lynn... A couple layers of 1/8" plywood is even easier to bend than 1/4" and you end up with the same result. I have used luan "doorskins" for curved projects too. They are very inexpensive 36" x 80" thin plywood meant for recovering doors. Usually $7. or $8. a sheet at the bigbox stores. You just tack one edge, apply construction adhesive to the spars and and pull them down with some cargo straps (one layer at a time).

friend ~ Brick

Thanks Brick, I'll take a look into that. I know my husband will be very interested in your suggestion. We found construction adhesive at our local hardware store but they are extremely limited in some of the other supplies we were looking at. The curve might help us with the design to have the trailer look like an inkwell.

Lynn