New member from Europe

[Europinz]

Hello to everyone,

What a nice Forum and I am guessing members as well.

Ooops sorry about that - but hey it's better to have fun in life. Who am I ?

Name is Jacques MILLER and I am living in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Europe. The size of the country is about the same as the State of Rhodes Island and has on it's west border Belgium, on it's east border Germany and on it's south border France.
I do not have a tear drop trailer but looking forward to wether building an offroad TTT or converting the back of my Pinzgauer 712 (6x6 Austrian military truck) into a camper.



And here's where you guys are sought after, ... as I am seeking advise (TTT or build a lightweight camper on the truck) and great ideas from all of you. Thank you so much beforehand.

Best Regards to all of you

Jacques

[Bill Fernandez]

Hey MR. Miller man if I had a truck like that I would build on the back too go to it it will be great .Look at the hall od fame and get some idears/

best of luck

Bill

[Europinz]

Great Bill,

I am kind of thinking the same way - however I'd love to have a TTT as well as I love these trailers so much but can't start 2 projects at the same time. Size of the bed is: (metric if you guys don't mind)
3.08 meter long (10 feet 1.25 inch) by 1.70meter large (5 feet 7 inches).
If I take the wooden boards off and use the central part (which is lower) and do not want to build higher then the cabin I have a total usable high of 1.35 meter (4 feet 6 inches and 1/3 of an inch)

Regards,

Jacques

[bobhenry]

I make it 7' wide and about 18' long. Youu are disqualified that's to big to be a tiny trailer .

Just kidding

I see a 3' stairs at the end running side to side a door at the landing and a nice size well appointed mobile cottage. God knows the truck should carry it. Your entry stairs will of course raise itsself to bed height for transport ( if you think the winch will lift it).

[Ira]

Hey, Jacques.

Luxembourg! Far out!

Hey--how about this:

Why don't you build a TD that you can tow with your car, and put a winch on the front of that truck bed and pull it up on ramps? With the price of fuel, and your ability to travel from country to country, I would think you would get more use out of a TD being towed by your car though.

Besides, if you drive into France with that big thing, they'll think you're invading.

[Europinz]

Hello Ira,

Yep it looks big - but in fact isn't any longer or larger as a FORD Expedition. I thought of making it dual use - just like you're suggesting it, but since I'd love to build a TTT in the old traditional shape it kind of would look awkward on top of the truck.

French people, oh God - if I drive there with the truck like it is (wooden bed) they might think it is an aircraft carrier and would try to land their new doubledekker Airbus A380 on it.

Regards,

Jacques

[Bill Fernandez]

Ira did you get my PM I sent you ?
Bill

[Miriam C.]

to the playground Jacque.

You have about the perfect size truck bed to add a teardrop to. Actually I would suggest a grasshopper or weekender for the shape.

I built a slightly bigger teardrop because we wanted private facilities and the ability to not be tied to a campground.

You can build a TTT or build on the truck. Either way you will be sure to have lots of fun.

OH yeah and we gotta have cause it keeps the bubble oil level.

[Ira]

French people, oh God - if I drive there with the truck like it is (wooden bed) they might think it is an aircraft carrier and would try to land their new doubledekker Airbus A380 on it.

They would just surrender.

[Europinz]

OH yeah and we gotta have cause it keeps the bubble oil level.

O.K.

I'll start a photo album and will often come back to all of you for ideas. Of course this project will be done over a number of months but I'll try to build something sweet. However, I have to admit that trailer parts/RV parts like windows, ...etc are hard to come by in Europe and of course very expensive compared to the prices you have in the USA. I will probably need to get some items shipped over.

Regards,

Jacques

[Miriam C.]

Jacques, Heikki from Finland can probably clue you in on the how to's of EU. buying. I found my windows at a salvage yard. They cost a whole lot less that way.

[Mike C.]

Welcome Jacques,

Hope you enjoy the forum. I see you've already met my better half. Please post lots of pictures to keep her happy.

[angib]

Hey, welcome. I've already designed the lifting frame that you can use to lift a camper body on and off your Pinz:



Though I think yours would be heavier, so this would need to be made a bit stronger.

Andrew

[Gerdo]

A removable TD that would mount onto the Pinz and also onto a trailer would be cool. Just use a lifting frame to move it from one to the other. The downside would be working in the galley when on the Pinz. Time to put on your thinking cap.

[Salivanto]

Jacques,

Your subject line caught my attention. I was wondering why someone would write "from Europe" and not "from" and then the name of their country. I met a bus driver here who said he was from Europe... I think he got used to saying that since nobody knows where Croatia is. I had fun telling him that I'd even been to Croatia.

I've never been to Luxemburg, but I have been to Belgium several times. I suppose Luxemburg is exactly like Belgium, only smaler and more complicated.

Looking at Angib's drawing and your photo, though, I don't quite understand how a teardrop floorplan could be used on a truck bed like that. A teardrop works because the trailer is already at roughly the same hight as a bed for sleeping. How high is the truck bed off the ground?