New TD Build, "Cubby"

[down under tech]

Hello everyone: I don't know where I found out about Teardrop Trailers, but I am now building my first one. I built a couple of utility trailers in the last two years. I wanted to see if I could find a 15-20 foot travel trailer that needed some fixing up to keep the price low. I came across a thing called a teardrop trailer. It was used & more than I could afford. I liked the idea of it, so I went on Ebay and searched for them there. I found a bunch of them and also many parts and even plans to build my own. I then searched for plans in my search engine. I found the Kuffel Creek plans and I bought them on a CD. It came with plans for the 8' Cubby & the 10' Comet. I chose to build the Cubby. I am a ASE Certified Master Auto Technician, so here we go. I came across the T&TTT forum a couple of weeks ago. I had started to build my Cubby in October '09. I hit the mother load when I found this site. I have been reading, and reading, and reading. This website is great. I joined yesterday. I see everyone here is very nice and helpful to the posters. There is a lot of high quality builds posted and the ones that are in progress, ie: Doug's Nomad. I hope mine turns out 50% as nice as Doug's is. I have got my Harbor Freight 1820# frame assembled and modified. I upgraded the axle to a wider one I got from Southwest Wheel ($122 including shipping) to use 14" wheels. It is an Al-Ko with the larger 1 1/16" bearings. I wanted bigger wheels on it. 12", yucky, 14", good. I have the deck/floor built including flooring and ready to bolt down. I may need to ask for help for ideas to attach it to the HF frame. I will ask for your experienced advice as I go forward with the build. I have been taking pics. Give me time to learn how to upload them. I have the sides cut out and the door openings cut, too. I have deviated from the plans a little bit here and there, but it will make it better for me to use. I will shut up now so I don't get booted from here. Everyone, have a good one! Johnny D.

[High Desert]

Welcome to the forum Johnny from a fellow Nevadan. Soulds like you're off and running on your build. Will look forward to seeing your progress and maybe seeing it in person some time. We're out north of town in the Red Rock area.

here's a link on a gathering planned for early April, just east of Austin. You may like to join us if able. There are several members in this general area now, and will be several from surrounding states as well.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=34555&highlight=

[down under tech]

Thanks for the link. I am not sure where it is. What is the date? I have not been to Austin. I will look it up on the web. I live in the valley of the sun, ever hear of it? Red Rock ? You can't get there from here. Ha Ha. I would like to go, but I need to get my tear done enough to at least sleep in. If the weather gets better soon, I can work on it. I have to work on it outside, no garage. Thanks for the greeting.

[High Desert]

ah yes, the Valley of the Sun. Some day they may build a road between us

The petroglyphs are about 20 miles east of Austin on hwy 50. Austin is a one blink town...one blink and you might miss it. Half way between nothing and nowhere. Its about 190 miles to the camping area from town. Dates are the 1st though the 4th of April this year. My build won't be near finished, so we are just taking the pickup with the camper shell and our gear. We'll be looking closely at every trailer there for ideas too.

[down under tech]

Hi Shaun: NDOT can't get the freeways right that we have here now. You are funny !!! If they did build a new road between here and there could you imagine the traffic that would be on it? See Ya,

"Daanng" ... Joe Dirt

[DMcCam]

Hi Johnny, Welcome from another Renoite! I'm in the old northwest area and just starting my build as well. My wife and I are also planning to go to the glyphs in April just as Shaun. Perhaps we could all compare notes?

Cheers, Dave

[down under tech]

Hello Dave & Wife: I could not believe all of the folks in the northern NV area that are on the forum. That is great. I have a bug. A teardrop building bug that is. Does anyone know how long this sickness will last? I can't wait to be finished with mine. I would like to meet everyone from around here and go over notes. I love to talk "shop". Take care,

"RV there yet?" ... unknown

[alffink]

Johnny

The sickness may go into remission, upon completion and you start camping in your first build, but almost as soon as you attend your first gathering and you start comparing yours to all the others......well, all the good ideas can't be built into a single tear, so you will start drawing up plans for another and another and ...........it never goes completely away.
Best of luck, see you across a campfire soon....

Oh and welcome

[down under tech]

Big Al; Thanks for your input for your recommendation of how long it will be before I get well from this dreaded teardrop syndrome I have developed. Your are right, I am already planing # 2 build. I thought I would build # 1 to get a learning basis so I can work out the proceeders and items needed to purchase on this one. Any boo boos made on this one would not be made on # 2. # 1 will be used after it is finished and I will sell it after I get # 2 done. # 2 will be a 5x10 or 6x12 maybe a "standie"??? I need to build # 1 first. I plan to build it as nice as I can but keep costs down. Remember I am a working man like most of the people around this forum. Well Al, thanks for the welcome and I will start a build thread soon I hope when I learn how to upload pics.

[/quote] "Punch it Margaret"!!! ... From an old Toyota commercial when two ladies where entering the freeway on-ramp in a new Hi-Po Toyota car.

[Ageless]

This year; I went down the west side of NV from Reno to Vegas. This year gonna do the east side . . .nothing but lots of quartz on the west side

[down under tech]

Ageless is a good way to be. You will live longer you know? I used to camp around here, nor cal & NV mountains when I was a kid, but now I will do more of it when I get my "super duper" RV done this year. Glad to meet you. See ya soon.

"Coming to a campfire near you".

[bc toys]

Welcome to site there Johnny hope to see you on the trail soon. We camp a lot around here in Las Vegas we have lake Mead for winter and the mt's for summer time. So feal free to come camping down here in the south

[DMcCam]

Hi Johnny, My lovely wife's name is Lisa and I think Big Al is right. We got the bug and are doing a ton of research too. Here's a link to our build page.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=35081

We camp mostly around the sierra in the summer. Cool nights and bright days....ahhhhh.

[down under tech]

Hi BC from LV and Dave & Lisa: I checked out your builds the other day. BC: What size is your CT? It looks like a 5x8 to me ??? Is it done yet or are you still "getting it done"? I have a 5x8 CT that I got last year used for $900 and now the gears are turning and burning in my head now. I was wondering what that smell was... I would like to come to the deep south (NV) this year.

Dave and Lisa: If it ever gets warmer here I will get the tools & lumber flying so I can get mine done. I like your logo for your trailer and the design of it too. I need a logo, also. Hint Hint. Very classy !!!

To everyone that has replied to my post I think I have come up with a name for my Cubby. It is "The Silver Nugget"! What do you think ??? Let me know, please.
Everybody have a cold one... Is that the way the saying goes? Oh Well.

[nevadatear]

Hi, Johnny, nice to see we are getting a bigger group here from northern Nevada. We are out east of you in Lovelock and finished our tear this spring. We had a great time do it. Met Lisa and Dave a few weeks back when they came out and took a look at our trailer. I echo High Desert, we went to Austin before we finished our build and it made a huge difference in when we ended up doing. Saw some great tears, too, including two different builds of Dougs. You think his Nomad is something in pictures you should see his tears in person! Although I think Dave and Lisa's build is going to give both Doug and Juneau Daves' a run for their money in artistic beauty!

Welcome and go forth and make sawdust. And as everyone says, we need pictures.