A Canadian Newbie in Mississippi

[DiverDave]

Hi there folks!
I have been looking around the threads for a few days now and to be honest, I am REALLY excited about what I see....
I'm looking forward to starting my build when I get ashore later this month (I'm a sailor) and will be posting pics of my progress. I think I am hooked on the idea of using the HF 4 x 8 trailer as it is lightweight and I'm not the most proficient welder. My method of pulling may be a little unique to this group as I will be, for the most part, pulling it behind a canvas covered 6' x 20' horse drawn wagon. I am an avid member of a wagon train and spend several weekends a year, and sometimes up to 2 week stretches, pulling my wagon at different locations throughout Mississippi and Louisiana and at times not only need extra sleeping quarters ( we have 2 boys 8 and 10 yrs), but need space to haul square bales of hay and a sack or two of sweet horse feed (I like to treat my girls when they work for me lol). I'd like to be self sufficient and not have to use my truck and trailer every ride. The logistics of moving the vehicle and steel horse trailer from one camp location to another can be, to be honest, a pain in the neck, not to mention time consuming after a full day on the road. Many of my fellow wagon train friends pull "feed carts" behind their wagons which range in style, but for some reason or another I am drawn magnetically to a teardrop style. I haven't nailed down what the interior will entail design wise, but I do know that at the front of the package will be a large cooler/bench seat to be within easy access of the rear porch so I can free up space for seating on the rear porch and extra seating during break stops and overnight stops at camp.
I have attached a recent picture of the restored wagon I am using now, and would appreciate any tips/suggestions. I bought the wagon somewhat in a state of disrepair and have changed everything but the canvas cover. The wagon will have toilet, shower and galley facilities when completed in early June, so no need for a galley in the teardrop, however I like the idea
Once again, I can't wait to get started and will start a build thread once my feet are on dry land. In the meantime, I think I'll soak up as much info as I can from all the beautiful work y'all have done so far!!!! Feel free to ask questions about my team and such as well as they are my passion.....
Dave

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[mezmo]

Hi Dave/DiverDave,

Welcome to the forum Dave ! You have quite a unique hobby going there. Keep
on perusing the forum and you'll come up with plenty of ideas.

Since the wagons are so vardo-like, I would have thought you'd go more for that
style on a single axle as it'd give you more volume for hauling what you said you
needed to - a big square cargo space on the bottom and a couple of bunks above
that, or one large almost full area sleeping area above the cargo space. You could
probably do that as well in a 'tall tear' too. Will you make it tow-able by a regular
vehicle as well as the horse-drawn wagon ? Doing so would make it a bit more versatile
in case you wanted to use it away from the wagon trains.

The important thing is to build what You want.

Happy planning and building.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[DiverDave]

Hi Norm,
I had thought about going a little higher, but I'd like to be able to see out the rear door of the wagon and check on following wagons and horseback riders, as well as traffic of course. I figure I can get away only carrying about 4 square bales and maybe 1 sack of feed. I can make food stash drops on the trail beforehand to keep the load lighter. I haven't quite decided in my rough drawings if I will stow then inside the main compartment or slide them under the shelf at the back. Square bales really aren't that big and I usually go through about 1 and a half to two a day depending on how hard the girls work that day.
Sleeping area is only for 2 young boys while on the trail, one boy is back in Canada, so he's only with us occasionally, although we miss him dearly.
Weight is definately a consideration here as the wagon fully loaded for a 2 week trip to the dixie national rodeo will probably weigh close to 4500 lbs on its own. We travel up to 25 miles some days and the added weight of the tear drop has to be considered. The wagon has a braking system so downhill isn't a problem for the horses, but some of that particular trail run to Jackson has some steep climbs and I'm really brainstorming ways to make the trip as easy as possible on my team. I see many, many teams that are much smaller in stature than mine pulling much heavier loads for longer distances, but I guess I'm a softie at heart for my horses, I don't want them to work too hard, they may stop enjoying their job. Ever had 2, 2000+lb Lab retrievers? lol I do!
The Tear drop will be on a standard 2 inch ball so It could be pulled by truck as well. I can't wait to see my old 88 3/4 ton chev with horse trailer + Wagon + Teardrop heading down old US51 !!!!

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My projects usually end up alot bigger than I first envision, 19 days left until I start this one. ......Can't wait to see dry land. The last pic is one of me; as Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty says, 'Happy Happy Happy' lol.....In my chair with a cold cooler and friends.....
Thanks for the note Norm, Cheers,
Dave

PS. The American flag was removed because I didn't want it to catch fire from the grill......I do have one!, and fly it proudly!!