Hello from Aud

[Audnorge]

Hi, thanks for all the help many of you have already provided in the threads and build pages. I'm excited and a bit anxious about some of the things lying ahead of me in my first project of this type, however I have a positive attitude, a tolerance for mistakes (and learning from them) and a few skills and power tools!

One of the things I have learned by all my research and in looking at your builds is that I'm not going to be overly ambitious or spend too much. My main goal here is a camping alternative to tent camping, as my 52 year old frame no longer tolerates sleeping on the hard ground and I want a real bed and a bit of shelter from mountain winds. I've been using an army cot which is a big set up from just a foam pad, and not having to set up and break down camp would put me in more places and on more weekends. It would also be good to have a minimal galley, nothing fancy, just a place for my propane stove, a cooler, water jugs and a couple boxes of supplies and utensils. No plumbing and minimal electrical system, although a small a/c is looking very desirable as I'm in the desert southwest and do anticipate some hotter weather camping. I do not expect to be out in sub-freezing temps, so I'm leaning toward light weight and easy construction.

Finally got a C-3 MOPAR hitch for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee, which is my adventure vehicle, and plan on having it installed with wiring harness by a pro this week. My vehicle only has 100k on the clock, and I only use it for weekend hauling and trips, so I expect many more years of service from the venerable XJ.

Yes, I do plan on taking the trailer off the pavement, I like to camp remote and that often means rough, washed out rocky trails. I've look closely at many of the purpose-built "off-road" designs, and I always come to the conclusion that the builders are defeating their own purpose by adding significant extra weight which causes the need for even more significant extra heavy duty construction. Let me know if I'm way off base here, but a lighter rig behind the Jeep seems to be a lot more desirable than a Sherman tank. As a kid my Dad pulled the old 73 Apache popup behind the Surburban up some pretty rough mountain trails with few mishaps. If you take your time and choose your path wisely, there's no need for the trailer to have the 31x10 tires or ground clearance of the Jeep.

That said, I'm looking at the HFT 4x8 1195lbs folder as a base. I plan on taking a while building the trailer, making some mods like aluminum corner braces (for strength and jack stands in the back), and once all is square, welding everything including bolts for more rigidity and being able to not come undone on 50 miles of washboard road. I will probably modify it from folding to rigid, as I have plenty of covered parking at the house so space in no concern.

FOAM and FRP: I'm not aesthetically married to classic styles, fine wood work or any shape/style in particular. I am intrigued at what folks are doing with foam and FRP panels as I do want a light build. I was at Home Depot on Sunday, pulling out foam and FRP panels and I like the strength-to-weight ratio.

Besides a jack stand and trailer spare, I'd also like to carry a spare from my Jeep, which is a good 75 pounds. Right now it sits on the roof, which is a wind and gas mileage disaster and the hardware for it is a lot of added weight. I know I just said I wanted a light weigh build, but it either goes on the car or on the trailer.

I will have many Newbie questions I'm sure, looking forward to meeting you guys and documenting my slow build!

Aud
El Paso, TX USA

[Junkboy999]

Anything is possible. One of the key features of a Teardrop strength is the fact that it is a Box. Even if the front and back is curved it is still really a 6 sided box. With that said, that is why those cheap HF and Northern tools trailer work so well. The TD Shell is a big part of the overall camper strength. A light trailer and a lightweight flimsy teardrop do not sound ideal to me for back wood adventures. The FRP panel expand in the sun. IF glued to wood they tend to make big buckles in hot weather, but will return to its shape. I have not see anyone use FRP/foam/FRP well yet, but there is always the first. A guy on the forums is using PVC window trim instead of aluminum trim on his TD build. It is looking good so far. We all want to see what it looks like after 2 camping seasons.

A panel is like 25 bucks and foam is cheap. You can mock up a small wall panel as a test and lay it out in the sun. Check out the foamy build section on the forum for Glue tips and ideas.

Aslo have you seen this. another guy on the forums is going to try this stuff.. FRP fluted polypropylene board composite
http://www.dctech.com.au/kemply/

GL on what you decide.

[Audnorge]

Thanks for the advice Terry!

If a couple hundred dollars/hours melts in the desert sun, I'm not going to shed a lot of *tears*. A couple a grand maybe!

I have a engineering intern working on the best way to reinforce that HFT without adding a lot of weight. He's looking at corner gussets. We'll see how that works.

[Junkboy999]

It all sound good. I’m looking into ways to make a lighter shell for mine design as well. My top shell will raise up a bit to make it a standable TD. You might want to check out this thread for the Northern Lite Traveler He build then for Alaskan useage. Lightweight and easy assembled and repairable if it get damage. This is how I want to do my top shell.

When you're starting on the frame and building, start a new thread in the Build journals area. Build logs in the newbie area gets covered up really fast.

[Audnorge]

It all sound good. I’m looking into ways to make a lighter shell for mine design as well. My top shell will raise up a bit to make it a standable TD. You might want to check out this thread for the Northern Lite Traveler He build then for Alaskan useage. Lightweight and easy assembled and repairable if it get damage. This is how I want to do my top shell.

When you're starting on the frame and building, start a new thread in the Build journals area. Build logs in the newbie area gets covered up really fast.

The Northern Lite is a beauty, and while I may be framing with wood, gives some great ideas, thanks!
I may do the layer of aluminum on the bottom of my floor, black asphalt does not interest me, and that bottom is going to see a lot of sand and rocks.
Aud

[Audnorge]

I just received my Harbor Freight Tools July 4th only 25% OFF coupon. Who Hoo! My build starts soon...

[celticquetzel]

I'm interested in seeing the modifications you make to the trailer. When I'm ready I have a friend who can weld up some extra insurance for me. But I'd like to have some idea of what I need. Thanks.

[Mary C]

Welcome Aud to the forums......... might I suggest taking a long read at the foamie forums, I am building my foamie so it can be removed. I believe that you can make yours structurally sound for rough roads with a few modifications. I believe you can. I understand about the sleeping on the ground,cots tents and all the rest you have to take, just to enjoy camping. Good luck on your build .

Mary C.