New builder in NW Ohio

[thesaltydog24]

Well where do I begin... Well let's start with me and who I am and what I plan to build. I'm currently 36, male, married with two kids, a 13 year old step son and my 2 year old daughter. My daughter is my life, and I would do anything for her. I am also a Veteran of the US Army Military Police Corps. I served 5 1/2 years from 98 to the end of 2003 traveling the world from US to Korea and Germany. Came back from serving and hopped around from job to job finally deciding it was time to get into college. So off I went for a bachelors in forensic science then off to another school for a photography degree. After graduation, as many have found out the job market kinda sucks and landed a job doing loss prevention work for about 6 years. My dreams of working in forensic photography slowly died as I lost interest. Getting tired of chasing shoplifters I was presented with a great opportunity to become an assistant store manager for Harbor Freight Tools. Working for Harbor Freight has been great. I love the people who I work with, and the customers are great. My plan is to be managing my own store within a couple of years.
So now that you know a little about me lets talk about what I plan to build for a tiny trailer. I have always been good with my hands, building and fixing stuff kind of a jack of all trades. If I don't know how something is done I typically research the hell out of it and then apply what I have learned, and sometimes I just wing it. Well for my trailer build I don't really want to wing it, because I don't want to see my trailer sprawled across the highway in tiny broken bits. Also I would like to stay dry and warm inside the trailer on a cold rainy day. I have bounced several ideas around on what I want to build and I have decided upon a non traditional teardrop size trailer just slightly larger.... say wha.... I like the outline of the grasshopper/sawtooth xl I have seen on here however would like to build it a little larger, adding my own design touch to it. I also like the ADAK trailers, and the Australia designed commander conqueror off road trailer. So I think I want to take design elements from all of them and mix them together. And hopefully it doesn't come out looking like poo.
So I am still in the design stage of my build. Not in a real big rush but would like to start on it this spring. And haven't decided to custom build my frame or use the two new HF 1720 trailers I have and combine them into one super trailer using a larger size axle... Hmmm
Well off to the drawing board for more design ideas.
Salty

[Roly Nelson]

Hi Salty, welcome to the forum. I can't say enough about my 3 teardrops, that are all on Harbor Freight frames. Good luck on your build. Ask questions, attend a gathering in your area, take pics and post em.
Roly

[Shadow Catcher]

Well greetings from NW Ohio, twenty miles west of Toledo to be specific.
We have a modified 6X10 grasshopper design and ideas as to what works well. If you wish we can discuss and you can see.

[thesaltydog24]

Well greetings from NW Ohio, twenty miles west of Toledo to be specific.
We have a modified 6X10 grasshopper design and ideas as to what works well. If you wish we can discuss and you can see.

Small world huh. I live in Lyons. Would love to get a chance to take a peek at your design and hear your thoughts of it and what you would or wouldn't do if you were to do it all over again.

[Dave Gray]

Hello from Tuscarawas County.

[thesaltydog24]

Hello from Tuscarawas County.

Thank you.
I went to school out your way at YSU in Youngstown.

[Shadow Catcher]

We are in Metamora, so just down the road and you would be more than welcome to come visit and discuss what we learned the hard way and from others. If you had kids in Evergreen you may already know my wife Nancy who taught in Lyons before they tore it down and now on the main campus. Our tear is sitting in the drive right now.