Scrounger

[pchast]

You are putting me to shame with the speed, fit and finish of your build so far.
Keep up the great work.

[Dirke]

Don't be fooled. I have been working on this all spring and summer. I was hoping to have it done in June but too many things got in the way. I also had a bit of a setback today and will have to redo the frp on my hatch.

It takes a long time to build one of these things as there are so many details to figure out. I think of it as a lot of small projects... And I mean A LOT!

[Dirke]

Well, this weekend we finally got out to camp! The trailer worked great. It pulled very well and the tongue was light enough for me to lift with one hand! I still have a few things left to do but overall it was very comfortable. I will post some pictures when I get a chance.

[stonykill]

that is fantastic. Nothing like getting out and camping in a Tiny trailer you built yourself!

[Dirke]

Sorry for not updating sooner but the cord for our camera went missing. Finally found it so here we go....

Here we are ready for our first outing. I don't have any struts to hold the hatch open so am just using some pieces of wood. In fact, I didn't even have locks on the hatch so I just screwed a piece of wood over it to keep it shut. We had a great time and it was very comfortable.





Hoping to get out camping again soon. In the meantime I added some trim to the bottom and painted the door and window frames:






Here is a nice view of the front side:





Here is an closer look at the door. I used some garage door molding around the outside (and along the roof and corners) and glued it on with contact cement. It seems to work very well and is very very flexible. ($18 for a 30ft. roll)





Here is the door handle I got for $11. I was excited that it had a key for it. The door was a little too thick but I easily modified the mechanism. There is a pin that moves when you push the handle. It just needed to be a bit longer so I fashioned a new one out of a big cotter pin I had in my junk box. Works great!





Here is the molding that I used over the hatch and front window. It is another type of garage door molding that has a nice flexible piece of vinyl on the bottom. I used a piano hinge instead of a hurricane hinge and figured this would keep the water out. You can also see the other molding that I used on the corners.




Well, time to get ready to camp again!

[stonykill]

looking great. Glad you had a great time. We go away in a week and a 1/2 or so.

[Dirke]

looking great. Glad you had a great time. We go away in a week and a 1/2 or so.

I think we are going next week for a couple of days. I am looking forward to it. Have fun on your trip. I picked up a really nice full size mattress yesterday. It is more comfortable than my regular bed.

I had a couple of my ham radio buddies over yesterday to check out my build and they both want to build one.

[stonykill]

nice. We put a memory foam topper in our vardo. Very comfortable. We are going the weekend after labor day weekend. The parks tend to be kidless then. We like that

[lilgription]

What type of glue did you use on the frp? and is that the frp that you can get at the big box stores?

[Dirke]

Yes, I got the FRP from Lowes. Being that my trailer is ten ft. long I had to use a trim piece to connect the extra two ft. (At the back where the galley is). I would have much preferred to use one 4x10 sheet but the only place I could get those wanted $60 a sheet. I paid $25 and was able to use the leftovers for the front and hatch.

I used a glue that they use for installing tub surrounds but would recommend something else. It seemed to work ok but I had some spots that I had to redo. I know they make a better FRP glue but I don't know the name/brand. My frp is held on mostly by the windows and trim so I am not worried about it falling off. A flush trim router bit does wonders for cutting FRP. I glued the whole 4x8 sheet to the sides and then cut out the corners, door, and windows with the router. Very easy! Just be sure to wear goggles and a respirator!


On a side note, we had our first big storm since I finished the outside. Don't see any leaks!

[Dirke]

nice. We put a memory foam topper in our vardo. Very comfortable. We are going the weekend after labor day weekend. The parks tend to be kidless then. We like that

I teach school and unfortunately we start the day after Labor Day. I do like to get out at least once after that. You're right, the campgrounds are empty and it makes me feel like summer isn't over.

[lilgription]

Yes, I got the FRP from Lowes. Being that my trailer is ten ft. long I had to use a trim piece to connect the extra two ft. (At the back where the galley is). I would have much preferred to use one 4x10 sheet but the only place I could get those wanted $60 a sheet. I paid $25 and was able to use the leftovers for the front and hatch.

I used a glue that they use for installing tub surrounds but would recommend something else. It seemed to work ok but I had some spots that I had to redo. I know they make a better FRP glue but I don't know the name/brand. My frp is held on mostly by the windows and trim so I am not worried about it falling off. A flush trim router bit does wonders for cutting FRP. I glued the whole 4x8 sheet to the sides and then cut out the corners, door, and windows with the router. Very easy! Just be sure to wear goggles and a respirator!


On a side note, we had our first big storm since I finished the outside. Don't see any leaks!

Thanks Dirke. I am contemplating using frp that's why I asked. I will research for some better glue. There are so many mixed reviews out on the Lowes stuff but everyone I see that uses it loves it. The others say it needs to be painted because it has no UV protection. But I read an article where a guy used it for fence panels in between his yard and a school over 10 years ago. No discoloration or chalking yet. His only complaint was having to pop his panels back in a few times because of kids running into it.. lol. I say if it can stand school play ground abuse it will be just fine for use. Thanks again for replying

[Dirke]

Thanks Dirke. I am contemplating using frp that's why I asked. I will research for some better glue. There are so many mixed reviews out on the Lowes stuff but everyone I see that uses it loves it. The others say it needs to be painted because it has no UV protection. But I read an article where a guy used it for fence panels in between his yard and a school over 10 years ago. No discoloration or chalking yet. His only complaint was having to pop his panels back in a few times because of kids running into it.. lol. I say if it can stand school play ground abuse it will be just fine for use. Thanks again for replying

So far it seems to be working just fine. Of course, it has only been on for a few weeks. I used it for the price and convenience. Perhaps I will reskin it at some point but for now it has me out camping in something my wife isn't ashamed to have pulling behind us. One thing, it is very fragile around the edges. I dropped a piece and took a small chunk out Of it. I may have used a four letter word or two. In the end it didn't matter as I was able to use it for some of the smaller pieces.

As you can see from the pictures, it looks pretty nice and is very easy to clean. I also read that post about the school yard fence which convinced me to go for it. Good luck with your build. It is a big project! Take your time and do lots of planning so you don't have any of those "I should have done that first" moments.