BNBRR Build

[pruittaw]

Greetings! My build is underway. We are currently calling it the BNBRR build which stands for Be Natural, Breathe, Rest, Repeat. This is my wife and my life motto. We each have a tattoo with it written in musical notation.



Be Natural - Be yourself, don`t be fake, be authentic
Breathe - Take care of yourself, manage your life stresses and have good boundaries.
Rest - Take time to relax and enjoy the good things in life,
Repeat - Keep doing those things

I will be creating video journals of my build on my YouTube channel and the first video is at this link. It is just me talking about the plan with a little life philosophy sprinkled in.
https://youtu.be/gev2a_o5DRg

Here are the basics of my design:

-Custom built 5x10 trailer (already have this) with 15 in tires/wheels
-Rear galley - simple shelves with storage and drawer for portable stove
-Two doors - will purchase pre-built
-Electric - 110 volt and 12 volt, battery, prepped for solar
- Roof vent/fan
-Tongue storage
-*Basement* storage (approximately 6-8 inches)
-A/C ready
-Room for the cat. Yes, I said *cat*. He is an adventure kitty!
-Baltic Birch Plywood construction with Aluminum siding
-Design elements inspired by the CrowsWing



Thanks for reading! More to come.

-Tony



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[pruittaw]

I've made some progress on the teardrop but a lot of life has happened. My daughter got engaged (YEAH!) a month ago so that is going to limit my funds since there is a wedding to help fund, which will most likely slow the teardrop progress some.



I finished the frame welding, painting and mounted the rear stabilizers/levelers. I wanted to be able to level my trailer and not simply stabilize it so I went with these. They also make it really easy to change the tire!




I picked up some plywood from Mr. Plywood in Portland, OR. They have 5'x5' Baltic Birch in 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8. I will use some of each at some point in my build. It's definitely more expensive than the plywood that you find at the big box boys but I'm really impressed with the quality of the Baltic Birch. I don't think I've ever used this quality of plywood, of course, I've never done "fine" wood working. I have a lot more experience with rough framing.

After reading a lot of opinions about pros/cons of creating a side template, I decided that I would create one. That way I could get an idea of size and scale plus have an easy way to cut my side panels. The template is still a little rough so I will need to spend some time sanding and tweaking.





I simulated the level of the mattress with some junk I had around the garage and I got a thumbs up from the project manager (my wife).

This weekend I'm going to begin working on the floor. The current deck was a temporary platform so that I could use the trailer to move from our storage unit and pick-up supplies. Time to get back to work!

Be good to each other!
Tony

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks great so far! You didn't happen to look at the marine plywood supply at Mr P's did you? I'm planning on making a run to PDX for supplies and Mr P's is on my list

[3GKnight]

Welcome! Have fun with the build and keep your sanity with the wedding!

[pruittaw]

Looks great so far! You didn't happen to look at the marine plywood supply at Mr P's did you? I'm planning on making a run to PDX for supplies and Mr P's is on my list

Thanks for the encouragement. The process is going slower than I like but I'm trying to do things right.

I didn't look for marine grade plywood. I had decided to use Baltic Birch since it comes in 5'x5' sheets and has such a great reputation for being durable and high quality.


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[pruittaw]

Welcome! Have fun with the build and keep your sanity with the wedding!

Thanks! So far, the wedding planning has been pretty easy. A dress has been purchased, a date picked and a venue secured. I'm proud of my daughter and her fiancé. They are being very reasonable with the expenses and are planning to cash flow the wedding. No debt! Debt is dumb, cash is king!


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[pruittaw]

I have been slowly making progress. This is taking a little longer than I had hoped but I'm taking it slow to do it the 'right' way. I ripped by floor joists, sealed the bottom with Henry's roof sealer, cut the insulation and have it assembled and mounted back on the trailer frame.


The bottom is 1/4" Baltic Birch coated with the Henry's. The joist framing is some 2x material that is ripped and the insulation is 1 1/2" ridged.


I had to get a little creative with my floor and how I would attached my walls because my trailer frame is 2"x2" angle. I cut the corner 3/4" to create a slot for the 3/4" Baltic Birch that will be wall. I think it is going to work ok. Today I filled the holes and once it dries, I will coat with "the mix" (Fiberglass resin and acetone). I think I know the formula but to be honest it's been difficult to find a recipe.

I'm really liking how the Baltic Birch is to work with and how it looks.

Thanks for reading!

Tony


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[KCStudly]

What is commonly referred to as "the mix" here on the forums, and especially in the foamie section, is actually oil based polyurethane and mineral spirits. Some people start out at 25/75 ratio, progress thru 50/50, then 75/25, then full strength. Where I used this on my build I found the 50/50 to be plenty thin enough. I would just start at 50/50, go around a couple of times soaking everything, and add a little more poly to the pot for each successive round. I generally only used this on the end grains of plywood. For finished surfaces, like the interior "furniture" that was stained, I went straight to full strength polyurethane.

I would not use fiberglass (polyester or vinylester) resin, or acetone. They can eat foam and are pretty nasty to deal with, IMO.

A better alternative is CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Resin) or regular (laminating) epoxy resin. It cost more, but is in deed better.

[pruittaw]

What is commonly referred to as "the mix" here on the forums, and especially in the foamie section, is actually oil based polyurethane and mineral spirits. Some people start out at 25/75 ratio, progress thru 50/50, then 75/25, then full strength. Where I used this on my build I found the 50/50 to be plenty thin enough. I would just start at 50/50, go around a couple of times soaking everything, and add a little more poly to the pot for each successive round. I generally only used this on the end grains of plywood. For finished surfaces, like the interior "furniture" that was stained, I went straight to full strength polyurethane.

I would not use fiberglass (polyester or vinylester) resin, or acetone. They can eat foam and are pretty nasty to deal with, IMO.

A better alternative is CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Resin) or regular (laminating) epoxy resin. It cost more, but is in deed better.

Thank you! This is very helpful.


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