Cross Bow / trolley / renamed little blue trolley

[S. Heisley]

Don't worry about it, Ron. You're on "Teardrop Time"! We'll be watching.

[PKCSPT]

Just think, when you finally do finish it you will have something many of us don't have the time, patience, skill, space, tools... A camper you designed and built yourself.

[Ron Dickey]

Laid the roof on the not attached cross bars so I could mark where the trolley would be cut out of the center.

I marked the front and back cross bars on the roof starting with the center then marked that center line on the font of the trailer so I new where center was. Then 14 in is the width of the planned trolley top. Starting at the center I drew lines 7 in left and right. When I put the bars on top of the trailer walls I then laid the roof on top and marked where the sides of the trolley would be on the roof on the underside. I also drew where the galley would start and will be cutting top across the back end where the hatch will start.

My wife looked at the galley ideas and remarked that I had left out a part and so redesigning the galley upper part got some reconditioning.

I plan after I cut the trolley boards out to sand the top pieces in a arch shape and plan for the roof of the trolley to be bowed so no water will sit on it in a rainstorm. I plan, but have not gotten the smoked plexiglass for the outside windows, to route out a place for it to lay in. I have research how to cut the plexiglass and will cut it in a shape similar to the trolley over all shape. Then I will cut out the shapes that I want the light to come through into the walls. circles, teardrop shape, arches matching the over all shape, I feel like I am carving a pumpkin!!! for halloween

The saddle bag design is beginning to take shape but until I get the outside walls up will I really understand where things should fall and be attached. I think I might use as part of the supportive frame pipe or flat aluminum in a circle shape supporting both the top deck and the bottom floor inside the saddle bag. The part that goes over the wheel will be the wheel cover that came with the trailer bolted to the boards sloping down to the floor of the saddle bags.

I want a bumper in the back but it will have to be removable or swing down and under the trailer so my wife who has a short reach can reach nearer to the rear of the galley, otherwise it would need to change into a step.

the trailer lights will be put in conduit so not creature can gnaw on them.

Upper brake 3rd lights will be mounted on "A" shaped pc's of wood so they can be seen from the rear on each side of the trolley so blinker and stop light can be seen by the tallest of trucks behind.

I am thinking of using LED lights like you see in the automotive stores.
go to google images and enter in : led accent lights for cars or boats or 12v led lights for teardrop trailers

Ideas for the top hatch have changed and as I get it down I will share. I do plan to make a place where a fantastic fan can be put so if this fails I have a back up plan.

Ron

[stonykill]

I've been following this and without pictures it is hard to envision your progress.

[Ron Dickey]

I've been following this and without pictures it is hard to envision your progress.

Sorry I agree and I am taking pictures but do not get them down loaded fast enough. I try and put at the bottom a picture of where I am at so where ever I am in the forum you can see some sort of progress.

Some of what I have said above is not on paper yet but I am moving along you might also look in my album sometime things do not get transferred over.

and as mike said when I first joined this forum back at it's beginning I am long winded. I will here in try and be a better communicator, in photo's of drawings or pictures.
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

I've been following this and without pictures it is hard to envision your progress.

here are some pictures that go with what I said with out pictures hope these help.

left what I did right what I was trying to do

I put the roof on so I knew where it would be and put some wood on top about the height I wanted the trolley to be.

Ideas for the trolley top windows and how I wanted the wood on top of the trolley to look

my plan for the over head brake lights and clearance light would look something like this.



Hope this helps

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

the idea for the cut outs for the Trolley windows behind the outside glass is when it is dark you can see the holes or cut outs.

it could be a bird on a branch, or cut outs more simple look at
google images and enter in: free silhouette, or free silhouette boats, camping, or birds
fun ideas

or I could have squares and put cut out images in the windows with change of season like leaves, snow flakes. it is fun to think up different designs. so if I just used simple squares I could over time come up with a good design. It could be cut outs or painted on.

Well you can tell my minds going got to get back to the build
Ron

[stonykill]

that does help. Keep the pics coming. We all like pics

[Ron Dickey]

that does help. Keep the pics coming. We all like pics

My picture taking may slow down a little dropped the camera Yesterday. Digital SLR lens popped off!! it came with a telephoto but it is a Nikon and I have lenses from film camera's that can work just have to play with the expose a bunch. Did little to the trailer that day. I was a little worried I also ran a RED light which I never do. So it was time to lay low

However, today I took some of the stuff off and attached a cross bar which cracked but not badly. That bar will be used to support the trolley and the body side hinge for the hatch as well as the roof. 3 in 1

I am looking to buy a table saw, a friend down the street who has a complete wood shop cut some wood for me, but I do not want to over do it.
I want to use the saw to cut Kill dried 2x4s down and use it to build my cabinets. I have a little table saw but the blade will not come off. So I am looking for a sale and Labor day is nearing. I have an old circular saw but we do not like each other.

I thought of a band saw but the cheep ones have loose tables. and I do nave a saber saw but there is a lot of things you can do with a table saw that you can't with the others.

I also have an old router with some new fancy bits. over time you find a new tool. Most I go cheep and new.

I found myself singing the song the knee bone is connected the the leg bone and the hip bone....... I fee that is how the trailer is evolving. I am getting to the point where a part had more then one duty in the build.

[pchast]

Hi,

You know of Craig's list I'm sure. Have you looked for a Woodworking club in your
general area. Here In the North-East there are always used machines being offered
to fellow members from the local club.

(http://www.woodworker.org/)

[Ron Dickey]

you have to click on image to kinda read it.
got old lens to work but it is more work per shot but worth it.

both of these are my direction boards they keep me looking at the overall project. I have pages and pages of hand drawings. I Draw every day before work!!

[Ron Dickey]

when I worked on the arch I did not think about what I would be getting into with this shot shows a lot of weight I do not want on the font end. I am going to use kiln dried lumber for the big pc that should bring down the weight of that board by 1/2 I am also replacing the roof cross board over the door with this also.

in comparison here is the rear roof wood. much simpler.


this is the scary cut where the blue tape is is where I will cut the galley hatch and I have to cut it straight too I am working out ways that I can make a live for the arm of the saber saw to follow so I do not have to do it freehand. do I seem nerves about this move

I am going to pickup the wood for the trolley and the top side decks for the saddle bags. I now know batter where I need to put in reinforcement for attaching the support bars for the saddle bags frame.

I found a couple of Table saws on Craigslist that might work have to call them.

Ron

[RandyG]

Hey Ron, for those critical long cuts, make a circular saw guide. Search google images. Sometimes with big pieces it will be easier using the guide than using a table saw.

[Ron Dickey]

Hey Ron, for those critical long cuts, make a circular saw guide. Search google images. Sometimes with big pieces it will be easier using the guide than using a table saw.

Thank you tried that today. I realized the thin wood would not work length wise because it is against the grain for the bow. So I cut it with a saber saw.



then I put one of the pc's up to see how it looked

outside and inside

it is not long enough to go all the way across so I will have both pc's meet in the center. then if it is not tight I will cover the joint with a small strip of wood. Or I could take one of the 2 pc's and past it over the center giving it extra strength in the middle. Doug H. said most accidents on trailer happen in the front!!
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Here is more what I need the table was for cutting long pc's of narrow wood to fit in an area the is odd in shape and will fill a space not able to be filled normal ways. The Plywood will crack it I bend it that tight.
Seeing sever on the craigslist that might work.
Ron