The LT... Thomas' Luxury Tent

[Sonetpro]

I am officially moving back my completion date for the tear though. I have come to realize that I would rather do this RIGHT and take my time and ENJOY the process rather than burden myself down with a 4 week deadline, which is time for an experienced pro. I have also decided that I want to do both 120 and 12v so that will take time to design and install, so while I am still pushing myself to get it done to be able to do some camping BEFORE summer, my April 4th Beaver's Bend deadline is now a "goal", but not something I am going to cut my finger off, or reduce the quality of the tear for. We will just see how it goes, I am know by my friends to stay up until 2am in the garage with the radio going just enjoying myself and gets LOADS of work done, so we will just see where the times takes me and when it is ready, it will be ready!

I'm glad to see you push it back. I thought that 4 weeks was a bit ambitious. Take your time and do it right. After you get the floor and walls up you will think that it's almost ready. But that is when the detail work begins. The details take twice as long.
You should still come to Beavers Bend even if it isn't finished. There is going to be alot of tears there. Just a warning though. You are going to see alot of ideas that you didn't think of and it will change your plans.

[Miriam C.]

Gosh I got it backwards. Again. I did the TD first. Well almost first. A level work bench helps.

Now go for the sawdust

[2bits]

Cliff & Vanessa, yeah you will definitely work faster with an organized garage! I built my truck with my garage still recovering from the Monte Carlo and my other Stepside build so I have definitely needed to get creative with space! Building things like carts, tables and shelves is a good way to get comfortable with your tools again too just before you start the serious work!

Thanks too big Daddy, it isn't done yet either which is something else I am having to take into account since I still need to do a blazer tank conversion on it to get the gas tank out of the cab, add the new wheels and tires and a trailer hitch!

[2bits]

Weekend one... gotta get the workshop in order. As you can see there is no workshop at all haha..



by the end of the weekend:

[2bits]

My first real progress started today, I hauled my steel out to my friend's place and we (meaning he) had the frame build in two hours flat!



I wanted to keep it simple and worked hard to try and set it up to where it could be built using just two 24' tubes. That's how they sell 'em and I didn't want to search through the cut off box to buy a little bit more at a jacked up price, so I got it down to 2 x 24' tubes each cut in half at 12' so to be able to be transported home in a regular truck. I think it is just about perfect and strong, no flex at all. The weight as it sits with no axle is 142lbs!



It towed home strapped on top of my bed with no problem at all, it didn't look like it was sticking out very far because it was only the tongue.



I am getting over being really sick so I am going to take the rest of the night off, but tomorrow should be a good days work, I will be doing the floor and wood frame, and who know what after that.

I created a build page for it since I finally did something, and put the link in my signature, there are a couple more pics there going step by step.

[Miriam C.]

That's great Thomas. How much do you have in it so far? $$$

[2bits]

haha not much right now IF you are talking about the tear only, and don't count prepping the shop and buying tools.

Right now, it's
$111 for the steel
$17 trailer jack
$15 Coupler
$10 Tail lights

I'll be making a wood purchase tomorrow for the floor, but the big purchases to come next are the wood sides ($250), axle ($250), wheels and tires ($250).

[cuyeda]

Weekend one... gotta get the workshop in order. As you can see there is no workshop at all haha..

Good job on getting organized!

I can only wish I had that much floor space to work with! Anything I can put on wheels are shoved out the garage before doing anything. And, yes, my current build projects have been carts, a workbench, and cabinets, still not finished! The more I buy tools, a place is needed to store it in a working environment. ha ha.

[2bits]

Shots of the floor frame



and the floor


started sanding but it was midnight so I stopped. Sunday will work on it again, and I am scheduling to pick up the sides on Tuesday.

[2bits]

Lets start with a pic of the floor of the teardrop stained with poly on it, I put a light stain on the floor and I will probably do the same for the interior since the interior is small already using a lighter stain will help it seem more open. Never mind that place where the laminate started coming off, GRR... At least it won't be seen...


Well today was an interesting day... I had the day off as I needed to go to the doctor, and that turned out ok. I planned on going to Ft. Worth to pick up my 4x10 sheets of plywood for the walls, (I'm on the OTHER side of Dallas, so it's a long haul) and lo an behold when I turned the key to the starter, my starter FELL OFF! Long story, but I have only had one starter bolt in this engine because this engine was made in 69 when offset bolt starters weren't made yet, and neither were 350 trannys so there is no starter that exists for my engine. I have been meaning to drill and tap out the second hole, but hadn't gotten to it yet and it has been working for a good four months like this, I guess it is time to do it now, because the bolt snapped and unfortunately left all of the threaded part of the bolt inside the hole where I couldn't get to it. DAT'S BAD... More on that later...

Well, I was NOT about to be swayed from getting my plywood because I can't request any days off from work and we are required to work Saturday again and probably for the forseeable future, so today was my only chance. I thought about renting a truck from Home Depot, but that would get expensive for that long trip. So I took some measurements and took my little S-10 Jimmy and decided that I was going to go for it!

Just then as I was cleaning it out, and getting it ready, Fed Ex drove up and brought me my two 14" Chrome Smoothies for the trailer so that is good to have those finally in my possesion. So, I drove out to Ft. Worth and the guy was very skeptical, but we loaded it and it was fine all the way home:



That's not a regular 4x8 no sir, that is two sheets of 4 x TEN hanging out the back haha! I scooted the spare tire out to the edge and measured and there was 3 feet hanging loose, I figured it could take the ride home. The only scary part was that I left the place at 4:30. So that's rush hour traffic in Ft. Worth, AND in Dallas. I was very worried that someone was going to run into me, but everything was perfect.

Here's a pic of the grain, I was intending to get Red Oak, but I didn't like the grain pattern on their cuts, it repeated too often. I looked at a few other choices, and I liked the Birch alot but it stains a bit blotchy so I marked that off the list, but when I saw this Maple, it really looked perfect. I love the grain pattern in these sheets. Oh, they were $125 a sheet, you really PAY for the 10 foot long, but I wanted the simplicity of it and the contiguous grain, so it's worth it.


I also got two sheets of 1/8 Birch for the headliner and roof, but they didn't have Baltic Birch in the size I need, only 5x5 and no one else around seems to have it, so I just bought two sheets of this instead of how many I really need, because I want to see if this is going to be usable, we will see. I am wondering if this will be able to handle the curve when it gets bent. I may need to reconsider doing the outside roof in the original aluminum if the wood won't cut it. I will be fine with that because they both look good and I will still have the wood sides.

So I got home, unloaded, and went up to Home Depot looking for some left handed drill bits hoping that would pull out the stud left in the block from the starter, they didn't have any, but they DID have a screw extractor, so I got it home and thank God for the screw extractor! It came out perfectly, and my starter is now bolted up again albeit with just one spare starter bolt again, but it is getting prioritized now!

I think that is everything, one failure but recovered, everything else was good.

[Juneaudave]

Well...that's Teardrop building for ya...Glad it turned out so well!!!

[G-force]

I am so confused by that picture of the frame in your truck bed. Did you cut it in half after welding it together?

[2bits]

I am so confused by that picture of the frame in your truck bed. Did you cut it in half after welding it together?

Haha it does look shorter doesn't it! It's just an optical illusion I guess from the angle, you can see the crossmember halfway back so it is all there. the bed of the truck is 6 1/2 foot, and the trailer frame is 7 foot long so it was mostly the tongue hanging off the bed. Here's a better pic:

[G-force]

I see now. Yes, that picture was playing tricks on my eyes!

[2bits]

I ordered my Dexter Torsion axle today. Let me tell you about the fun... First two days ago I called Dexter and I was transferred to engineering as I said I had a couple of questions, I left a voicemail for a Jim Tudlum I believe, but never got a call back, thanks alot 'preciate it.

So I looked up the Dallas distributors for them and I was going to order one but Dallas Axle and Beam quoted me $283 for a #9 Axle yikes, don't order from them...

Next I called the Oklahoma factory who told me they don't sell direct and it would be more expensive if they did because the distributors order so much quantity they get lower prices. She said that $283 was right in line with correct pricing. I decided to end the conversation before it worse... I was considering going with the stubbies, but those don't come with hubs and I was adding it up in my mind and it wasn't looking good.

Lastly I called Redneck Trailer Supply in Arlington, and the guy wasn't extremely knowledgeable, but he asked all the right questions and the price was over $100 cheaper at $161! So I placed the order right there. I went with the stock spindles. I think I will be OK after reading a few threads on the subject and reading their own literature. I should have 1 1/4 inch between the frame and the inside of the torsion arm. I could have gone for tighter, but I wanted to leave a little for the margin of error.

There was one thing he asked me that I wasn't prepared for, and that is if the axle should have camber. I quickly read some posts and then told him yes when I called him back. Here are my specs like anyone cares haha

Torflex #9 Axle
Derated to 1500lbs
Standard Spindles
Idler hubs (no brakes)
Hubs for 14" wheels
Hub Face dim 77"
Frame bracket Outer Dia 60"
Bolt Pattern 5x4.5
Start angle 10' Down

Estimated ship date 4/8/08...