Blood,Sweat & Teardrops...

[bigblockbarry]

I'm trying to get caught up to where I'm at right now so I won't bore you too many pics,just the informational ones.I had to ask my best friend Tommy for some help here.I have never done any wiring like this before.I tried to do it right and bought a progressive dynamics converter to run all the power through.I might have got carried away with the lights but I had an idea of what I wanted and we did just that.

Put in one of those led dome lights and a couple 10 watt reading lights I bought from a boat supply place.

Then cleaned up all the exposed wires and put loom around them.


Covered everything with insulation and ran through all the cuicuits to make sure it all worked properly.I'm still amazed that I can flip the power switch and everything works!

[bigblockbarry]

I deviated from the norm here and didn't use plywood on the outside.It was going to be covered with aluminum anyway and live indoors with my motorcycles.





It seemed like it took forever to get to this point and I took a weekend off and rode the big bike around.A little fresh air to clear my head you know.I called a buddy of the guy I work with that owns a steel supply house and bought some aluminum.This was a hard decision because I wanted to put black sides on it but backed out because of the heat it would create.I ended up getting 4 4x10 sheets of .040 anodized.It didn't turn out to be the exact color I thought it would be but went with it anyway.
Next was the skin.

[bigblockbarry]

I thought about this step a lot.Glue or don't glue.I read post after post about this subject.I finally decided to just cut out the aluminum and figure out where to go from there.It was cool and cloudy when we started,but as soon as the saw cranked up the sun popped out and I couldn't see a stinkin thing. We put our sunglasses on and was still blinded by the reflection.



We put the on first piece, stuck the door in and it didn't look too bad.

So we cut the other side out and fit it in place. There was a bunch of filing here.I use machines everyday but I did all the close fitting with hand tools.Tommy says I'm way too anal about all this but when you have this much time invested you want it to look good right?

[bigblockbarry]

I went the no glue route on the outside and trimmed everything with the 1 1/2 flat aluminum stock that the blue store sells and the molding that everybody uses on the roof.The panels on top were uncooperative to say the least.I finally got enough of it and pulled the big rachets off my bike trailer and we wrapped them all the way around and tightend them down.I was sick of fighting with them.Probably not the right way but it worked.



I think it turned out well all things considered.

The hatch took me a couple days to figure out.I didn't do it the way the drawings that were sent with the trim said to. Just didn't look right to me.


I'm still not happy with the final fit but I guess I will live with it til winter.

[bigblockbarry]

I skipped over the radio install because I was waiting on more parts ( and the money to pay for them). I picked up a Pioneer stereo at an auto parts store for half price and a couple 6 1/2 round speakers.Took me all night to get them fit like I wanted.

I was keeping up with Zach's convertable build and when he installed all the leds I was hooked.One of our BMW tech at work put a set of Dual illuminite speakers in his bug and I had to have some too.Maybe a little over the top but what part of a teardrop isn't?


And as a tribute to the X-II.

OK maybe a little too much.Not.

[Oldragbaggers]

The aluminum looks very nice.

And, doesn't EVERYTHING always take longer than you thought it would??

[bigblockbarry]

It seems I'm finding out the meaning of " Teardrop time". I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to drag it all the way to the salt flats and back for speed week in August and I don't want any problems. The was going to be called Bonneville Bed & Breakfast until Dad sawed his fingers.

[LDK]

Barry

You sure you never did this before? Looks great! As far as (teardrop time), you're way ahead of most.
I sure hope your dad gets better soon so you two can resume with this father/son project.

[bigblockbarry]

Thanks Larry,
No never done this before.Dad is doing great,back to building some porch swings and doing a little fishing.This has been the most fun we've had together in years.Its funny because every time we make a mistake he says we'll have to remember that on the next one.

[bigblockbarry]

I've been working on that rat nest of wiring since breakfast today. It must take a special kind of person to enjoy this part. I know its not me.Three hours and it still looks like this.

And thats after I cut about 20 feet of wire out of it to tidy it up a bit. On the biright side one of my low buck gizmos worked out nice.I made this at work out a piece of 1 inch aluminum roundstock.Cut it down to .950 and drilled and countersunk for a #8 screw.

Measured up to the center of my door and attached it.

Then bought a pack of those little rubber caps that go on the bottom of a bar stool,cut it down to the height of my stub and stuck it on there.

Cheap easy bump stops so the doors don't bang on the side anymore.Total cost was about $2.

Looks like my macro setting on my camera turned off.Sorry about that.

[bigblockbarry]

Made some good progress this weekend.Its just so stinkin hot,97 outside 101 in the garage according to the thermometer on the wall. I know a lot of folks are using this progressive dynamics converter box. Did you think those were the most vague instructions you ever seen? And you look it up online thinking maybe there is a better picture and its the same sorry black & white sheet with lines all over it. Got my shore power line run,plugged it in and plugged my drill into my rearmost outlet and kicked the garage breaker.Ran all the wires again,found that the out and the ground wires were swapped,turned them around and it works. The only worry I have is where the green,white, and black come into the box, the instructions tell you where to hook your wires in but the wires they have already installed have the green and white reversed. The outlets work but I'm afraid to hook it back up til I find out if this is correct.
Put my tongue box on and it couldn't have fit better if I built it myself. Perfect. Made some wood blocks out of a 8' 2x8 that I hauled home from Lowe's in the Cobalt. I love it when people watch you put an 8 foot board in a 12 foot car.I'm getting there. Vacation is in August and I need to make at least a couple weekenders in it to see what I missed. I know something will pop up.
Next is the escape hatch!

[bigblockbarry]

Ok I've been slacking. Hard to get motivated when its so hot. I promised an escape hatch so here you go.

Can't tell much from this can you? Its not me going in there.

Inside view

View from the rear. Don't rag me about the mess,I'm still working.

I did it like this for two reasons. One I'm already a little light on the tongue,two if its nice like in the spring or fall I can leave the A/C at home. I bought some trim at Lowe's for bathroom panels that I think I can cut up and make the door almost disappear when not in use. You'll know later tonight. That's if I don't burst into flames of course.

Barry

[bigblockbarry]

I spent untold hours looking at tool boxes and tongue boxes. Dad even built a small one.Then I ran across one on fleabay that the dimensions were almost perfect and the price was right. Kind of odd looking but what isn't on a home built?

Couldn't have fit better.
And you guys didn't warn me about how hard it is to get the stinkin sheets on the bed! That has to be one of the hardest things I've done so far. But it looks good.

[pappaw]

A nice trailer, and the wheels really set it off.

Cheers

[aggie79]

Very nice! What a great design and execution.

As far as making the bed, this is what we do. My wife is on one side the teardrop in the doorway and I'm on the other. We "scoot" the mattress forward rolling it upward along the front inside of the teardrop. That moves the back of the mattress forward. We slip on the bottom fitted sheet, then the top sheet, and a blanket, if it is cool, on the back end of the mattress and leave the rest of the sheets and blankets in place. Then we push the mattress back in place and finish making the bed. We've got this procedure down to less than a minute. Of course, you have to have a foam mattress and two people to use this method.