tangerine dreamer again

[Vindi_andy]

For the picture freaks among you heres a few of what Ive been upto.

The inner is now glued and nearly completed the door wall just a few last bits of the inner framing to glue then stick the inner on and I wioll have 2 walls ready to be installed on the base. Hoping to put the new floor on easter weekend.

Inner stood ready to bre glued to the framed outer


Trying it for size on one of the rare dry days we have had.


Door wall nearly framed and insulated with the door trial fitted.

[Vindi_andy]

Been a while since Ive updated and there has been very little progress as other jobs have been getting in the way of teardrop time.

With the kitcar away to have the towbar fitted i had all of the garage for construction.

So both profiles are now glued up sandwiches and very sturdy, so much so that when clamped together they stand up on their own.

Which is exactly how they were saturday to get the 2 profiles matched. Not sure how they ended being different they were all cut and sanded to match before bein glued.

Stripped off the old ply floor from the trailer as after nearly 3 years being outside with little or no protection had delaminated, that went to the recycling centre. The new boards were cut to size and given a coat of protective product.

With the 2 profiles stood side by side and sanded to match I marked off the rebates for the roof beams to go in and routered out the first side. By which time I was knackered and time to call it a day before tiredness started to cause mistakes.

Hopefully the good lady will will take some photos tonight.

[Vindi_andy]

So dry fitted the floors and then placed the profiles on top just to check everything fitted. Lined up the back edge of the porfile with the back of the chassis and I immediately realised my mistake.

Because I have chosen not to bring the curve back in under the hatch at the bottom it means the profile is about 4 inches longer at the bottom than the drawing that I had cut the chassis to, so the profiles stuck out 4 inches in front of the floor Good job I hadnt glued or screwed anything down at this point. So adjusted the front board to stick out 4 inches over the front of the chassis and realised the board cut around the wheel arches was now cut in the wrong place. Now came the choice, leave the board around the wheel arches and put a 4 inch strip in or cut the 3rd board to replace the one around the wheel arches then either order another board to fit at the back or cut the offcuts I had to make up a board to fit across the back under the galley. Being the frugal sort that I am and having just acquired a biscuit jointer I decided to use the offcuts. Truth be told its turned out OK.

With the profiles clamped in place I put a cargo strap around the top to hold them the right distance apart and with my other new acquisition (a mitre saw stand) I cut all the beams for the roof and dry fitted them. I placed a board in the position the galley wall will be and tried the sleeping area for size with SWMBO next to me. Plenty roomy we have enough width for a UK kingsize mattress (5ft wide 6'6" long) and 3 inches extra length which will come in handy as I am 6'4" and my feet often hang off the end of our normal bed. Will probably have to put 3" of foam along the bottom to stop things moving about, the other option being getting some foam cut to the exact size and get her indoors to make a fitted bottom sheet.

So with that sorted everything was stripped down again and the board for the floor got another coat of International ranch paint and left to dry before biscuiting, gluing and screwing down tonight.

[Vindi_andy]

As promised some piccies of progress so far. not very many cos im sure she still thinks its like a film camera where you have to pay to process each image. Either that or she is ignoring me when I tell her to take pictures of progress

[Vindi_andy]

Well with the return of Tango after having towbar fitted it meant I now only have half the garage to work in

Having said that after some frustrations on wednesday night when the side profile wouldnt fit over the cleat and a bit of a temper tantrum where I threatend to burn the ****ing thing after a smoke and a drink a solution presented itself. the issue being because the cleat was glued I didnt have a tool to trim the cleat down. During smoke and drink break my eyes fell upon the router with the fence. Didnt quite reach all the way so had to cut the last bit off with a chisel but the profile now fiteed.

Last night glued it up and then using air nail gun put staples in in an alternating pattern, 1 in cleat 1 in floor member at about 6 inch intervals. then ran a line of staples along the inside into the cleat. Wall now stands square and on its own

After 3 years on and off building it finally looks like more than a load of flat pieces of wood.

Night off tonight then saturday we will turn the trailer round and fit the other side and the roof beams.

[webbaldo]

Getting the walls up gives you a nice idea of what itll look like finished.

[Vindi_andy]

it certainly does but have had the profiles on and off a few times bt to actually get one fixed in place feels like a real step forward, even tho I know there still a lot of work to do.

[Junkboy999]

. . . . she still thinks its like a film camera where you have to pay to process each image. Either that or she is ignoring me when I tell her to take pictures of progress

Remember to someone not working on the project, it appears to be going slower them it is. + a Woman's idea of progress is not you setting down the paint glass and picking up a hammer.


It is look good so far. Always like seeing the wall up first time.
Where the wheel wells off the old trailer?

[Vindi_andy]

Junk boy, yes the wheel wells are off the old caravan and it made sense to me to reuse them as they are moulded plastic therefore no rot and if they are good enough for caravan builders they are good enough for me.

Well here it is a pic of the first wall glued and stapled in place.



Will have the trailer out of the garage tommorow and turn it round so I can get at the other side so by saturday evening we will hopefully have 2 wall fixed in place and at least some of the roof beams in place. I routed all the pockets with the beams horizontal but after reading many posts on here decided to turn them through 90 degrees and have made noggins to fill in the gap where Id routed 2 inch wide as the beams are 2 x 1" You can just about make out my template for the 30mm bush to follow still screwed to the inside of the profile.

[Vindi_andy]

Well we now have both walls up and some of the roof beams in place. Have framed out where the roof vent will go and the double beam where the hatch hinge will fix

Really feel like I'm getting somewhere now. Will put some pics up later.

[Vindi_andy]

Thought I'd posted the pictures guess not.

[Vindi_andy]

OK not posted for a little while but there has been some progress. Have got all the roof beams route to fit in the vertical position and the vent position framed out.

Got the first sheet of internal 1/8 inch ply in place although measurments went awry somewhere It still looks good. Hopefully get some more done over the weekend, but I have some things to sort out on Tango ready for youngests juinor prom.

Will post some pictures tomorrow as Im out tonight.

[Jim Edgerly]

Andy, I know the feeling of a crowded work space. I built most of my teardrop over the winter in my basement on a platform with wheels because I had only about 3 foot clearance, and had to push the camper to the left to work on the right, and same with the front/back. Being built on the trailer you don't have that comfort to easily push it side to side. It may be tight working, but so won't the teardrop be sleeping, so it's good practice for the future.

I'm enjoying following your progress...just remember that there is no such thing as "too many pictures" or too much detail for those of us trying to follow you.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.