Grizz-Pod Teardrop Trailer - New tow truck - 66 Chevy

[grizz]

Thanks Chris/Teardrop-Focus...... the build has a lot of complexity because I build without plans, and the things I get up to like bargain hunting etc helps me relax and think out stuff as I go along.

emiller, thanks for the comments, it is definitely getting better as it comes to gether.

Gary, you are right, the fabric was a great surprise and also as you can see, has Nicola getting involved, which is great to me.

The cats are part of our life, and ultimately were not posing, so fit into the bootfair part of the build.

We have decided not to go to the bootfairs today, as the rain from yesterday may make it less than pleasant.

I am just waiting for the weather to clear up so that I can get back to the ally skinning of the roof.


I must say, building outside has been the biggest challenge and waster of time on this project.

[grizz]

Right, update time for yesterdays build actions.

I guess the neighbours would not be impressed if I were to start tooling about at 05.00am.



I started out slow, doing the rope on the inner joins, using the Sikaflex Oldbus Dave had brought me. Not knowing, the first length was done with too much Sikaflex, but after that it went better.

By 9am I was just about to start working with tools etc, when a gust of wind lifted the 3m x 1.5m ally sheet, bashing it into the gazebo frame and deposting the lot into the neigbours fence, resulting in what you see below..... council tip fodder.




From there it just got worse.

I did call my mate Scott "Jabbo" who is working 7 days a week for the last 40 days on a project, with a bit of flexibility, to come help with giving a hand.
He was over here within 30 minutes to help me get the ally sheet down and give moral support as it had started raining too.

Thanks again Scott, you really are a good guy !!!

We got the first section down, by which time I had to call off any further progress due to the weather.
Spare wheels on the roof are to get the silicone around the hatch to bond closely with the ally, to keep it all tight.





Because there is a join in the front of the ally sheeting, I decided to get on with cutting and shaping the ally for the front. This must have freaked out Scott's thinking, as he is a engineer and is obsessive to the N'th degree about preciseness.
Armed with a rough drawn cardboard template, I drew it all onto the ally, grabbed the angle grinder and cut. Followed by prepping and smoothing all the edges.
Perfect fit .



Progressing slowly.




At this point Scott had to get back onto the site where he is working, and I carried on on my own for a while, till my mate Steven came around (he lives 40 miles from here) to drop off a bottle of brandy and to give moral support, make coffee and generally boss me around. Steven was my terrtory partner in South Africa 13 years ago when we worked there, and we have consumed more alcohol than I car to admit to in the "old days" This was usefull, as I got to make a start on the lightboard for the trailer as the rain was not letting up.

Steven helping.



Steven left at about 5pm to go back to his wife and son. Followed at 6pm by the arrival of Nicola.

By 7pm I went out and fixed the front bib piece to the body.

It has a 100mm overlap from the large sheet of ally, so it is screwed down much higher than needed. I hope to get on with finishing that later today, and then to start on the skinning of the galley and attaching its hinge.




Looking outside, the clouds do not inspire me with confidence to complete what I want to do very quickly, but here's to optimism.

Thanks for looking in.

[teardrop_focus]

grizz

the build has a lot of complexity because I build without plans, and the things I get up to like bargain hunting etc helps me relax and think out stuff as I go along.

The cats are part of our life, and ultimately were not posing, so fit into the bootfair part of the build.

I completely understand. Most of my plans will remain on the mental list untill it's time cut some wood. You've seen the chassis steel; that's all now cut.



Sorry about the having-to-build-outdoors. So far, I'm building the chassis in three different places.

There's always room for cat pics.







Ah! You've posted more...

I guess the neighbours would not be impressed if I were to start tooling about at 05.00am.

MOST considerate of you, sir.

By 9am I was just about to start working with tools etc, when a gust of wind lifted the 3m x 1.5m ally sheet, bashing it into the gazebo frame and deposting the lot into the neigbours fence, resulting in what you see below..... council tip fodder.

From there it just got worse.

I did call my mate Scott "Jabbo" who is working 7 days a week for the last 40 days on a project, with a bit of flexibility, to come help with giving a hand. He was over here within 30 minutes to help me get the ally sheet down and give moral support as it had started raining too.

OY!


Meanwhile, three cheers for Scott and Steven!

Looking outside, the clouds do not inspire me with confidence to complete what I want to do very quickly, but here's to optimism.

You, sir, are an inspiration to those of us like me who can build in fairer weather... and it reminds me not to snivel if it gets a little chilly or damp.

[grizz]

Well, what can I say ?

The ally is on, the hatch is skinned.

Thanks to Nicola, Scott and Steven for the last few days. Without them I would not be where I am tonight. KNACKERED !!

It has been great having a few people about, helping, supervising and generally keeping me going.

The build is not done by a long shot, but the big jobs are done.

Keeping in mind that I have done post of this build without plans of any nature, and just making it up as I went along, most of the cockups could be hidden as there is always another layer to cover up etc.

Today Nicola saved the day......

When the ally sheet came to the end, to pass over the bib I fitted last night, there was a "bubble" up front. I was going to just cut 400mm up the centre, and then camouflage it later with something...... Not Nicola, she told me to have a coffee, come back and seek a different answer. I went away and came back, and realised that if I started mounting from the once side, the "bubble" would be at the one side, necesitating me to only cut a very thin sliver out the side. Both sides were already fixed at that point.

This was the result of Nicola's input.




Once screwed down with one of the trip strips you would be hard pressed to point out the mistake.

Next up the job I have been procrastinating for some time.

Hatch skinning.

At this point Nicola was weak in her Anorexic state and needed to fight her way into some chocolate covered peanuts, fortunately she made it before things turned ugly.



View of the front of the trailer, and the skinned hatch.



This was a hernia inducing procedure, getting the hatch cover onto the body, the shed next to me, and my rain meter were very obstructive, and the whole body is still on the ramps, so quite high.




EUREKA ! ! !


Rear view of the trailer.

After all this time, to see it like this had Nicola and I lauging out loudly and hysterically. Mad I know, but what a relief to get to this point.



Pic taken from my bedroom window, I love the look of the galley hinge.

Now I am tired, satisfied and ready for bed, after 2 very stiff brandy and Cokes.



Thank you everyone for your support and interest to date in this build, it would not be as much fun, or as informed without everyone on this forum giving their input.

There is clearly still work to be done, loads of it, but this has to be the most difficult part of the build.





Jockey wheel, wheels, mudguards, fine tuning door amd a couple of hatch locks tomorrow, and also an attempt to get it out of my back yard so that I know it can be towed, and does not weigh a ton.

[2fry]

That is really looking fantastic mate.
I will have to wait until i'm back from Islay to see it with the mudgaurds and big pimping rims.

You'll need a holiday when you get it done..Enjoy.

Speak to you soon.

Graeme.

[grizz]

That is really looking fantastic mate.
I will have to wait until i'm back from Islay to see it with the mudgaurds and big pimping rims.

You'll need a holiday when you get it done..Enjoy.

Speak to you soon.

Graeme.

Hi Graeme, do enjoy the break.

You are so right, even while writing this up, I could not keep my eyes open.

I am really tired tonight.

The strips did not work on the sides of the hatch, hence the temporary screws in there.

I hope to get it fixed or sorted soon enough, maybe use the strips I prepped, but use a different fixing method, or something.

I am pleased, it has come out good so far.
The door needs tweaking, the lock and handle self destructed tonight after I fitted it. Hopefully there is an easy fix.

Cheers , Rian

[Juneaudave]

Beautiful Rian (and good work on the journal too)!!! It sure is nice to have good friends like Nicola, Scott and Steven to come over and lend a hand.

[grizz]

Beautiful Rian (and good work on the journal too)!!! It sure is nice to have good friends like Nicola, Scott and Steven to come over and lend a hand.

Thanks Dave, compliment indeed from you.

I crashed at 10.30pm and slept dead till 06.30 ..... the longest I have slept in months.

Loads of fine tuning today, and also attempting to get it off the jacks and axle stands onto its wheels.
Then try get it out of the back yard to turn it around, the ramp is dissimilar, and actually quite acute . more so than the photos ever show.

Should be fun.

[grizz]

Just did the roughest of calculations to add up the time spent on building this teardrop trailer to date. Just added the time I could identify on the build thread.

This does not include the time spent thinking, dreaming, or plotting the next part to be made up.

Works out at 360 hrs, and that excludes time on the internet, updating threads, searching, reading ets.

If you work on 12 hour days, that is 30 days


Working on 8 hr days, it is 45 days worth of work.


I do not think I will be building Teardrops for a living.


Right, of to B&Q Hardware to look for a couple of locking tatches for the hatch.

Today is D-Day + 1

[grizz]

Just went to B&Q and then to tip that gazebo frame at the tip.



Look at what all followed me home.

The charger is "dead" cant be bothered to try fix a fus and the plug that is shattered.

The drill is brand new, but has a foreign 2 pin plug on the charger, BUT comes with 2 batteries... so I just need to dig out my international multi adaptor.....
The Dremmel type multi tool seems unused as well.

The wall sign I got off a guy as I was driving out, and wanted to bin it. Perfect garage decoration.


The rest of the stuff is for Nicola's garden, and the new one once we move there.

Not a bad trade for a bunch of broken poles.


NOW BACK TO WORK !!

[Steve_Cox]

Rian,

I've been following your build thread closely the last few pages, and have enjoyed your building and writing style. Congrats to you and Nicola on a fine little camper.

[grizz]

Rian,

I've been following your build thread closely the last few pages, and have enjoyed your building and writing style. Congrats to you and Nicola on a fine little camper.

Hi Steve, thanks for the compliment.... re my writing style.

Maybe one day I will try cobble together a story or a short story for people to read about something interesting.

I try to tell a story, which this really is, with every day being an episode.

However, as you will see in a moment, this story is about to wind down a bit.

[grizz]

Another very long day, only came in at 9.30pm.

However, there is a lot of news.

I am sure the bulk of it will be sad for those who have followed this thread, with or without adding comments or opinions.

THE GRIZZ-POD IS DONE ! !


Came home from sleeping 8 hours dead at Nicola's place last night.

Went via B&Q for some bits like the latches on the hatch, some doweling for the curtains Nicola is making up and some "Sticky Stuff remover" fot the glue from the selotape I had used to try control the mess of the Sikaflex. Bloody selotape glue has proved much harder to shift than the Sikaflex.

Anyway, got home from the council tip with my hoard, then proceeded to dig out the Jockey wheel I bought from the breakers last year, had to give it some angle grinder action around the bracket, and also had to recut the thread on the securing bolt.

Nice wide wheel for moving on grass.



This picture should tell it all.

Celebration for what was happening today.

I used the time delay on the camera, and Nicola who is camera shy would only allow me this one chance.

She made us a romantic lunch between doing other bits to the trailer and helping me.

What a girl ! ! !




I guess the job is never really done.
Nicola loved the fact that I was covered in sawdust or is that router dust ?
I was busy recessing the sides to allow the latches in without obstruction.
Would not want our kit falling out the rear going down the motorway.



Doing the jobs I am too lazy to do. Selotape glue removal.




WHOOOOOOO . . . . . !!

What have we here ?

Wheels and mudguards being fitted.




Tongue or hitch weight is something I have been worried about as everyone goes on about it.

I knew the bias was reasonable.

However, the unladen hitch weight is 63kg which means that when the galley is loaded with cooler box, food etc, it should reduce the number a bit more.




First time out on it's own wheels !




Nice rear.

Hatch insulation not yet done at that point, only done after 8pm.





Sorry for the dark photo, but it was what was available.
Just wanted our Jolly Roger up there.



What a change, and look..... SPACE .




Made the hatch supports so that even a 6foot 6inch German can get in there without bashing his head.

Used some old ally mop handles that one of the hospitals had thrown out. Inverted the bottom so that the ally pipe fits into the section that used to screw into the head. Secure.
At the top in the hatch itself, I used some Oak accross the corner for the pipe to kick into. Secure.





LASTLY, just to prove it was out, and road tested.
It tows beautifully. Light and secure.

These trailers are toys to some of us.

To me it was a great project, but I will say that if it was not for the understanding nature of Nicola, I would have been screwed.

Thanks to all who participated in various ways to make this a success. Your cuppa tea is waiting.

There will be a few more updates as I continue to fine tune the Teardrop.

What do you think of the final product ?

371 hours build time, think about it before you start, it is addictive this hobby.


Oh, and we did raise the "undercarraige" before departing, Nicola even cable tied the wheel in case it decided to lower itself along the way.

[danlott]

Sorry for the dark photo, but it was what was available.

I lighten the photo a little. Amazing how much information is there with digital pictures.



By the way, looks good. Waiting to see the final paint job.

Dan

[grizz]

Thanks Dan,

The final paint job will only be done when we have moved into the new house, and after this years season. Probably over Christmas break if we are in the new house, and if I can get a decent temperature in the garage there.