Raven's Nest update 12/28/2021

[Staryder61]

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BABY GIRL...

We just found out we will be new first grandparents soon...

Do an update when you can, but understand little slow with the new little one...

[Staryder61]

Hi everyone,,
Hope this finds all being safe and healthy.. Crazy world right now..
Well it's been awhile..
A few changes here for us.. Was working on a new woody, retro style.. teardrop/gruman.. depends on who you ask or talk to..
Either way it started out as a woody we called ( Raven's Nest ).. that was over 2 years ago.. and was planning on having it done is 5 months.. that didn't happen..
But all good things take time.. and the world and life have a tendency to change things and get in the way of what we want..
My advice to anyone that is planning on building one of these little campers.. throw away the thought of time, that you think it will take to complete.. on the first one you build..
As I mentioned a couple lines back,, (( Either way it started out as a woody we called ( Raven's Nest ).. We now call it the { Bumble Bee }
You'll definately see why the name change as you read on... if I haven't lost your attention already that is..
A couple posts back is where we had left off.. looking like this..



Well after spending extra for high dollar oak ply.. and this driving 70 miles to pick it up.. we scrapped the stained woody idea
and decided to paint it.. Hey, still a woody, RIGHT?

Having problems with the top of the tear.. plywood skin, had warped and dipped on the top area..
I came up with a fix for the problem.. After discussing with my better half, it was decided..
A fiberglass pick up truck bed cover found on the side of the road a few years back.. would be the fix for it, and it was available..



and we would paint it... which is how we came up with the Bumble Bee....

So, that decided now.. started to work on the top.. measured and cut to rough size.. with a jig saw.. then clamped on temporary and trimmed with a flush router bit..
paint colors and availability of paint was discussed several different times during this transition.. you can see by the pics the colors that won out..

Top trimmed and painted.. on to the rest of the teardrop..


Can say one thing about it.. IT's YELLOW

And all the pine trim that we will still use from the woody look and fenders.. will be black,, with door and window frames painted yellow...



to match the fiberglass top... so,, the Bumble Bee is born...

[aggie79]

Transformed is right! I like both versions.

[Staryder61]

Transformed is right! I like both versions.

Thank you, thank you, Tom..

And No, say it ain't so.. you didn't , right? Naw, couldn't happen.. The Silver Beetle, really it's gone,,?

[aggie79]

And No, say it ain't so.. you didn't , right? Naw, couldn't happen.. The Silver Beetle, really it's gone,,?

David,

I try not to think of it as "gone" so much as it is staying with a good friend, Thomas. We put a lot of heart and soul in the builds (along with blood, sweat, and tears). Thomas built a teardrop trailer, and has restored more vintage trailers than I can count, so I know he appreciates the Silver Beetle.

....Enough of that. Let's get back to your fine build!

[Staryder61]

I try not to think of it as "gone" so much as it is staying with a good friend, Thomas. We put a lot of heart and soul in the builds (along with blood, sweat, and tears). Thomas built a teardrop trailer, and has restored more vintage trailers than I can count, so I know he appreciates the Silver Beetle.

....Enough of that. Let's get back to your fine build!

Tom , it staying with a good friend is acceptable,,

Maybe if everything ever settles down again,, we could get up to Thomas and your area.. to visit..
Linda and I are so ready to go camping..
Worked today on cleaning the windows, getting the frames ready to paint yellow.. they are black right now..
Yellow frames with the smoked windows will be great, to go along with the new color scheme.
We are supposed to have nice weather now for awhile,, need it since that last big storm went through...
So more tear time available..

[Staryder61]

Hey y'all.. the Raven (Bumble Bee) is going up for sale..
Please see the following if interested...

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=72849

[aggie79]

David,

All I can say is “say it ain’t so”. I was so looking forward to seeming the Raven/Bumble Bee in person!

These times have been really hard in many aspects. I hope y’all stay safe, healthy, and happy.

Take care, Tom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Staryder61]

David,

All I can say is “say it ain’t so”. I was so looking forward to seeming the Raven/Bumble Bee in person!

Take care, Tom

Afraid, "it is so, Tom"... between the weather and never knowing how I'll feel.. figured it's time to see if we can get it in good hands.. with someone that will finish it and enjoy it.. and then with all this going on right now in our country.. Who knows what's next ???????

So hopefully we can find someone that wants it on here.. haven't ran it for sale anywhere else yet...

check your private Tom..

[Staryder61]

Tom, tried sending you a private message,, says user doesn't exist...

[aggie79]

David,

Try sending to my email - tom(dot)aggie79(at)gmail(dot)com. Substitute “.” for “dot” and “@“ for “at”.

Take care,
Tom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Staryder61]

The Raven's nest / Bumble Bee

has not been sold, though it has been taken off the for sale list..

It is going to be repurposed.. and that will be revealed at a later date..

Hang in there y'all and stay healthy and safe..

[Staryder61]

Hi y'all, hope everyone has had a good holiday.. have been staying healthy and safe in this crazy ole world.
It has been a while for me to be on here. For one reason or another.
My last post was as follows.

The Raven's nest / Bumble Bee
has not been sold, though it has been taken off the for sale list..
It is going to be repurposed.. and that will be revealed at a later date..
Hang in there y'all and stay healthy and safe..

The Raven's Nest / Bumble Bee, never got finished. It had some major problems. And continued through it's lifetime.
The plywood, even though I had spent the money and bought the best that could be found. Started to delaminate and continued to do so.
From the oak ply to the baltic birch.. still not sure exactly why. Maybe the continuous change in the temperature while building it (it was built in winter and summer and the temps were between 108 degrees to as low as 26 degrees.) the humidity could go from 45% to 99%. who knows??
It just became to much to try to repair..

So it has been scrapped.



I did end up with a great little utility trailer from it..

Now on to another project worth working on and completing.. while tearing apart the teardrop. I saved as much as I could. Cabinets, wood inside that was still good enough to recycle into another project. Fantastic fan. Electrical etc.

If no one on here has any objections, I would like to share a small van conversion that has morphed out of a teardrop trailer..

And if you follow this posting, I will also be offering up some very good parts later. Some new, some used.

Continue to be safe and healthy.. and enjoy your holidays to the fullest that you can.. you just never know what's coming next..

[pchast]

I'd be interested in the conversion.