lil vardo 2

[Deryk the Pirate]

Yeah I'm real happy finding the insulation, same I will be triming it a bit to fit between the supports.

To square the frame I took off the 2 2x4x10 on each side and loosened the trailer up and started in the back, layed a piece of 3/4" 4x8 plywood and started clamping it down to keep the frame square. Took some work but I got it pulled in a lot closer then it was...looks good now.

I'm goin tent camping unless the weather is too hot/humid, or the rain they were talkin about shows up....personally I would rather be workin on the vardo...but haven't seen these friends since the fall since they are a 3 hour or so drive, and I've been guilted into going lol...


Deryk

[Jst83]

Im debateing putting the door on the back side since I can make more of an overhang over the door and not be worried about the wind grabbing it like it would in front.

Which way have you decided to go I'm drawing up some vardo plans and was thinking the same thing, that would make a heck of a scoop pulling it into the wind.

Keep up the good work I'll be watching and learning

[Deryk the Pirate]

Well I decided to stick with my original plan with the door faceing the tongue so i can have a tiny deck with a galley on the backside... makes the most sense to me.

No work this weekend goin tent camping with friends... next week Im hopin to get some walls up!

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Can't believe you're already building number 2!! I'm jealous! I know that I learned a lot building the first one, and I'm sure you were the same way. Looking forward to seeing this one too!

[Deryk the Pirate]

Zach, I couldnt believe the first one sold as fast as it did lol. Yeah Ive learned a few things, and still am lol... and already thinkin about tryin a fullsized bowtop vardo (But i really wonder if there hard to tow)..Im just crazy...too much time on my hands lol

Well the forcast was bad for camping...so I went down to work on the vardo.

I was raceing a weather front so didnt take much pictures. Its looking real boxy now, probably wont get the arches cut next weekend, although I really want to...will see.

I got the door made, 28" wide by 39.75" tall, insulated it while building it. Hopefully next weekend the door will be in and the last outer wall done. The mdo plywood looks like cardboard in the pics lol. I did get to epoxy the edges yesterday but cant wait till the roof is done and its all painted and protected from the elements.

[Deryk the Pirate]

Well got 1 short day of work done before the rain came and killed the weekend. I also saw 2 of my friends in a local production of Cinderella saturday nite...was nice to get out for a night!

My friend Connor was at Pennsic, so I got to cut and plane and sand the arches myself. Wasnt so bad till I think I killed his old belt sander...guess I will be buyin him a new one...lasted about 3 minutes till it started smoking lol.


I ended up triming an inch off each side, was just too wide for what I wanted.

Lookin less boxy, more "vardo'ish" lol

The purlins are 2x4's cut in half screwed and glued. I added 1 on each side on my side walls screwed and glued in place, so it should help hold the roof down. There is about a dozen 4" screws and titebond 2 holdin each arch in place.

All closed up to protect it from the monsoon we got all day sunday...sigh

Hopefully I will have the plywood roof on next weekend, and whichever way I decide to go metal or epdm by the end of the month. Im a bit torn, might do the metal roof, a bit more costly but would be less subject to damage then the epdm...any opinions?

thanks

deryk

[Woodstramp]

Deryk,

The arches are giving it the vardo-y-ness.

I was thinking about an idea while you were doing the other trailer. If there was a way to get some kind of hub caps for the wheels, paint flat black and adhere some faux wood spokes to the the caps. If it could be done without throwing wheel balance out the door, that is.

[Deryk the Pirate]

I've thought of looking for a pair of small wagon wheels and take some black cloth to cover the existing tires... but that's worriees for another day lol

[droid_ca]

what about painted hubcaps that might work your trailer is looking really good ae you building a porch on the back of it if so how do you think that will affect the weight of the trailer keep up the good work

[Deryk the Pirate]

Thanks Droid, its starting to take shape, which makes me happy. The back "porch looking " area is where my galley is going to be, just haven't started it yet. Need 2 more sheets of mdo plywood to build it. I am planning a small porch by layin some. Cedar over the tongue area. Wish money wasn't holdin me back so lol...

[Woodstramp]

I like Droid's idea for just painting spokes on hubcaps. That gives the look, but no balance troubles.

Deryk,

Don't make this one look as good as the other one. Another friend (with greenbacks) will keep you from actually using it.

[Deryk the Pirate]

Deryk,

Don't make this one look as good as the other one. Another friend (with greenbacks) will keep you from actually using it.

lol yeah right.... Well if all goes well the end of the month I might be comin into an extra paycheck, might buy another trailer and start on 1 to sell so I can keep this one.

[mezmo]

Hi Deryk The Pirate,

We all "know" you'll just have to do another build when you finish the
LiL Vardo 2. So here's some links to a small BowTop style Vardo
that was done as a thesis project,for inspiration.

http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house-concept/protostoga/
http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house-con ... ga-update/
http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/pr ... -interior/

The aluminum roofing idea is very interesting.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[jbyrd]

It's coming together nicely, I really like the vardo style and thought about building one but was really unsure about the wind drag issue towing it.
Look forward to seeing it finished.

[Deryk the Pirate]

Norm, Yeah Ive seen the photo's of it and it is sharp, but 600 hours of labor, lol I would need a garage near where I live to work on it, my friends house is too far for dailey commutes back and forth lol. I have had some thought of useing bendy plywood and fiberglassing it to seal it then canvas overtop to just make it look "period" All insulated to make it a more solid structure. If things work out right this week for a change then will see.... but Im so far behind on my current vardo. Most of july and august it rained on the weekends, my only time off to be down at my friends shop. Get a great holiday weekend and I got an infected boil lanced friday and spent most of the weekend sleepin and poppin hard core anti biotics.... always something... thats just life.

Thanks Jeremy! Yeah I just love to look of the vardo's. There will be a certain amount of drag, but it depends on your vehicle. My original plans were for this one to be narrower and shorter in height then my first to be less of a strain on my old pt cruiser. With that gone and a larger tow vehicle I decided to go with 75" exterior width (6 foot inside)to squeeze a bed in across the width to give my a tiny parlor inside. Original width was about 22" less lol.

My Rav4 has a 3500 lb tow capacity and Im guessing I will be a little over a 1000lbs, so it can more then handle it. I am gonna be addin airbags (if I can find them) to stiffen my rear end a bit. When I hooked it up to move it to my friends backyard for Irene, was a bit tough gettin the tongue jack to open properly to crank it off the ball, was about an inch too low.

Or change the reciver and use a center mounted jack with no wheel...or try a 3" raised receiver instead of the 2" I had... always so many decisions (and money!) lol