Lance and Becky's Sagwagon

[Melven]

Melven, it's the light duty Harbor Freight tongue box. Here is the link. http://www.harborfreight.com/35-inch-steel-trailer-tongue-box-66244.html. We like it very much.

Jeff and Laurie, thank you!!

Awesome thanks Becky.

[Melven]

I was going to buy that Tounge box but I ended up building one instead. Here is a pic.

[GuyllFyre]

Melven, it's the light duty Harbor Freight tongue box. Here is the link. http://www.harborfreight.com/35-inch-steel-trailer-tongue-box-66244.html. We like it very much.

Thank you for the link.
This has me thinking, I need to put 120lbs of batteries in front of the axle, not behind it.
It makes me also think about making an under-chassis low profile battery box to tuck it just in front of the axle but still be serviceable.

[Oldragbaggers]

Staying on track for campability in time for the "Shore I'm Irish Festival on May 17, and this weekend was perfect for being outside.

We got the final coat of paint on and finally we are both extremely pleased. After trying every kind of roller (tipping and not tipping) , and and HVLP sprayer, after about 5 topcoats Lance did it the old fashioned way with a 3" badger hair brush and it really looks nice. The only imperfections you can see now are in the fiberglass and they will be staying as they are.

I got the final coat of epoxy resin on the hatch also. I needed one more coat to fill in the weave pattern in the cloth. Next weekend I will start fitting all the hardware and drillng all my holes while I can still see the markings for the ribs and reinforcing blocks. Then I will be down to paint and installation. While I'm doing that Lance will be installing my trailer lights.

I was planning to have only 2 shelves at back of the cabin, but that CaseyDog Super Simple electrical cord is so butt ugly I decided to build a small cabinet for that and then just have a larger shelf over it for our duffel bags. The cabinet is complete except for the doors. The only other things left to "build" is the extension table for the galley and this neat little box for storage of paper towels, condiments, spices and such that I saw at a seafood restaurant last weekend. It's amazing how so many things we normally might not notice at all are now inspiration for projects for the teardrop.

The more we have looked at it, the more fond we have become of the look of the black and tan, so we are going to keep that color theme throughout. It suits my personality as I tend toward black and earth tones in almost everything. The bicycle thing just wasn't working out as decor goes but I found a perfect fabric that has black and tan as the primary colors, and the print reflects our other great passions; water, sailing and tropical climates. (And we love all things Tommy Bahama.) I found it for a great price from Sailrite so will be ordering enough for drapes and throw pillows tomorrow. I would like to do a small awning off the hatch with it also, but I have about 10 yards of linen color Sunbrella (which is almost the exact same color as our Grand Banks Beige paint) left over from a previous boat project and, although that will be rather plain looking, I can't see buying more awning fabric and wasting what I have. I think maybe I will just scallop the edges of the awning with some black piping to give it a little pop. The Sunbrella Dupione Sand upholstery fabric that I used to cover my mattress was also left over from a boat project and is the same beige, but with very subtle stripes. I think sheets will be white with a beige coverlet. My interior walls are white as well. I know that all sounds very plain, but with the Tommy Bahama curtains and throw pillows I think that will be just enough to be interesting. I hope that what I am seeing in my mind is what I have when it's done.



We bought a nice 10x10 canopy, but for quick overnights when we travel we probably won't bother with that and will just put up the small hatch awning. (This post is half updating and half "thinking out loud.")

My baggage door catches (thank you for telling me about those, Zach) will be arriving this week, along with our Vornado Compact air circulator, which will provide our cooling when we have shore power available. I still cannot decide whether I want to put the rain gutters over my doors or not. They are painted and ready. I even painted the heads of the screws to install them with. I keep holding them in place and staring at them and just can't bring myself to pull the trigger. I really like the nice clean look the teardrop has right now and don't really want to start installing things that will take away from that. If anyone has any good arguments as to why, or why not, I should install them, I would like to hear it. I had purchased a stainless steel handle for the hatch, but then this weekend I saw a really nice black one and decided in keeping with our black and tan theme, I would use that instead.

So, that's all the news that's fit to print this week. Until next weekend............take care and enjoy this beautiful spring weather!!!

[nevadatear]

Becky, that all dounds just fabulous! Grat thme. So here s my arguement for the rsin gutters-- take it ourin the rain just once. Our first big trip out to zion park, we ad a lot of rain. Without the eyebrows, the water jst rolled in the door whenever it was openned, plus, it was forced in the top when we drove. First we put on aluminum ones, and hated the look, do randy made cherry ones to match the tail lights and inside trim. We, like you, didn't want to mess with the clean look, but decided function, as always, trumped fashion. We just had to find the right ones that idn't look ugly. The poc in the avatar doesn't have the eyebrows.

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[S. Heisley]

'm with Debbie and Randy. Take it out in the rain or spray the door area with a hose and see what happens. (Put some plastic over your mattress, just in case.) If the water sits up there and hits your head/mattress when you open the door, you know what to do. If the water/door is 'kind' to you, you can let it go.

I like your idea of a Tommy Bahama white, black, and tan theme. It will look good. If you think that the white is too much inside, you can sew some black trim on your curtains and add a black pillow or black pillow cases! Even outside, I like the idea of the black trim. If the sun causes it to fade, you can touch up the trim with a black Sharpie. Do they make black flamingos?

I can hardly wait to see your Sagwagon all decked out!

[Oldragbaggers]

Debbie and Sharon,

Thanks for the perspective on the eyebrows. And I agree, function always comes first. So, I guess this weekend, on they go. Debbie, your eyebrows are very classy and suit your teardrop perfectly.

Plan B for the sheets, if the white is too much, is to get them in pale green, which is the other color in the fabric. I had thought about having 1 print throw pillow and one black one, or having the pillows be print on one side and black on the other, but black fabric picks up and shows lint so easily. I'll have to think about that one.


As always, thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback. It is always appreciated.

[Kharn]

A sprinkler test would be a good idea, at the same time you could also test the hatch, tongue box, roof fan, etc, for leaks in normal rain when you're parked. Driving rain can be very tricky, blasting the tear with a regular hose isn't exactly comparable, and you do not want to erode the finish.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

I'm really liking the color scheme! Wish I was going to the gathering in a few weeks to see this in person!

[Oldragbaggers]

Thanks Zach. I wish you were coming also, as I have yet to see the X-II and I am looking forward to that!!

[les45]

Becky,
FWIW - I have the same doors and I sprayed the heck out of them while cleaning up after our second camping trip this past weekend. I had not previously given the trailer a good waterproofing check. During construction, I simply installed the doors with the seals against the painted side walls and no additional caulking or anything. I sprayed the water all over with a lot of force and directly into the windows with absolutely no leaks. Those doors are really well built for water tightness.
Larry S.

[Oldragbaggers]

Thanks Larry, that's good to know. So, now here I am again......do I or don't I

[Corwin C]

Try it without ... be vigilant ... if issues develop then you know what you need to do.

[nevadatear]

Becky, there is something to be said for what les said. Our doors were homebuilt and smooth, so when they opened, there was nowhere for the water to go but around the edge and into the door. Your doors have, as i can see, a little lip around them as it is. That may be enough to keep the water from streaming in when the door is opened.

Nothing to be lost with a wait and see plan. They can always be added, as we did.

[nevadatear]

found a perfect fabric that has black and tan as the primary colors, and the print reflects our other great passions; water, sailing and tropical climates. (And we love all things Tommy Bahama.) I found it for a great price from Sailrite so will be ordering enough for drapes and throw pillows tomorrow. I would like to do a small awning off the hatch with it also, but I have about 10 yards of linen color Sunbrella (which is almost the exact same color as our Grand Banks Beige paint) left over from a previous boat project and, although that will be rather plain looking, I can't see buying more awning fabric and wasting what I have. I think maybe I will just scallop the edges of the awning with some black piping to give it a little pop


A couple of suggestions, take them or leave them. You could use black pillowcases or one black throw pillow for a little more pop. You could also get just a little more of the tommy fabric and use it with the black piping for your awning to carry your theme to the outside. Might want to use a small black border or tabs or a header, or the piping on the curtains for a little more depth.

Either way, it will be a beaut!