Cross Bow / trolley / renamed little blue trolley

[Ron Dickey]

I am now retired and my Dr. has released me from hurt shoulder.
Sooooooo
1. I will always have excuses , but after the holidays I will have time to GET R Done.
2. I have been working on the inside lights and checking the wires.
3. The computer fan for cooling has been designed and starting to get it constructed.
4. I have to install the latch for opening and closing the trolley top windows, I have the parts just have to cut out holes for them get inserted.
5. The doors are in the process of getting built. windows for doors were build years ago.
6. I am working front to back so the galley skin is not on, and the shelves for the galley fully figured.
7. I will not start on the saddle bags until after it has tags. and after I have taken it out camping ..... that is when you know what is really needed. The saddle bags are an add on part. hinging out from the sides by the wheel.
8. The spare tire will ride under the cartage on it's side near the front.
9. under the galley I plan to put a drop down holder for a camping table.

If I had not added the trolley top I would have been done long ago, an idea the Doug Hodder suggested. Unfortunately he died and will not get to see what I did. He will be missed.

[Greg M]

Glad to see you’re healed up and taking advantage of retirement
Can’t wait to see it done.

[Ron Dickey]

I lent my first old trailer out to a homeless man. He had to move on and I got my trailer back. The trailer I used for it was an old free boat trailer. and I had it bolted on to that trailer with 2 an later more bolts. I want to separate the trailer from the teardrop body. And desired to take parts from that trailer and transfer them to the new one.
My cousin has shown interest in small trailer but he always says they are so expensive. I said that is why I make mine it only costs around $2000 and not all at one time. So having 5 trailers I can start him out with one at no cost like I did for my first trailer. The old body might become a chicken coop.
At any rate if my cousin does not take me up on it, I have parts on old to put on new. I am retired now and have time to spend on my Cross Bow. It has been raining hard here and I want things to dry out so I can open up the garage and finish what I started 10 years ago. I started this project 3-3-2013 and hope to be done by 3-3-2023 cross your finders.
First I had planned to do it in 3 months, then Doug H. suggested I make it a Trolley top (Doug died so He will never fully see it) but it stopped me dead until I understood how to do that. Then my wife had to take care of her mom as she could not take care of her self. Adela died 5 yrs later.in her house about a mile away and somewhere in there came Covid we did not get it but it slowed things down a lot.

I am glad I made lists on the forum I could go to them and pickup where I left off.
And so I am.

For Doug what an amazing man, teacher, mentor, inventor, and Trailer man! I miss his waffles!

[Ron Dickey]

I have been striping my old teardrop to move parts over to the new one.
The old one was lent to a homeless man who found a safer place to stay.
The old one will be turned into a chicken coop.

But first I need to finish my teardrop so we can get back out and go camping with the rest of you teardroppers.

[Ron Dickey]

Just put a new windshield on my pickup truck. Pitted and air blew in when I drove.
Now I can get the rest of the wood for that galley hatch. And maybe some power equipment.
Many projects have been on hold because it was no fun driving into town, now

[The Teardrop Nanny]

Ron,
Glad you are still at it. Life just keeps us busy, doesn't it?? Be well, TDN
Joanie

P.s. We miss Doug too.

[Ron Dickey]

The good part for this site is If I loose my direction I can look back on my notes and find direction.

The one thing always try and get your wiring figured out before you put the roof on. Less cramped space work.
The first part is to make the wires work on already installed switch. Now I stopped building for a time when I was at work, now that I am retired
Next work on the little things like the overhead lighting wires but I made the wires to short so I had to solder new longer ones so if I needed to repair them I could reach them.
Trying to get that part done and realized after much I should start other projects on the trailer and take my mind off that one.
Now, I am starting to work on the trolley window that swings out so in hot air it can vent out. I am putting in a push out arm like you find in commercially made RV trailers.
Made the arms out of strips of aluminum with holes in the ends. A short one that is curved and a longer straight one. I plan to rivet the long one and the short one together so the handle can swing away. The short one is curved because the window swings up.

But make sure to tell new builders to figure out most of the wiring first, it is very time consuming and as you get older intricate tasks become harder.

[Ron Dickey]

Retired unfortunately does not mean I have time for teardrop, so I desided each day to do something. I had problems connecting wires and it took so much energy I'd stop. then it donned on me I could work on a different area and not stop.
1. I have put in the windows on the trolley top and made a handle to open and close them from the inside.
2. The reading lights are attached to the cabinets at the front of the trailer.
3. I have installed a plastic swing vent to block incoming air at the back of the trolley top.
4. At this time I am going to leave the galley hatch as is... and maybe in the future rebuild it.
5. I have a shelf in the galley and am cutting boards to go between the galley and the cabin.
6. the wiring under the trailer is done but I want to change that some.
7. the switches for turning on all the lights are installed and I am working on putting the lights in.
8. I plan to build more cabinets going above the switches for holding things we might need at bed time.
9. I have all the fans for the trolley air in and out take but need to make a holder for them.
10. I removed the windows from the old trailer. "BoxKite" incase the wiley windows do not work.
11. I have the door handles and the galley door hatch locks
12. The saddle bags will remain on hold until after it is licensed
13. I have the iron needed for putting the spair under the trailer.
14. I have the metal for sliding the folding camp table under the back of the trailer, it will be hinged and will drop from under the trailer.
15. I am working on getting a better pulling for the trailer.
16. I hope to have this unit up and running buy my birthday in July.

[Tom&Shelly]

Amazing how much stuff we all have to do in retirement, isn't it!? No job for the lazy!

Sounds like you are making great progress Ron.

Tom

[Ron Dickey]

thanks Tom,

What Part of New Mexico? and NY I have been in NY city as a boy twice. My family traveled a lot I have been in all but 3-4 states mostly as a boy.
My first trailer BoxKite I pulled in NM, AZ, and all over CA. Mostly camped in Northern CA. But my new design Cross Bow will let me sleep in the Desert

Looks like you have had a few trailers. Are you in a new build now?

Ron Dickey
Born in NM
Los Osos, CA

[Tom&Shelly]

Just one trailer build. Two years while still working, then finished it in retirement, which happens to have been the year COVID happened.

Since then, we've been busy travelling, and I've been busy fixing up our place East of Albuquerque NM, and the house I grew up in, near Binghamton NY. Along with doctors appointments, vet appointments (our cat is retired/old too!), helping move my Mom to independent living, etc., etc. it feels like we're busier in retirement than when we were working!

Tom

[Ron Dickey]

Working on getting my doors done. On my first build I could not figure out the doors had to have a fellow teardropper build them for me the first time. This time I figured it out. These doors will have Waley windows in them. I am working on the drivers door now about to put the outside skin on.
Then drill for the door handle before putting the inside skin on. And drill through to that side.

I have a neighbor who does house construction and will ask him to help me put the hinges on. And help me hang them.

The windows for the trolley top I have cut out the holes for the open close handles to work, much like those found on comercial trailers push bar to open and pull arm to close.
once I have the drivers side on then I can start on the riders side which should go much faster.

I plan when I get plates to print the plate number on top of my trailer in case it gets stolen or maybe I should make it ugly so they will pass it up.

have a happy October festival when it comes to your area.
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

The first door is almost done. I am going to ask my neighbor a contractor help me hang the doors.

I find I need to think though a job before starting each step.  I have one of the doors almost done but have not run the air stapler in several years.  have the outside skins to put on then start building the other door. and get some bender board for the back hatch.

With all my other projects hopefully have it done near Christmas.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

All most done with the doors.
Now I need to find a friend who knows how to hang doors.

We bought a uysed 2005 Highlander to pull it with. Much more luxurious then the Corolla. Has a factory hitch.
I also bought a SUV tent that we can attach to the hatch so we can go camping now if the trailer is not finished.
I also bought an inflatable bed.

from our first trailer we which had no galley, we still have, a changing tent and Coleman instant screened canopy, inside the canopy we put our colman, ALUMINUM EXPONENT OUTFITTER CAMP KITCHEN , fold out aluminum table and chairs.

We use to have a old coleman hot water heater but it no longer works, I see Colman now sells one. They have now changed the design, hope it works better bit over $200
I remember one year at IRG one of our smarter teardropers took copper tubing and bent it in a circle and put it on top of a stove and it put out hot water much cheaper (I have a picture of it somewhere??)
Also I have seen vans with black pipes on top with a hose and a air pressure valve, to heat water for showers. Mostly used by surfers out here in California.
instuction on how to build https://www.rei.com/blog/camp/diy-car-t ... amp-shower

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Well now I have reason to finish my teardrop. IRG Interanational Redwood Gathering restarted a couple of years back and I am signing up to go.

My doors are almost done. Had to talk to a construction Neighbor as to attaching metal to wood marine grade locktite max. and Portaflash for around the windows to keep water out.

Getting new ideas for the Galley. There are a lot of YouTubes on the new Teardrop trailers Manufactured and home made. New ideas for what to put on the Tung too.

Mine is built the old fashioned way outside plywood and suds and inside plywood. The new ways reduce the weight so much more. Fortunately I have several trailers I can later try again on. but I do not know is I have that many years of life left.

Ron