My build july 6 2013

[Txsbluesguy]

Ok I've started my build. This first one will be brief and more of an over view and less than a detail step by step. I was building pretty quick and trying to everything done during my vacation week. I've been able to get four or five good days of progress and share what I've got so far

I want to say in advance THANK YOU to all on the forums who have posted on here. The information on here is invaluable and appreciated. I also would like to give a shout out to those on the Expedition Portal, Wooden Boat Builder, and several other sites who I have gleaned information from. I also apologize in advance for any formatting problems with this entry. I will reformat it later as I learn the proper way, but for now I'm kinda tired

Alright now on to the build journal. A few years ago I saw a Cricket Trailer http://www.crickettrailer.com/. The simplicity and utilitarian design was very appealing. It is the opposite of my parents 32' fifth wheel. Ive been on trips with them several time and the amount of stuff one has to deal with on those is a PITA. I wanted a trailer to make it easier to get my gear to and from camping sites. I have been a tent camper for many years so roughing it is no problem for me. After a divorce I cant really afford to buy a trailer and really feel most trailers don't meet my needs. So in my search I came upon this forum and figure out I could build one that met my needs and budget.

when i started I set up some goals for the trailer.
It has to fit in my garage for storage. I live on a busy semi urban street and cannot leave it in my drive way. I have a large back yard but getting a tailer in and out of there is not an easy task.
It has to be able to hold me and my two school age kids, a 5yo and a 7yo, about 30 percent of its use and the other 70 percent it would be just me.
It wanted Air Conditioning since a lot of my camping is done in Texas summertime and AC just makes sleeping easier
I wanted a Refrigerator in it since once again in the Texas heat, Ice goes pretty quick and its a drag to have to run out to get ice every other day
I need to be able to gat a bicycle or two into or on the trailer.
It needs to be a budget conscious build but not a cheapo build
The trailer is more hard tent transport than a hotel room on wheels
The build would be done mostly in one week and done solo

With those goals in mind I started my build. I decided a traditional teardrop would not really work with my self and two kids even if it was a 5' wide I would still have to work out some sort of bunk situation for one of the kids. The curved profile would also be a slower build and I had limited time to get it built. I decided a weekender or grasshopper would be the profile I wanted, their straighter lines make for a quicker build and appeal to me. I also decided to omit the built in galley since I don't really like cooking in the trailer and did not want to commit so much time and space in the trailer for something that would not be utilized every single trip. The finals design is built on a HF 4x8 trailer. I originally designed it on a 4x9 configuration but after some rethinking I settled back on a 4x8 frame. Where the galley would be I am putting in a cargo door for loading gear and a future chuck box. The chuck box will be similar to this and be used on larger and longer trips. http://www.camping-boxes.com/Catalog/Flip-Top-chuck-box.cfmOn shorter trips with out the kids I wont need it. There is a small counter in the front and small storage for a kind of mini galley for coffee for me in the mornings.

I used marine grade fir for the sheetgoods that would be close to the elements and pine for interior framing and the interior storage bulkhead. The exterior will be sheathed in Aluminum Composite Material like Dibond but less cheaper … I think its called sign-a-bond. I get it at a sign supply. I will use two 5x10 sheets for the sides and one 4x8 sheet for each the front, top and rear. Keeping the trailer 4' wide really does save a LOT of money. I only went over 4' in height so that I can build in a hanging pipe berth for one of the kids to sleep in. the interior is 4' 8” and this is as high as I could go and still get the trailer in the garage.

I built a basic box for the main cabin and will add on a slanted nose section for the storage up front tomorrow. I have photos in my gallery of what Ive got done so far.[album]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/album.php?album_id=3086[/album] I originally had a sink in the design but omitted it from the build. I was a dumpster find and it was there, but after a mock up it just didn’t fit . I will build it in to a stand that can be transported or left at home like the chuck box.

[rebapuck]

Simple is better. You can always add things later if you think it will be an asset.