The 18 day build

[hkeehn]

Dear tnttt forum

First, thanks for this wealth. It's astounding.

My plan is to build this:


That's my Chevy s-10 towing a 5x10 TD-to-be

I have three months free this summer, and I want to spend it all in a teardrop. My plan is to begin in the Hudson Valley in New York. I'll build the trailer just until it's road legal, rolling, waterproof, and sleep-able. Then I take it to Ohio for my sister's graduation. Then I go on to Texas, NM, AZ, CO, MO, Canada, Boundary Waters, Maine, and end in CT. 60 days, about 7000 miles. My itinerary is built around shops that I've worked at in the past or that are owned by friends. I'll be building constantly as I go and as I learn what works and what doesn't. I can start with something that is quite spartan. The thing I roll back with at the end of the summer will be a very strange animal indeed, full of scrap parts from across the country and the subject of hundreds of revisions.

This means that right now I need a plan for the skeleton: chassis, floor, walls, doors and most windows, bare bones galley, and roof hinges. I'm plotting an additional complication of a pop-up roof with tent netting, and so that option has to be worked out, even if it's not fully operable by the time I take off. That's all good and exciting, but I have the wild additional requirement of needing to do this all in 18 days.

I'm fully aware of how tight this is, but I think I can do it with the right planning and attitude. That means: this won't be "pretty", at least not at first. I have to choose methods that are foolproof and leave openings for later tinkering (or major building). etc. AND, I need to have a game plan and materials in hand. This will be a full time job for this window, and I'll have help.

After lots of reading and drawing and modeling, I'm starting to feel like I can imagine the moves. But I'm sure I'm missing a lot. What I hope to do is to post my "game plan," in as much detail as I can, and have the wonderful readers and advisors here tear it apart and tell me what I'm missing, what is hubristic, where I can simplify, and etc. If there is

Here are some preliminary sketches and models.

A game plan coming shortly

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and criticism!

p.s. I've also posted this as my introduction in the newbies forum, since this is my first hello. I think this may be the better place to leave updates?


Many thanks!

Harper

[KCStudly]

In 18 days...

You really should consider an existing trailer or trailer kit in a box.

You should keep it as simple as possible, maybe a rectangular box with the front top corner beveled and a simple flat rear hatch or barn doors for a galley with a single shelf.

Bought doors, no insulation, no composite construction (i.e. single slab plywood floor and walls). Use 2x2 cleats in the corners, around the doors, roof vent and hatch, and screw it all together with construction adhesive. Maybe frame the hatch door(s) with 1x2 on edge and another 1x2 to support the lip of the galley shelf . Get a Kregg pocket screw jig.

Simple piano hinge with pond liner rubber cover for the hatch hinges and basic hardware store gate hardware for the hinges and latch (fast and cheap).

You don't have time for windows and a lifting roof, trust me, but do put in an RV roof vent and do try to seal everything up with primer, paint and weather stripping as best that you can. you won't have time for more complicated skin, trim or sealing arrangements.

18 days? Good luck to you, sir. I hope you reach your goal, but if you are going to, there should be sawdust flying... like right now!

It is the details that will kill your schedule and everything will take at least as long as you estimate, most things will take much longer than you think, right down to the time you spend at the hardware store.

[hkeehn]

KCStudly:
Thank you for your cautionary warning. I think that tempering influence is the reason I'm presenting this now. Whether or not this assuages some of your concerns, here's from my introduction page, where I got a similar warning. I'll migrate everything to this build thread from now on.

I'm trying to balance "the devil's in the details" and "estimate time and expense, then double it, then probably double it again" caution against a realistic and hopeful ambition. Perhaps some of what I explain below makes this sound more plausible.

Woo Hoo! What a response.

Tony, I'll take your challenge, though I'm laughing at myself as I do. We'll just see! I'll be sure to put it all out there for your judgement. Home run or miserable finish. W/r/t to size: I'm basing this all around three sheets of 5x10 marine ply that I can get. Maybe that helps.

not sure if "manning up" is compatible with my vision of the quiet grandeur of teardropping, but, Still, you're on!

A few other things which might help: This project has been in the corner of my eye for some time now. I've got lumber and tools and bits and pieces like a pack rat. More, I have 1, 2, or perhaps even 3 (!) friends who are going to volunteer a week plus of their time in exchange for beer and food and the excitement of the chase. All are competent builders and they might make all the difference. And finally, I'm going home to my old shop to do this. My family said they'd have food and beds ready. With all that plus this forum (plus about a dozen other good people in the wings), I have a pretty unbelievable support crew!


Points well taken:
BobHenry: focus on the box, leave non-essentials for later, keep all the systems accessible. This is my plan in a nutshell. There will be nothing hidden in here, no routed and tucked away wiring, etc. Instead, access hatches and open conduit. Bins and ammo cans instead of cabinets. Leaving myself options and focusing on structure/ water

Cheri: great idea about the step-wise approach to the top! I'll keep that option in my back pocket as we get into it. I'll look at Zach's builds. Eventually I want insulation, but this is first going to be a summer build.

BC Toys: I've thought about the weekender, but it seems the labor savings from shrinking are not so great as to warrant the step down. I'm a tall person and the idea of 60 days in a weekender makes me a little claustrophobic.

everyone: Yes, I have to bite the bullet and start buying things. There's no time to be waiting for parts.


Can anyone refer me to similar builds? They might be "survival" style or rat-trailers... Contingent and lovingly cobbled together. I see a lot of cabinet-quality work. Inspiring and entirely out of my reach for now.

Thanks again!

Harper

I'm going to start posting my "dry run" plan now. Mostly just to hear myself talk it through once. Any input and "hold it right there!" warnings that members have would be greatly appreciated

more soon, and thanks

Harper

[tony.latham]

18 days? Good luck to you, sir.

KC:

Do I sense a bit of nervousness in your voice? Just a quiver? Eighteen days? What if he pulls it off?

I've got one, two, or three beers on a bet with him. The contract on the wager is a bit nebulous. I say he can't do it. But he's got a couple of things working for him that I don't have –youth and some help. Plus he mentioned rat rod...

And for eighteen (plus) days I can follow his build.

Tony

[KCStudly]

No need to double post, just put a link in: 18 day build intro thread.

[hkeehn]

Dry Run 1: This is me thinking out loud in good company. If anyone wants to slog through it and point out big holes or ask for clarification, many thanks! But in any case, I think this exercise will stand me in good stead for the race. And, if my crew shows up in force, this way I'll have a script that we can all read from.

here we go!

Table of contents, the big moves:
detailed notes to follow for each section

Teardrop Dry Run

1. Construction sequence
1. Frame
2. Floor
3. Walls
4. Roof
5. Interior
2. Material takeoff
3. Plans B, C, D... The ways I can stop short and still get on the road on time.
4. Questions

1.1 Frame (2 days)
I'm in negotiations for a 5 (or 5.5) x 10 utility trailer. I'll spend a little more here to get something that requires little work. Re-pack the bearings and register (Is it really true that it's a good deal to register in Maine? Why not just do it in NY?).

I'll pull off the decking and re-wire for a 7-pin connector if need be.

I may weld in a few more cross members if it feels light. I want my walls to sit on the frame, and I'd prefer to not give up interior space, so if I get a true 5' deck rather than a 5 1/2', I'll weld on 1 1/2" angle iron runners along the sides. Aiming for a reinforced or supported lap joint. Prime and spray.

Park it on my "work pad" (Read: covered front porch next to the shop).

1.2 Floor (2 Days)

I'm going to do the floor that I've seen most often on here: 2x2 "joists" laid out over the frame members. 1/2" play glued and screwed to this. The entire underside treated with roofing cement. The entire assembly thru-bolted (SS) to the frame. Rigid foam cut to fit, glued and screwed into place. Great Stuff to fill the cracks.
This will be full 5x10



1.3 Walls (5 days)

sidewalls:
I'll start with two 5'x10'x1/4" marine ply sheets. Onto these I'll lay out my profile. Then cut to match. I'm going to go shopping for used RV windows at a great local scrap yard ahead of time. I'll lay out whatever I have and cut the appropriate openings. The door... the door frightens me. I don't want to pay for an ugly pre-made, but nor do I want to get into a long drawn-out fight with this critical part. My guess is I'll build it. IN any case, I cut out the appropriate opening.

Onto the sidewalls I'll glue and screw 1"x2" framing, as needed. In between, I'll glue and Great Stuff 1" rigid foam.

I'm still undecided about my interior sheathing. Maybe more 1/4" ply, or even thinner luan. If I could get wide 1/2" boards, I might run those quickly over my router table to shiplap them and panel like that. (I assume I'll get yelled at for this idea, but I kind of like it.)

Windows get taped, flanged, and caulked into place. I need to think through my door plan separately. More on that later.

I've said I want to make a "supported lap joint" like this, courtesy of Campin' Texan:

Do I have to worry about water intrusion at the joint between the steel frame and the wall? It seems like water could get in but not out. How might I seal this?

In any case, the sidewalls go up and tacked into vertical with diagonals.

My interior galley wall will be solid 3/4" ply. This gets cut to fit and glued and screwed into place.

My front end will be the same insulated construction to a height of 3'. This crummy picture of a drawing gives an idea of how I imagine them overlapping. Hopefully you can make it out.


Together, I want to rely on these walls for significant shear strength in case I go for a pop-up roof and lose all the backing usually supplied by the spars. To this end, I'll also add mechanical backing (brackets) at the floor-to-wall junction. I don't mind if I can see them from the inside.



++++

Okay, so that's 9 days in. I'd hope to have walls (probably sans door, still) standing by this point.

That's it for tonight.


more soon, and thanks for reading


Harper

[hkeehn]

KCStudly:
ah, right. Thanks for the tip about double posting. Got it for next time.

[pchast]

I think you can easily do it if you can organize to work a full day.

Get your material on hand, no last minute shopping. Many steps in the process take wait time. The floor and walls can be worked on almost simultaneously. The bottoms of your walls will need waterproofing. Use flashlights... Wire the trailer for running lights, not the interior for electric, other than the vent fan. Install shelves not cabinets. Dry it in and you can travel quickly.

[hkeehn]

Dear all

Here's a couple rough itinerary options. It'll mush about, but I thought it might be interesting to share where I expect this trailer to go. If anyone has suggestions for good stops along the way, let me know! (sorry about the formatting, it got twisted when I tried to post it...)

TEARDROP TRAILER ITINERARY

OPTION 1 South to North to avoid scorching southern heat on the return. An ambitious departure date to make it to my sister's graduation gives me most travel time
Date_____Location___________Miles_Total Miles_Shop?___Notes
4-May____New Paltz, NY______0_____0_________yes ____Begin construction, as early as possible
22-May___Oberlin, OH________507___507_______no_____Sister's college graduation
27-May___St. Louis, MO_______528___1035______no_____City trials, visit with friends. See City Museum
31-May___Amarillo, TX_______758___1793_______no ____Southern route. Further city trials. Junkyards
2-Jun____Raton, NM_________212___2005 _______yes___layover at Nick and Amy's ranch, 5 days. Major shop work.
8-Jun____Taos, NM___________96___2101_______no_____Tiny house site visits, Stock up with groceries for AZ loop
11-Jun___Arcosanti, AZ_______531___2632______no_____Visit Arcosanti, Taliesin West, Desert trials. Looking for hot weather
15-Jun___Chico Ranch, CO____703___3336_______yes____Layover at Chico Basin Ranch, 5 days. Mid-point of trip. Via San Juan Natl Forest
23-Jun___Medicine Bow, WY___292__3628_______no_____Mountain trials, camping. My sisters meet me! Looking for cold weather.
27-Jun___Yellowstone, WY____466___4094_______no_____Multi-person camp trial. Try to re-find a hotspring I visited as a little kid
1-Jul____Harlowton, MT______143___4237 _______yes____Layover at Stuart and Kathleen's ranch, 5 days. Major shop work
6-Jul____Moccasin, MT________51___4288_______no _____A night in the miniscule town I lived in for my first 3 months
9-Jul____Fargo, ND__________660___4948 _______no _____Long-haul road trials. Practice routines. Visit god-father
11-Jul___Minneapolis, MN_____235___5183_______no_____Second city trial. Visit friend from Deep Springs
14-Jul___Cedar Rapids, IA_____277___5460_______yes____Visit grandparents. Trailer repairs.
18-Jul___Higgins Lake, MI_____547___6007_______no_____Northern loop. Layover with friend for travel documentation
6-Aug____Mystic CT__________856___6863_______yes____Through Canada, back in time for Family Reunion. Quiet, slow, final road trials.

Travel dates are based on average travel speed of 300 miles/ day



All three of my friends have now signed on for the build. One great guy is coming all the way from Michigan. So it's all systems go, firing on all cylinders from now on out!


More soon


Harper

[KCStudly]

Probably not new to you, but The Main St Bistro in New Paltz is a great place for Sunday Breakfast.

I like the Pear Gorgonzola Pizza with a fresh beer from The Gilded Otter, also in New Paltz. From their menu, "Pear Gorgonzola Pizza - Caramelized Pear, Gorgonzola, Walnuts, Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Fontina & Mozzarella Cheese, baked then topped with Mesclun Mix and Drizzled with Blue Cheese Dressing".

[Gunguy05]

I would stay at 5 wide, not 5.5. 2 reasons...

1. Cost goes up considerably. It will have already from a 4 to 5, but I think that is well worth it.

2. Also, if you are 5.5 wide, and tires are outside of the frame, you finished trailer will almost certainly be over 80" wide, which puts you in another category as far as DOT lighting requirements.. .ask me how I know this..

Looks like you have a good plan.. I will be watching for the next 18 days (or is that 17)... at least. ]

Also, factor in time for being HERE --V You MUST post at least 1 update daily..... I think that is a fair requirement for the sake of the onlookers??

Good luck and have fun with it.. and take your time so you don't miss anything

[Vedette]

You had better put the computer away and get your safety glasses on!
We are at day 4 and have not seen any building pictures yet.
Chassis should be finished and the floor on by end of today. Otherwise you will be pulling some all nighters to catch up with your schedule.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[hkeehn]

Ah, A clarification:

My 18 day build starts May 6!

Oh man, and now I'm the builder who cried wolf... or however that goes.

Sorry for the confusion! Yes, all this is prep work so that I can hit the ground running on May 6. Going through the motions so I don't trip when the time counts.

GunGuy: thanks for the heads-up about going 5.5 wide. I just saw a few nice trailers on CL that were 5.5 and so thought hey why not? Apparently, there's good reason why not. OK, will set my sights on a plain 5x10

KCStudly: you've correctly named some of the New Paltz highlights! How are you familiar with the area? And yes, I'll take time to post updates once this is actually under construction (though this mental prep is, to me, good construction).. Again, sorry for the confusion!

To make it up to you: I'll post a few pictures of my haul today. I'm scrounging like a hyena.

More soon

Harper

[hkeehn]

So here's what my friend unloaded on me today out of his garage:



That's an 8000 count box of grip rite primeguard deck screws, which I plan to use for my roof, walls, etc.
Some heavy brackets (reinforcing walls? Tie-downs somewhere? There'll be a use.)
4 heavy hinges (interior folding table, galley drop-out work table.)
a handful of 5/8 stainless bolts (yes, heavy and stubby, but how could I say no? They'll do something)
AND 8 70's Harley running ambers and turn signals. Look at that teardrop! Don't know how, yet, but come on!

probably can't work it all in in the time I've got at the beginning, but then things slow way down as I start driving, and I'll just take whatever I haven't used already along for the ride.

A good day!

more soon, and thanks for reading


Harper

[KCStudly]

... New Paltz highlights! How are you familiar with the area?

I explain that all in this post: Not Poet Creek - Hudson River Valley Vacation.

Nice score on the goodies. The screws will come in handy, but if you are going to at least try to build light(er/ish) you will fond that you will also need a bunch of shorter screws. I have used a lot of No. 6 x 3/4 flat heads for attaching 5 mm skins and to avoid poking thru 1x frame work. Right off the bat those HD lights would make good pillow lights, maybe galley lights, and maybe porch lights. Another good reason for leaving the inner skin out (besides time) is so that you can wire stuff in later. I wouldn't normally recommend this because it is so much easier to do this kind of work on the bench, but we are dealing with different priorities here.

I can't imagine any place where brackets or bolts that heavy would be needed on your build (think airplane... (reference Spirit of St Louis wing pic in above link)... not tank. The lighter you make everything the better off you will be in the long run. Better gas mileage, easier to handle moving, hook-up and drop off, and easier on the dynamic loading going down the road (mass acceleration and deceleration; i.e. the lighter it is the less strong it needs to be, the heavier it is the stronger it needs to be). The hinges are a great score, tho!