Monte's Ramblin' Rose 4' x 8' teardrop build

[MonteQuest]

Very nice build. I believe a homemade door can be just as nice if not better than a factory door.

Thanks! I will do a detailed construction of the door.

[MonteQuest]

I sprayed the satin polyurethane finish on the interior and installed the FRP on the ceiling, ($38.98 4’x 8’ sheet). The material will follow almost any bend without breaking. Strong 1/16". 19 lbs/sheet. I split the sheet at the skylight. Unless you have 2 or 3 helpers, installing a full sheet is an impossible task.


I used the inside FRP corner trim which bends easily to follow the curve.


I fastened the ceiling with construction adhesive and screws with finish washers. LED ceiling lights are installed.


I’ve started to install the first layer of .5” Formular using foam board adhesive and clamps & bricks to hold it to the curve. Using my table saw, I cut kerfs in the Formular to facilitate making the sharper curves.


Total cost to date: $1819.45 Weight: 577 lbs Tongue weight: 90 lbs

[MonteQuest]

Roof insulation is installed. 1 1/8" thick. (Two layers of .5" Formular) Straps were temporarily screwed to roof supports to hold the foam board while the adhesive dries. Roof spars are 1/16" below the top of the sides to allow the FRP to be flush when installed. I installed a 1/4" curved glue ridge between the spars.

[MonteQuest]

I have installed the 1/16” FRP to the roof spars using construction adhesive and countersunk screws. (Note: you cannot staple this material! They will not penetrate.) My frame was 48” wide, so the FRP fit exactly between the ½” sides and flush with the top so the Filon will bridge the 49 1/8” camper width ─ 49” Baltic Birch sides and the 1/16” Filon skin that will be contact-cemented to the Baltic Birch.

I installed a 100ah Lithium battery and a fuse box in the galley to check my lighting circuits before covering the wiring.

Total cost to date: $2161.99 Weight: 623 lbs Tongue weight: 96 lbs (roughly 15% of total tow weight so far).

[MonteQuest]

I am finishing the wiring installation in the galley to the fuse box with a battery trickle charger and 125v outlet.

Galley construction is underway.


Total cost to date: $2272.43 Weight: 651 lbs Tongue weight: 96 lbs

[MonteQuest]

Galley is nearly complete. Formica countertop. Pull out shelf for refrigerator in the middle.

Total cost to date: $2543.88 Weight: 672 lbs. Tongue weight: 87 lbs/13% of total.

[pchast]

Looks Great so far.....

[MonteQuest]

Looks Great so far.....

Thanks, Pete! One of the first things I've learned is that little items add up quickly in both weight and cost. I'm hoping to stay under 850lbs in weight and under $4000 in costs.

[pchast]

Should be no problem if you keep track.

[working on it]

... One of the first things I've learned is that little items add up quickly in both weight and cost. I'm hoping to stay under 850lbs in weight and under $4000 in costs.

My goal for my 4x8 was to stay under 1000 lbs, and my wife's goal was for me to stay under $500. Neither goal was met, not by a longshot. At 2225 lbs loaded, I exceeded that goal by 2.25x, and I'm not sure about the total cost.

Should be no problem if you keep track.

I built the trailer for 22 months before it was ready for its' inaugural outing; half of that time it was 50+ miles from home, in a friends home shop, where it would be out of sight of the wife (for whom it was being built...at first). I brought it home once the trailer exterior was completed (ready for weather and highway travel, i.e. painted and sealed), and I'd already exceeded the $500 budget by then.

I had been keeping receipts for expenditures, but threw them away at $1000, and kept on going. Once it was home, in the garage bay I had made ready for it (one bay for trailer, one bay for my Chevelle, one bay for tools & my wife's "antiques/junk"), I asked the wife if she wanted the interior done or not, and if she said yes, then for her to accept further expenses.

I figure that I spent 5-6x the initial budget, and have added greatly to that total in the following 11 years, with all the mods and additions I've made to it. I admit to some excesses, but after the wife never used it (being so small, she said it made her feel like it was a coffin), I took it over, and customized it to my needs, probably spending another $1000 or so. It is what it is.

[MonteQuest]

To make my hatchback, I first clamped a piece of 12” wide ¼” plywood to the galley side profile and traced the outline for my pattern. I then rough cut the line to within an 1/8” with my jig saw. Reclamping, I ran my router on the pattern to exactly match the profile.

Next, I placed the pattern on a piece of ¾” x 11 ¼” x 4’ pine and traced the profile outline onto it. I also rough cut that line to within an 1/8”. Using a tiny pin nailer, I attached the plywood pattern to the pine and ran it through my router table. Using a compass to follow the profile, I scribed a 1 ½” line onto the pine and carefully cut it close to the line. Using my sander, I removed the remainder.

Once I had a template of ¾” pine, I traced it onto the ¾” x 11 ¼” pine boards, rough cut the profile, pin nailed the pattern to each of the boards, and then routered each so that all the ribs were exact duplicates. I rounded the bottom edges with a 3/8” router bit and sanded them smooth.

Next, I laid out the 1 ½” horizontal slats 12” on center along the ribs and cut dadoes to receive them. I marked the 1 ½” width and cut ¾” down with my Japanese saw on each side. I used my jigsaw to hog out the center, and my router to clean up the remainder.

Next, I glued and screwed the horizontal supports to the ribs, sanding sealed it and applied 3 coats of satin polyurethane. The two small insert boards are backing for the taillights. I added an extra cross member at the bottom for extra rigidity.

Next, attached the FRP to the ribs using construction adhesive and #6 1 ¼” screws.

[MonteQuest]

Here’s the hatch attached to the hurricane hinge. Gas shocks will support the hatch when finished. Hatch weighs 20lbs without the exterior Filon skin, taillights, and trim.

[steve cowan]

Great documentation and really nice work.Not knowing how you are finishing the hatch but will the hinge extend on the ends to keep water out?



The ends of the hinge overhang 3/4 inch.

[tony.latham]

but will the hinge extend on the ends to keep water out?

I caught that too...



The hurricane hinge must go about 1/2" beyond the wall.

Tony