Bread-loaf build thread

[Fred Trout]

Greetings - long time lurker (4 years) now starting my new foamy build.

For the moment, I will call the foamy the Bread-loaf because it will be more or less a simple box shape with a drop nose (if I get that far). I plan to make simple pair of bread truck doors in back to access a simple kitchen with a slight overhang at that top.

The overall width will be 53" wide x ~9 feet long and will sit on top of an insulated 2x2 frame with about 2 inch overhang on each side of the angle iron trailer frame. This will allow the interior finished width to be roughly 48" wide and still allow almost 2" clearance for the tires. The overhang will be good enough to wrap the canvas underneath. I have finished painting & modifying a used 2011 Carry-On 4x8 welded angle-iron trailer; I added new LED lights & attached the spare tire underneath where the frame had enough space. The plan is to allow the teardrop to be a removable unit so that I can construct it at any height and then bolt it down when done and remove it in the future. Still need to add some angle iron up front to hold the front of the teardrop & the storage box.

The build so far:

[GPW]

That’s a good start !!! Like the spare underneath ...

[Fred Trout]

Thanks GPW. Hopefully the remaining road clearance is enough. The little car's clearance dragging this teardrop wasn't any better so it should be OK.

I can still flip the axle to get more clearance or just move the spare if needed. Have not seen many of these plain Carry-On trailers (this one was from Tractor Supply) on the road but it's got to be one step better than the Harbor Freight trailer & the used price was the same. Dexter axle and welded frame is nice. But cutting off the welded on fenders was a pain especially for someone who never used a cutting wheel before

Should start the floor & support frame this coming week and then start laying out & prepping the walls. This is going to be design as we go - hope my mistakes are not too painful. Got all the needed lumber free yesterday - amazing what gets thrown in the trash.

[Fred Trout]

Just got back from a friends who welded on the new front storage box angle iron supports. Yay ! Clean & paint the new addition and the trailer is done other than undercoating the 3/4" plywood subfloor.

[GPW]

That’ll be much stronger now !!!

[Fred Trout]

GPW, I was hoping it would help stiffen the frame along with holding up the front extension. I was thinking of perhaps adding a v-nose a good way up the front. Partly to extend the sleeping headroom and partly to make a front storage box, battery box, electronics area if I added a solar panel.

I liked your roof design with two cross-wise 4' x 53" roofspan styrofoam panels from the back and then an 45 angle down--dropped nose. If it will work out & perhaps I could continue an angle into the v-nose compartment lid.

Some wood crossbeam support for the Fantastic Fan could be embedded in the joint between the 2 flat roof panels and finish the 14"x14" cutout with ghcoe's clever riveted flashing idea. Need to run power for the fan and overhead LED light into that slot anyway, so one edge of the door frame, wood roof support and wiring could all be lined up. 1" deep-wiring-box for light--wood--Fan kind of setup. [ ] || [ ]

Need to draw up something and see if it works out.

[GPW]

That basic shape is how I built my Foamie’ #1 and that worked out just fine as far as structure .. It was Very Solid, and the angle on the nose added strength to the box much like a curve would ... I thing you really can’t go wrong with a design like that ... and it’s Easy to build ... so it will go together quick and be easy to skin.

I’d recommend if you're going with the barn doors on the back , I’d build in a little overhang to keep the rain out , and provide a little shade . Also would help a little bit with the streamlining ...
Trailer looks Good , just undercoat the floor well with the black nasty stuff (roofing cement) and it wouldn’t hurt to give the top a couple coats of “the Mix" , especially around the edges... every little bit adds up ...

[Fred Trout]

How large an overhang for the back do you think would be best ?

I was going to go with an inch or two. Definitely going to do barn doors fitted into a foam/wood frame rather than all the way top to bottom, left to right. Perhaps pop-up shelves will be added to the doors at some later date. I want to concentrate on getting the shell weather tight so we can go camping as early as possible. Then I can add interior details based on what is needed most or trash the whole foam shell above the floor to make something that works better. But our needs are minimal and always easy to please.

The 3/4" plywood currently on the frame was exposed to 4 Montana winters & I flipped it over to the underside on top (see the marks left by the angle iron supports). I did already put a couple of coats of 'the mix' on it for what it's worth. It can be replaced when it gets used up but since I will be garaging the trailer & teardrop, not much to worry about. I will be using a 2x2 wood frame covered with the new OSB floor integrated into the teardrop so that it will drop onto the plywood and sit on top of the angle iron frame.

[ghcoe]

The only thing I can see that would be bad with a overhang on the back is it will get in the way to the access to the galley. On mine it would be about forehead level.....

[Fred Trout]

overhang on the back will get in the way to the access to the galley

Yeah, I could see that being an issue if the overhang was larger than a few inches. Just the idea of more than a couple of inches of unsupported foam, even if it was canvassed on both sides, would make me nervous anyway

It's not going to happen anyway, perhaps 1" - 3" overhang is all I would consider and am thinking only long enough to attach a piece of drip edge flashing to the bottom edge of it. Would not do to have the moisture wick into the galley.

[GPW]

Just sayin’ .... it doesn’t have to be a back porch type of overhang .... just a little will do it, and it becomes the drip edge too, no need for an extra piece ... and no worries about unsupported foam (especially if it’s skinned) .. But build what you want ... I’m just suggesting . Also , with the barn doors , you can easily attach a small tarp over the back for a shade... You see a lot of that ... You’ll find what works best for You !!!

[Fred Trout]

That sketch looks pretty good & I hadn't considered supporting the sides like that at all. Good ideas to consider for sure.

Another concern would be blocking the fully open swing of the door with your full height side supports - perhaps the supports could only extend down to the top of the door cutout rather than all the way down. Will have to test out the configuration when assembling the roof to see if the overhang gets in the way. If I can get a little overhead water protection and not bang my head all the time, that will be good.

The drip edge metal would provide a good mounting point for awning channel as well as the water-ice migration fix, so even if I bop my head on it occasionally, it should be worth having if the edge is small. So many choices ...

If you have never seen our daily winter freeze thaw cycle, it's a wonder how the icicles form and migrate. Drip edge is pretty much required because of how one side freezes while the other melts to feed it - the sun does weird things on edges during the intense blue skies and subzero temps we get here in the winter and the roof overhang will not be at an angle.

[KCStudly]

Consider just building up the underside of the rear edge of the lip with an extra strip of foam (kind of like a reverse Gurney strip), rather than a fragile, sharp edge of metal drip edge that you won't like hitting your head on and tweaking.

The extra bead will prevent water from climbing back up under the flap, and will still be easy to wrap in fabric if you bevel the leading (camper front) edge.

[ghcoe]

On the bottom of the overhang cut a small half circle into the foam a bit from the edge, but parallel to the edge. That will cause a water barrier and keep the water from creeping back into the door area.

[Fred Trout]

Thanks for the ideas from all. Appreciated.

Had to look up what a gurney strip was - that's what the drip edge would give - a vertical metal drip edge matches the wiki pix - see pix attached below but I like the idea of a hot wired out channel as well. Will have to choose at the time I decide how long an overhang will not get in the way. The drip edge added after canvassing will be quick and easy and a couple of inches overhang will not be a head banging problem. A couple of inches will also be enough to solve the water running down from the teardrop roof and a fabric awning or pop-up tent will give more cover than any possible overhang.

I have just about finished cleaning out 30 years of accumulated junk to make room in the garage for a working area. May and the first couple of weeks of June are usually pretty rainy here so an indoor work area would let me work full time on the teardrop (retired old fart here). Still have to make a dump run and rearrange wood tomorrow. Looks like thunderstorms the rest of the week as expected.

Anyone from around here want an old cast iron openfront fireplace free ? Thing weighs a ton. PM me if so.