The Widget... is DONE!! **Updated 10-20-12**

[WarPony]

Well, build #3 was started on May 3rd, 2008 and my girlfriend and I decided on something we could stand up in so after looking through Andrew's designs and hemming and hawing over what we wanted, we went with the Widget design. Anna, my girlfriend, was insistant on helping build this so I put her to work measuring the boards and helping me while I cut the wood. She's doing really good but gets bored with all the waiting while glue dries and wants to see visible progress like staining brings.Oh well, it'll get there one of these days.........

This is pretty much going to be as Andrew's plans call for, as far as the body and frame dimensions go but we are modifying the dropped floor, the seating area and interior cabinetry. Floor and walls are going to be insulated with 3/4" pink stuff and roof is going to be insulated with 1.5" of the same. We even bought a 12V Atwood furnace for this project so we will have heat if shore power isn't available. We are cold sleepers so that bad boy will be a nice addition!!

Basic frame..........


Side profile...........


Dropped floor, 2.5" deep (we're short).........


Boomer is helping here................ yeah, right!!!


Jeff and Anna

[del]

Wake up boomer.

Looking good so far, I do like the widgit too, so I will be watching.

del

Where did that popcorn emoticon go?

[doug hodder]

Jeff, congratulations on the start of a new build! Sorry guy, but you are about as bad as I am for frequency of building....It is a good time though isn't it? We'll keep watching for build pics as it progresses. Boomer looks less than interested...that'll change when he gets to go camping....Doug

[madjack]

...really like like the widget...if I were ever to go bigger that would be the one...will be waching with much interest......

[tonyj]

Boomer! Off the bed!

Jeff, you are sick in a good way. I look forward to the progress on the build. Bringing it to LCG3?

[mikeschn]

I like that design... a lot!!!

I'll be watching your build!

Mike...

[WarPony]

Bringing it to LCG3?

Damn straight............. !!

Jeff and Anna

[davel]

Jeff, Looks good. Look forward to seeing it at LCG3. Cindy says that's my deadline for the new Bluebonnet.

[Miriam C.]

Looks like a good start. I will look forward to seeing it in person.

[WarPony]

WOW, I'VE REALLY BEEN SLACKING ON UPDATING OUR BUILD PROGRESS!!!!! Since the first post way back in June, we've managed to get it campable back in October for Madjack's B-day bash. Now that the holidays are over, I've gotten new enthusiasm to start back up again. Wolverton's progress on his new Puffin has also inspired me to get after it. Here are some photos of the build as it happened back in the summer. I have lots more to upload into my album so check in later on.


LP bottle mount


Right side wall (door side)......


I used this technique to attach the walls to the floor. What I did was run some 1X2's through my table saw and made one long groove to put joining biscuits into. The walls were mostly skinned on the inside before I ran one big gob of glue on the bottom cleat and dropped the wall on it. I did it this way so as to have the best (IMO) possible surface area for glue to stick to and not have any cleats showing on the inside...



Here's the wheel well all covered up.....


Like I said kids, there is alot of catching up to do on my pic uploading.

Jeff and Anna

[mikeschn]

I like it so far Jeff... good job on the tongue too!

Mike...

[Juneaudave]

Whoo Hooo!!!! Like it LOTS!!! Glad to see you back at er!!!

[Trackstriper]

Jeff,

So your lower interior skins screw directly into the cleat after the wall is up. Really nice detail. That's gonna be strong. We're dying out here for more pictures.

You picked a really handsome design to build, it's going to look great.



Bruce

[WarPony]

Jeff,

So your lower interior skins screw directly into the cleat after the wall is up. Really nice detail. That's gonna be strong. We're dying out here for more pictures.

You picked a really handsome design to build, it's going to look great.



Bruce

Thanks, Mike, Dave and Bruce..... Bruce, the screws you see are mearly "clamps" to hold the skins to the cleat until the glue dries and then they are removed. The floor cleat is held in place with screws coming up through the bottom. I didn't want any fasteners to show on the inside or out. It seems to be plenty strong because we took it on it's only trip (1,100 miles or so) and it didn't fly apart and we had a VERY bumpy ride there and back.

Jeff

[steve wolverton]

[Wolverton's progress on his new Puffin has also inspired me to get after it.

That makes me feel great when people tell me I've inspired them. Thanks Jeff.