Build in NYS - Insurance Problems

[pchast]

When I examined the glued up floor again I found a few places that were not glued. The tb2 had not
worked consistently. I used some gg and waited some more.

[pchast]

Still feeling things out. The box is now inside storage and a tongue box for outside.


Glued down shims to level trailer around bolts.

[pchast]

Purchase 9 ft of 2x2 1/8th and welded in a new tongue after inverting their coupling adapter.



I also moved the axle to above the springs. the level trailer is now at the right unladen height for the car's hitch.

[pchast]

I painted all visible parts of the trailer with rattle can black.




And thats as far as I've gotten while I wait for my canvas delivery. I'll start with a hot wire doing wire chases
and hard blocks for lighting and the doors this weekend.

I'll try to keep up with the build log from now on.

Pete

[Junkboy999]

Looking good.

Good idea on the mock up sides and back. Keep it up.

[pchast]

Haven't had much time this week. I got 7 blocks cut in and glued to hold outside lights. Toyed with a method to cut out the doors and windows in them. I'm not thrilled by the wire I'm using for the hot wire shaping. It bends too easily and does not hold its shape well. I've tried using longer lengths for the cutting jigs but then it takes forever to do one cut.
No pics this time sorry.

Got the canvas delivery...

[KCStudly]

My experience with hot wire was that it was difficult to get a close tolerence cut because if the rate of travel slowed down and the wire heated up you get more melting (i.e. too much material removed).

I did not do very much of it and did not have the best set-up for making adjustments. Just saying.

That is why I am making all of my detail cuts with the router. It's messy, but the shop vac helps keep the small stuff down while cutting, and does a good job of cleaning up everything else after the fact.

[pchast]

I've a HF trim router that I used some. The dust and pieces get allll over. No way to attach the vacuum.
Can't even clean own clothes off well. You are right about depth tolerance. I need to go over things
twice normally but I can use the same template with the hot wire as used with the router.

Finished up cutting in the back light backer blocks and glued down blocks. Been looking around for a
veining bit to cut out the door. I haven't seen something like it at 1.5" long yet.

Anyone got a link for something like that?

Thanks,
Pete

[pchast]

Well I lost a month between my back and the weather. I expected to be done.
Wrong...

This last week I found some time and used a Jig saw and a Sheet rock square
as a guide to cut out the doors. It took 3 days??? (bending over.)



I'm spending some time cleaning the Garage so that I have room to work
without bending over the trailer. I need to lay out and inventory all the little
pieces I bought too.

[KCStudly]

Sympathy on the back issues. We may live longer these days, but it is not w/o our issues.
I'm on the mend after reaching a new level of back issue, but am hopeful that you and I both make it thru to the end.

[pchast]

My back is some better today but I still need to baby it. So I slow down and keep on
plugging. Shorter periods of work and maybe a couple more of them.

The biggest need right now is to sort out and organize the parts on a shelf so I can
reduce time wasted. I'll have a little more room to move around.

No work on the trailer today.

[pchast]

Arghhh. With the weather my body has decided to act 90+ this month.

I don't want to discourage anyone. There is great satisfaction in what you accomplish. However, I've spent more than I figured for stuff. (Almost 2100 worth of parts.) But then it wasn't all at once. I probably would have been better off buying someone else's at this point (with maybe a bank loan).


I've started the door framing for one side at the rate of a few minutes a day. Its going to be interesting inserting windows in the doors after I finish the framing. I've spent a little time recently making the template to route out the window spaces. I've been able to cut a couple of feet of cut with the jig saw at a time before taking a break.

It will be another month at least, if not 2 more, before I can even register the trailer as mostly finished. I really had no idea the amount of time I was committing to in order to complete this.


Thanks for listening to my gripes.
Sorry, no pictures today.

[KCStudly]

I am a big fan of the reality check.

The beauty of the forum is that it helps each of us and others by providing information. The reality is that no matter how simple or complex, whether thrifty or dear, building a camper from scratch is a huge undertaking, and is not to be underestimated.

TPCE was a year lurking and designing, and is now well into year 2 building and continuing to define the details of the design.

It has been like a second job/passion (I must be averaging 20 hrs/wk). Not doing the things that I would normally take on myself (yard work, vehicle maintenance and repairs, all farmed out). The wife is doing all of the household chores.

Sure, some people make it look easy and do it in less time and for less money, but very seldom, if ever, have I read about someone saying that it took less time, effort and money than they planned. Par for the course.

Wish I had better advice than to keep at it, one bite at a time.

[pchast]

I've been back at the challenge for the last couple of weeks. A couple of minutes a day up to as much
as an hour. The door framing has seemed to stop me( still considering the minimum needed ) so I've
moved to the floor connection.

I bolted up the floor then realized I wanted the canvas to attach between the frame and the floor. So..

I epoxied the top of the carriage bolts to the floor and unbolted things. Of course 4 of the 12 came loose.
So I flipped it over and filled the holes in the floor for the bolts with more thickened epoxy. Then I've started
to epoxy a 8" bias cut piece of canvas around the base under the floor. I should get to reattaching the floor
and trailer frame over the weekend, I hope.

[pchast]

Bolted the floor back down. All bolts actually lined up to the holes!


I've read many of your build posts But I'm still puzzled.
What have you done to prep the Foam for lagging/
primer? What worked best?

Thanks,