New from Colorado build in progress (kayakdlk)

[kayakdlk]

Hello I joined this web site more than a year ago and this is my first introduction and post.

So for the past 10-15 years I have been taking my family on camping trips all Colorado and the western states. We typically go for 3 nights on Memorial and Labor day weekend and then two to three 7-14 night trips in the summer. To keep everyone happy we usually pick a base spot at a KOA which has showers, toilets and many times a pool for the kids. We setup a large 8 man tent with two queen blow up mattresses and camp pretty comfortably. Our camp vehicle has been a 2003 RAM 1500 quad cab pickup with topper. It is able to hold all 4 of us, the dog and all of our gear plus some. The truck has taken us to some most remote places for fishing, and all over the western US

A few years ago I rented a popup and decided it was as much or more effort than a tent to setup. We like to pick a base camp area and do day trips. Usually after breakfast we head out for the day and return for dinner. We rarely stay at the camp site and want the freedom to move around which I feel you do not get with a RV. I also feel like an RV is too removed from actual camping since I see most owners spending their time inside at the camp grounds, so we have stuck with tent camping.

A few years ago I decide I wanted another Jeep (My first one was stolen over 20 years ago in California) to do some off road Jeep trails in Colorado that my truck can't get to. I also saw pictures of a teardrop trailer and a small off road utility trailer and thought they would go great with the Jeep. I decided on a several year plan to get my Jeep, fix it up the way I wanted and then build an off road trailer to carry my gear and then later when the kids are gone build a teardrop trailer.

Two years ago I bought a 2006 Jeep Unlimited, built it up and started going over many of the Colorado passes that my truck didn’t fit. I had all along wanted to start camping with it. It just holds all of us the dog, and gear (fishing rods, cooler and chairs) for day trips, with no extra room for a family of 4 camping gear. I would also like to go for shorter 1 night camping trips with minimal setup/teardown time. I decided I would mostly base camp and not really need an off road trailer to pull our gear over trails, so I decided I would just build a teardrop. I can use it with a tent for all 4 of us or by itself for just my wife and I or by myself for quick fishing getaways. I decided I wanted one that is capable of being pulled to some of the more remote camp ground in Colorado, Arizona and Utah and would work with my Jeep.

I finished my Jeep build last summer and spent the fall/winter researched Teardrop trailer and ideas. I have read through most all of the build journals and collected ideas and searched out answers to my questions. After doing a ton of research on this site and gathered ideas in a document and pictures I decided I wanted to build a modified Benroy style teardrop trailer. I really appreciate all the information available and everyone’s willingness to share their ideas, opinions and pictures. I was also looking for possibly longer term (Multiple weeks on the road) usage so I decided I wanted a 10’ and also wanted a 5’ wide.

I started out last Christmas by building a prototype out of card board and duct tape and a few 5’ sticks. It helped me confirm with my wife that we wanted a 5’ wide and 10’ long. I set my coolers and other gear inside and determined what features I wanted. I then played with Google Sketchup but decide I didn’t want to invest the time, so I built a 4’x10’ bench and located a roll of 4’ wide paper and drew up a full size diagram. I added lots of notes, and made lots of changes over a period of a couple months. I documented my decisions in a few diagrams and updated as I need to. After a while I decided I had planned enough out to get started building. I was in the 75% planned stage so this past spring I started buying parts (Lights, handles, hinges, etc.) as I decided what I wanted and found the best price. Eventually I changed the front from a Benroy flat style to a round cure style and added 9” to the front that will overhang the front of the frame. This allowed me to add a small headboard storage area and keep the full queen mattress length, and have a shelf over head with reading lights yet far enough away from our heads to avoid hitting them.

I bought and have read several times Steve Frederich manual and have “finalized” my design and plan. In March and April I bought Raka Expoy and cloth and did a test by joining some ¼ plywood to make my 4’x11’ side and cut out my side template. I am building it inside out and have already built the inside bulk head, gear shelf, small overhead shelf with reading lights and head board storage panel. Later I will build my sandwiched wall panels out of 1x3 with ¾ insulation and 1/8” Baltic Birch plywood inside and out. I will be using 7 oz. fiberglass cloth (got a great closeout deal on it) and epoxy over the entire outside and paint the sides with smooth bed liner paint to match my Jeep yellow and either paint the roof white or perhaps cover roof in filon. I am avoiding aluminum due to its potential hail damage here in Colorado

In July of this year after we got back from a 3 week camping trip through northern and central California I bought some metal (14 gauge 2x2 square tube and 1/8” angle iron), cut and welded my frame, installed my axle and painted the frame. In August I built the floor out of 1x3 pine and 1/8” Baltic birch skins with ¾ foam insulation and a layer of fiberglass cloth and epoxy on the bottom, and just epoxy on the top. I am starting on the wall skins and making the 4’ x 11’ outside panels.

My goal is to finish the trailer frame, wire the lights, install the floor and perhaps get the trailer inspected and licensed by October this year and then build the body inside my utility room over the winter ready for its first camping trip Memorial Day weekend 2014. Since with work, family, kids and wanting to work on my teardrop I do not have enough time for a step by step build journal, so I will occasionally post some pictures as I progress. Check out my gallery for pictures

Enjoy
Dan

[asianflava]

Welcome to the forum, hope to see you around.

[bc toys]

Welcome from Las Vegas remember we love Pics