Newb Intro.

[KirkN]

Hi,
I'm Kirk and I recently picked up an old pop-up from my son. The trailer had extensive water damage, destroyed fabric, and a previous attempt at repair of some of the water damage. The trailer is a Palomino Pony with a bed that is 74" from front to rear cross members and 53 inches on the outside of the frame rails. There are the usual outboard rails which will be coming off eventually.

I spent today stripping the trailer and got all the way to the deck. The deck has plenty of dry rot, so tomorrow it comes off too. From what I can see, the frame is surprisingly rust free. I'm hoping to build a tear out of this with very little money. I took everything apart as gently as I could, but I'm not seeing much that can be reused. The sink looks good, but the faucet broke when I was attempting to disconnect the water line. The three burner stove will be reused, but is going to need a paint job. There is a lot of aluminum, which which will probably end up in my scrap pile and taken to the scrapper. There is a 25' shore power line hooked to a power panel. I doubt that I will use the power panel unless someone can offer a good reason to use it. It is three amps and allows using the 110v or switching to 12v only. Realistically, I think this can be accomplished with just 110v and 12v LED's run through a battery which is wired to a battery tender.

The way I see it, my build attempt has three possible outcomes. First and most likely is that I will never get it off the ground. Second is the possibility that I'll get a good start on it and lose interest. The third and best that I'm hoping for is getting it to a camp-able state, but never truly finishing most of the little details. I'll be perfectly happy with an unfinished project that is usable. It will be a step up from camping in a crappy tent and way cheaper than going out and buying a manufactured trailer and the horrible construction that comes with anything that I would be able to afford.

I've enjoyed reading and viewing the great builds that are done on this site and hope to use them for inspiration.

Kirk

[Wanna Be]

WELCOME to the fun !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It sounds like you have started out with a good start already !!
Now all it's going to take is some determination on your part, and next thing is you will be camping !!

Ask any questions and somebody will have the answer you want.


Wanna Be

[Junkboy999]

Welcome aboard kirk.

Lets hope you get it started and follow it through to the end. There is a lot of TD on the forums that are not finished, Some for year, and they get a lot of use. Some time it is easier to start using it and then finish it later after you use it a few time and see where it needs improvement.

[cjkrause]

Welcome aboard and sounds like a great plan
cant wait to see pics

[Vedette]

Welcome to the Forum!
You have a head start on your build with the cheap to free chassis from your tent trailer.
Yes, you will spend more money than you initially plan to.
But it will be worth it in the end.
Tear Drop camping is a wonderful way to go! Especially if you plan to travel with your TD. Fast and easy set up and pack up times.
First off, throw the sink away! You don't need it in a TD. It just takes up valuable space and will cost you more money than it is worth (simplify your build).
Plastic was tub works great and doubles a a storage area for you dish washing supplies and the items you require to eat off of.
Good Luck with your build........and stick with it! It will be worth it in the end.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi