Cross Bow / trolley / renamed little blue trolley

[RandyG]

Kc, I shot a nail into my knuckle last month and hit didnt set into the wood so I also hammered it into my knuckle. So I second your advise.
Where are the pics Ron?

[Ron Dickey]

Kc, I shot a nail into my knuckle last month and hit didnt set into the wood so I also hammered it into my knuckle. So I second your advise.
Where are the pics Ron?

This out of focus picture has a bright light in the center next to the stud that is where the staple flew this is one of many.

Sorry about your hand.

[Ron Dickey]

I have a dilemma coming up.
a. After the Trolley walls have been cut and shaped
b. I will need to cut the cross bars that will attach to the sides of the trolley between the front and rear cross bars. drill holes in the trolley side for screws to be attached in to the ends of those studs. Then removed the screws and bars.
The ends of the trolley will rest on the roof at the ends carrying most of it's weight.
Before the trolley is put in place, I will need to.
1. The roof (cut in the middle for the trolley to drop in) must be put down first. The roof will be resting on the front and back cross bars at first.
2. Now the trolley rests on top of the roof and the same cross bars.
3. That done now I will need to place the cut cross bars
3a. these bars must go under the roof with the ends resting on the side of the trolley top wall and be glued and attached with screws though the previously drilled holes.

I will try and add pictures later to better explain.
Ron

here are the drawings also a little out of focus.

top: how I plan to cut the trolley hole
Middle: Trolley top resting on the front and back with the roof under the resting Trolley ends
Bottom: The middle studs slid under the roof skin and attached to the Trolley side and roof underside for support

[Ron Dickey]

The Trolley curves drawn by laying the side with the drawn Galley Hatch in blue tape. (not cut until I can buy the other side and cut together)
the Square wood it the Trolley made of popular wood. Lined with the Hatch lines, the location of the cross bars front and back.



Below is the Trolley back line alined with the Hatch outside line. I used a string a pencil at a radios point just below where the door starts.

[Ron Dickey]

tomorrow I will put on the other side of the front skin.

I keep researching what is to come next. and working on a project slowly sometimes helps get it done faster.

I am still playing around with the top hatch which inter wound with the back wall of the galley, Trolley, and roof and maybe even hatch.

Any way I have many many ideas for the windows for the Trolley. I had come up with the idea of real porthole windows but found the expense to much. Heard to find a site that show how to make your own. (guess it has to be done right or your boat may sink)

In so looking I found this.

http://lawrencewcheek.com/news/wp-conte ... inside.jpg

I realized that the simple answer is the best. And that I use my trailer for my personal camping more then for show. There is so much I have to do. Wiring is next but I am unsure what all I will be putting in. So I guess this means that I will need to put in more even if I so not use it. So I will put a box in the back of the galley so if I put in a radio or Tv I will have wires near by.

I will need DC wiring and fuse box. Wires will run to Reading light, to fan although I mostly will use battery operated fans but if I ever sell it some one else might want a plug in, lights in trolley Led string, light at front of trailer so no one will trip on tung, under door outside, DC plugs front and back cabin and galley, galley hatch light, inside roof fan, outside DC plug. AC line from outside to inside Galley. Trailer lights wires needed in the walls for side clearance, roof stop, turn and more clearance lights.

I have not wired the trailer with running lights because I have not found the one i want. I may just get the parts I want and run new wires. Found the conduit piping I want to use and boxes.

One I have the front skin on I can start to figure where to cut the roof and insert the Trolley. And with the front skin up I can then attach the outside walls figure out what to do with the joint between the front skin and side skin. and start work on the saddlebags and then the galley and hatch. the back wall for the galley will go in once the inside walls are cut and installed.

Pictures to soon follow.
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

finally front is 96% attached the last curve is a bear. I had to train it to the curve then wet it a little then use Gorilla Glue and staples to make it stay down. One corner done the other is next.

I put the top on to see if the fit was close enough. I lay the Trolley on top to see how it would look. In the above shot it is about 2" to high.

I am still working on how to do the windows on the sides Drilling large holes would be easiest. But the slide in glass on the back should be simple and if it broke and easy fix.

The Trolley would be 14" wide but most vents are wider if I wanted to put one in in the future.

The wiring also needs more thought, I use a lot of battery LED's in the BoxKite but I have wires in the walls and a set of lamps on the walls from an RV store. I have used them twice. I have 2 different LED Battery operated lights both with motion censers. And one set of LED white christmas lights I use with a Black and Decker battery unit with AC plugs (it also has DC).


The new trailer I wanted to just turn a switch and have the others for emergency back up.

Can't keep my eye's open time for bed.
Ron

[Ron Dickey]

sometimes I feel like I were on face book but sense I do not belong to any social group other from this one well....... most of what you will here is the social on goings of my trailer.

The Cross bow front is still not fully attache I am training the board to the curve. I have insulated the back wall of the curve getting it ready for the back side of the curve. No wiring will go in there so I can get that part done.

The Trolley is still being designed but I pretty much know where I am going with that.
The roof lines where I will cut for the trolley left to right are drawn on the board but I have to figure the width for the roof vent/ fan.

The vent/Fan may change
I have 3 ideas. I will try and follow with drawings.
1. After looking at several Trolleys from England they have the vent at the back vertical side of the Trolley. (no fan)
2. I would not cut a hole in the roof for the Vent like most trailers have and put screening on some of the windows cut out of the trolley sides. Open and closing them like the windows on most teardrops. Small glass hatches outside the trolley top walls.

3. The last idea I had and was very likely to put in a vent at the back like Doug H. has ( Rocket Tear) has only kind of in reverse with the screen above the vent hatch replacing the back part of the trolley roof. (confused yet there is more...) this screen would keep insects, and leaves from falling onto the vent area. It also would shed rain and wind when traveling.
I would put a wall up at the back 1/4th (top of inside roof of cabin up to bottom of outside roof of Trolley) this wall and left and right sides of the Trolley would become 3 of the 4 sides for the vent (home made Vent).
The vent hatch would lay at an angle so the opening side would be at a downward angle when closed (about 45deg.) so rain would run off it on to the roof.
A cable would be attached to the opening so I can push or pull making the hatch to open or close. Gaskets would keep water out too.

If that were to fail the screen would be replaced with a hatch and the screen would replace the hatch.

I am now working on designing the Saddle bags I have some drawings started. and want to research it more .... so like the Trolley top I will start a Saddle bag site under construction.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

SADDLE BAGS

under Teardrop Construction Tips & Techniques
I started a thread for the Saddle Bags
called "Saddle bags for the sides of my trailer."
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=57758

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Life is getting in the way of my build so everyday I try and do something so I do not fall behind.

yesterday, I cut out of paper the windows I want for the Trolley top and taped them up where I want them so I can trace them and begin to cut.
today, I did my measurements for the top and where I want to cut it and bought parts for the conduit that will hold the wires for the clearance and stop lights.
I also looked in an RV shop at rear support to ground units. $35 each. and lock panels for the saddle bags, I will probably make them of wood instead.

It is hard not to put things on the trailer, I took the car in for a tune up and took everything out of the car and put it on the trailer. the car now tuned .... I will need to clean off the trailer so it does not get in the way of progress.

beginning to see more teardrops and small trailers in the area. A little guy with a front top window, a new scotty, wife saw a TD pulled by a black truck she said it looked mfg'ed.

Told my wife I hope to have the skin on soon so I can put the car back in the garage.

But before I can do that I will need on the outside skin left and right, roof with trolley w/ windows, Doors with windows, and hatch installed over the galley.

Next planed step to
1a. attach wood that is not yet attach to the front arch (if now seems more trained to bow)
1. finnish design for Trolley.
2. cut roof to fit it
3. attach roof and trolley
4. attach roof designed for to top of trolley.
5. Then run inside wires to switches, plugs, and locations where light will be. also run wires to place where future things could be put. (example solar panels)

[RandyG]

Me and my wife had a talk of how the garage is no longer a garage, it's a shop now.

[Ron Dickey]

found another curved front by seabee74
simple and to the point

[Ron Dickey]

I am starting to cut the top

I drew the lines realizing several times the lines were not straight did not find a straight edge that long. So after several ties I use my tape measure. Then used a string to see if I had gotten it straight. I drilled holes where where the saber saw would be going and started to cut I did not get to far when I realized it was to flimsy and might break if I went any further.
it is like cut out the number "0" I would need support all around the sides.
Then it hit me the only place where I have support is where it will be put. So I have put it in place will climb up with ladder and cut out a hole where I can stick my body through to I will get more precise cuts. I put the cross boards up and will clamp the roof to the walls and cross boards. And when I am done I will not have to worry about how I will get it on without it breaking.

I am a one man show my wife helps when I ask but I have not asked for much help yet Wayne and Tim who are neighbors have from time to time. I have one friend, Spencer, who want to see it but he is building a house and I want to get a little farther before showing it to him. After he builds his house he will build his second tear. His father in law, Jerry, build the maxitear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xt8TLi_BHA Spencer stars in this movie. They had it up for sale but I do not know if it sold.

Any Way I feel good that I have gotten this far and work on it every day one way or another.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Had some time after getting my mother in laws faucet installed old is now new.
I found I had time for my trailer. I called Spencer and he may or not make it over but I now have the windows and both trolley tops cut out.
I am holding out cutting out the roof top until the trolley is finished. I have to sand them out. marks and drill where roof studs connect to the trolley top after the roof is up. There is a lot of mental work here. I layed down on the trailer floor looking up at the trolley tops resting and thinking about my next move as I fewll a sleep for 15 min. as I awoke I realized that the trolley would need cross bars of it's own to support it's roof and keep in straight and in the formation I wanted.

Trolley roof supports with go about one foot apart and be inline with the top of the trolley tops. at the end at the bottom I will also have support bars that will be attached to the front and backends of the camper cabin. I will see if I can draw that and put some visual in place for you. I have a very sufisicated computer but can not afford many of the rally good softwares for it.

I also finished the cross bow front I had to add a 1/8 inch ply wood strip between the front ply and the corner beam to make it work. Finnnnnnallly that part it done!! and it has insolation between it's ribs. and is ready for the inside skin to go in. Now wiring planed for that part.

Ron

[MrMatt]

Hey Ron, just a quick note to tell you I have been enjoying following your build. Keep up then good work.

[Ron Dickey]

Hey Ron, just a quick note to tell you I have been enjoying following your build. Keep up then good work.

Nice to know that others are watching as I build.

reminds me of my best friend, who said when he was in high school in a musical thing. He stood on the stage and proceeded to sing.
The hills are alive..... stopped looked up in terror and ran off the stage screaming.
(for those who do not know it is from Julie Andrews in The hills are alive with music.
http://www.songlyrics.com/julie-andrews ... ic-lyrics/
you can click on listen while you read and she will sing in to you.

Ron


I am sanding the windows on the trolley top, I could have done a better job cutting them out (used my saber saw), I am using a Dermel and the little sanding discs. I looked for a larger one for a regular drill but have none so far. I am sanding rounded corners and one full circle.