1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

[Glenn Butcher]

Yer right, donna know no ardunio...

I'd have done it with discrete logic, TTL mounted in DIP sockets... if ambitious, would have worked out the Karnaugh map to reduce the part count...


Seriously, those skillz flew my coop decades ago, would probably do the same as you, 'cept with a Teensy or some other small controller, 'cause I do still remember my C, and I just haven't warmed to "sketching" yet...

[Wolffarmer]

I have a clue. Not much of one though.

At least I am running a Mini-itx board with Ubuntu, Linux for dummies, right now.

Randy

[capnTelescope]

Some of us are interested. I'm planning a controller in my build for light control and battery management. I'll let you blaze a trail for me to follow.

[jseyfert3]

Yer right, donna know no ardunio...

I'd have done it with discrete logic, TTL mounted in DIP sockets... if ambitious, would have worked out the Karnaugh map to reduce the part count...


Seriously, those skillz flew my coop decades ago, would probably do the same as you, 'cept with a Teensy or some other small controller, 'cause I do still remember my C, and I just haven't warmed to "sketching" yet...

Well, you don't have to use a "sketch" with an Arduino, you can program it straight C. Not that the Arduino IDE is not C, but they do hide some stuff. "#include Arduino.h" is one such thing they "hide". Obviously, if the Arduino IDE was not used, to use the Arduino functions such as digitalWrite() would require addition of Arduino.h, but they add it behind the scenes. There are a couple of other things as well, such as allowing functions to be placed below the main code, but function prototypes are not required to be placed before the function is called. Overall though, it got me started it coding and made my C programming course in college a breeze cause I already knew 75% of the course from teaching myself with Arduino and asking questions to people I knew that knew C. Good stuff for sure.

I have a clue. Not much of one though.

At least I am running a Mini-itx board with Ubuntu, Linux for dummies, right now.

Randy

I run Ubuntu on my primary computer, which is a gaming laptop. Works pretty well. I use a virtual Windows 7 installation for Windows specific programs, installed using VMware Player. For games I am forced to reboot into a real Windows installation.

Some of us are interested. I'm planning a controller in my build for light control and battery management. I'll let you blaze a trail for me to follow.

You got it. I'm glad to share what I know.

This morning I told myself I was going to work on my teardrop. Last night I realized it was turning into a shelf, since it was just sitting there unworked on in my brother's barn.

Teardrop Turning Into a Shelf (1) by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Teardrop Turning Into a Shelf (2) by jseyfert3, on Flickr

If I resume work, I'll need my hot wire cutter. Tonight I disconnected the dimmer switch from it, and tested it with the variable AC unit I pictured some time ago. Works well, and will allow fine temp control, unlike the dimmer switch which was not designed for that sort of load.

Using Variable AC to Power and Control My Hot Wire Cutter by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I tested my brake and turn signals I had got from superbrightleds.com. Wow, they are really bright. I am impressed, and I feel sorry for whoever pulls up behind me at a stoplight at night once this teardrop is done. I'll have comparison pics if I can between my car and the teardrop once it's done.

A cool feature is that there is some sort of grease inside the pins on the lights when you get them, held in place by tape to keep it from getting everywhere. This will help keep them from corroding.

Anti-Corrosion Greese by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Tomorrow, I'll see about working on something. But my track record of building progress has not been good since I got up here to Wisconsin....

[jseyfert3]

Yesterday, I drilled a hole for my vent fan wires to run in. Two holes actually, a horizontal one through the 1x2 fan support and a vertical one through the foam to meet that hole. From this point, I'll use my hot wire cutter to cut a groove in the foam leading to the power supply.


Vent Fan Wire Hole by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Today I actually did a little bit of work. I wanted an interior shelf besides the headboard shelf, and there was enough room to add one behind the doors. I had a piece of OSB that was originally cut for something else but no longer needed, and it was already the perfect width, I just had to trim off 1/8" or so, then belt sand it. I glued it up with Gorilla Glue, resting on and screwed to five square brackets. One bracket in each corner, and one in the middle back of the shelf. The three in the back screwed into the vertical galley/interior divider, and the two front ones screwed into the 1x2 vertical supports for the door frame.


Rear Interior Shelf by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Rear Interior Shelf Mount Details by jseyfert3, on Flickr

[jseyfert3]

A couple weeks ago I pulled the trailer out into the sun and did a little bit of work. I caulked around the door lips I put in earlier, then trimmed off some of the Gorilla Glue that had oozed out of various seams all over the place, and caulked around the inside of the door frame as the wood trim stuck out a little bit and was not completely flush.


Enjoying the Sun by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Caulked Door Lip by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Caulked Door Lip by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Trimming Gorrilla Glue by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Today I took the foam pieces I had cut out of the walls to make the door openings and trimmed 1/2" off the top and one of the sides. This is to give clearance to fit inside the opening after painted canvas is applied to the sides. After this was done the corner curves were no longer complete, so I took the untrimmed door and laid it over the top, using the corner to trace it onto the trimmed door so I could cut out a new corner.


Re-Sizing Corner After 1/2" Trim by jseyfert3, on Flickr

After the corner was re-curved, I ruined the curve on purpose trimming off 3/4" inch from each side (not the top and bottom).


Trimming 3/4" From the Sides by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I used my hot wire cutter to cut two horizontal channels in the door for a 1x2 for strength.


Horizontal Reinforcement Slot by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Horizontal Reinforcement 1x2 by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I then cut up some 1x2s for the door. They were glued to the foam with Gorilla Glue, and the outside 1x2s were screwed into the horizontal inside ones. The two pieces on the top are simply to help keep the foam in place while the glue dries, and I used two more pieces on the bottom in the middle of the horizontal 1x2s to pull the 1x2s into the foam channels and hold them while the glue expands.


Door Gluing by jseyfert3, on Flickr

[lthomas987]

You return! I am so happy to see you making progress. Also your doors are giving me ideas for mine!

As always your workmanship is great.

[jseyfert3]

You return! I am so happy to see you making progress. Also your doors are giving me ideas for mine!

As always your workmanship is great.

Thank you for the compliment!

Yes, I do return. I will try to keep up the progress. This may not happen though, as my internship is ending soon and school starts up just afterwards. However, on the other hand I'll be back at my house, which will encourage me to work on it more (I think), plus I want to build a small sailboat (from scratch, but not from foam!) and the sailboat would require the camper to be finished so it can be stored outside!

[Kharn]

A cool feature is that there is some sort of grease inside the pins on the lights when you get them, held in place by tape to keep it from getting everywhere. This will help keep them from corroding.

Dielectric grease. You should add some whenever there's a connection exposed to the elements.

[pchast]

jseyfert3

Looking good.
Just a note of caution:

When I made my doors from foam and covered them with canvas I lost the hard sharp edges for gasketing on the top and bottom edges. (The sides were Cedar strips.) It worked with a little fudging.

I'm still wondering If I should have used some flashing to provide gasket edges under the canvas...

[jseyfert3]

A cool feature is that there is some sort of grease inside the pins on the lights when you get them, held in place by tape to keep it from getting everywhere. This will help keep them from corroding.

Dielectric grease. You should add some whenever there's a connection exposed to the elements.

Cool, thanks!

In the warm summer air, the Gorilla Glue set up hard in what seemed an unusually fast time, mainly because I haven't done hardly any work since winter! I'm used to the oozed out foam being soft over 12 hours later, this was rock hard a few hours later. As such, I continued construction of the door by curving the wood I put on the sides, discovering the screws I added to join the wood pieces were in the way.


Screws Interfered With Curve by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I removed the screws, leaving it to just the glue, and trimmed the corners with the scroll saw again. Cutting through the wood took a bit, I finally realized the bit was dull and swapped it out, but not before doing three of the four corners. The gearbox got quite warm, and I figured grease may never have been added since my dad bought this a long time ago. So, I opened it up right there to take a look.


Scroll Saw, Old Grease by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Could be better, so I cleaned out the old grease, cleaned everything off in kerosene, and applied a bunch of new, fresh wheel bearing grease I had handy.


Scroll Saw, New Grease by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Put the gearbox back together, and tested it, seems to run just fine, so it looks like I didn't mess it up.


Scroll Saw, Back Together by jseyfert3, on Flickr

After cutting the wood into the corner curve, I sanded them with my belt sander. This is the result, the inside of the door. It picked up a couple dents from hardened glue drippings on the board it was resting on while I held it down to cut the corners.


Door, Inside by jseyfert3, on Flickr


Door - Outside by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I need to do something with a window. Most likely it'll be a Wiley window as they are easy to make, but I have thought about not making a window at all or just going with a piece of unopenable glass, as I will have vents allowing fresh air to come through without a window or door open anyway.

[rowerwet]

I would recommend you pit in openable windows, the inside is small, the more airflow in and out the better. We have a/c in ours, but still would rather just open the windows if it isn't too hot.

[jseyfert3]

Still here. Pulled the camper back to Illinois, so now it's made gone about 350 miles and isn't even finished. I will try to work on the camper, but if I run into needing to buy stuff that will be a sticking point, as I currently do not have a job. Also, once I find a job with school this semester I may not have time to work on it till winter break. Just a head's up to all interested parties.

That door feels amazingly stiff, btw.

[KCStudly]

Thanks for keeping us posted. Here's hoping that you find work.

Just remember, at your age your education should come first. The better and more you do now, the better your career will be in the long run.

[pchast]

Ditto