The 18 day build

[hkeehn]

Dear tnttt forum

First, thanks for this wealth. It's astounding.

My plan is to build this:


That's my Chevy s-10 towing a 5x10 TD-to-be

I have three months free this summer, and I want to spend it all in a teardrop. My plan is to begin in the Hudson Valley in New York. I'll build the trailer just until it's road legal, rolling, waterproof, and sleep-able. Then I take it to Ohio for my sister's graduation. Then I go on to Texas, NM, AZ, CO, MO, Canada, Boundary Waters, Maine, and end in CT. 60 days, about 7000 miles. My itinerary is built around shops that I've worked at in the past or that are owned by friends. I'll be building constantly as I go and as I learn what works and what doesn't. I can start with something that is quite spartan. The thing I roll back with at the end of the summer will be a very strange animal indeed, full of scrap parts from across the country and the subject of hundreds of revisions.

This means that right now I need a plan for the skeleton: chassis, floor, walls, doors and most windows, bare bones galley, and roof hinges. I'm plotting an additional complication of a pop-up roof with tent netting, and so that option has to be worked out, even if it's not fully operable by the time I take off. That's all good and exciting, but I have the wild additional requirement of needing to do this all in 18 days.

I'm fully aware of how tight this is, but I think I can do it with the right planning and attitude. That means: this won't be "pretty", at least not at first. I have to choose methods that are foolproof and leave openings for later tinkering (or major building). etc. AND, I need to have a game plan and materials in hand. This will be a full time job for this window, and I'll have help.

After lots of reading and drawing and modeling, I'm starting to feel like I can imagine the moves. But I'm sure I'm missing a lot. What I hope to do is to post my "game plan," in as much detail as I can, and have the wonderful readers and advisors here tear it apart and tell me what I'm missing, what is hubristic, where I can simplify, and etc. If there is

Here are some preliminary sketches and models.

A game plan coming shortly

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and criticism!

p.s. I'll also post this as a build? I'm not sure where to best put it all


Many thanks!

Harper

[Vedette]

Hi
Very ambitious indeed!
First start a build thread in the Build Journal section of this Forum.
Second, maybe rethink the pop up roof or leave that for the second one you build (as a builder, you "WILL" build a second one)
Third, you had better have a plan, blue print or very detailed drawing before you start cutting.
18 days you have no time for do overs or re thinking.
Forth, you had better be prepared to work full time every day for the next 18 days. Forget about life around you!
Fifth, from your detailed drawing make a comprehensive list of everything you will need and get it! You don't have time to be going out shopping as you need something. Order the things that you will need now! So you won't be held up.
Remember you are going to spend more money doing it this way..... but it takes time to find bargains?? And you have not given yourself time for that.
Good Luck and Ask questions we are here to help.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
PS
We have Free Camping and a scheduled Gathering here in Beautiful British Columbia!

[bobhenry]

The barn was a very intense 30 day build and years later it still serves me well with little I would change.

A bit of good planning goes a long way !

[hkeehn]

Hi Vedette

You're right, of course. I expect to disappear down the teardrop wormhole for that period. My reason for starting this thread is to do as you've suggested: do a dry run (under observation), because there won't be time for my usual trial-and-error building.

I've made a build thread and will work off of that posting from now on. My blueprints are in the works and I'll put them up as they're ready.

w/r/t the pop-up. I know, it's probably too much. But I'm going to keep it as an option in my head. Maybe it's not operable by May 22 (my departure date), but is something I can return to down the road. We'll see how many hiccups I run into right off the bat and that will surely determine what I can and can't get done.

I really would like to get to my sister's graduation in this, so I'll have that fire churning along.

BobHenry: that's exactly the kind of inspiration I'm looking for. And the crutch-as-table leg is precisely the kind of detail I hope and expect to grow in my trailer.


More Soon, and thanks

Harper

[bobhenry]

Focus on the box. Make it strong and water tight do not get hung up on shelving, electrical and other embellishments that can be added later. You can make a nice towable tiny trailer shell in days not weeks. It just takes years to finish it out

[bc toys]

If it was me I would go with the weekender style for a fast build Good luck with your build and trip
Go with a 5x8 or 5x10 rather are good for resell when you start your 2nd build

[tony.latham]

Ambitious is the key word here. I've built about 2.75 teardrops. (I'm working on my third.) I'll bet a cold one at a campfire that unless you simplify your plans, at the end of your eighteen day window, the key word may have morphed to, "ludicrous." My definition of a simplified plan would be an eight-foot long traditional 'drop. Take a look at the Benroy plans on this site. It sounds like this extended trip you're planning is solo so you can get by just fine with a 4-wide. (Sure a 5-wide is our cup of tea and will give you a higher resale but I don't think it's congruous with your eighteen day goal.)

I've seen some remarkable ideas come to fruition on this board. Your plans for a pop-up in itself is ambitious. Mix that in with 18 days... sheeeeesh... maybe I need to up the bet to two beers? I can't read your plans, but your wall height without pre-popup looks taller than 4'? If that's true and you stick with it, I'll annie-up my bet to three beers.

I'll enjoy watching this! Take my beer bet as a man-up challenge. I hope I lose.

Tony

p.s. Brian is spot-on with having your hardware etc on-hand. Throw a back-order in with your 18 day goal...

[cheri832]

Harper,
After looking at your cardboard model and with a May deadline, you might want to think about a convertible roof for the pop up section. Drop in your spars, screen it so you can sleep under the stars, and cover it with some marine vinyl and stainless steel snaps. Then when you have the time, it should be easy to replace with your pop up with little damage to your camper structure. Anyway...an idea to think about. There's a guy on the forum, Zach, who's done I think 3 versions of convertible tops. I know his build helped me.

Good luck. It will be interesting to see what you come up with.

[hkeehn]

Woo Hoo! What a response.

Tony, I'll take your challenge, though I'm laughing at myself as I do. We'll just see! I'll be sure to put it all out there for your judgement. Home run or miserable finish. W/r/t to size: I'm basing this all around three sheets of 5x10 marine ply that I can get. Maybe that helps.

not sure if "manning up" is compatible with my vision of the quiet grandeur of teardropping, but, Still, you're on!

A few other things which might help: This project has been in the corner of my eye for some time now. I've got lumber and tools and bits and pieces like a pack rat. More, I have 1, 2, or perhaps even 3 (!) friends who are going to volunteer a week plus of their time in exchange for beer and food and the excitement of the chase. All are competent builders and they might make all the difference. And finally, I'm going home to my old shop to do this. My family said they'd have food and beds ready. With all that plus this forum (plus about a dozen other good people in the wings), I have a pretty unbelievable support crew!


Points well taken:
BobHenry: focus on the box, leave non-essentials for later, keep all the systems accessible. This is my plan in a nutshell. There will be nothing hidden in here, no routed and tucked away wiring, etc. Instead, access hatches and open conduit. Bins and ammo cans instead of cabinets. Leaving myself options and focusing on structure/ water

Cheri: great idea about the step-wise approach to the top! I'll keep that option in my back pocket as we get into it. I'll look at Zach's builds. Eventually I want insulation, but this is first going to be a summer build.

BC Toys: I've thought about the weekender, but it seems the labor savings from shrinking are not so great as to warrant the step down. I'm a tall person and the idea of 60 days in a weekender makes me a little claustrophobic.

everyone: Yes, I have to bite the bullet and start buying things. There's no time to be waiting for parts.


Can anyone refer me to similar builds? They might be "survival" style or rat-trailers... Contingent and lovingly cobbled together. I see a lot of cabinet-quality work. Inspiring and entirely out of my reach for now.

Thanks again!

Harper

[tony.latham]

Tony, I'll take your challenge, though I'm laughing at myself as I do. We'll just see! I'll be sure to put it all out there for your judgement. Home run or miserable finish. W/r/t to size: I'm basing this all around three sheets of 5x10 marine ply that I can get. Maybe that helps.

Harper:

The bet is on. I might get my butt kicked. Those big sheets of plywood are going to save you two, maybe three days.

T

[Roly Nelson]

Harper, my kind of thinking, exactly. Listen and learn to what has been suggested. Good luck, we're watching you!
Roly, the li'l ol' woody teardrop designer, buider and user in So Calif.

[hkeehn]

Dear all

Hugely heartening yesterday was that all three of my friends have signed on for the build. The crew assembles! One guy is flying all the way out from Michigan. So really, the only option is forward, now.

My sheet goods are being ordered. The key pieces are two sheets of 5x10x1/4 marine ply for the walls. Exciting and luxurious..

I'm going "shopping" at a friend's house today. The friend is a pro machinist and welder of some forty years, and he said he's a collector of good junk, as I am (and as I suppose most of this forum is...). I'll post some pictures tonight if I come back with any good bits and pieces for the teardrop.

Hrm, this project needs a name ("the teardrop" isn't enough), but I can't come up with anything yet. My sister named my truck Elizabeth Voltage some years ago, so the trailer has to pair with that.

Roly, thanks for the encouragement. I'll be sure to keep you informed about the whole circus as we go along!



More soon

Harper

[bc toys]

the ''gambler'' sense its a betting thing

[Vedette]

Well if your truck "Elizabeth Voltage" is going to be plugged into your Teardrop, it should be the "Current Bush"
Make sense to me?? But, I tend to think outside of the box most of the time.
Good Roads
Brian

[felixx]

good luck mate!
I cannot wait to see you finish!