Budget Build For Boo!

[fullon627]

Where did you find that awesome bamboo countertop?

Michael, that was from a local Craftsman type lumber yard call Almquist. They carry exotic woods at super prices. The bamboo counter top is 2'x8' long and 1 inch thick. I thought it was a bargain at $67.00. But this stuff is heavy. It will help with the tongue weight.

[fullon627]

Awesome lightning-bolt... well, whatever that is in the last pic. It is like the one on the sides, right? This is looking so great!

Thanks Patti! It does look cool. Yes it is a Z like the side. It's all about what Boo wants.

[fullon627]

Well I was trying to make it road worthy for the DAM Gathering. Boo hasn't towed before and she didn't want to make Highway 299 her first towing experience. She is going to drive over one of the days of the event and check out the other Teardrops/Tiny Trailers. So we are going forward and just finish it first before she tows it locally. If anyone still needs a campsite there, I have RV site 37 reserved starting tomorrow (link here: http://antlersrvpark.com/887181.html ). If I don't hear from anyone by 10am tomorrow, I'll release back to the park. So on with the build.

My son Genarino modded some jeep style flat fenders for the trailer. They were too wide at the bottom so he pie cut them at the corners and welded them back together. They were 34" wide, now they are 27". Then he ground down the weld like it never even happened! They fit perfect.



I put the hatch back on today and temporarily installed Grant's "better than the hurricane hinge".



I then open the hatch to see how good it moves. It's just nice. I then level the hatch to see the clearance. Its pretty close to my calculations (6"4"). My friend and employee Bruce is 6'3", so I had him stand under it. It has about 1 and 1/2 inches above him. Boo is around 4'10".



I then weighed the hatch for the struts. At the very outside it weighs 16.0lbs. On the very inside its 27.5lbs. I probably get 40lb struts (for the pair) for the hatch. More coming soon!

[rebapuck]

Is Boo tall enough to pull the hatch closed?

The Hurricane hinge will have to be trimmed close to close the hatch?

[fullon627]

Is Boo tall enough to pull the hatch closed?

The Hurricane hinge will have to be trimmed close to close the hatch?

Judy, Boo is not tall enough to close the hatch if camping by herself. Was going to put a pull down rope but I think now I will put a handle under the hatch and make a pull down rod that she can hook into it. The hinge sticks out 1/2 inch (for water runoff) and is 3/4 inch high. The slide out is built to accommodate that. The slide out roof/hatch is pitch towards the back. This will give plenty of room for the hinge to go under not only the trailer opening but the seal that's going to be there also. The sides of the slide out are inset 3 inches from the inside walls to clear the window cranks on the inside, for the trim on the inside headboard/cabinets, the inside seals and the outside hookups-power-water-shower-then some. Like I said in a earlier post, the slide out should have a build journal of it's own. There is a lot happening in the slide out. The trailer would have been done a long time ago if it wasn't for "my bright idea ?????" in the concept to add a slide out!

[Patti]

It's amazing. I cannot WAIT to see what you do next!

[fullon627]

It's amazing. I cannot WAIT to see what you do next!

Thanks Patti! I don't know about amazing but it is cool. Can't turn back now.

[tac422]

I agree with you, it is way COOL !
Have you thought about tongue weight ?

[fullon627]

I agree with you, it is way COOL !
Have you thought about tongue weight ?

Thanks for the "cool"! The tongue weight is at 167lbs right now. My goal is 125-150lbs depending on the finish weight of the trailer. I'm looking at making it 10% of the trailer weight if I can. The holding tanks are right over the axle when the slide out is closed. There is going to be a slide out AC unit in the front of the trailer that will add tongue weight. I have a lot of adjustability on the tongue weight. Because of the heavy duty fender mounts (you can pick up the trailer with them). I can move the battery, spare tire and propane tank anywhere I want to get the tongue weight. I'm also eyeballing a tongue box if needed.

[fullon627]

We installed the skylight, door hardware, filled more screw holes and painted the fan/vent base black. Going to install the fan today and then the outside lights. Making it semi water tight and ready for it's first trip to the person that's building the cabinets. I don't have the tools to build the cabinets or the patience to try to do it with out them. I will be helping him and taking photos as we go.

Skylight is sealed with clear marine silicone. I didn't want that wavy look of the regular rv butyl tape would have made to the base.



This is what the trim I'm going to use looks like.



Boo can almost stand up under the dome of the skylight.


Door hardware.


Painted base, it was a good thing that I took it apart. The seal that was on it was messed up and barely glued on.

[Patti]

Looks like you dodged a bullet with that seal that didn't seal. I'm glad you caught it.

The skylight is awesome!!!

[fullon627]

Looks like you dodged a bullet with that seal that didn't seal. I'm glad you caught it.

The skylight is awesome!!!

Thanks, Patti! Yes, I did dodge a bullet on the seal. It would have leaked for sure.

[fullon627]

Today, Boo and I plugged away at the trailer.

We installed the vent cover. Used black marine silicone to seal it.


We installed and wired the inside fan. Then we tested it. Works great.


We decided to replace the hold down bolts in the floor. Originally we hade carriage bolts but they stuck up above the floor line a little. They also would start spinning before they got really tight. We went to regular bolts and just countersunk them. I guess I shouldn't say regular bolts. Every bolt and every exposed screw is stainless steel.




We then cut the hole in the front of the trailer for the slide out air conditioner.



Boo was sad to see a hole cut in her painstaking paint work.



Boo does like the new hole for another way of looking inside.



This is the AC door we are putting in the front of the trailer. The hole is just rough cut right now. The lip on the door is only 1/2" thick. We are going to route out the perimeter of the 3/4" plywood 1/2". The door is going to be painted black. That's all for today.

[fullon627]

Did a couple of things on Sunday. Mounted and tested the two interior lights. Boo mention that the nob for the Vortex fan was grey and didn't match anything. So I surprised her and painted it black. One of the doors was tweaked at the bottom. I think it must have left the factory that way. It was way out and wouldn't of sealed. I messed with it for two hours rebending the frame and finally got it to shut properly.

Interior light and fan nob.


Bad door gap at bottom, door gap at to, fixed door gap.

[Patti]

It looks more darling every time I look!