Our first build - a vardo

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby noseoil » Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:48 am

Incredible job on the build! Yes, the finish & details can take as much time as the build itself, but it's always worth the extra effort when it's finished. Looks like you will have some weight to haul as was mentioned. Any idea of the weight so far? If it's getting close, you may need to travel with empty tanks & top them off once you're close to your destination. Really enjoying the progress pictures & paint.
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

137905
User avatar
noseoil
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1821
Images: 669
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:46 am
Location: Raton, New Mexico, living the good life!

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby Vedette » Sat Nov 28, 2015 12:45 pm

Wow! Wow! Wow! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
What else can one say? :applause:
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Here is a link to my Build Journal
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=50912
Image109106109111109110138766
User avatar
Vedette
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 5141
Images: 443
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:28 am
Location: Westbank B.C.

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby Ned B » Fri Dec 11, 2015 12:13 pm

Huzzah! What a wonderful build!!
User avatar
Ned B
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1036
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:25 am
Location: Syracuse NY (ish)
Top

ornamentation

Postby lgatlin » Fri Dec 11, 2015 4:59 pm

Thanks all, for the kind words. We're making really slow progress at this point, and it's going to stop for about a month because we're taking off to go back to the midwest to visit the family for the holidays. But I have been painting the sides --

First, I draw with a light colored pencil to get the basic lines in. In this first picture, it's going to be a green man under the window. I've searched and found images online, then redrew or manipulated them to fit my design and spaces, then projected them onto the side with an old overhead projector I saved --
Image
Then I painted an off-white base coat so I could use less coats of the colors. It gets it down so I can see it easier and so it won't wash off with the rain --
Image
I forgot to take pics before I started adding the yellow on top. getting in all those lines in the beadboard takes time!
Then I can go back in and paint all the details, clean up the edges, and when the whole side is done, I'll give it a coat of varnish (acrylic). I finished one of the two tall panels on the side this week -- (the back one)
Image
Image

I'm hoping to get the other tall panel done this weekend, and with any luck, at least block out the three lower panels. Right now the other tall panel is partly done --
Image
still rough, needs all the detail work. Here's a couple of close ups of what the finished panel looks like --
Image
Image

So -- just ornamentation right now, but it's getting there. We are looking forward to getting started on the interior at the first of the year. Between having to make a bunch of Christmas gifts and finishing up the end of the grading term for me, we haven't been able to work on the building aspect, although I can step out and paint for a half hour now and then. So I won't be posting for a bit but when we're back, it'll be with interior details!
User avatar
lgatlin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 63
Images: 27
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:29 pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby dales133 » Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:36 pm

Looking great.
Merry xmas and looking forward to some updates in the new year
User avatar
dales133
4000 Club
4000 Club
 
Posts: 4605
Images: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:26 pm
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby steve cowan » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:47 pm

I've never seen anything like it! You are an incredibly talented painter.Can't wait to see the interior done.Great job. :thumbsup:

Steve
User avatar
steve cowan
Donating Member
 
Posts: 236
Images: 207
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:35 pm
Location: covington,ga
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby felixx » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:44 pm

And the award for most artistic trailer goes too....

Seriously, this is beautiful. I admire your talent!
felixx
Donating Member
 
Posts: 644
Images: 22
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 3:01 pm
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby rebapuck » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:38 am

You have gone over the "kick it up a notch". You are at least 50 notches up. It's beautiful.
Judy
1966 VW camper
1967 VW singlecab
Image
User avatar
rebapuck
.
 
Posts: 2243
Images: 1
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Chapel Hill NC
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby aref_naa » Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:50 pm

First off, I just wanted to say that this vardo is looking -amazing-. I've poked around the forums for a while, and last time I saw this build it was mostly frame still, and it's come a long way.

I did have one question, though- I'm kicking around the idea of building something similar, but I don't yet have a tow vehicle. I'm hoping to avoid a full-size pickup- do you have a rough idea of what your vardo weighs right now, or what you need to tow it?
aref_naa
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 4:07 pm
Top

Re: weight

Postby lgatlin » Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:50 am

aref_naa wrote:I did have one question, though- I'm kicking around the idea of building something similar, but I don't yet have a tow vehicle. I'm hoping to avoid a full-size pickup- do you have a rough idea of what your vardo weighs right now, or what you need to tow it?


We haven't weighed it yet, although we may in the next week or so. So far, it's empty inside, just a shell. Right now, we're in the middle of planning our electrical.

Funny story: when we planned and measured this all, we mis-measured the space between our house and this tree we have. So tomorrow we have tree trimmers coming out to take the tree out (it needed to go anyway, but oops). :shock: So we haven't been able to get it out of the yard to check for weight, but we can do that soon.

I was hoping to be able to work on in through January, but got a grant at the last minute and had to spend January working on proposals. I did do some painting this week, the paint job on the one side is complete now, and as soon as they are done taking the tree out this week, we're going to move the vardo back into the driveway so we can get the interior going. These are the three half panels in the center under the window (I took the pic on the far left as the sun was going down, so the color is off)
Image
This is the side for my husband -- my side will have the same kind of images, but California stuff instead of Indiana stuff.

So anyway, I'll hopefully have some updates soon -- maybe we can get it weighed and get those interior fittings started.
User avatar
lgatlin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 63
Images: 27
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:29 pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby dales133 » Wed Feb 10, 2016 5:35 am

Very nice as usual.
Be interested to see the weight myself,and the interior fitout
User avatar
dales133
4000 Club
4000 Club
 
Posts: 4605
Images: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:26 pm
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby S. Heisley » Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:02 pm

:thumbsup: Beautiful work, as usual.

The 'oops' tree story is both funny and sad. ...Poor tree. Oh, well.... We all have to go sometime. :(
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8813
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

fan, solar and paint

Postby lgatlin » Sat Feb 27, 2016 4:07 pm

Got a little hiccup done, by having a tree removed --
ImageImage
so we can eventually remove our little Stardust vardo from the backyard....

Then we added a fantastic fan. Had a little challenge because the place we wanted it had a curved roof section, but we cut some curved pieces and it's nice and tight. This is before I touched up the roof paint job, but it's nice and watertight. Nothing like cutting a 14" hole in a roof you've worked hard to make watertight. We were really impressed with how rigid the PMF roof was -- the piece of roof we cut out was hard as a rock. That's reassuring.
Image

We''ll have to make a custom interior fitting, since it sits at an angle and it's deeper in some parts than the interior piece that was provided.

We also mounted a 100w solar panel on the roof. We are getting our electrical mapped out this weekend, so we thought we'd start at the rooftop. The solar panel sits on the trolley top, and is bolted through the roof. We won't get it hooked up to the battery until we get all the wiring done, but at least it's up there out of the way. It sits up just a bit, we were worried about it adding height to the roof.

I mapped out the remaining side of the paint job this morning -- this will take me a week or two to paint here and there. This time the focus is on California (the Indiana side was for my husband).
ImageImage
just for comparison - this is the other side, complete:
Image

This afternoon I am also going to start laying out the interior furniture and get it cut down to fit the angles.... Feels good to be getting back to work!
User avatar
lgatlin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 63
Images: 27
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:29 pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby Wolfgang92025 » Sat Feb 27, 2016 4:19 pm

Beautiful, just beautiful :thumbsup: :applause:

You going to get a lot of attention on the road with your trailer.
Wolfgang

Image
User avatar
Wolfgang92025
Lifetime member
 
Posts: 1087
Images: 660
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:16 pm
Location: Salt Lake City area, Utah
Top

Re: Our first build - a vardo

Postby PKCSPT » Sun Feb 28, 2016 10:21 am

WOW
121172 116946 159644
PKCSPT
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 1515
Images: 61
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:27 pm
Location: Minnesota
Top

PreviousNext

Return to Build Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests