Serenity TearDrop Build

[western traveler]

I finally got to make my shake down trip up the road a couple hours. It was great to finally spend nights in my build.
Eight tear tours in the last two days. I had to start making the bed. As mentioned I still have work to do to complete and also picked up a couple items for the list while there. But I’m ready to go again now!

[western traveler]

The Big Horn sheep weren’t exactly shy. They walked by within 20 feet of me.

[western traveler]

The requisite money shot…

[western traveler]

25 degree nights and windy. The Propex heater got a lot of use!

Two questions I left there with:
1. How much ventilation does one need at night? I probably had too much but didn’t want to wake up dead.
2. Where to stow shoes at night? I used a shelf as I wasn’t about to leave them outdoors but they were clean and dry so didn’t present an issue.

[Capebuild]

The requisite money shot…

Looks great! Nice to finally get to go out and actually "use" the trailer. Nice to see.

[western traveler]

Thanks John,
I appreciate the encouragement you have offered along the way. It certainly felt great to get her on the road. Your build is moving right along and I suspect won’t be far behind.
Ralph

[GarthB]

Congratulations on a job well done, Ralph! You’ve got a lot to be proud of.

Now get ready for all of the teardrop tours that you’ll be giving every time you leave home with it! My wife and I have very much enjoyed all of the great conversations we’ve had so far with curious campers, thanks to our ‘Drop.

[western traveler]

Garth,
Thanks for the compliment and assistance sharing information along the way.
I enjoy chatting with folks and this certainly draws them out. It is strange to be standing on the other side of the conversation now. I have to keep pinching myself that I actually accomplished this. I still have plenty to do but I can camp in it while I move forward.
It was great building at the same time as you, Cody, John and Joe. I can’t thank Tony enough for writing his book.
Now John is right behind us. I am looking forward to seeing him complete his.
Ralph

[cjlangellier]

Great job Ralph! The trailer looks great. As I've said before, I really love the fender and wheel color you chose, it really sets off the retro theme. The matching propane tank is a nice touch too!

I also really enjoyed checking in on the progress of Garth and your build while working on mine. Maybe one day we'll all cross paths and get to see each other's builds in person.

[western traveler]

Great job Ralph! The trailer looks great. As I've said before, I really love the fender and wheel color you chose, it really sets off the retro theme. The matching propane tank is a nice touch too!

I also really enjoyed checking in on the progress of Garth and your build while working on mine. Maybe one day we'll all cross paths and get to see each other's builds in person.

Thanks Cody,
That would be a fun gathering. I would love to coax Tony to join that one! In the meantime if ever passing through this neck of the woods the invitation still stands.

[tony.latham]

1. How much ventilation does one need at night? I probably had too much but didn’t want to wake up dead.
2. Where to stow shoes at night? I used a shelf as I wasn’t about to leave them outdoors but they were clean and dry so didn’t present an issue.

When it's cold, we crack the roof vent an inch or so and each window another inch. It's the humidity that bothers us.

On clear nights, I set my shoes on the fender upside down. If that looks like a stupid idea, I put them in a garbage sack and bring them inside.

Tony

[JoeGrz]

It is great to see your teardrop in the wild. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to spend that first night out? Even better, you didn’t mention any discoveries on the shakedown. That too must be a great feeling. I’ve been out twice and found something that needs addressing each time. What a wonderful place to have your shakedown trip! I made a trip out to Glacier about 20 years ago and hope to make it up there again. That was my first trip west and so unlike anything I had seen before. I just loved it.

[western traveler]

When it's cold, we crack the roof vent an inch or so and each window another inch. It's the humidity that bothers us.
On clear nights, I set my shoes on the fender upside down. If that looks like a stupid idea, I put them in a garbage sack and bring them inside.
Tony[/quote]

Tony,
Thanks, I suspected I had way more ventilation than needed but just didn’t know. I need to find a way to hold the window open less than fully with these Challenger doors. Also, I will probably dedicate a space on the shelves for boots. I love the shelf design. It makes grabbing clothing when needed so simple.

Joe,
Thanks for that. It was so nice knowing I was going to climb into a comfortable heated space the first night. The temps were in the 20’s at night but with the 15-25mph wind I don’t know what the windchill was. I know most tent campers were one and done. I gave tours to a few of them. It was 4 season tent/sleeping bag weather. I love Glacier Park and felt fortunate to have such nice weather this late in the year to camp there and why I added the Propex heater. The wind just killed the fly fishing but that would have just been a bonus where camped.
First addition to the build, flashlight holders…

[western traveler]

I was thinking about my shakedown trip and daily battery usage. It was pretty cold as mentioned and I ended up running the heater all night each night i was there. Between that and the various lights sporadically used with a few hours of reading lights, I used 7% of the original 100% available per night.
I realize I have no need to add 110v to the TD. I already have the heat and LED lights in the sleeper and even if I used a microwave or coffee pot in an environment that provided power, I could just use an extension cord and set them out on a table.
So glad I didn’t add the electrical fitting through the side.
Now to research and save for a solar setup…

[western traveler]

Couple of decisions I made. I had left the edges of my walls and roof line free of Helmsman Urethane with the anticipation of receiving my milled trim molding. It has become apparent that by the time I receive it, it will most likely be too cold to be doing resin work here. So I took the opportunity to put a few coats of Helmsman on it for UV protection until next Spring due to the prolonged Indian Summer here.
I also purchased a Renogy suitcase Solar panel to get started. Just so much conflicting views on what is best I decided to give it a look. Amazon has a good return policy if it doesn’t function as expected. I realize it is very entry level and am open to hear others opinions on it.
I just don’t want to continue to lug my Honda 2000 with me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079J ... =UTF8&th=1