Easter Egg

[Dan [Sac]]

Maybe I missed it but how much epoxy did the 17 oz cloth take?

This may be the most amazing "teardrop" build I have seen. :thumbs-up:

Tony

Manufacturer says 1.5 lb resin per 1 lb cloth. I was closer to 2, because of inefficiency and extra coats. I used the entire lot of 7.5 gal (5 gal epoxy, 2.5 gal hardener), plus another gallon or two of the other epoxy thicknesses. I estimate about a quarter of that was sanded off in finishing.

[Dan [Sac]]

Now despite it looking egg-smooth after primer, I could still feel some of the surface imperfections, as well as the glass overlap. So I wanted a paint scheme with vertical elements to sort of break up the continuous surface and better hide all the things I didn't want to look at. I also liked the idea of a nature-inspired look as opposed to the big RV schemes that are either super-generic or stick out like a sore thumb in a campground (who doesn't love a bright-red 35-footer named "Destroyer" or "Conqueror?" )

So I went a bit deep with Etsy stencils, choosing birch trunks for the main scheme (appropriate since most of the wood is birch-based), with a green top canopy and leaves overhanging. Paints are all acrylic. UV protection to be imparted by clearcoating. I'm not 100% crazy about the final look, but it's been growing on me quite a bit and am very content with the look. The green looks way too neon-ish under fluorescent lighting but is the nice flat I envisioned when in the sun or in natural light. Should have probably darkened it a bit, but that may sort itself out with clearcoat aging and patina over time. All else failing, I can always repaint later.


This was the stencil size for the birch - set in place, paint, remove, clean up, repeat. Used foam rollers and the paint laid down reasonably well. In places it's thicker, but this imparts it a texture that I kind of really like now.





I left the curves for last, as I knew those would require some extra work. Stencils are great for single-plane curves, but add another plane curve and there's a whole bunch of lifting and cleanup needed.






Some places I had to fill in by hand, which was tough because I am very artistically challenged.





And first layer of leaves. The second layer was with the dark, leaving the light edge for more depth appearance.








The bun, my spirit animal, making an appearance - I kind of winged this part, and I'm ok with it






The door seals installed. Prior to that, I seam sealed both vertical edges of the water channel, including epoxy coating before and after the seam seals. We'll see how it holds up.

[rjgimp]

Uhhhhh....

[MickinOz]

Incredible.

[Pmullen503]

Great build! Thanks for posting!

[tony.latham]

The bun, my spirit animal...

So, Dan. This is such a great build using a unique process, it makes me wonder, what your background is???

Could you elaborate for us?

Tony

[Dan [Sac]]

So, Dan. This is such a great build using a unique process, it makes me wonder, what your background is???

Could you elaborate for us?

Tony

Tinkerer by nature, engineer by training. Mechanical, to be exact. My specialty is welding, sheet metal fab, and engines. This is my first foray into woodwork, foam, and fiberglass. I spent a lot of time researching and planning, but even knowing I had to crawl before I walked it was much harder than I wanted it to be. There are still details that need to be sorted but because it was going so slow, about halfway through I decided that I won't make perfection the standard or I'd never finish.

[tony.latham]

Tinkerer by nature, engineer by training. Mechanical, to be exact.

Thanks! :thumbs-up:

Tony

[Squigie]

There are still details that need to be sorted but because it was going so slow, about halfway through I decided that I won't make perfection the standard or I'd never finish.

I know this feeling.
Many projects.

The one that drove it home, however, was a custom rifle.
About 95% of the way through the project, I realized that if I finished it as planned, it would: A) Never get used. And, more importantly, B) Never get finished.
It was going to be too nice and require too much attention to detail.
While trying to motivate myself to put even more time into it every day and finish as planned, a cat knocked the butt stock off of its drying hook in the middle of the night. It was badly chipped and dinged when it landed on the concrete floor.
It could not be repaired via the usual means, as I was finishing it with Tung oil that was heavily diluted for deep penetration (no good bond will ever be achieved), the wood was not a species that allows dents to be raised, and the chip fragmented into too many pieces (no good way to fill the missing piece).

I chose a route that I am not proud of, but it achieved the necessary result. Rather than refinish the metal as intended, I marred two areas of the existing finish on the metal, intentionally. Then I blended the damage on the stock along grain lines, to appear as though it was an artifact of the way the tree grew. (And finished those areas with Tung oil again.)

The project was completed. It gets used. It is one of my favorite tools.
If I ever want to, I can refinish the metal at my convenience now. But I don't have to.


That project did, however, lay much of the groundwork for another one that is nearing completion. Mentally and from a skill set standpoint, I was much better prepared when I took on a job that most people would 'hack out' in a week. I am 4 years and over 900 hours deep. Every single part has been, or will be by the end, customized, rebuilt, refurbished, and/or designed and made from scratch. And 100% will be finished or refinished (far nicer than original) by my hands.

Some learn by seeing. Some learn by doing. Some learn by undoing.
I learn when I realize that I Dunning-Krugered.

[Dan [Sac]]

I learn when I realize that I Dunning-Krugered.

[Dan [Sac]]

Interior work came next - I used the pretty popular slim LED interior lights (Amazon item# B07PGV11HK), eight in all, daisy-chained. They fit perfectly in the small overhead space, and as a bonus they're dimmable.






To make the install simpler, I used these inline connectors (Amazon item# B07114RK67). Still a little bit of a pain, but it worked. Trusty hot glue gun gobs keeps the wiring from flopping about.





The storage cabinet takes shape. I sized it to fit most of our travel bags and such. A lot of routing and sealing, but it's solid. Most of it is repurposed Ikea furniture.





For a front-side flat surface, I repurposed a trusty old office desk top into a folding table. It can be used either at half-size or fully extended. Here it is fully folded away.





And fully extended. I wouldn't sit on it, but it's sturdy enough for anything we carry in there. I left it unpainted for now, it'll become a project for later, as I've been enthralled by acrylic pour projects.
The recessed butler folding hinges are Amazon item# B07PLSLWT4.





And the power supply - a Lithium-iron (Bibene 500W Portable Power Station CN505) unit that'll suit my power needs for 3-5 days off grid with a couple of sunny days when coupled to the 100W solar panel. I didn't want the weight of a full deep cycle AGM unit, nor the fire potential of a lithium-ion unit. Price/watt it was the right fit...for now.





Did I mention I went a bit overboard with the Etsy stencils...





No, I mean it...





And the floor - I sanded the birch smooth (180-220), then cleaned it, epoxied the full surface, sanded that smooth, then covered it in mahogany vinyl...too bad almost none is visible under the bedding.
Vinyl is Amazon item# B08233XYMJ





More interior paint





And the front. Table is half-size folded.





One of the long-term goals is to have a composting toilet in the back area, sealed. To combat claustrophobia, I put in a spy window in the back wall.





Almost there...clearcoat time.





For once when spraying, I got the orange-peel just right.





Very happy with the dull shine. We'll see how it lasts.

[Dan [Sac]]

And that just about covers all the build...there may be items that I glossed over or are out of order but the bulk of it is illustrated and (fortunately) behind me. It'll always be an ongoing project, but it's good enough to go out with as is, and I think I'll do just that for a while. I'll post a BOM of the accessories at some point but I've dropped PNs for most throughout.




Got leftovers?






Happy trails, and keep traveling. This build has been its own journey, one that I would not do again, but I've learned a lot (mostly what not to do).

[Capebuild]

This build has been its own journey, one that I would not do again, but I've learned a lot (mostly what not to do).

I can certainly echo that sentiment. I found building my trailer to be a most satisfying experience. Designing and laying it all out with Solidworks was a big help for me, as well. Planning, researching and sourcing parts/materials took a lot of time but time well spent. The thing that most stands out for me regarding your build is the method you took with your design and execution. You seemed to have forged your own path with the construction and building technique. Very nice end result! Enjoy your trailer and travels.

John

[Pmullen503]

No galley?

An awesome build. So much innovation packed into such a small package.

[Squigie]

No galley?

Even better -- It has a poop deck!

I think a lot of TD owners and builders would be surprised by the number of people that don't want a galley and/or won't cook in their trailers, for various reasons. (I am one of them.)