hi, I'm new!

[Changer]

I'm Cait, I live in Texas, and I'm researching and trying to decide WHAT I want to build- probably *not* a teardrop (no room for a dog crate and I don't trust the puppy loose at night yet, he eats pillows) but am looking at something along the line of the SCA vardo type thingy only with a modern interior.

So... yeah. Hi.

[Steve_Cox]

Hi Cait,

Welcome to the forum. By the time you get through building, the puppy might be a dog.

DeeBee has posted some interesting Vardo drawings, have you seen them? If not you can find all the Vardo posts here by doing a search (see the top of the page for "Search" put in "Vardo" and select posts.

[Changer]

He probably *will* be a dog - but I suspect he'll still be prone to obnoxious behavior like rolling in dead things and then wanting to sleep on the bed. So, a place for a crate is a necessity.

I've looked at the vardo plans on here and they're neat. I've seen Rae's (I don't think she's on this forum, but she's another SCAdian) in person at an event and thought it was really neat. I'll post a thread for the mock-up I've designed. I need to find a better 3-D program- I'm not very good with CAD and I loathe google sketchup's view interface, so.... yeah. Moray and POV-Ray(which is my favorite) is getting sort of obsolete....

Right now, I don't have a good place to build- when my lease is up in 4 months, I'll be moving from an apartment to a house (hopefully with a garage, but at least with a yard to work in). But in the mean time, I'm playing with mock ups and drawing and whatnot.

Cait

[mikeschn]

Did you see the photo essay of the Escape Hatch. There's a built in place for the puppy/dog.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... hoto+essay



Mike...

[madjack]

Hiya Cait and welcome to the board...don't forget the pics when ya start to build as we just luv 'em 'round here...I like the Vardo's and Rae's and others are just plain neat...give the doggy a bone and have fun....
madjack

[Steve_Cox]

Cait, and anyone interested in Vardo type wagons, I've got a few pictures of Vardos old and new, Shepard wagons and other miscellaneous related stuff on Picasa. Here's a link: Link to Photos

[sdtripper2]

Steve::)

I enjoyed the view of your Vardo type wagons.:)
They always remind me of a Gypsy lifestyle.


IC you are getting into the spirit of Christmas

Your Christmas cheery hat reminds me of the Whirling Dervish~

[Changer]

yeah, I did- it's pretty cool! Will make a folder for the drawings I've got as soon as I get a chance - I really like the outside appearance of the vardo more, so...

The original design I created in 2003 (I've been playing with this on and off for a while) was for a 5x8 utility trailer with the vardo 'box' built over the tires so it was effectively about 6' wide and the bed went crosswise, with a folding table/counter, portapotty, and storage space- but also enough empty floor for my bicycle, the dog's crates (at that time I had two smallish dogs (corgis), now I have one corgi (who doesn't need a crate at all) and a collie. I'm towing with a decent sized vehicle (GMC Sierra truck) so weight's not much of an object- before it was a Jeep Cherokee and weight WAS an issue.) The old design called for ends that folded up and a canvas/tarpish top that would be stretched over them on ribs, and I might keep that design- it has the virtue of being REALLY simple- but I kinda want a hard top, too, so I'm thinking about a hard top that covers the whole section in the folded down position and sits on top of the tall fold-up ends when it's set up, filled in with sectional walls that I'd probably make initially from canvas and eventually replace with wood panels that would snap into and out of place. I live in Texas- insulation's not as much an issue as ventilation. Not sure, though- still messing with ideas.

I'm really, really, really inexperienced at building. (With wood, anyway. I'm great at paper mache, but somehow I *don't* think that would be a good material for a travel trailer... ). I've built a chicken coop and dog runs and stuff, but never anything that folds, and I'm *very* intimidated by electrical stuff. The original plans for the vardo were to make the only eletrical stuff a reading light by the bed- and that was going to be battery powered. Now, I think I'd like to put in power so I can plug in my laptop and have music and fans- and maybe a toaster.

So.. yeah, hi. Had other tihngs I was going to say but I started the post and then had to go do stuff and came back and can't remember what it was!

[angib]

With the Vardo shape, a complete lifting top may be easier than a folding arrangement. Here is a Vardo with a 12ft long by 7ft wide body:



Andrew

[Ira]

Hi, Cait. Have you seen this yet?

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... ight=vardo

He's a really nice guy who not only sells plans, but also everything cut and ready to stick on a frame! The price is really reasonable, but I don't know how much the shipping would kill you.

Click on his link in the first post there to see more.

[Changer]

I've seen that site but don't think it's the way I want to go- I'm ending up with basically the same trailer but without any interior photos (or even a floorplan- the site doesn't even have dimensions of the finished trailer on it), I'm sort of hesitant to send money. I *do* like the bowtop- I go back and forth between that and a hardtopped caravan.

I put up the original images of the vardo as I was originally planning it.

[Steve_Cox]

There was a discussion a couple of months ago about canvas for a top and using airplane dope to make it a "hard top". I did a little R & D with canvas stretched over a frame and epoxying it, didn't have any airplane dope. It gave the desired results except the canvas stretched a little. The airplane dope will cause the canvas to shrink and give a taught watertight surface. Also it would be really road worthy, you could fly down the highway and not worry about the canvas cover. Canvas in widths and lengths needed for this application can be bought really reasonably from set design suppliers. I was looking at one on line that I think was in Dallas. This stuff was downright inexpensive compaired to other trailer building supplies. This thread has caused me to start thinking about building a vardo again.......

[Ira]

Where did you "put up" those images, Cait? In your album?

I'm on dial-up at home, so this isn't always easy for me to look at.

But I can tell you that you can learn from EVERYONE here (except me most of the times), and he sure wasn't the type to try to squeeze money from your wallet. He's INTO these things, and would be more than happy to answer any questions you have about anything.

If you went through that entire thread, you'll see there are concerns voiced about how well those things tow. If you are 100% sold on a Vardo because of the design, well, that's it then.

But if it's only to have space for a dog crate, there are a lot of TD designs here that can easily accommodate that need.

And only about a thousand peole here to help you build it.

[Changer]

They're in the album.

I'm pretty sold on the vardo design- especially the way I originally planned to do it, which was basically a folding bow-top. That should keep the weight low enough to not be unstable. The weight *could* be an issue- but my truck is a full-size pickup, so I'm not TOO worried about that...

Plus, if I make a Vardo, I can use that plus my pavilion for vending at some of the smaller renn faires. Just cover the tires with 'period' wagon-wheels.