Greetings From Roseville, California

[vintagetrailergal]

Hello folks and thank you for allowing us to join your great teardrop group. Although Steve and I are not new to vintage trailers, we are new to teardrops. I traded a '48 Higgins tent trailer for a teardrop built around 1960 last week and am intriqued by our new little project. It will be challenging for sure...the door is quite small, and I am toying with the idea of adding a door on the other side. Also, the lid on the back no longer lines up for a good fit in the lower left side (ouch). We would like to extend the sleeping area a bit, to fit my hubby's 6'2" frame and then build a simple galley. If any of you have experience adding a door or window to an existing trailer, please let me know how you did it! We would appreciate hearing from you....thanks. Margaret and Steve Martan

[Miriam C.]

Glad to have you with us Margret and Steve. I agree the doors are definitely way too small. I would cut and make new doors the size I want. There are dozens of way to do that so when you decide on a design just go to the Construction section and post away.

Thanks for the pictures. They are an important tool and keep the bubble oil level.

[doug hodder]

Welcome aboard!!!! Just to let you know, there is going to be a large gathering of tears at Lake Shasta first week of May, it's called the Dam Gathering and we are the only ones in the campground, big chili feed on Sat night and lots of fun...there should be 60+ tears there...good opportunity for you both to get some ideas of what you might like to do to modify yours...info on the Dam Gathering here.. http://www.teardrops.net/destinations01.html Doug

[GregB]

Greetings Rosevillians!

I moved away only 3 years ago, but was born and raised there. Nice to hear from someone in my old stomping grounds. Welcome to the obsession.

Greg B

[Gage]

Hello Margaret and Steve. You did what? You traded a '48 Higgins tent trailer for a teardrop. Boy, you guys do have it bad. Well, you come to the right place. It shouldn't be to hard to enlarge that door and cut another one on the other side. Have you got a pic of the inside? Like what Doug said, do try and make it up to the Dam Gathering in Shasta. And bring the teardrop up. Besides being a good place to get ideas, you'll also find out exactly what you need to do to yours. Oh and the chili feed on Sat is also a 'potluck'.

[vintagetrailergal]

Thanks for the Shasta Rally information....darn! We have already signed up and paid for a rally in Felton the first weekend in May. We've committed ourselves to helping out with the pancake breakfast and other festivities. Hopefully there will be other teardrop get togethers that we can participate in and meet other trailerites. Funny, my hubby just told me that he likes the little Snow White door on the trailer and wants to keep it....and add a big one on the other side. Sounds kinda funky to me.

[toypusher]

Welcome to the board. Can you post a couple of pictures of the door open, to allow us to see what the sidewall construction is?? This would help alot in trying to determine how you should go about putting the second door in.

Take some shots of the hatch, both open and closed with closeups of the area that does not fit well. Also, shots of the hatch hinge.

[alaska teardrop]

Welcome & congratulations, Margaret & Steve

Just a first thought to come to mind about the door.

(actually the second, the first had to do with my dog)

How about making it into a dutch door by retaining that one, but moving it up so that the bottom is even with the paint line? You could take that one off the hinges and replace it with a matching lower half. Is there a window on the other side?

Fred

:peace:

[vintagetrailergal]

I've posted additional pictures in Vintagetrailergal's album of the problem areas of our new teardrop. The area pictured above is the most worrisome for me....yikes.

I was told this teardrop was built around 1960, but the registration says 2002 utility trailer. This should be interesting trying to prove to the Calif DMV that its not a 2002. Perhaps we should leave it alone. The DMV and I don't often see eye to eye.

[Gage]

Unless the plate is a fake, there must be some proof somewhere showing it was built in 1950. DMV won't let you have a 'Year of MFG' plate unless there is proof of when it was built.

[vintagetrailergal]

Oh yes, the vintage plate was put on while it's stored on our property. We have the official PTI plate inside the trailer.

[Rob]

Margaret & Steve--

Welcome to the Nut House, I mean T&TTT Forum! You'll find lots of good company from all over the world here, including a few local yocals.

[AlaskaJack]

Hi and welcome!
I must say, even after spending several years on a submarine, that the door on your tear gives me the "claustophobics!" .... I'd take a chain saw to that puppy in short order!