I have to blame Joanne for my newest affliction, she built this awesome teardrop from an old boat trailer; (kids, don't try this at home!) and even though I was living in a trailer at the time, I was infected, er, afflicted, um, assimilated! (resistance is futile!!)
I had suggested the idea as a possibility to my GF, and now she's totally addicted/infected/assimilated as well. We kicked around some ideas, I have a small 4cyl toyota P/U truck, so it would have to be light enough etc.
So, yesterday, we responded to an ad on Craigslist, and bought an old popup with two flat tires for $250. It had been sitting for ten years, neglected and nearly forgotten, the owner's widow just wanted to get rid of it. Had to buy two new wheels to tow it out of there. I figured for the price, even if it's junk inside, the frame alone was worth it.
I dremeled off the little padlock, and cranked it up. Would it be full of camping gear frolm years gone by? Would it be full of rodent nests and other vermin infestations?? Apart from black widow nests in the hubcaps, it was free from any invasions. A little dusty, the insides are clean, almost like it had never been used. The cook top was immaculate. It has a 3 burner propane stovetop, a pump faucet on the built in sink, a bunch of cabinetry. The canvas is disintegrating, but we may be able to salvage parts of it for an awning. It's actually in good shape except for a couple holes in the front and rear plastic panels. The sides are metal, might be able to incorporate that into my design. So, tonight we strip off the rotten canvas and start dis-assembling. I will recycle as much of it as I can.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates as I clean the garage enough to drag it inside!
Dave & Kathleen
I'm a teardrop evangelist! In fact I had another interested guy drop buy on Saturday to check out the trailer. It sounds like he has decided to build and is starting to work out the "wants and needs".
