Gypsy Caravan

[jackdaw]

Steve ,
I'm really enjoying your build, and your cracking on at a great pace.
I like the shape you've created, and it looks like its going to be a great trailer to use.

Inspired by your build,I was checking out ebay over here and found a couple of gypsy wagons for sale.

How about an original 1870 horse drawn wagon;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0105301677

I'd love to renovate a wagon like that. If only I had the time space and cash


There was a little gypsy trailer up too, it just sold for £2500.00

It has some nice carvings around the doors.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TQ:GB:1123

How much reserch did you do for your build ?
You have captured the essence so well. Well done

Hope you enjoy the distractions

Cheers, Dave.
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[Steve_Cox]

How much reserch did you do for your build ?
You have captured the essence so well. Well done

Hope you enjoy the distractions

Cheers, Dave.
[/img]

Dave,

Thanks for the links to the EbayUK auctions. That 1870 wagon must have spent a lot of years stored indoors to be in such good condition.

I've been looking on the internet at Romany wagons and reading the histories that I could find for about 2 years. I want to say, in building my trailer I am in no way trying to replicate or even pretend I know much about their heritage and traditions, and mean no disrespect toward their culture as I have nothing but respect and admiration for them.

As far as capturing the"essence" thank you again. I know enough to know I've strayed from some of the basics of a Romany wagon, but by putting a little from several traditional styles I found a shape that was esthetically pleasing to me.

[GPW]

Steve, we just consider yours , a "modernized" version...appropriate for a Modern Gypsy....no horses

[rhltechie]

I am really enjoying your build steve! and am impressed with your quality and the time in which you get this quality done!!

you've managed to build basically a small house in the time its taken me to frame one small floor, screw it up, rip it apart and only be 80% done with the second small floor!

good job

[Steve_Cox]

I am really enjoying your build steve! and am impressed with your quality and the time in which you get this quality done!!

you've managed to build basically a small house in the time its taken me to frame one small floor, screw it up, rip it apart and only be 80% done with the second small floor!

good job

Mandy,

I do a lot of things over until I get it right or at least close enough to right I can live with it, and I have a list of things that are in the "close enough" category. I don't tell everything

Today, I am taking my galley counter top back out and making the well for the stove deeper. I want to make a cover for the stove top that will be flush with the rest of the counter. There is always a need to sit things down when you first walk in the door.

I've enjoyed seeing your building efforts too, and can tell you have the tenacity to build a quality trailer. Patients grasshoppah, it is about the journey as well as the destination.

[rhltechie]

Mandy,

I do a lot of things over until I get it right or at least close enough to right I can live with it, and I have a list of things that are in the "close enough" category. I don't tell everything

Today, I am taking my galley counter top back out and making the well for the stove deeper. I want to make a cover for the stove top that will be flush with the rest of the counter. There is always a need to sit things down when you first walk in the door.

I've enjoyed seeing your building efforts too, and can tell you have the tenacity to build a quality trailer. Patients grasshoppah, it is about the journey as well as the destination.

I do agree! the journey...yes of course..i must keep saying that...its the journey...its the journey..with every coat of CPES....its the journey Good luck on your galley counter and thanks for the encouraging words!

[CAJUN LADY]

I've been making a little prgress, put CPES on the roof and another coat on the sides. I got four 12 volt brass clam shell lights with dimmers built into them at the boat surplus store for $5 a piece. I put two of them in the "bed-chamber" (it's just a room with wall to wall bed.)

I also finished up the wiring (re-ran two ground wires that were open?)and installed the 12 volt converter/battery charger and wondering how loud it would be since it is under the bed. Turns out, it is pretty quiet, but I would guess it might get louder when in the charge mode. Any preferences on moderately priced batteries? I put a small gel battery in my TD, and have been happy with it, but is was over $100 at Boaters World.

I also got the galley roughed out. I have some white formica that I'm going to use on the counter top and trim it in oak. Inside the trailer it's kinda cave like and needed somthing light, that's why the white formica. I'm going to paint the walls in the Salon Hatteras Off White, one of my fav old boat colors.

Still have to trim out the windows and put the faux stained glass film in them.


Battery box behind the right wheelwell, to offset some of the cooler weight in the galley.



Face frames for the galley counter top are going to be oak, I haven't decided about the doors yet. I have been thinking about vertical tambor doors, and making the tambor myself, I don't know if I have the skills to rout out the tambor track corner radii though. I bet someone sells the tracks for that that would work much smoother. There's a story in that old hand pump too, for those that are interested in such things.

Do tell.

[Steve_Cox]

There's a story in that old hand pump too, for those that are interested in such things.

Do tell.

Mais Cher,

Of all the posts and all the threads you had to come into this one. (Humphrey Bogart voice)

It wasn't a big deal really, I spent the better part of a morning looking for a leather pump cup, that is the seal in the pump that brings the water up the inside of the pump. All I kept finding was shoes, leather pumps to be exact, even found some my size. (that could be another story) So after having no luck, I decided to make the cup myself and immediately sacrificed an old Birkenstock sandal for the leather. With a little whittlin' and sandin' I made a die and mandrel out of wood in the shape of the cup to be. Next I made a double boiler out of a piece of aluminum foil shaped like a little bowl and put it on top of a small sauce pan with a little water in it. As the water heated I put some paraffin shavings in the aluminum cup and as it melted I put the leather in it. After it boiled for a while and saturated the leather, I took it out and put between the die and mandrel, then clamped it together in the vise. After cooling I took the little leather cup out, trimmed the sides and punched a hole in the middle for the pump shaft bolt. I had a proud moment, It worked perfect.

[CAJUN LADY]

There's a story in that old hand pump too, for those that are interested in such things.

Do tell.

Mais Cher,

Of all the posts and all the threads you had to come into this one. (Humphrey Bogart voice)

It wasn't a big deal really, I spent the better part of a morning looking for a leather pump cup, that is the seal in the pump that brings the water up the inside of the pump. All I kept finding was shoes, leather pumps to be exact, even found some my size. (that could be another story) So after having no luck, I decided to make the cup myself and immediately sacrificed an old Birkenstock sandal for the leather. With a little whittlin' and sandin' I made a die and mandrel out of wood in the shape of the cup to be. Next I made a double boiler out of a piece of aluminum foil shaped like a little bowl and put it on top of a small sauce pan with a little water in it. As the water heated I put some paraffin shavings in the aluminum cup and as it melted I put the leather in it. After it boiled for a while and saturated the leather, I took it out and put between the die and mandrel, then clamped it together in the vise. After cooling I took the little leather cup out, trimmed the sides and punched a hole in the middle for the pump shaft bolt. I had a proud moment, It worked perfect.

Good story Steve. Why don't you find an electric portable stove and use it instead of propane.

[GPW]

CL, +1 on that !!!!

[CAJUN LADY]

Steve, how are you going to get in and out of the wagon?

[Steve_Cox]

Why don't you find an electric portable stove and use it instead of propane.

Good question, guess it came from the "propane posts" Mike started from the other day, here are a few answers that make propane a more logical choice for me.

1. I really, really like cooking on a stove with gas burners.

2. With the 12 volt lighting and fantastic fan, it is possible to camp off the grid if power isn't available (hurricane power outages included)

3. Already have the trailer wired, and don't want to add any more breakers or increase the wire size for the shore power. A 120 volt 2 burner drop in stove top could need as much as 20 amps to operate both burners at the same time.

[Steve_Cox]

Steve, how are you going to get in and out of the wagon?

Gee, hadn't really given it much thought.

Reminds me of a fellow we know that built an 8' teardrop. Then he decided to put a pet-cool A/C in the galley, so he cut off the end of his mattress to accommodate the addition in the galley. He went camping once, his wife left for home in the middle of the night, he didn't sleep either. Seems he didn't give much thought to making his bed five and a half feet long.

[planovet]

Seems he didn't give much thought to making his bed five and a half feet long.

Since I'm 6'3", I would give it a LOT of thought!

Nice job so far Steve. Your speed and quality blows me away!

[Steve_Cox]

Hi Mark,

Having a slow Monday?

Seems I've been having a slow everyday, myself.

I can't say too much about the quality, I might want to sell this trailer some day.