$$$$$

[mikey88]

my flat screen tv $314

mattress $325

plywood for sides $210

frame $ 1,100


THE FUN of building and owning a tear PRICELESS!



AND THATS JUST FOR STARTERS!!!

[Woody]

WHAT, no hot tub GEEZ

[RAYVILLIAN]

Chris
The Warrior came in at $3200 but I still haven't figured out the AC and after camping at the lake this weekend I do need the AC. I also got a great deal on the windows and door so the next one will cost more in that department.
Gary

[madjack]

...Ray you might want to check out the Pet-Cool for convenience of a retrofit installation...2-2" holes and an extension cord and your done
madjack

[xe1ufo]

Hey Madjack:

Can you tell me th aproximate dimensions and weight of the Pet Cool?

Thanks!

[madjack]

...Dr.S, I believe it weighs around 45# and is 14x14x18(?), these are not exact dimensions, their web site is www.petcool.com you might also want to PM Kai(mexican tear) since he is actualy using one
madjack

[IraRat]

I've read a bunch of posts about the PetCool, and I still don't get it:

At $499, what is the advantage ? That it's not installed permanently? Or that it draws less power?

Seriously--I don't understand. If you can buy a standard 5,000 AC for under a hundred bucks, what is the extra 400 bucks buying you here?

[xe1ufo]

IraRat:

One advantage is that it has LOWER BTU (2,500) than the ones you mention (5,000 btu), which have a very common and nasty tendency to freeze up in the Teardrops.

Another is the advantage of leaving it home in the winter time.

Another is that you can do a "central A/C" type of instalation, ducting, vents, etc. I even saw one guy on a website that had one outlet aimed into the Teardrop, and the other cooling off his tent!

I still do not own one, but I can see the advantages, although yes, it is 5 times the price and no, I don't have the money to buy one ... yet! But when I get rich and famous ... (right now I am just famous!)

[IraRat]

IraRat:

One advantage is that it has LOWER BTU (2,500) than the ones you mention (5,000 btu), which have a very common and nasty tendency to freeze up in the Teardrops.

Another is the advantage of leaving it home in the winter time.

Another is that you can do a "central A/C" type of instalation, ducting, vents, etc. I even saw one guy on a website that had one outlet aimed into the Teardrop, and the other cooling off his tent!

I still do not own one, but I can see the advantages, although yes, it is 5 times the price and no, I don't have the money to buy one ... yet! But when I get rich and famous ... (right now I am just famous!)

Okay--NOW I get it! Thanks for the lesson!

As far as leaving it home in the wintertime goes, not an issue here in South Florida--but cooling off a tent is another story. With a wife and two sons, guess who's going to have to sometimes sleep in a side tent?

And I won't those kids to be cool TOO, right???



So let's take this a step further:

In yesterday's Sunday paper, the Pep Boys circular had a portable AC for $400, no venting required. Cool thing (not really small) with a carry handle.

I'm pretty sure it was 120, and I'm pretty sure that its cooling power comes from superior dehumdifying, which is okay. (I don't have the circular in front of me, and the Pep Boys site for online sales in no help at all.)

Just bringing this up because I know we're all here looking for the perfect products for the TD--and we don't always know that a lot of them even exist.

[Joanne]

My girlfriend asked me, on the way home from Minden, "just how much is this tiny trailer going to cost?" I've spent my life "quoting" things and my guess was "between $2,500/3,000". I don't think I've heard anyone mention what their tears cost to build. I realize that no two tears are the same, nor would their cost come out the same, but surely with as many tears as this group has built, there must be some sort of approximate cost comment from the forum. Anyone willing to share their figure?

Hi Chris,

To date I've spent more than I expected, but I'm also not very familiar with the cost of materials. One area that I completely ignored that is cost of consumables. I've had to buy a lot of sand paper, rubber gloves and throwaway brushes (I'm doing fiberglass), acetone, table saw blades, jigsaw blades, and beltsanding belts. I'm on my second bottle of Gorilla glue, 4th tube of construction adhesive (liquid nails) and first large box of wood screws. I'm guessing that a lot of you guys have a lot of this stuff laying around before you start, but I'm starting out from scratch. When I rebuilt the trailer I went through 10 or 15 cutoff blades and 4 spools of welding wire. Even small hardware like rivets and cable clamps add up pretty quickly.

I haven't purchased many tools for this project, but I did buy a pocket hole kit, a caulking gun, a nice sanding block, and a small hand plane.

I drink ice water most of the time, but I can imagine the budget impact if I drank beer. (No to mention having to replace all the parts that I ruined after a beer or two.)

Although these things don't sound like much, it adds up fast! I can't get out of Home Depot for less than $50. Over the weekend I had to pay $12 just for a gallon of acetone. That's just insane.

Joanne

[Arne]

oh, were supposed to count 'consumables', too../g/.... I don't even want to go in that direction.....

[Chris C]

Okay, from the figures you all have been willing to share, the average seems to be $3,625.....................keeping in mind we are talking many different styles of trailers and many different personal attitudes toward quality of finished product. Very interesting. A little higher than I thought, but not outrageous.

Thanks for all the input................let's put this thread to rest and go on to bigger and better (more important) things.

[ALAN GEDDES]

My first cost about $1100, Second and the one in the avatar was about $1300 and the freebie challenge cost me $300 with a lot of scrounging. It all depends on how fancy you want it and what your sources are. I figure if I keep mine under $1500 then I don't have to worry about insurance for damage or theft because I'm not out a great deal of money if something happens.

[Ma3tt]

Just for a reference I did a light restore on mine it had no interior and the axle was bad. I did not put in any electric stuff or water stuff. So original 1947 teardrop $1500, new interior about $150, axle rims tires $400, Misc bedding etc $100 so we got in for around $2200 plus sweat. Plus they are never done, new paint job coming up before the Spamboree, finish inside decklid, need some nice rim dressing and on and on and on.......

[doug hodder]

Mat3tt....I've checked out you photos... are you sure you shouldn't be called the Iron Chef??? Doug Hodder