SIERRA NOMAD 1/31/11 did the mag. rack

[S. Heisley]

Hey Doug! Your sink cabinet has a big hole in the back of it!

Seriously, you are going to have another winner and you may find that this one is your "keeper" for the long term.

[Miriam C.]

Well I loved every inch till that wheel well...........Not real sure why it bothers me just seems too round.....

Really is a beauty any way

[doug hodder]

It's not my real favorite...but that's what the practice stuff is for. I had an earlier version made, but the wheel couldn't be removed without fighting it. With it the way it is now. I can just make up more templates (smaller) and stack them over the existing opening and play with the look. Scotties had a little sharp point on the front of the opening. I need to clank around some vintage trailer sites and get some more ideas on the opening. Doug

[Miriam C.]

It's not my real favorite...but that's what the practice stuff is for. I had an earlier version made, but the wheel couldn't be removed without fighting it. With it the way it is now. I can just make up more templates (smaller) and stack them over the existing opening and play with the look. Scotties had a little sharp point on the front of the opening. Doug

Well since I am good at bumping sharp stuff I tend to not favor them either. I have every confidence you will come up with something really unique.

[gullywompr]

Doug, it is a privilege to follow your build journals, thank you for documenting your work. You clearly have mastered the craftsmanship, and have a keen design aesthetic as well. Were you trained in visual arts, or are you a self-educated renaissance man?

[teardrop_focus]

doug hodder



It's not my real favorite [wheelarch profile]...but that's what the practice stuff is for. I had an earlier version made, but the wheel couldn't be removed without fighting it. With it the way it is now. I can just make up more templates (smaller) and stack them over the existing opening and play with the look. Scotties had a little sharp point on the front of the opening. I need to clank around some vintage trailer sites and get some more ideas on the opening.

Until something better gets drawn, that isn't bad at all. I like it. Sure, it might be a bit "round", but there's a good, minimal, gap between the tire o.d. and the wheelarch itself. And, as you've so aptly noted, the wheel can be removed and replaced without a battle.

[jkidd6339]

Very fine work. I love all of your builds really nice

[Ageless]

I've always be fond of the fenders of early 1940's cars. Note the rear wheel cutouts

[Carter]

Ah yes, Fender skirts. Very appropriate on "some" 30's to 50's cars but people use them in non-appropriate applications and that is morally wrong.

Jim

My definition of morally wrong:

[Toytaco2]

I don't know Doug. It's hard for me to visualize the full profile with just the wheel well opening and bottom half of the profile. I think this profile would probably look really, really good if we could get an idea of the whole thing and not just the bottom half. I have to say I like the larger rounded wheel well openings you have here, and to me, those funky, pointed looking "back swoops" on some of the early trailers are not my favorite. Just my opinion.

Mike

[jhb]

I'm thinking the arc in the back could be a bit longer (lower rear arch moved back an inch or two), but that might reveal too much of the underside. You might be able to get more of that backward swoop look by thickening (height wise) the trim as it moves from the top of the wheel aft. I think Mike has a point, I wouldn't judge the wheel well to critically until you get the whole profile laid out to scale.

[doug hodder]

Well, I don't have a lot of room on the aft end to be making it swoop more as you can see the angle support brace that is at the rear of the wheel tub. I need to clean the shop today and will have it so that I can get a straight on view at a distance of the side and play with some chunks of ply to see what else I can come up with. Sort of one of those things....too close to the forest to see the trees...at this point.

Top of page 2 has the entire profile. However...the wheel well on that drawing will not allow the wheel to be removed. And if I were to lower the setting on the flexiride...it only makes it worse. What I'm battling is an 83" garage door opening, enough ground clearance, and still make it have a reasonable amount of standing room. It just takes some massaging. Doug

[S. Heisley]

We're looking at a plain piece of plywood and trying to visualize what it all will look like. I'm thinking that the whole look might be different when you add the fenders or by just changing your paint/trim design slightly to fool the eye.

I seem to be seeing that the back is higher than the front. I'm guessing that this is done so that the back end doesn't touch ground when pulling into an up-hill slanted driveway, etc.?

One more thought...: What about putting a little more taper/swoop in front of the wheel, taking out some of the roundness that way? It looks like you've got a bit of room there...

[Classic Finn]

Here's the Sunday afternoon update:

I got all the doors hung, drawers built and painted, sliders installed, backsplash built and all trimmed out in the aluminum. I need to modify the drawer in the galley as it's a bit too high to clear the bottom of the sink. It's like a saw blades width off of fitting. Seems I spent a lot of time priming and painting.







Something else I did was to make up a galley rail. This is on the side of the sink closest to the bed. The idea here was to keep anything from coming off the edge of the galley onto the bed, beverages, dirty dish etc...I took a piece of 1/8" aluminum and ripped 3 pieces about 1/2" wide. Used some 5/16 aluminum tube and acorn nuts and bolted it together with some all thread. I was shooting for that "diner" look.

WOW You sure are artistic. You do such awesome building Doug. Another Master Piece in the making and the talk of the Teardrop n Trailer Community.

You will be up 24hrs a day to be giving tours and answering questions once on the road:)

[jhb]

One does have to clean the shop from time to time.
Looking back at page 2, that is exactly the shape I was envisioning, so here is a thought: When changing a tire, if you jack the frame up rather than the axle, will there be enough drop in the axle to allow easy tire change? I get about 2" with my 2100 pound (26 gal of water and all the gear loaded) trailer (leaf springs).
Or better yet, a button on the dash of the TV that raises and lowers the trailer to get in/out of the garage. You could even make it hop like a low rider! (not)
Ah, but we all are full of ideas and and would presume to teach the master! Nice work, Doug. Keep it up and I'll bring shrimp to IRG!