Vintage Tripper Tear Drop rebuild-Update 3-24-2011

[txturbo]

I acquired my tear drop for free back in 2005. I'm just now going to begin the rebuild. And if anyone has heard of, seen, has info on or has another Tripper tear drop, I would like to know about it. The process begins soon!

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Welcome back! Looks like you have your work cut out for you! How does the interior compare to the exterior?

[John T. Hodgen]

hey txturbo,
Cool looking camper and the "price" was right. Could you post pics of the inside? I really like the profile of it. What yr is it suppose to be?
Til later by the fire--John T. & Linda

[txturbo]

I have no idea what year it is. Haven't found much info on this manufacturer. I also don't have any pics of the inside right now. Its pretty bad. Most of the wood inside is rotten. I'm not even going to be able to tow it to my other house bacause I'm afraid the wind would blow it apart. I'm going to borrow a friends box truck and haul it inside that. The kitchen part and hatch were removed to make more leg room about 20 years ago and the new piece of skin wasn't seled very well. So its been leaking water for a long time. Probably the only thing that will be reused is the skin, door and windows. One of the rusty shackle mounts tore loose from the frame about 15 years ago and thats the reason its been just sitting. I rescued it from my ex-father-in-laws bushes from behind his house. He was using it at his deer lease for a long time.

[txturbo]

Wow...didn't realize how much trouble it was going to be just to move this tear drop from one location to another without towing it. It has a broken spring mount so it can't be towed safely. The floor is rotted pretty badly and I'm afraid it will blow apart out on the highway. I was just going to borrrow a friends box van and haul it inside. He is using it to store a bunch of stuff and has no place to unload it. He is also leaving the country for 3 weeks. Once I get a truck, I have to figure out how to get it inside. This is turning into a project just trying to plan the move!

[txturbo]

I give up on the truck idea. Just going to borrow a trailer and use lots of tie downs. If it starts to come apart, I'll just pull over and start disassembling!

[Gage]

Don't forget the SUPER TAPE. Lots and lots of super tape. Just to help hold things together.

[deepvee]

This might sound crazy but wrap the trailer with cling wrap. It will keep the wind from getting under the panels and pulling on them. Just don't let your wife catch you taking her all her cling wrap from the kitchen. Good luck with the move.

[txturbo]

Got it moved. Now that I got it moved and cleaned out, I don't see much that is reuseable. The rear corner of the frame is bent, tires are bad, rims are bad and all the wood is rotted. Only thing I would be able to reuse is the skin, axle and windows.

[John T. Hodgen]

Hey txturbo,
Skin, axle, and windows? A few boards, paint and frame...you'll be ready to camp in no time All the expensive and hard stuff is already there.....pattern for walls, floor,frame...no looking for windows,door...not having to order your axle..... You have a tremendous jump so far and it hasn't hit you in the pocket to bad
Let's see:thinking: (1)1/2 floor ply, (2)3/4 sidewall ply(easier to cut out for insulation and use cutouts for doors,shelves than stick framing), (4) 1/8 luan for inside/outside, (3/4) sheets of ply for interior roof,galley hatch, outside skin Oh some steel for frame and a case of beverage to your welding BUDDY Shoot..you might have to call this "The Weekender" since that's about as long as it will take to get it built Good luck and see the BIG picture...you're almost ready to camp
Til later by the fire--John T. & Linda

[txturbo]

well.....I do my own welding. I'll go ahead and strip it down before I decide what to do I suppose. The frame is pretty simple.Its 1-1/2" angle. I could probably straighten the one corner. Even if I have to build a new frame it wouldn't take that much. Its just a rectangle with one cross piece and I could reuse the tongue/hitch. I may change out the coupler though. Its for an 1-1/2" ball. I don't think I've ever seen another one of those. You're right though....it should go pretty quick since I have patterns for everything and the skin is already done. Only thing I would have to build from scratch is the hatch and galley.

[Miriam C.]

Dear txturbo, We appreciate any and all pictures from our many
valued members on the T&TTT forum. Pictures help to clarify and bring
life to our place on the web. However you posted a large picture that
doesn't fit well on this thread and members are forced to scroll
horizontally to see the whole thread information on every entry.

We have adjusted the size of your picture to reflect sizing rules as they
are expressed in the album section of this forum.

There are many picture resizing programs on the web. However after some
evaluation we would suggest that in the future you try to use Tinypic Click Here
program, if not the available edits on the program you already use.

Please go to this link Click Here to see advantages and a short tutorial of how to use TinyPic if you have questions.
***

Love the Td and will be looking forward to the fix!

[txturbo]

I'll just post a link so anyone can go look at the pics. Too much trouble to resize them all.

[Mike_La]

I'll just post a link so anyone can go look at the pics. Too much trouble to resize them all.

You don't have to post them all. Attach one or two when you can. Then place a link to the others.

I use Microsoft Image Resizer. It installes a Right Click option and is also installed in the Tools minu.


Clicking on the link below will download ImageResizer.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/ImageResizerPowertoySetup.exe

[Miriam C.]

I'll just post a link so anyone can go look at the pics. Too much trouble to resize them all.

Oh dear! I resized it fine. Sorry for the trouble really. It is very easy to do and I don't mind. Took me weeks to find the time to learn. All I had to do was click on your pic. and then right click on it. Then I highlighted properties and pasted it in the "tiny url thingy" worked like a charm.

I put mine in a photobucket account first because they are automatically resized.......it's a lazy thing.

Anyway I do hope you are able to rebuild the TD.