Looking for advice

[Kristina]

In 2008 I bought a tear drop since I didn't want to have to build one. It had some water damage in the back which I didn't realize. A friend pointed it out after I'd bought it. I guess I was too in love with the prettiness of it.

Anyways not having a garage I left it uncovered for the first year and it got worse. I think by the time I realized what was going on it was too late. I then started to cover it with a tarp. A tarp it turns out wasn't the best choice. I should of used plastic. Last year after using it at the end of the season I notice that all the aluminum siding was starting to come lose. As a result I decided to I needed to try to fix the tear drop. And now this is where my dilemma starts. Looking back I probably should of tried to sell it as is and let someone else fix it. But being a reasonably handy person I though I could do it. I didn't think it was going to be that bad.

Now I'm not so sure as it looks like I'm going to have to rebuild the entire thing and I don't know whether my skill level is up to it. I'm wondering whether I should sell it as it now and hope someone will take it or just try to rebuild it. I saved all the aluminum skin and such.

I've torn a decent percentage of the trailer apart. The back floor of the trailer is gone along with the back side walls. The front sides are okay but the bottom portions of the trailer where it connects to the frame have rotted. More so on one side then the other. But given this is where it connects to the trailer it seems like this needs to get fixed on both sides.

Part of my problem here is that I don't have a garage. I have a back yard and I have a reasonable amount of tools: table saw, drill, nail gun, etc. Most of the tools one would use in homeowner remodel job.

In looking at the design of the tear drop so far what scares me it trying to bend the wood for the frame. In order to reuse the aluminum skin I'm going to have to match the current shape completely. The back hatch for the most part is okay. A little bit needs to be replaced but that seems doable

Is this something someone who has never built a tear drop try to tackle themselves? Sorry I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as I didn't think I'd have to rebuild this thing when I purchased it just a few years ago.

Here's some basic pictures of were it's at today














The floor here is rotten


This side of the tear drop except for the back is actually in pretty decent shape. I wonder if shooting epoxy into the bottom pieces would take care of it.

[gipsey]

Kristina -- yikes ! you are lookng at a major rebuild. Your tear appears to be a home build rather than a factory job ? I have built 8 teardrops and think that a build is easyier than a rebuild . In a build you shape what you want or have to , in a rebuild you have to pretty much follow the original design. What do you think about salvaging the frame and running gear the aluminum and the doors. Cut new sides and reshape and apply the old aluminum, IMHO that would be easyier than a rebuild. Not having a shop makes things more difficult, but Colorado enjoys 3 months of nice weather right ???? Roger

[Kristina]

Yes it's a home built purchased from one of the forum members for $6K in March 2008. It was just so pretty when I got it.




I think your right that a building it from scratch may be necessary. The more I take apart the more I realize the floor is bad.

I'm really disillusioned over this but I guess I need to caulk it up to one of life lessons learned. I don't think my heart is in it for a complete rebuild. I really only wanted to fix it up to sell it anyways since I really wanted to upgrade to a T@B. I need to think hard about whether I want to spend my summer building a teardrop.

What would be a fair price to try to get for it given it's current shape?

[ARKPAT]

Kristina ...... sorry to hear about your water problems with your trailer.
Looks like it had a water leak problems and sealing the bottom edge of the walls. This is a common problem in building a trailer or even buying a manufactured trailer. Bad thing is the problems are covered until something happens to reveal the leaks; which is until too late in most times. When building a trailer or buying a trailer you need pay attention to detail of water entry ..... it will happen at any joints and any seem. It is important at hatch and door openings / outer edges or any opening sealed or unseal you will have in any trailer..... solution limit all openings and joints as much as possible and triple check any place that can incur water/salt/dirt intrusion into your trailer. The flip side of the coin is you need to breathe air inside. Plan a rain gutter at joins and seams with drainage. Have them so you can clean dirt and build-up when they fill up or clog. Double seal with a air space between water seals .......and yes water will go up hill with wind/osmosis/pressure ......so plan for it. Now you know from experience some things to watch for......the same is true for any investment.

I wish it had turned out better for you; so that You could be out camping and enjoying your trailer. It looked like a trailer to be proud of and camp in. Sorry for your miss fortune and experience. I hope it works out that you can fix the trailer or someone can buy it and start a rebuild or parts for another trailer.




Pat

[48Rob]

It is just so easy to slap a trailer together and make it look pretty...while oblivious to the water damage that can occur when you don't take steps to prevent it.
They all look pretty for a year or two...

It is sad that you got stuck with such a mess.


Not all home builts are potential disasters, there are some talented/concerned people out there who take the time to do the critical work no one will ever see.

Current value would depend on where you live and what parts can be salvaged.
Someone may buy it and try to patch what is left, which would probably net you more money than if sold for parts.
It really looks like it needs to be taken down to the steel frame and be redone.
While some of the wood is okay, One must question the methods used and assume that other areas may be leaking, or be prone to future leaks, and thus it would be reasonable to expect to start over.

Rob

[Kristina]

So if I take it all the way down to the frame, if I assume that I'm keeping the basic shape so I can reuse the side aluminum walls, door, and window, how much would I expect to spend to buy all the necessary parts? 1K? 2? Given the shape of it is there a plan I should buy to help me with that process?

I'm just trying to understand my options here so I can figure out what course of action I should take.

[Rachkien]

Things always look worse than they are.
Do not look at it as one big job but as many small ones. First you have the patterns to copy from. I would start with the right rear behind the tire. This should all be replaced. Use cardboard for an exact pattern then cut the wood for it, lay aside. Repair floor in rear area. In the low rotten areas using a jig saw cut wood at least twelve inches above rotten wood,(twelve inches with help to retain lateral and vertical strength) cut new wood for replacement, lay aside. (You will have to use some wood bracing to hold this up before you cut) Now repair any flooring needed. Use plenty of Liquid Nail in all wood to wood joints. Recover and go camping. Do not skimp on Caulking anywhere.

I would think about 60 man hours. The main thing is to believe in yourself.

Luck Rachkien

[Danny]

So if I take it all the way down to the frame, if I assume that I'm keeping the basic shape so I can reuse the side aluminum walls, door, and window, how much would I expect to spend to buy all the necessary parts? 1K? 2? Given the shape of it is there a plan I should buy to help me with that process?

I'm just trying to understand my options here so I can figure out what course of action I should take.

I wish you lived closer, I would fix it for a little labor cost plus parts..I don't have a current project. bring it east to Lincoln..Danny

[Danny]

This is why i am BIG fan of solid walls and floors,the little bit of R factor you get from 3/4 inch of foam is not worth the hassle(they make 30 below sleeping bags for a reason), plus, hollow core walls are just itching to rot away. Having rebuilt canned hams, I can tell you from experience, hollow walls are made to rot.. does not matter if it is commercial product or homemade..everyone knows that windows,roof vents have to be cracked for ventilation anyway so, why not go solid,easier and sturdier.. Just my opinion..

[Gage]

So if I take it all the way down to the frame, if I assume that I'm keeping the basic shape so I can reuse the side aluminum walls, door, and window, how much would I expect to spend to buy all the necessary parts? 1K? 2? Given the shape of it is there a plan I should buy to help me with that process?
I'm just trying to understand my options here so I can figure out what course of action I should take.

Kristina, it should cost you way less than $1000. You already have the major expense items. And there is a lot of help and advice here on the board. And as stated use whatever you can as patterns so be gentle when you take it apart. You can see how I rebuilt a teardrop for my sister by clicking HERE. You might also contact Linda for maybe some help and advice. They know how it was constructed.
Oh, and you might go to K-Mart and get yourself a 'First Up' with sides. It does look like you have room in the back yard.

[Danny]

Kristina -- yikes ! you are lookng at a major rebuild. Your tear appears to be a home build rather than a factory job ? I have built 8 teardrops and think that a build is easyier than a rebuild . In a build you shape what you want or have to , in a rebuild you have to pretty much follow the original design. What do you think about salvaging the frame and running gear the aluminum and the doors. Cut new sides and reshape and apply the old aluminum, IMHO that would be easyier than a rebuild. Not having a shop makes things more difficult, but Colorado enjoys 3 months of nice weather right ???? Roger

...I agree,rebuilds are a pain in the ####! Save the aluminum,doors windows vents etc..build new sides from tracing what is left of old sides...How thick are the walls Kristina?

[ARKPAT]

Kristina ..... I'm with Gage. if you do rebuild there is help here online and some offers of help from the group. As said before take in small steps and divide it into small projects that fit together as you plan. As Gage said save all the parts and reuse them ..... that is a BIG SAVINGS in doing a rebuild.


What ever you decide on doing we are here to help along the way.



Pat

[Wolfscout]

I've not done a build or rebuild but I've done many other DIY projects.
I agree with the others, use what you have as patterns for what you need to replace.
Any wiring, and other features can be reused. draw a diagram and label the parts to you know where they went and distance from a reference point.
It's not that complicated as starting from the ground up. I think you'd be ahead of the game.
Research all the waterproofing links on this forum.
I agree too that you're probably not looking at over $1000.
Edit to add::
* now would be a good time to remember and think on any thing you would * have liked different when you were using it.
* What would make it nicer for you?
* What would you like to do to it so you can use it instead of selling it for
another?
* What would you have liked to have that you didn't?

[Kristina]

Thanks everyone. So I'll give a rebuild.

Things I guess I'll work on changing this go around

1. The kitchen which I never found usable and hence never used it. Having the battery in the kitchen cabinet always took up allot of room. I don't think
I could move it to the front due to the tool box there though. That would probably add to much weight to the tongue.
2. The hatch hinges and poles you had to use to hold up the hatch were annoying. One would always fall out when I tried to set the other one.
3. The roof A/C which needed a 3,000 Watt generator to run. Although most of the time the insulation in the trailer when combined with a fan was actually sufficient. So maybe the A/C is a nice to have item. Can an A/C unit run off a little Honda 1000 watt generator? I don't want to have to get anything bigger than that.
4. The leveling jacks were car jacks and never worked well for me
5. I added a Solar Panel to the electric setup but never had a place to store it during transport except in my car. It might be nice have a mount point for the panel on the back or top so I can charge it while I'm towing it.

I guess I probably shouldn't use the gutter/edge system that was in place on the edges. It did keep the water from those points but it also seem to funneled all the water down to the hatch which is where the problem was.

My roof is made of a fiberglass flexible panel. I couldn't salvage the small pieces down near the hatch edges but I have enough extra since it was laid down on top of the original linoleum floor to use it again if I keep everything exactly the same. Not sure whether I should or not. What's the preferred roofing material to use?

Looks live I've got some reading to do to figure out the bits and pieces I need for this.

Thanks again everyone

[Cliffmeister2000]

Sorry about your plight.

I had a similar experience.

This is what I bought




After a year





After the "re-build"




I could have easily rebuilt what I had, but after having it for a while I discovered things I would have done differently. So, I did them differently!

Now, I can't stop thinking about the next build!