Need advice on starting my first trailer!!

[Oster]

Thanks again for everyone's help and advice.

Don't worry, I'm not quitting my job just to build a trailer. I actually run my own business, as well as work part time for another company. Next summer, after my husband is done student teaching, I'm going full-time with my company, so I'll still be working during the summer, just a lot more flexibly than I am now. We're building the trailer so that we can travel up the west-coast building the business (and because I've always wanted one!)

[Oldragbaggers]

Regarding your time frame for building...... I would say,

IF you have an exact plan figured out and know exactly what you're going to do so that you are not figuring it out along the way...

IF you have all the best tools for each stage of the build (improvising with basic tools is certainly doable, and even fun, but always slower)...


If you have been able to anticipate every single part you are going to need and have it on hand... (a run to the local hardware store or big box can set you back by hours, having to order something can set you back by a week.)

If you have the skill and experience to execute each step without a lot of mistakes....

and IF you are planning to go extremely basic

maybe a couple of weeks is doable. If not I would definitely give myself a lot more time.

But there is one more thing to consider that I haven't seen much mention of here, and that is the time factor in curing of finishes and waterproofing and such. There are some stages of the build that will set their own time schedule. If you are waterproofing as you should, CPES, asphalt emulsion, even varnish and paint, have their own dry/cure times and with multiple coatings needed to do a proper job, you have to figure in an adequate amount of time for this.

If you don't waterproof, then you may have fun in it, but the lifespan of the trailer will be much shorter than if you had allowed enough time to take those protective steps.

I would encourage you very strongly to start now and give yourself time.

Becky

[Jim Edgerly]

If I said I ONLY spent 200 hours on my build it would probably be untrue. Hell, I spent half that much time just running back and forth to Home Depot buying stuff I forgot on the first couple of trips (that week). If I said I made 20 trips to Home Depot it would be a conservative estimate! I probably spent 10 hours just planning before I cut my first piece of wood. Mine did take longer because all the plans were in my head and not on paper, and things were worked out when I got to that stage, but still, a couple weeks? Putting on 3 coats of epoxy resin plus 3 coats of gloss spar varnish probably took upwards of 15 hours just for that step, and even then each coat had to dry at least 24 hours before going on to the next coat. That 15 hours was spread over a 2 week period because I had to wait for the epoxy resin to cure for a full week minimum before starting the spar varnish stage.

Maybe if you we building the simplest teardrop you could, and maybe if you rushed the final finish, and maybe if you had exact plans to work from, didn't make mistakes, had EVERYTHING just waiting for you when you needed it, and maybe, maybe, maybe...oh just forget the maybe's...ain't going to happen in that short of time. And IF by some miracle it should, you would most likely not be happy with the result.

My advice:
- Don't work off a time schedule.
- Don't use it for a month then say "I wish I had it to do over again."
- Take the time to do it right.
- If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing right!

I'm happy I took my time, because I am very happy with the result.

maiden voyage photo - 10/8/11

[suckerpunched]

ahhh hell..... just do it,,,,,I'm not an expert but if ya need help I'm in Ogden and happy to see another TDer in the area,,,,
TC

[JeepThing]

I have to agree with Jim, - If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing right!

I counted on getting mine done in under three months working on it on my days off, I ended up working on it pretty much every spare moment possible. Researching ideas, sourcing materials, just staring at it wandering what happens next! I had no plans to go by and did a lot of things very slowly as I didn't realize what the out come of it would be further done the road. Anticipate spending a lot more time than a few hundred hours if you want it to; pull straight, not leak and be SAFE! on the road. I spent well over 500 hrs on mine and keep tinkering on it as I go. Like others say if you keep it simple much less time than mine would be needed. If possible to start early than do so, you might have to give up the garage for the winter. Buy tons of PL Premium polyurethane Construction Adhesive and good luck; the time spent on it was well worth it for me.

[JeepThing]

It is only rated to pull #1200 and my tear drop comes in at #1190 so that's maxed right out. I only use it to put the tear into a nice tight little camping spot that I wasn't able to manover with the jeep cherokee. I would bet though if you have a 400 + cc motor on your quad it should pull just fine across a frozen lake. wouldn't it be a cool idea to have an opening in the floor to fish out of. Boy would everyone out fishing want one of these than!

[Reddiver]

I think if I needed one in two weeks I would rent something,and wait on the build until I can enjoy the journey. Mine took two years but I enjoyed the journey as much as the destination.

[Forrest747]

Have fun and let us know how it goes. There are plenty of Salty Tears out here in the Beehive. Let us know how it goes and give us a shout if you need help.