Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Ira** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:14 am

We had a thread like this awhile back. (Although this ain't Off Topic, I stuck it here anyway. Mike/Dean/Jack--feel free to move the thread and delete this parenthesis text if you deem fit.)

There seems to be a nice group of new builders getting started all at once, and I thought it would be helpful to once again own up to our stupidest building mistakes--so they don't make those SAME mistakes.

I'll start:

When I was cutting my exterior skins, and I matched up one side that was already cut to now cut the other, I didn't face them properly, so the finished "nice" side was on the wrong side. Making that piece of expensive birch totally useless.

I fixed my boo boo by deciding to skin my interior with the same stuff, so I was able to use the piece for that.

by **TRAIL-OF-TEARS** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:11 am

I made my tongue box 4' wide inside, not outside. I only had 4' ply left to make the top so the ply sits between the sides not on them. my fix is I used thick aluminum to skin it so I just cut that at 4' 1".

by **dacrazyrn** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:34 am

There are stupid mistakes? Thought that it was just a different way to do it.

Stupid mistakes=ingenious fixes and solutions.

by **asianflava** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:48 pm

I've made so many that I lost track. The real skill is how to recover from them.

by **Spadinator** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:23 pm

I just screwed up my plan of varnishing the natural wood in the galley by misdrilling the hole for the electrical. Right through the face of the galley next to the cabintes!!!!

I guess I'll just have to putty and paint the galley now!!

by **Gage** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:36 pm

Hmmm

I can't think of any stupid misstakes that I have made on my tear. I tried to think things out and ask questions before charging forward. But I did make some here last year. I tried to help out a teardrop builder here on the board a couple of times and got told where to stick it. So I don't do that anymore. :lol:

Have a good day.

by **Chris C** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:36 pm

Spadinator.......................

Don't fret about a mistake like that. Go to your local crafts store and find some sort of wooden applique'...........i.e. a flower, star, or anything to cover the hole. Maybe even two or three of them. Make it look as if you were just making an artistic statement. :lol:

Lots of neat wooden applique's out there. Check 'em out. :thinking:

by **Spadinator** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:41 pm

Thats a great idea Chris........I have a couple of Dale Earnhardt #3 stickers around!!!! That might work great!!

by **Chip** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:57 pm

How bout getting all jacked up about getting sides cut out,,, next I had to cut a rabbit in the bottom edge of the sides to match up with the floor,,, cut both rabbits in and if I say so myself,, damn spiffy looking rabbits,, I start to put sides up and I have a rabbit on the inside of one wall,, and one on the outside of the other,,, thank goodness I needed ply for the cabnet top etc ,, so off to tha lumber yard for another side panel,,,

and I am not even gonna go into the roto zip experience cutting out my door,,,

if it wernt fer a boo boo or two it would have turned out like I planned it,,

chipper

by **Ira** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:29 pm

Gage wrote:Hmmm I can't think of any stupid misstakes that I have made on my tear. I tried to think things out and ask questions before charging forward. But I did make some here last year. I tried to help out a teardrop builder here on the board a couple of times and got told where to stick it. So I don't do that anymore.

Have a good day.

You sure it wasn't a much bigger mistake for THAT guy? I kind of remember the story.

And it's starting all over again.

by **Gage** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:03 pm

Ira wrote: <snip>You sure it wasn't a much bigger mistake for THAT guy? I kind of remember the story.
And it's starting all over again.

What are you talking about? Now don't be starting any thing up, your reading something into something that isn't there. We're talking about stupid misstakes, remember?

Have a good day.

by **Denny Unfried** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:39 pm

I made the hatch frame 48" long across the outside radius. After the exterior Masonite was installed it needed 49" of aluminum to cover which meant another sheet of aluminum. If when installing the oak rib that the hinge is attached to I should have moved it towards the back one inch. Then the hatch ribs could be one inch shorter and I could have used one of the 48" cut-off pieces left over from the sides.

Denny