In the Beginning

So my last post described how I came up with the idea to do this project, and mentioned the progress I had already made in purchasing a Northern Tool trailer, assembling it, and performing some modifications to it.   Here's how that happened.

Early on I decided that I would build the teardrop using a utility trailer base, as opposed to custom fabricating a trailer.  This is a commonly used approach, and while the custom made trailers can provide for optimal weight, strength and ground clearance, the utility trailer approach avoids the need to weld (or cost of paying for welding), likely saves on frame construction costs, and gives a solid, tested, DOT-approved platform upon which to build.

So the next question is, which trailer to use?

There are a number of retailers to pick from including Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply, Red Trailer, etc.  Northern Tools happened to have a nice 5' x 8' trailer that seemed to fit the bill, without extras I didn't need.  And the price was right too- so I ordered it.  Turned out it was on back order, so I had to wait a couple of weeks to get it.  Finally, it showed up on a Yellow truck in two boxes that looked like they had been to hell and back, but it seemed no worse for the wear.  I was on my way.

After talking with my Dad, we decided to build the teardrop at his house due to the lack of space at mine and the extra tools he has.  So far, this has proven a great decision as his air tools and and drill press have been immensely helpful.  So after lugging the two boxes up into the mountains in the back of the Subaru (something I anticipate will play like a broken record before it is all said and done), we laid out the parts on a 1950-something airplane wing tarp on his gravel driveway (a separate story I'm can't cover here, but to avoid losing anything small) to see what we had.

After a somewhat time consuming inventory, turned out all parts were there- a minor miracle given the adventure they'd been through, coming all the way from China and all!  Fast forward a bit and after a day's work, we managed to have the basics of the trailer assembled.  We decided to leave the lights off, as we knew they would end up bolting on to the outside of the shell when finished.  Along the way, we found an air ratchet to be a lifesaver with all the nylon lock nuts included in this bolt-together kit.  Having to hand ratchet them would have been a killer.

So what next?

Well right off the bat, we knew some modifications would be needed.  Shooting for a queen size floorspace (60" x 80"), we knew the trailer deck would need to be extended to accommodate that and the cabinet space in the galley.  Doing some research on aluminum, I found a distributor that offers 103" continuous roll, so we could extend the frame to 102" without a problem.  The solution would be to bolt an additional crossbar to the yoke off the front of the deck.  After a measurement mix-up with a local steel supplier in town, I had the tube steel I needed to make the required modifications.

In addition to the extension of the deck, the triangular yoke on this trailer seemed a bit short and weak with a single face bolt fastening it to the c-channel frame on each side.  We decided to extend the yoke an additional 6" inches, and add a center support tube using 2 1/2" square tube.  This added considerable strength to the yoke, and a foot of length to the overall trailer.

 

The last modification we made to the trailer up to this point was to hang an additional piece of 2 1/2" tube with 1/4" wall thickness to the back two crossbars to serve as 2" receiver tube for a future hitch-style bike rack.

That's where it's at now, thanks to the tremendous assistance of the mascot teardrop dog!

The remaining bolt-ons for the frame include leveling jacks like below and a tongue jack, which I'll get to at a later time.  

What's next?  A trip to Home Depot for plywood to build the deck and walls.  Details to follow...

Here We Go

Well, here we go.  This is my first attempt at blogging.  It has taken a lot to get me to this point.  I'll stop short of the psychoanalysis and just say that there's a reason I've not done this before- I'm not the most expressive person in the world.

A little history of this effort- I honestly had little or no knowledge of teardrop campers prior to moving to northern Colorado.  When Diane and I arrived, we noticed a number of them and I immediately thought they were cool.  Wanting to enjoy the best of Colorado and the West, I began pressing Diane to get out and see some of it.  Camping would be an obvious way to do that.  Only one hitch (pardon the pun)- Diane is not and has never really been interested in sleeping on the ground in a tent.

Sooo, why not get a camper?  Five minutes of shopping for RVs will tell you how much more they cost than is in our budget.  Also, gas is expensive and we don't have a $40,000 truck to pull something with.  Besides, building my own would be much cheaper, more fun, and would allow me to build exactly what I want. Since I was able to convince my Dad to turn his driveway into trailer storage and donate his tool shop, his vast collection of tools, and most importantly his time to the effort,  I figured hey, this is a no-brainer.

Boy, did that prove to be anything but the case.  After a few hours of searching the internet for plans, how-tos, and other guidance I began to realize there was more about doing this that I didn't know than there was that I did know.  A couple of months and dozens of hours surfing, reading and researching later, I am still finding out how much I don't know.  The good thing is it's proving itself to be a fun adventure, which is exactly why I decided to do this in the first place.  We'll see if I still feel that way a year from now.

That brings up a good question- how long is this going to take?  Well, one answer I guess is 'as long as it takes'.  A little better answer is that I'd like to have it framed by late 2011, with basic construction done by summer 2012, with completion including all accessories done by the end of 2012.  Well see how well this schedule holds up.

A little more about this blog- I am going to try to stay focused on the build, and not wander too much into stories, trivia or opinion.  My goal is to produce a documented record of the build I can share with others and look back upon when I am done.  To learn a little more about the history of teardrops, what I am trying to accomplish, and what goes into building one, take a look at these links:

General teardrop info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teardrop_trailer
Benroy history: http://www.outbackteardrop.com/benroy.html
All things teardrop forum: http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/

So, at the time of this writing, I've already made what I think is significant progress on the construction, having purchased a Northern Tool trailer, assembling it, and performing some initial modifications.  They following picture shows where it currently stands.  I'll explain how I got this far on my next post, as well as talk about my next steps.  Please feel free to stop back by and check-in on the progress.  Hopefully I'll have some to report.

Mike