Teardrop Taking Shape

It's been a productive few days with the teardrop build. We've done some construction including weatherproofing the subfloor, cutting the teardrop sides and re-wiring the trailer for new running and brake lights.

Rather than roofing tar, we went with Henry Asphalt Emulsion Sealer & Damproofer to coat the underside of the floor and subfloor.

I was very glad that it didn't actually smell like asphalt. I gave it two coats on the floor/subfloor.

Next, we bolted in the R-Max insulation panels. I had planned to do another coat of the roofing waterproofer but it wouldn't stick to the panels. Then, we set it out in the sun to dry while we got started on the side panels. 

Measuring, drawing lines and making our own pole radius beams for the curves took the majority of the time. The lines included the teardrop shape as well as the door and window. 

Then, we cut. Well, Dad cut the first panel, with the help of some handy lighting. 

The first curve is done. That will be the front of the trailer. 

The full shape complete - minus cutting out the door and window which we're going to wait on until the windows arrive - and also for measurement when we test putting the sides up - the door might just be right over the wheels!

Next, we traced the outline of the first side on the 3/4" ply for the second side. It took a few brain cells for us to make sure that we had the right direction so the prettier side of the ply would be out (as the inside will be covered). 

Dad cut the first side so I took on the second one. It was good to see how he did it first - cutting a triangular wedge up to the line so you could get a good angle on the curved line. 

Both sides cut and ready to go (after window cuts on both sides and door cut on the passenger side). 

We also bought new running and tail lights, rewired the trailer, installed the running lights (the tail ones will be in the galley hatch) and then tested them all to make sure everything worked well. 

Next up is installing the rear running lights (need to trade 2 amber lights for 2 red lights), clipping up all the wiring and then installing the floor on the trailer.

Trailer Building Begins!

I have a bit of a backlog on posts about the first portion of my trip (PA wedding and the trip from Ohio to Louisiana) but I've made placeholder posts for those and will finish them up as I get to them.

In the meantime, work on the teardrop has officially begun and I wanted to share the progress!

Yesterday, my dad and I spent some time going over plans and figuring out the first big shopping list. Eventually, we got to Home Depot and bought a bunch of wood, insulation, screws, bolts, washers, glue and roofing asphalt. This is enough to make the subfloor, floor, side panels and roof spars, along with some leftovers for other portions of the build.

The first load.

Today, we unloaded everything and got to work on the subfloor and floor. 

The trailer, bare and ready for a teardrop. (Also, Amos.)

Materials unloaded, up out of potential rain drainage and the floor board down on the trailer (upside down). (Also, Dad.)

The general plans we're following are here, but my trailer is 4' wide and (now) 6' long. While we're extending it via wood/flooring back to 8' (1 foot on each end), any width based dimensions in the Generic Benroy Plans will be modified from 5' to 4'. 

For the floor top, we're using a 1/2" sheet of YellaWood treated pine. The subfloor is made from 1x2" pieces - 8' on the sides and 45" in between. There are 6 cross beams to the subfloor - one at each end and then one over each of the cross beams in the actual trailer frame. 

1x2 subfloor frame being measured and cut. (Also, Dad.)

The subfloor beams (side and cross) were first drilled with pilot holes (after I split one on the first screw), glued to the floor top (underside) with Gorilla Glue and then attached with Deckmate #8 x 1 1/4" star drive coated screws.

Subfloor frame ready for screwing and gluing.

Subfloor frame screwed and glued.

Remember, you're looking at the underside of the floor (not that the top side is very pretty - it's filled with ugly green knots - but those will be covered by some sort of flooring yet to be determined). We had some plans for the evening so the last part we managed to finish today was cutting the 1/2" Rmax R-Matte Plus-3 foam insulation board (EPS) to fit in the openings between the cross sections. 

EPS insulation cut to fit subfloor openings. 

Tomorrow's first order of business will be to apply the roofing asphalt to the subfloor (under the EPS, apparently), screw in the EPS and then set that aside for a day to dry. I think I'll do another coat of the roofing asphalt on top of the EPS as well for good waterproofing measure. 

While it's drying, we'll get started cutting out the side panels and also redoing the electrical wiring for the running and rear lights on the trailer so there's enough length with the extension back to a length of 8' and the soon to be installed hitch or tongue extension.

<3 - Ansley

Trailer Plans

One of my two main goals for my time off is to build a Teardrop Trailer with my dad. (The other main goal is to relax.) Here's a little background on the concept, reasons and plans.

 First, for those of you that don't know, this is a typical Teardrop Trailer:

(image courtesy of Ed's Teardrop Blog)

Teardrop Trailers got their start many years ago and are known for being a compact camping trailer with an interior cabin (think of what would be in your tent, only with real walls and a frame below you instead of hard ground), a galley style kitchen under the rear hatch and the ability to tow it even with a small vehicle. Early plans are detailed in this 1947 copy of Mechanix Illustrated. They are also popular for being homemade - each design custom to the owner's preferences and actually being fairly inexpensive - at least compared to some of the pre-fab ones out there. 

I'll be towing mine behind my 2012 Jeep Wrangler which can handle a lot more weight, but the idea of having a small, yet rustic mobile home - a quick and easy way to get away for the weekend - as well as a potentially safer place for my pets and belongings, make this something that really appeals to me. 

I originally intended to build an Explorer Box, something to tow behind the Jeep and store the many things I had to take along on a trip - including the potential for a kayak and/or bike rack (or both) on the top/back/front. With that in mind, I purchased a 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer about a year ago and reduced its length to 6' by cutting some of the metal support bars. Now, my life has changed a bit and I'm looking less for storage (I have plenty for myself in the Jeep) and more for something that will keep me from setting up a tent every night on a road trip, something that will be "home" when I'm not at home and something that will be fun and interesting. 

I don't have any official plans for my own trailer right now but am basing the design and inspiration off of several resources I've found online.

• 1947 Mechanix Illustrated's "Trailer for Two"
• Benroy Trailer Plans
• Tiny House Blog
• A Restless Transplant

It will be a challenge and an adventure to build. I'll be sure to share the progress here on the blog.

<3 - Ansley

The Itinerary

I have 3 days of work remaining before my adventure begins. I thought I'd share an overview of the plans for my trip.

First, I'll be traveling to Eastern Pennsylvania (Reading, to be specific) to attend the wedding of a very good friend and catch up with her and with some other friends. It will be a short trip - leaving Thursday and coming back to Ohio on Saturday - and I'll be taking my dog Amos along. The major plan for this portion is to spend time with friends, celebrate their marriage and to have at least one (or maybe more) V&S cheesesteak. (Of all the places I've lived, I miss the food of PA the most.) This leg of the journey will be 293 miles each way. [Total Mileage: 586]

Next, I'll come back home to Ohio. I'll pack up the Jeep with everything I'll need for the next month - most importantly, the beagle, all three cats and 'Rolbak' my currently 4x6 HF trailer which my dad and I will be converting to a Teardrop Trailer. Then comes the biggest part of the drive - 981 miles from the Cleveland area to Monroe, Louisiana [Total Mileage: 1567 miles] . I plan to spend the majority of my time in Monroe, staying with my dad and step-mom while my dad and I build the trailer. They've set aside a bedroom for me where I'll also house the cats. Amos will be a little more free to roam but only in the fenced area or while on leash since he's a beagle and ... well, he has a beagle's nose.

When the trailer is done (or as close to it as I can stand), I'll head east - with the goal of visiting my mom in Jacksonville, FL for Thanksgiving (772 miles). Along the way, I've planned tentative stops in Pass Christian, MS to visit my aunt; and possibly in Pensacola, FL to visit my godparents. I don't have any major plans for JAX other than spending some time with my mom, eating some good food at places we've always loved (like the Columbia Restaurant) and visiting the beach. I also hope to spend a bit of time with my cousin and his wife while I'm there.[Total Mileage: 2339]

And then - (whew, that was a quick month) - I'll head back to Ohio. The last few stops will be completely dependent on how much time I spend at the others. I'm tentatively planning on stopping for a quick visit with a friend in Wilmington, NC and an old high school friend (and her wonderful mother) in Roanoke, VA. After that, I'll return to Cleveland, my home and my job. Hopefully with a ton of relaxed energy and a joy for life. [Total mileage: 3494 miles]

I plan for my next post to be a little more in depth about the actual Teardrop Trailer. Or maybe it will be about a Halloween wedding. In any case, I'm very excited for this journey to begin.

<3 - Ansley

Background

As a prelude to this blog, I'd like to give a little background to who I am, what I do and what this is all about.

My name is Ansley and I've been told I'm an overachiever. For the last 8+ years, I have worked for a mid-sized(?) software vendor in a support role. The role started as entry level support and has expanded into multiple specializations and middle management. I love solving problems, helping our customers and helping my team grow and learn. I dislike corporate politics (or any politics, really), being taken advantage of and being anyone's crutch. While the company I work for has an amazing philosophy of "work/life balance", those negatives somehow still find their way in and have become a big negative in my life. I'm completely self/situationally taught (i.e. no degree) but have a superior knowledge in my area of specialization that makes me very good at those things I like and a very big target for those things that I don't. Thankfully, we have a sabaticcal program which allows employees a 4 week break from work with no requirements (no training, classes, things that will help you be better at your job, etc.). And so, beginning soon, I will take advantage of this program and break ties with my employer, my [work] responsibilities, my team and my co-workers for 4 weeks.

As tempting as it is, I didn't want to spend this precious time at home in my pajamas eating pizza and playing Warcraft. Instead, I'm planning on a road trip adventure. I'll be driving to Louisiana, taking along my 17 year old beagle and 3 cats (2 of them under 1 year old), in my Jeep Wrangler. Behind me, I'll be towing a modified Harbor Freight trailer (shrunk for 4x8 to 4x6) on which I plan to build a teardrop trailer with my dad, who is now 71. My hope is that it will be a great learning and bonding experience (although I learned all of my swear words years ago while watching my dad build things) and that I will end up with not only the memories but something useful and personalized that I can use on lots of long weekends and vacations in down the road. I expect the build to take 2-3 weeks and then i will move along and visit some other family in the South and up the lower East coast, before returning home to Northeast Ohio for the remainder of the miserable winter.

My plan for this blog is to document interesting things I see and experience on this journey - those may be trailer building, things I see or experience along the road, complaints on the sound of three cats in a Jeep on the highway - or really anything (kitten photos guaranteed). I'm sharing this as a way for my family and friends to stay in touch and see what's going on and also, as a hopefully inspirational tale of what type of play you can really earn when you work hard. Stay tuned - six more work days and the journey begins.

<3 - Ansley