Starting over

[Jiminsav]

OK folks..it's offical..I have no wits, and my teardrop is beyond help..so i'll be scrapping the leprichaun and making leprichaun 2.0

[mikeschn]

Wanna build a really easy teardrop. Wanna build it really fast? Build a "Rugged" without inset wheels! Very similar to a grasshopper.

Mike...

What did you do with leprichaun #1?

[Jiminsav]

leprichaun 1 is in the garage, half tore up..tomorrow i'll haul it out and finish tearing it up..does anyone have plans for a cub/modernestic i can steal from them..i like the cub shape better.

[mikeschn]

You like the CUB eh? Well I think everything you need is here...

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t ... tear27.htm

So what did you learn about building your first one, that you would not do again. One thing that comes to mind is that warped plywood. Remember that? So what else wouldn't you do again?

Mike...

[Jiminsav]

Mike, I learned not to think my skills are good enough to do thinks I don't normally do..I don't weld, but I welded the frame, which is not quite square, so i'm shitte canning it.
I learned to spend the money on the tools to do the job right..today i bought pipe clamps and pipes to glue the floor section into a 5x10 piece.
and I learned to take my time and do things logically, like Spook.
and yeah, buy straight plywood.

[Gage]

Hey Jim, you can do it, I did. Just take your time and think everything out. Remember your on 'Teardrop Time', not in a race to get it completed.

The way I look at it, building a cheap Teardrop is getting the best material at the cheapest price. Don't settle for second best and you'll be happier in the end.

Have a good day,
Gage
Check the link to see the tools I used. http://gages-56.com/tools.html

[R Keller]

Jim,

You must have some wits about you. After all, you were smart enough to know when to scrap things and start over. Don't consider it a mistake, just a learning experience. And sometimes you have to pay a little $ for school!

And you're a hero in my book for admitting, on a public forum no less, that you made mistakes. That takes a big person. Most of us are trying to hide our mistakes when we take photos of our trailers!

This gives me an idea ...maybe we should start a thread where everyone can post their biggest construction/design screw-ups. It could be very cathartic to get that stuff out there. I have some interesting router designs in my door for instance...

Rik

[mikeschn]

Hey Jim,

I might have to build another teardrop too! Why? Cause I built mine too big and heavy. I need a truck to pull it.

But what everyone says about building is correct. Buy the best materials and take your time, and do it right. Then you'll never have to re-do it.

Mike...

[Joseph]

I might have to build another teardrop too! Why? Cause I built mine too big and heavy. I need a truck to pull it.

I figured out what the weight of the materials are ahead of time and was painstakingly honest with myself about it - no underestimating. Also figured out where to cut corners - vent fan instead of AC, a two pound propane tank in the galley instead of a forty-pounder on the tongue, a bed-warmer instead of a gas heater - you get the idea. Also I planned the weight distribution. I was originally going to have a tongue box but decided against it to keep the tongue weight down. Battery and water are only slightly to the rear of the axle.

When I build the canned ham, I'm going to do the same thing. For starters I'm planning on using golf cart batteries which are heavier than marine batteries but hold up better for boondocking. IF I opt for AC, I'll use a pair of Honda EU1000 generators in parrallel for running it. That's a tip I got from the "big guys" - once you get over the "power spike" of starting the AC, one EU1000 can handle a 500W AC load so you shut down the other. A little more intiial outlay and weight but quieter and cheaper to operate than a single EU2000.

Joseph

[mikeschn]

Joseph,

When I designed the Baja Benroy it was based on pulling it with my Jimmy, and weight was no concern. I chose the features that Michelle and I wanted and designed around that.

I've since made a change in my transportation as you know. Certainly I could keep the Jimmy for towing the teardrop but I'm not sure that's the most practical from a financial aspect. We'll revisit that after the summer is over, for sure.

If, and that's a BIG "if", but IF we do another teardrop, it will be designed with weight in mind, for pulling behind the Jetta. And if nothing else, it should make for some interesting design discussions here.

Mike...

[Chip]

Joseph,, the way you designed your unit got me to thinking,,,how much galley do I really need? am I looking for a mobile kitchen or a utility unit that is an upgrade from sleeping and cooking on the ground,,,I dont have the time nor the skills to build a show piece like Roly's, woody or some of the othere beautiful units out there,,I really like the openess of the rear of the cabin on your tear,,,I cant completely simplify mine to the extent you did but I have made a few changes to make my life easier and the construction simplier,,I guess the "KISS" method is best less you are building one more for show than go,,yall keep em straight

chip

[campadk]

Hi Chip,

We have been camping with our tear about 40 nights now and have analyzed the whole galley issue to death to arrive where we are...

We believe in the KISS theory. We really like being able to cook from the galley, have everything easily accessible, and not having to pack any kitchen stuff in the tow vehicle.

Primary requirements would be pull out stove, water jug, upper cabinets for kitchen supplies (salt/pepper, sugar, coffee, handy cups etc), storage for dishes, pots and pans, and finally some working space.

All that needs to be brought in the tow vehicle is the cooler and food box.

The above was the most efficient and best usage of space for a 4ft wide tear. If yours is 5ft you might be able to add a spot to store your cooler.

We think a sink is getting too complex and its never big enough anyways. If your like us and camp at locations with a picnic table, then we feel its best to just bring a dish pan and may other use of that part of the tear.

This gets me thinking that maybe we should see about Mike adding a 'Galley' section to the T&TTT site and include photos of various galley setups with descriptions of the features and owners usage of their galley. I know if I had been building a tear, having never used one, I'd be trying to second guess how we would best use the galley.

We modified ours this year after using it for a year and thinking about how to better make use of the space, as well as improve organizations. We also make the galley modular so it would be very easy to change the layout (some of it anyways) without any difficulty.

[Chip]

Hey Dave,,aka campadk,,I have looked at your and your wifes trips and camper pictures several times and thanks for sharing with us,,they have helped a lot ,,and ya'll definately seem to get to use your TD,,I'll be there some day,, target outing end of summer ??
my unit is turning out to be 53.5" inside by 9'-5",,,long story,,its the trailer dimensions I had to work with,,,the rear bulkhead is 26" from rear of TD,,within this I (in future plan a A/C on heavy drawer slides on the street side,,it will push into cabin for transportation and slide rearward for use,,a 18" sq cooler will fit just behind it for travel and on ground at camp,,in center a shallow cabinet with battery behind next to bulkhead,,false rear in cab. slide baskets on curb side,,3 burner stove on counter with a short extention over ice chest area,,top cabinets or storage ?????I like the modular approach, ya can mix and match as time goes on,,,

thanks for the input and keep the pictures coming,,,yall keep em straight up thar!

chip