Hi everyone , another newbie here from the UK

[Mr Tim]

Hi ,my name is TIM and I`m from the UK somewhere in the middle `ish. I`ve been lurking for a few days now so I thought it was time to come out as it were.
I first saw a teardrop about two years ago and just thought they are so cool (to use a modern term) that I must build one some time. It probably wont be for a while as I am still finishing the ground up resto on my 1967 VW splitscreen camper (that`s been near eight years now as it all has to be done outside). I am enjoying this site a great deal and I am sure I will continue to learn a lot untill it is time (TD time of course) for me to decide which one I intend to build. Thanks to everyone for keeping this `thing` going.
How many UK members are there?

[Joanne]

Hi Mr. Tim,

First off I'd like to congratulate your law enforcement for breaking up that horrible terrorist cell. Job well done!!!!

We have a few folks from the UK as well as the rest of Europe. Our resident engineer is a UKer. Glad that you decided to join us and hope that you jump into a tear build before too long. It's a lot of fun.

Joanne

Hi ,my name is TIM and I`m from the UK somewhere in the middle `ish. I`ve been lurking for a few days now so I thought it was time to come out as it were.
I first saw a teardrop about two years ago and just thought they are so cool (to use a modern term) that I must build one some time. It probably wont be for a while as I am still finishing the ground up resto on my 1967 VW splitscreen camper (that`s been near eight years now as it all has to be done outside). I am enjoying this site a great deal and I am sure I will continue to learn a lot untill it is time (TD time of course) for me to decide which one I intend to build. Thanks to everyone for keeping this `thing` going.
How many UK members are there?

[peggyearlchris]

Welcome Tim. Alot of nice folks to learn from here. My mum is from the U.K.. Swindon, Wiltshire. I love England, my second home. When you start making saw dust ,we have to see pictures. I also drink hot tea with milk!! Peg

[Chris C]

Welcome to the forum, Tim. We are glad you found the T&TTT website. It’s a fun place to be. When you get comfortable with the group, you might post a personal picture as your avatar so everybody will “know” who they are talking with. Stick around and you'll learn a lot.

[Miriam C.]

Welcome Tim,
I hope you enjoy your tenure with "The Adult Day care center". We love the pictures so

Aunti M

[Mr Tim]

There you go, a mugshot of me. Not a very good one but these days I dont know if I will get a better one?
Lurking around the site and looking at all the different designs and shapes is mind boggling, I`m sure it will take an age to decide which shape I like the most.
Anyway there is one thing which I can`t figure is why when a frame has been built from say 2" square steel tube, does it then need a frame of 2" or so timber before setting on the 3/4" ply floor? It seems like over engineering to me or is it that the all up weight of the tear is not too important! I think I would feel I needed to build as light as possible as petrol price is now near to $8.50 per gallon over here (there is nearly 75% tax on our fuel, thats after we`ve paid 45% on our income, anyway lets not go there) so I think I will be going for a frame up type construction skinned on both sides.
Whats your take on this?
Tim

Wear a smile and have freinds, wear a frown and have wrinkles!

[Miriam C.]

Tim,
All pictures are good pictures.

As you look at more builds you will find many different ways to do it. I did a layered because I wanted to attach the walls to the floors from the side and the top. Overdoing it a bit.

Most of the layered is done with 1/4" with one by threes and foam in between with a top. The tops seem to vary. Mine is 5/8.

Get a note book unless you have a great memory. And print pictures or write the URL so when you really want to know where that went........

[angib]

Tim,

If you use a solid 3/4" thick ply floor then you don't need any reinforcement underneath it. However you still need to make a decent joint to the sidewall and that's a lot easier to do if there's framing underneath the floor. But it does seem a terrible waste to add framing unnecessarily.

There are nearly as many alternative floor-sidewall joints that have been used as there are members of this forum. Here is a selection:



In the two bottom ones, screws are shown that have been driven upwards and this can only be done if the body is built separately from the chassis. Alternatively, screws can be driven downwards, and the body built on the chassis, if one skin of the sidewall is not fitted until after the joint is made.

If you want to build a light, framed body, then I suggest that Rik Keller's RoadToad is a good construction model.

Andrew

[madjack]

Tim, we used !/2" ply for the floor and 3/4 for the walls with no framing underneath and used a combination of Picture #! and #3 in Andrews post to connect the walls/floor/frame together along with a healthy application of Gorilla Glue...it is a very strong combination....
madjack