Hi from Round Rock, TX

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Hi from Round Rock, TX

Postby lanego » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:10 pm

:pinktear: Just want to introduce myself a little more (I've met some of you on another thread). I just found teardrops about a month ago while looking for pop-up plans. I am in love - scratch the pop-up idea! I have been looking at everything I can find. Ooh, heaven. I want to build a Slumbercoach and really go wild. However, I have never attempted a project of this scope. Some other contributing factors to my current dilemma: I live (for now) in an apartment; I'm new to the Austin area and am just making friends, i.e., I can't borrow some expertise and a barn; also, I am like a teardrop, small, compact and vintage, so I need to test my strength (I'm not a complete wuss, I kayak two or three times a week, but I don't backpack or run 5 miles anymore). I really want to join in the teardrop experience and not wait 2 years to finish my first project. After surfing around this forum all week and seeing the intricacies of this project, I have come up with a plan and would like some input, but no laughing at my compromise test run!
I thought I would build a miniaturized teardrop galley and front storage for my gear on a harbor freight 40-1/2 x 48" with the 12" wheels. I already sleep in back of my little Nissan Frontier w/ a camper top, so I could continue to do that and store my Dragonfly, screenroom and other gear in the front compartment of the tear. This would eliminate the mess where I sleep and make setup and takedown so much faster. I also thought a mini Cab silhouette would be cute for this project,but am not sure it would work. I could do alot of this on my patio and storage room. I wouldn't need a full garage with careful planning. Has anyone tried this? Any helpful comments? Does anyone absolutely think this is a bad idea?
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Postby madjack » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:44 pm

...you could easily build a mini-TD on that frame..upto about 4'x6'...you could build it using regular TD building techniques and gain valualbe experience for when you build one "for real"....
madjack 8)
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Postby asianflava » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:48 pm

Welcome neighbor! I lived in apartment when we first moved here and it just about drove me crazy. At least we had a garage that had enough room for me to rebuild my engine.

Anyway, let me get this straight. You want to build a teardrop shaped utility trailer with a galley? You may as well make it a "regular" tear and store your stuff in the truck. One of the great things about a tear is the ability to just hitching it up and heading out. It was a bit of a revelation the first time I used mine. I went up in the attic, where I store my camping stuff, and said, "Huh, I don't need to pack any of this stuff because it's already in the trailer."

Also, putting large things into a tear can be a pain. At least for me, putting in mattress inside was.

If you wanna see mine, I'm usually free on Sun, Mon, Tue afternoons. PM me if you're interested.
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Postby lanego » Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:30 pm

Thanks for the encouragement, Madjack! I have seen teardrops built out wide over the wheels, but I will need to hunt down a design of the floor - not sure how to accomplish that. :scratchthinking: I do plan to build it just like its "big brothers". I have all the basic tools listed in the thread except the router, which I have never used - Maybe they have a class on that at Home Depot. :hammer:

Asianflavva, I don't think I can attempt a full-sized teardrop right now & I want it NOW! Or at least by next summer! I don't have a garage for the project yet, plus I think this will give me the experience I need to prepare for the real deal. :dead: I haven't anything very big to put in there. My kayak is a hybrid Dragonfly, fits in a dufflebag, a pop-up screenroom - about 2 lbs., and just the personal stuff. Other than the experience, the big payoff is the galley to me; I can have everything ready to go when I get there, really cook while I'm camping and have no fuss when I leave; all in fine style! :wine: I wouldn't mind a tour of your really nice tear sometime. A first-hand look is better than 1K words.

Keep the comments coming, all advice is greatly appreciated. Should I move this to a different topic now?

Lane in RR
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Postby angib » Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:51 pm

Lane,

I think you might want to send me your e-mail address so that I could send you the set of drawings I have done - for putting a Cub-shaped baggage teardrop on a HF 40x48 trailer......

Image Image

The dotted line is a full-size Cub. OK, it hasn't got a galley - you don't get everything you want in this life!

Andrew
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