Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

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Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby mlawrence » Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:54 pm

Hi all. We're in Spokane to be exact.

The first time we saw a teardrop camper I was smitten, but my wife not so much. She immediately dismissed it as 'claustrophobic'. Fast forward many years, and many tent camping trips later, we are talking about alternatives and I suggest going to try a TD on for size. We crawled in one and she says "oh yeah, I could totally do this"! So now I have the green light to build one and I can't wait to get started. I'm currently narrowing down my choices/designs and mentally getting ready to start. I'm pretty confident that this is within my skill-set since I have built three seaworthy wood kayaks but I expect to learn lot's along the way.

Since this seems to be the place to come for answers to questions I will throw this one out for your consideration. As I said I am anxious to get started but we live in a pretty cool climate so building in the garage is a no go. The last two kayaks I built I made in the basement where I could control the temps a bit. What I am imagining is 'mocking up' a teardrop without using any permanent adhesives (except for maybe some hot glue) and then dis-assembling it in the Spring and re-assembling and finishing it in the garage when the temperatures moderate. I'm planning on building on a 5x8 trailer and am confident that I can get that out of the basement without the tongue or wheels attached (I did get a seventeen foot kayak out...). My question is am I dreaming? Has anyone on the forum done this before? Am I setting myself up for an unpleasant surprise? How much of the build can I reasonably expect to get done in the basement without permanent attachments?

Thanks for your help and I suspect there will be many more questions to follow.

Mark
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby halfdome, Danny » Fri Oct 28, 2016 8:43 am

Welcome to the forum. :shake hands:
Building in the basement then reassembling it in the garage seems like a lot of extra work.
Before I built my shop I worked in the garage and used a kerosene heater much like this one.
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You do need to allow fresh air into your work space while it running but they really heat up a garage in a hurry.
Good luck with your build and if you ever want to camp in it on the other side of the mountains with other teardroppers then check out Teardroppers Of Oregon & Washington.
:D Danny
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby Norm » Fri Oct 28, 2016 11:24 am

Built 3 that way. Just make sure you think twice or three times before gluing any parts. I'm about to start on #4, and it will also be built in the basement. Good luck.


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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby Jim Edgerly » Sat Oct 29, 2016 2:21 pm

Check out the build journal for The Schnoodle Shack! I built mine in the basement over the winter as you are suggesting, no glue just screws, then assembled it in the driveway in the spring. I had 3 foot clearance, total, front and sides so I built it on a platform (later bolted to the trailer) with wheels so I could push it around to get all 3 foot clearance on the side I was working on, or the front/back. It totally worked awesome and you are right that this is the way to go in the colder climates (such as Massachusetts) if you don't have a heated garage. Check out the pictures/build journal and I am sure you will be inspired to move forward with your plan! I put over 7000 miles on the Shack over 5 years before selling it this summer (retirement, moving, becoming boat people), and it looks like brand new.

A picture with the completed Schnoodle Shack follows. Good luck and happy building.

Jim

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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby Jim Edgerly » Sat Oct 29, 2016 2:26 pm

Oh, almost forgot. Welcome to the forum...you have found your treasure trove of experts who are willing to help with advice and a wealth of knowledge. Don't be afraid to ask questions, just be ready for the answers. Sometimes things get a little heated when people disagree (we are a passionate bunch when it comes to teardrops)...just sort through the replies and take what is appropriate for you.

Jim
*When doing anything, if there exists no possibility of failure, then any feeling of success is diminished.
**The glass is neither half full nor half empty...it is simply twice as big as it needs to be.
***If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
****When I die, I want to die like my grandfather, who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby mlawrence » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:30 pm

Whew! Good to know that what I am thinking is possible. Thanks for the replies-they really help stoke the fire. The Teardrops you guys built look awesome and I hope it doesn't give me a heart attack building one... I guess that where there is a will there is a way. I can hardly wait to get started.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

Mark
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby Jim Edgerly » Mon Oct 31, 2016 6:30 am

Now I did have a heart attack while building mine, but it had nothing to do with the teardrop...more to do with my heart :D
*When doing anything, if there exists no possibility of failure, then any feeling of success is diminished.
**The glass is neither half full nor half empty...it is simply twice as big as it needs to be.
***If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
****When I die, I want to die like my grandfather, who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby mlawrence » Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:31 am

I did scan through the 'Schnoodle Shack' build and saw that you had a 'cardiac event' in the midst of the build. I will probably borrow some of your ideas for my build but maybe not that one in particular... Glad you are doing well and that is certainly a beautiful camper you made.

Mark
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Re: Checkin' in from N.E. Washington

Postby Vedette » Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:44 pm

Welcome to the Forum! :applause:
Teardrop Camping is amazing! Your wife will love it.
Part of what makes it so special is the new group of wonderful people you are about to meet. :thumbsup:
Especially here in the Pacific North West.
My wife and I have been TD camping for the past 4 years and have towed our Teardrop (Miss Piggy) just over 50,000 miles and logged 221 nights in it to date! :wine:
As Director of both the B.C. & PNW Chapters of the Tear Jerkers and a member of T.O.W., we have had opportunity to have met so many New TD Friends, most of which have become family to us.
There are some great events to attend throughout our area and beyond. :thinking:
There is also a lot of questions you should ask and have answered before you venture into your build; as sometimes your initial thoughts and expectations are not always what
you will end up doing.
Building is a big part of the TD experience, but IMHO it is far from the gratification you will receive once you start camping! And not to sound negative in anyway (as I am a "Builder" myself) but too many potential TD campers get lost along the way due to what it really takes to complete the build process...and sometimes a miscalculation in time and cost.
That being said.....I sincerely hope you do your homework and explore "All" of your options before starting to build. And this Forum is just the right place for that information, so you are already headed in the right direction.
Hope to meet you camping next season! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: 8)
Good Roads
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Here is a link to my Build Journal
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