A 12 ft. FEATHERLITE conversion

[Prem]

Thanks Eunice for welcoming a cargo conversion at a teardrop gathering!

[Streaker]

Now THAT is one sweet setup you have there my friend.
You HAVE to be very proud of your successful transformation.
I will definitely have to use some of your ideas coupled with others here to try and achieve what I hope will be a liveable small toy-hauler.
Thank You for posting this.
Absolutely Fantastic work.

[Prem]

James,

Thanks for the accolades, but it really isn't *that* fine. There are fasteners everywhere!...albeit, evenly spaced. I mean putting screws with heads showing into maple crown molding is pretty tacky. Shame on me!

I'm just a pragmatist. I do what works and what is easier (usually). I''m big into re-use and scrounging, so I got most all the wood/cabinets/closet for free or heavily discounted. Even the trailer was one the dealer couldn't sell in 8 months because they scratched it lightly in three places (now under aluminum diamond plate or a decal).

Get something good and make it the way you want it. That's the secret to happy RVing. If you don't like what you've got, sell it to someone who wants and appreciates it. Then see if you can buy or build what you want for the money from the old one.

I bought another trailer (1965 Shasta) a couple of weeks ago for $25. I just saw it sitting for months in this guy's yard half tore down to the chassis with flat tires. I finally went up and knocked on his door. He said, "Gimme $25 and it's yours. I'll even help you get it out of here." I gave him $10 to insure he helped me, then I gave him the remaining $15. Took about 30 minutes because I had already bought new wheels ($3 each) and like-new used tires for it ($35 each) and we just swapped them out. It's going to become a quazi Bolus Papoose (photo link below) sometime next summer. I did all the welding on it last week. Now it has a new hitch, pipe swivel jack and reinforcing. I borrowed my buddy's welder and grinder and half new and half salvaged steel.

All my photos for this trailer, my former teardrop and my new build called ROUND TAIL are in my Album here (red button below).

Let me know what you come up with.

Prem

[mdvaden]

Love that Futon idea.

I almost got a 7' wide, but decided that 6' is perfect for me to see out my mirrors.

Seems like your 7' wide is the perfect size for incorporating a couch option.

[Prem]

Dear M.D., fellow Oregonian,

Nice trailer you got.

Folded open, my futon frame and mattress are just over 4 feet wide. Your 6 wide probably has 5 feet 4-9 inches of interior width. You could put a futon in your trailer if you wanted I suspect.

Also, check on eBay for great deals on themed, tapestry futon covers. There's even a Route 66 one. I just got a generic, zippered cover that works as the bottom sheet also. They're washable like linen.

Just today I replaced the heavy cotton, way-to-firm futon mattress that I had a memory foam topper on for one of foam rubber with the same topper.

Fred Meyer has cheap foam rubber camping mattresses 27 inches x 72 inches x 3 inches ($19.95). They aren't very firm, so I went to the carpet store and bought 8 pound carpet pad (new) then cut and lightly glued it (with foam and fabric adhesive in a spray can) to the 3 inch pad on both sides. I put the topper on it and zipped it up inside the cover. Wow! What comfort now!

Best wishes,

Prem

[Trackstriper]

Prem,

I appreciate the link to nosecone.com, I looked over the available material. Still wonder if you could give me your impression of the difference between the v-nose and the conventional front cargo trailers behind a full-sized standard van. Thank you.

Bruce

[Prem]

Mike wrote: "That looks like it would lend itself rather well to those rescue operations..."

Mike,

Uh huh. It rescues the dog and me from the heat. We drive it to the mountains and camp. Sometimes it rescues me from the wife. You could come over and work on it. That would rescue me from dinking with it some more! ;-) Or better yet, come on over and we'll work on the quazi Bolus Papoose I just started. Whatever that is you're drinking in your photo, I'll provide plenty of it.

On a far more thoughtful note, thanks so much for starting and maintaining this wonderful website.

Best wishes,

Prem

[mikeschn]

Which one of these guys is you?



Mike...

[Prem]

Bruce,

Hummm...

Here's the deal: I have only towed my former teardrop behind two full-size vans prior to the v-nose Featherlite. (Before that I had a string of motorhomes I built or modifed over the years.)

I have a 1-ton Dodge Ram van with a 360 CID engine and an overdrive transmission with a big Hayden tranny fluid cooler. The differential is geared low because it was a 15-passenger van before I took all but one of the bench seats out. The vehicle can go 65 mph uphill towing with the overdrive off.

Since the trailer is only about 14 inches taller than the van, only 14 inches of the v-nose is parting the air.

Frankly, I'm constantly pondering a tail cone for the square rear of the trailer. Go to ecomodders.com for inspiration on this subject.

Good?

Prem

[Prem]

Mike,

I'm the guy in the back with Featherlite cap on being quizzed by the women about the LED lights on the ceiling.

I won that hat at a teardrop gathering during our Saturday evening bonfire about a year ago. The rest is history.

Prem

[mikeschn]

Did you win the quiz?

You need to report back after your first road trip. That's this weekend, right?

Mike...

[Trackstriper]

Prem,

Thanks. That'll do sir!

Bruce

[Prem]

Mike,

What *is* that you're drinking?

Yeah. t'was the LEDs what won the quiz. 0.66 amps from the little solar panels keep the battery topped off no matter how long I run the lights. Those gals couldn't believe how bright they are. (57 little LEDs per bulb/Perfect replacement for 1141 incandescent auto bulbs.)

I love eBay. What can I say?

Prem

[Prem]

Mike,

The first road trip was back in June with our group The State of Jefferson Tearjerkers to the Applegate River. (Check out our Tearjerkers logo...find Sasquatch and notice what he's carrying.)

Three more camping trips since then to high mountain lakes. Backs in to the tightest places between trees just like my teardrop did. My Dodge van is two feet longer than the trailer for Pete's sake. Might have to get a Jeep.

Prem

[Prem]

Is that a BBQ on the front?

http://www.designtopnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/multimedia-trailer-takes-your-home-theater-wherever-you-want-3.jpg

Prem