Grizz-Pod Teardrop Trailer - New tow truck - 66 Chevy

[grizz]

I have to agree....those wheels will work nicely!!!!

Just for perspective.

[grizz]

I must be getting old.......

Just finished plotting out the rear profile on the carboard template.

Interesting working between inches and centimetres. Think I have the hang of 3/8th vs 7/8th etc.

Had to extend my carboard by 2 inches with some Frosties carboard box.

Now to start figuring out the front profile, and remember that the Grumman is a 4foot teardrop, so with having an 8inch overhang to cover the Chassis, I need to recalculate everyting, and will end up with about 3 inches to incorporate in a higher roof, as an inch is lost as "Ground Zero" where the floor is.

Pics to follow later.

Oh, and Nicola left early "to go clean her house and car" I think she is scared of what may still pass my lips today

[smilie=econ_steamingmad[1].gif]


After Profile is cut out of cardboard, I hope the world will be dry enough outside for me to give the chassis a quick once over with a 3M scourer, and then a coat of dark (Sale bargain) Hammerite, this is to make it all "disappear" under the body.

Hopefully after that I can cut and build the floor framework. And plan the underfloor storage box I want to make up as well.

After which I need to open Shed no 63 where the trestle work benches have been stashed for a long time. Then get the sides out and trace the pattern onto one, and start cutting.

[grizz]

Well, a day spent drawing and generating the profile of the Grizz-pod, based on a Grumman design.

I have chosen to go bigger than standard on the build.
This has meant that I can have a "Skirt" of about 8 inches, to cover the chassis up, as it is big and ugly.
That would leave me with about 4 foot 4 inches for the body itself, with about an inch taken up by the floor. Giving us a bit more headroom.

I decided to draw out the original Grumman design first, and then to edit the roof, adding the extra inches to the curve.
Thus leaving me with a profiled plan to stash in the loft once done, as I am already planning the 2nd "Pod" which should be a lightweight standard Grumman on 4x8 plan.
This will be for towing by a 1400 Corsa, as Nicola's daughter wants to go surfing etc.

The drawing and planning took me about 3 hours, mad I know, but I had to go it alone as Nicola had gone home to prep her garden for winter, and to avoid the potential blue smoked language she expected me to utter when faced with Imperial vs Metric.

Oh, and I used a Kellogs Frosties box to get the carboard to regulation size.



Cut to size.




After lunch I started cleaning, and sanding with a 3M scourer the whole chassis, took the wheels off, and got measurements for my adaptor making engineer.

I then painted it all with Hammerite which had cost £1.50 on sale per tin, hence the selection of colours.




Done.




Next up....... TIMBER !!!!!

[jackdaw]

Well done Rian,
Its great to see your profile drawn / cut out. It's probably the most important part of your build, as your shape is a masive part of what the finished thing will be.
Am I right in thinking the chassis is a close match to the transit now?

Grear progress mate

Keep up the good work

Dave

[grizz]

Well done Rian,
Its great to see your profile drawn / cut out. It's probably the most important part of your build, as your shape is a masive part of what the finished thing will be.
Am I right in thinking the chassis is a close match to the transit now?

Grear progress mate

Keep up the good work

Dave

No Dave, Ideally I wanted the chassis black, may still do it in black once the build is complete. However, beng galvanised, there is no need for paint, it just looks better IMO. The brown and purple colours were just really cheap on sale, £1.50 and £2.50 for the tins, as opposed to the usual £10/tin. I am not averse to bargain purchases, and Hammerite cheap is a bargain in my book.

Looks like today I am not getting much done, as Nicola wants my time.

[grizz]

I should be doing work prepping for company stuff, yet the lure of procrastination and cutting the timbers for the floor frame was sooo much more attractive.

Not much done, but next up will be drilling and glue and screwing together of the frame, then measure and cut the floor. Hopefully on Saturday.




Mock up looks a lot more realistic and manageable now.
Also going to keep the long A-Frame to the front and build a nice box of sorts for the gas bottle/s.

The sun setting early, and darkness by 6pm does not help much either.

[grizz]

Today's score..... I went to my secret Council/Municipal tip where they encourage recycling and do not stop you taking much away to look for some wood to use as fillets between the ply layers, and for a place to screw the ally cladding into once I get there.

Now wood - OOOPPS.

Then looked into the steel recycling bins and found an old Suffolk Punch lawnmower grass catcher bin, no dents, surface rust etc, and thought: "Perfect" as a lid to a 18 -24 inch box which contains the gas bottle, it follows the shape of the trailer, for not extra work.

Next up my mate who I found the trailer tent for at the weekend, gave me a roll of loft insulation, oppinions on the quality of this versus Polystyrene sheeting invited. Silver bubble wrap.

Lastly, the maintenance guys at one of my hospitals know what I get up to , and also about the teardrop build, so when I got there today , one saw me and said they had stashed some Beech wood strips around back for me, if I was interested, they were mine.
Being hardwood, they should work as fillets, or else I will find another job for them.

All in, a great day.

Look forward to serious progress on Saturday, as I have time on my own then, Sunday is booked for some activity.

[toypusher]

Next up my mate who I found the trailer tent for at the weekend, gave me a roll of loft insulation, oppinions on the quality of this versus Polystyrene sheeting invited. Silver bubble wrap.

Congrats on the score(s)!

As for the foil/bubble/foil, it is my understanding (of course I could be wrong on this too) is that you need a certain amount of air space with this type for it wo work correctly. I have some that I use for insulation in my one shed, but again, it has the dead air space. Not sure how you would get that in your teardrop walls. The solid (polystyrene) can be fitted tight to elimate space for moisture buildup and also should be able to be glued to your skins on both sides and that will make the structure stronger.

Remember, this is just my opinion and take on things.

[Ageless]

Read the web page on that wrap, is 2 mm thick and provides same insulation as 55 mm; so sounds like you made a major score

[angib]

The problem with the 'multi-foil' type of insulation is that only its manufacturers think it works well - everyone who independently tests it says it doesn't work that well. So treat all comments about 2mm as being as good as 55mm the same way you would any claims from snake oil salesmen.

You will find people who use it who say it's wonderful, but then they had believed the snake oil guy when they bought it, so they're not in a hurry to say they were conned.

Andrew

[Juneaudave]

Ya gotta hand it to Griz...that grass catcher bin screams tongue box...I can hardly wait fo see what walks through the door next!!!

[grizz]

Ya gotta hand it to Griz...that grass catcher bin screams tongue box...I can hardly wait fo see what walks through the door next!!!

Morning Dave, looky here. these are things from the past, mostly the last year.

All of it is about saving money one place, and spending it elsewhere .

Seems I do have Scotts blood in my veins, but I am a South African, which makes me a Skip diver of note.

Even the crank handle for the jacks I bought for the rear of the trailer was picked up alongside the road.

It just gives me a huge kick to make things work.

Earlier this year, Nicola and I saved about £2000 just through "Freecycle" and being sensible. Means your money goes further.

Examples:

Industrial sewing machine
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=64057

£1 Camping table.
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=63033

Cartoon style scooter build.
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=64230

Some garden stuff
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=59989

Stealing land.....
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=58490

Thunderchild - BMW Chop .

http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=37800

This one lives in Devon now.
http://www.retrorides.proboards.com/ind ... read=38004

[grizz]

Slow start to the day, only got out to the garage after 11am, but it was worth it.

Had a few interuptions through the day, so not as much done, but keeping in mind I am doing everything on my own, and also have to think things through as I go along, I am cuffed with the progress.

Firstly, just a bit of showing off..... All three of these work tables were from the Council tip, the crutches which will be a pair of adjustable legs and also some supports, were from a hospital, and the street respectively.

The bread crates.... erm, liberated. Was hoping to use them somewhere.



Loads of screwing and wood glue. These screws are not at all what they purport to be..... rubbish, and at £16.00 for 50, they are overpriced.



I LOVE MY ROUTER !!

Makes life a lot easier, had some bits to trim down to make the floor frame fit the chassis more tightly.



Frame assembled, and bolted down, bolts recessed, and supports for below floor box added in. I have also added another cross brace down the length approximately where one would kneel to get into the rear cabinets.




Below floor storage box made up from bits of old packing crate ply, and 1"x1" wood I bought from the boot fair last weekend. I also found my bargain Sale Nail gun , which cost only £5 at B&Q was massively usefull.



Off to go inspect the house we plan on buying again tomorrow, so probably not much happening to the build.
Have asked my neighbour to look our for a hand pump tap at the Boat jumble.

[2fry]

Just out of interest,have you lost your right ear,as it is the most common place to hold your pencil.

I can't wait to see your profile cut and in place.
What width are you going to make it.

Graeme(aka 2fry)

[grizz]

Just out of interest,have you lost your right ear,as it is the most common place to hold your pencil.

I can't wait to see your profile cut and in place.
What width are you going to make it.

Graeme(aka 2fry)

Hi Graeme, the pencil is to bite on, in case I hit a finger, artery, or chip out an eye....

I have gone for a basic 5 x 10 foot sheet side, which unfortunately comes at a premium price, but because I am adding an 8 inch skirt to hide the chassis, it will be about 4'3" tall inside, add in the cushion of the mattress, and you realistically have 3' 10" left.

Width should be close to 4' 9" internal, as I am working around a 5 foot ally skin.