My first teradrop design and build. TT1

[Luc G]

Hi y'all I'm a newbie to this forum and have just started my first teardrop.

I finally got around to getting my teardrop desin into my laptop but I had to use the drawing package in Microsoft's Word Processor, print it off and then scan it to get the jpg image. So I'm not sure how clear it will be.

I will upload some build photos in the next couple of days with some build questions that some of you more experienced people might be able to help me with.

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=71913

Can anyone tell me why the schematic isn't displayed?

[starleen2]

Fixed it for ya (hit the quote button to see how I wrapped the url with the image tags)

[Luc G]

Thanks Staleen 2.

[jackdaw]

Welcome to the forum Luc

Nice plan, What sort of length are you looking at ? Is it the widget sizes ?

I'd be so tempted to put a trolley top on it instead of a lifting section, mainly as it's easier to waterproof it, and you could extend it back a bit further back above the table.
Having said that, it's always best to build what you want, because you're the one thats going to be using it

Happy building , and don't forget the camera

Dave

[Luc G]

Thanks for the suggestion Jackdaw.

Not quite sure what a trolley top is. Would that be a sliding roof? The reason I opted for a lifting section is to increase the headroom, but as it rains so much in the UK I couldn't have an open top or I'd be forever getting up and down opening and closing it.

I'm thinking along the lines of tent canvass sides sealed to the roof opening and the lifting roof section and fitting a fold out front panel to support and lock/seal the lifting roof into place. That should stop any water getting in. If anyone has any better suggestions or other ideas please contribute as I'd be quite happy to incorporate a better design.

I'm going to make it just over 9 ft long (depends how the elipses pan out) and 5'6" wide. This is limited by the trailer base I'm using which is recycled from our old trailer tent.

The photo in your post has some great retro looking teardrops. They look similar to the Widget shape and I love that aluminium finish. I'd like to use alli but it's so expensive here that it would add another £300/$450 to the project. So I'll probably have to use epoxy paint.

I've got the tailer on its side at the moment as I need to add some steel supports tomorrow and I'll take a photo too.

Luc

[Luc G]

Sorry Jackdaw I didn't notice that you're in Wiltshire, but I still don't know what a trolley top is. Would you happen to know a cheaper supplier for the alli skin in the UK as I really like to go that route if it's economically feasible.

Thanks for any help.

[jackdaw]

There are a few places that sell aluinium off a 2.55m roll. You buy it by the foot or metre to suit you. We bought a 35ft long roll and had enough to do both trailers.
Check out www.aalco.com Download the road transport brochure and look for roofing roll ,0.8mm aluminium

Our latest build we used flat sheet on the sides, and stuff off the roll for the roof.I think it came to around £200. All the trim used was slavanged off the donor caravan, annealed and re shaped.

There are other ways of achieving a good finish too.
One of the blokes on tcgb has bought a lorry side, thats plywood sandwiched between grp .... looks like it's going to work a treat. It's smooth and waterproof, and relitively cheep too.

A trolly top , or some call them lanturn top, is a raised roof set down the middle of the trailer to give more height, and light.
Doug Hodder's builds inspired me to build the Coppertop .
The coppertop build photos

The Copper trolleytop has darkened a fair bit now , and kind of blends into the background



Cheers Dave

[Luc G]

Hi Jackdaw

Thanks for that build link. I see what you mean now and I really like the look of that trolley top. It would mean putting a lot more windows in though but I think it would be worth the extra effort. I see that this teardrop seems to be built from about a ½" ply single skin whereas I'm planning to use a 4mm ply double skin and frame with 25mm foil backed PU board insulation. I'm hoping it will be lighter and warmer. The trolley roof would make the structure more rigid, something I was a bit concerned about with an opening roof section. I'll have to check to see how much the overall height will increase.

The aalc.com link just lists a lot of sponsered links and I can't see a sheet metal supplier. Am I missing something on the page?

Thanks again for your help.

[jackdaw]

oooopps wrong link Try this one http://www.aalco.co.uk/

[Luc G]

Thaks for that Jackdaw. I've just completed a new outline design with a Trolley (bus) roof and I like it better than my original idea and as you say less chance of leaking. Here it is if the upload works.

[jackdaw]

I like it

[Luc G]

Hello Jackdaw

Thanks.
Looking at the photo that you posted earlier am I correct in assuming that there are teardrop trailer rallies in the UK or was it a picture of a group of local teardrop builders?

I'm not sure how popular teardrops are in the UK and building anything here is a bit of a dying art. When I've finished mine, hopefully early next year depending on the weather, it would be good to meet up with other builders and trade info and stories. Just a thought.

[jackdaw]

That was taken at our family holiday, when my daughter joined us with the Coppertop I built for her.
We have had a few gatherings though. check out the tcgb link at the bottom of my signiture, and the international section towards the bottom of the main menu page here. We have some great builders this side of the pond. Just not so many, but our numbers are increasing. Where abouts are you ?
I'm thinking obout doing another trailer over the winter. Don't know what yet

Dave

[grizz]

Welcome.

When you need help, Dave (Jackdaw) is always there.

AALCO is indeed the place to go, and my dealings with them have been good in the past.

I built my Grumman 2 on a 5x10 size, and the size was helped by their 5x10 1.2mm sheets of ally. More costly, but I did not know how easy it would be to build and work with ally when I started, next time I will follow Dave's lead.

[grizz]

PS: Not sure where in the UK you are, but I am in Rochester, Kent.

Here is a pic of the Coppertop, and a link to its thread.

http://tcgb.freeforums.org/jackdaws-coppertop-t25.html