An offroad build - Needs a name.

[oz97tj]

I've been lurking here for a while and I finally started my build. I need a name for it and I'm open for suggestions...

I've been wanting to build an offroad teardrop for a while. After many years camping in tents, a trip last June set the ball in motion. It rained. A bunch. My trusty tent that had never leaked before, decided it had enough. There were constant streams of water coming through in multiple spots and camping was miserable. After about 3 nights of this, the little lady told me to build the trailer. Woo hoo for leaky tents!

Then we came up with a plan to take a scenic drive while on the way to Florida for our wedding and take the teardrop and camp along the way. So, here we are in February, and the wedding in is April. I've never built one of these before so this could get interesting.

I've been gathering materials for a while now, but haven't started anything until today. I started with a pile of steel.

A torsion axle...

A little work done...

And finally with the axle mounted but still some work to do...


Was only able to work on it for about 3 or so hours today and that is where it ended. The frame still will get a cross brace in the center and the sides need to be finished.

The original plan was to have the wheels set into the body with only about half the tires sticking outside. However, I screwed up. When I ordered the axle, I didn't account for the deep offset on the stock Jeep wheels. They would hit the torsion arms, so I had to get some wheel spacers. This pushed the wheels out so far that my originally planned outside measurement of 65 inches would only be about 3 inches wider than the inside of the tires. 3 inches just isn't worth going through all the work of building wheel wells, so the plan is changed to narrow the cabin to fit between the tires and then standard fenders can be mounted.

Tomorrow, finish up the frame and final weld.

[eatatjoz]

Down and dirty?
Have you thought about fender flairs instead of changing your plans? You should be able to find some from a Jeep Tj or Yj. That would give you a 5" projection with the 3" body overlap.

[Steve_Cox]

Oz,

I'll tell you something that sometimes even your friends might not say say.

You can build a tear drop without getting married.

That being said how about Hitched for a trailer name?

Hitched =To fasten or catch temporarily with or as if with a loop, hook, or noose

[ME87]

Good start, I'll be keeping an eye on it.

[oz97tj]

Down and dirty?
Have you thought about fender flairs instead of changing your plans? You should be able to find some from a Jeep Tj or Yj. That would give you a 5" projection with the 3" body overlap.

It will be getting flares. My plan was that they would only be sticking out beyond the body 4 or so inches and I would be required to build wheel wells that protruded into the sleeping area. However, with the spacers, they will only stick into the sleeping area roughly an inch on either side which in my mind isn't worth building. So I'll just make the whole thing about 3 inches narrower, and no need to build wheelwells and custom flares. Standard flares will do the trick.

Oz,

I'll tell you something that sometimes even your friends might not say say.

You can build a tear drop without getting married.

That being said how about Hitched for a trailer name?

Hitched =To fasten or catch temporarily with or as if with a loop, hook, or noose

hahaha. If only I would have realized a single guy could build one. Too late now!

[wagondude]

Oz,

I'll tell you something that sometimes even your friends might not say say.

You can build a tear drop without getting married.

That being said how about Hitched for a trailer name?

Hitched =To fasten or catch temporarily with or as if with a loop, hook, or noose

What he said. Also considering the intended first outing, "The Honeymoon Suite" comes to mind.

[oz97tj]

Today, I didn't get as much done as planned. Did most of the final welding and got it narrowed down to the new width. Still need to do a few cross braces and such and then the frame will be done.

Also for kicks, while doing a few other things in the garage, I pulled the frame out and set it up behind the jeep to see how it would set. Looks about perfect...


This is how it sets right now. Doesn't look much different...


Back to work tomorrow. I'll finish up the welding and then next Monday will start with the wood.

[oz97tj]

Oz,

I'll tell you something that sometimes even your friends might not say say.

You can build a tear drop without getting married.

That being said how about Hitched for a trailer name?

Hitched =To fasten or catch temporarily with or as if with a loop, hook, or noose

What he said. Also considering the intended first outing, "The Honeymoon Suite" comes to mind.

Hitched has a cool sound to it. It's a possibility. Honeymoon sweet wouldn't be accurate as we're going to Mexico for the honeymoon. The teardrops only role in the wedding is to get up down there and back camping and sight seeing along the way.

Anyone else have any cool ideas?

[oz97tj]

I got wood!

Plywood that is. Today I went and bought all the wood I'll need minus some luan. I started cutting the floor out. I had to add 1/2 inch spacers under the floor to make the floor all flat. My trailer frame has a 2 1/2 inch tongue and the rest is 2 inch. The extra half inch was supposed to hang off the bottom, but due to the axle crown I had to actually use the flat part for the bottom which made the bottom the top. I could have built some spacers for the axle mount to lower it a bit, but I figured wood spacers would be easier to work with. So, long story short, I had to cut out spacers for under the floor but I don't have pictures.

Here is the floor completed...


I then started the walls. The first one was drawn out and cut with a jigsaw. The second was just placed over the first and traced out with a router.


I then routered the bottom inside edge of both sidewalls so they would be partially sitting on top of the floor.


Both walls went up smoothly so I used some scrap from cutting the walls out to hold it all up.



I also cut out the wall / closet or whatever you want to call it that is at the front of the cabin, and mounted it. I still need to cut out the center though. I'm thinking of cutting a large hole in the center to give it a bit more character, but we'll see how it looks. I didn't get any photos of it installed.

Tomorrow, cut the rear wall / partition and mount it all up. Once I'm comfortable with the fit of things, I'll pull it all back apart and flip the floor over to epoxy it up.

[mezmo]

Hi oz97tj,

How about "Jeeper's Creepers" or "A Jeeper's Creeper"
for when you're creeping over all those off-road obstacles?

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[oz97tj]

Well, today took way longer than it should have. The dreaded snoopy neighbors kept interupting progress. lol Twice, guys walking by, saw the teardrop in the driveway and decided to check it out a little further. Each guy took over an hour of BSing. Guess next time it needs to stay in the garage! Both guys were real nice though and I got to meet some neighbors that I've never met before so it was good day.

Anyway, got the galley partition all mocked up, tore it all back apart and epoxied the bottom.

Sitting out in the sun. It was a balmy 38 degrees...


Galley partition...


I didn't take a photo of the bottom of the floor being epoxied. I'll give it a good couple days to cure, and then I'll reassemble and work on the ceilling and roof.

[oz97tj]

Hi oz97tj,

How about "Jeeper's Creepers" or "A Jeeper's Creeper"
for when you're creeping over all those off-road obstacles?

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

I actually have a friend who runs an offroad business called Jeepers Creepers! So I can't use that name. lol.

Thanks though!

[Dusty82]

Why not? Heck, talk to your buddy - maybe he'll even sponsor the build by providing paint and a logo to put on the TD. Advertising for him, a cool name/pain/logo for your TD. Everyone wins.

[Corwin C]

Jeeper's Sleeper???

[ME87]

Hi oz97tj,

How about "Jeeper's Creepers" or "A Jeeper's Creeper"
for when you're creeping over all those off-road obstacles?

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

I actually have a friend who runs an offroad business called Jeepers Creepers! So I can't use that name. lol.

Thanks though!

Are you sure his company names isn't "Jeeperz Creeperz"?

If so you're good to go, just spell it different.