An offroad build - Needs a name.

[oz97tj]

Today, the plan was to cut up a couple sheets of plywood into strips for the roof spars, cut the doors, glue up the roof spars, install roof spars and put on the end pieces of the roof. It didn't quite happen. It started with my table saw not cooperating, so I had to run to Home Depot and rent one. Got it home and cut up all the strips. After returning it, I came back home to glue up all my roof spars. Installed the ones at the back to close up the bottom part of my galley and started installing some at the front. Then I started on the drivers side door. It ended up taking me about 90 minutes to cut the hole. I just wasn't with it or something because no matter how many times I measured, it was still not big enough. Finally after cutting it waaaaay too many times, I got the door in. Then I put up a sheet of the roof on the front. It didn't cooperate either. After another hour or so to get one piece on, I gave up for the day.

I only took one pic after I got the door in. I didn't take any more as I was just too frustrated.


I need to finish what I set out to do in the next day or so. I'm putting on the front and back pieces of the roof so I can climb under it and do another coat of epoxy and seal up all the joints and edges. I'm thinking this will make the final epoxy much easier as I wont have to worry about any of the parts on the bottom. Hopefully I can get back in the groove again...

[oz97tj]

Jeeper's Sleeper???

Ha! I like that!

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.

Yes, his is Jeeperz-Creeperz to be specific. I just wouldn't feel right using that name even if spelled different. I'm sure he wouldn't mind but where's the uniqueness in that? lol

[2bits]

You are moving right along! I am guessing SHE is making all the wedding plans while you work on the trailer. How are you going to finish the exterior? This will be a record build. I see every post starts with a time delay (this is normal LOL). I hope you get it "campable" remember it doesn't have to be done. Good luck with BOTH adventures!

[mezmo]

Hi oz97tj,

I'll throw another name against the wall...

What about:

"The Rolling Boulder" ? or "Rolling Bolder"? [Pun on
'boulder' and 'bolder'.]

Especially if you could get some faux
painting done to make it sort of look like a big rock!
[That might help to hide any wear and tear.]

Boulders are an off road obstacle after all. And the
rounded shape of a TD also sort of looks like a large
rounded rock if you want to follow the line of thought...

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[oz97tj]

This morning I decided to do a little more work. I got the rest of the roof spars installed, the hole for the vent framed, and reinforced the area where the hatch hinge will be.

This shows the front part of the roof I installed over the weekend.


Here you can see the roof spars.


And here is the back. I'll skin it in the next day or two.


My garage is a mess!

[oz97tj]

You are moving right along! I am guessing SHE is making all the wedding plans while you work on the trailer. How are you going to finish the exterior? This will be a record build. I see every post starts with a time delay (this is normal LOL). I hope you get it "campable" remember it doesn't have to be done. Good luck with BOTH adventures!

The wedding is actually done as far as planning goes. Neither of us wanted anything big so we are going to Florida and getting married on a beach. We have a lady who takes care of all the details and sets everything up. We pay a fee for this, but it's far cheaper than a normal wedding. Then we have a reception, if you want to call it that, at a nice restaurant nearby. Our only guests are immediate family and a few close friends. Then off to Mexico (flying and going to a resort) for a week for the honeymoon.

As for the teardrop, I honestly doubt it'll be completely done, but it'll be campable. I'm kind of planning it that way to be honest. I figure after camping in in for over a week on the way to and from Florida, I'll get a good idea of how I want to finish it (cabinets and such).

[oz97tj]

No pictures this week. Finished welding up the trailer last night. Well mostly anyway. I had to do a little welding on the bottom and I had to do a little welding around the recievers. I'm about one weld away from being done, but of course I ran out of wire.

I then got the passenger side door installed and a few other unglamourous little odds and ends. Then went shopping for my ceiling panels, but nobody had what I was looking for in stock. Now, I need to call the place I got my 4x10 walls from. I'm guessing they will have it, but they close at 4 pm and it was later than that so I was out of luck. To make myself feel better, I bought a new air compressor, staple and brad nailer. lol

In the next couple days, I'll pick up some more welding wire and finish that up, paint the frame, and do one last coat of epoxy on the bottom of the tear. Then I'll place the cabin back on the trailer and bolt it down for the last time. Now let's hope I can find my ceiling materials...

[Yuri4x4]

Looks good so far...

K.I.S.S. I really like the simple plywood wall construction, jeep parts, single door, etc. If you get too fancy, it will never get done in time. Good luck with the rest of your build. I will be watching... (fishing for ideas on my own Jeep TD)

[oz97tj]

Looks good so far...

K.I.S.S. I really like the simple plywood wall construction, jeep parts, single door, etc. If you get too fancy, it will never get done in time. Good luck with the rest of your build. I will be watching... (fishing for ideas on my own Jeep TD)

It actually has two doors now. I figure it's easier than crawling over each other in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Simple is the plan though as I figure it's less to come apart while bouncing down the trail.

I've also made some progress, but haven't had time to post pics and such. Probably next week I'll take pics and post updates...

[oz97tj]

So, it's official. I'm a bonehead! After installing the ceiling and such, I use my router to cut out the hole for the vent. I knew the vent was up there sitting on the roof spars, but I figure with it being 2 inches above the hole and my router bit only sticking out about a quarter inch, the two will never make contact. I was wrong.


Luckily, I only screwed up the screen. Just did a search and they are cheap. I purchased a replacement on Amazon for like $13 bucks. I got lucky!

Anyway, to back up a bit, this is what I've been up to...

I skinned the back twice. First time, the masonite board didn't like the bend and broke. Had to do it again, but this time with some kerf cuts.


I finished up the frame now, except for the spare tire mount, which will wait until the cabin is mounted to I can get as tight as possible. Also had to buy two different tongue jacks. The first one I thought was long enough, but it was fully extended to level the trailer out, so I'd be screwed if the base sunk into the ground a bit. Here is the longer one.


All the wiring ran. I have a florescent light for the interior light. It has a switch on it, but I thought it would be nice to have switches at both doors. I also needed switches for the patio lights. I found some dual switch (one of which is a 3-way) panels on Ebay. I figure I can drill a hole into the solid wall to run the wire, and then meet it with another hole where the switches will be. Most of the wire will be ran behind the door frame, but I also had to drill through the wall above the door to hide the wire coming from the ceiling. This is what it looks like, but it'll be all hidden with the ceiling and the door.


The ceiling has been installed with some white masonite with a "knock down" type finish. All glued up with some brads to help hold it. I also had to do kerf cuts on the back of all the bends as it didn't want to cooperate. I was litterally cutting on the ceilling panels for hours. Seeing as my table saw isn't functioning, all the kerf cuts were done with a skill saw. Not fun.


That's all my photos for now. I'm waiting for my switches to arrive before I install the roof as I want to be sure my wiring is all working properly.

[S. Heisley]

Jeeper's Sleeper???

I like that one!

PS. I keep my garage door down and work inside; but, I could not not not work outside in the snow!

[oz97tj]

Most of the work has been in the garage, but its not heated. When I started, it was less than 20 in the garage. Even when inside id normally open the door though. Just gives me more room to work. Wheni did work outside it was almost 40 which was down right warm. Haha

[Deryk the Pirate]

Looks Good! I like the idea of an off road rig. Opens up more places to camp. I just need an off road kinda car, my PT Cruiser is definatly not it unless it get really modified lol. I remember when I was in my early 20's havein a pickup I used to camp under the power lines near a friends house was a nice quiet area at night... would be nice to be able to head out to places like that again.

[oz97tj]

Some of the most beautiful scenic spots I've been to have required some rough road driving to get there. This is what I'm really looking forward to. I've camped in spots like these before in tents but I generally move from location to location each night, so the set up and tear down daily get's old.




My switches arrived today, and they are a little deeper than I was hoping. Looks like I'll have to make some sort of plate to space the switch out a bit. Shouldn't be too difficult.

The roof will go on as soon as the electrical is tested. Then the hatch will be framed up. Then epoxy Monday or Tuesday...

[mezmo]

Hi oz97tj,

You're making good progress!

I'd thought of "Jeeper Sleeper" as a name, then I saw that Corwin had
suggested "Jeeper's Sleeper" already.

-Playing off of them though-

(The brackets -[..]- are to let you try it with or without the bracketed word.)

[The] Jeep Sleep or [The] Jeep n Sleep

[The] Sleeper Jeep

[The] Sleep Jeep

[Just] Jeepin' n Sleepin'

[The] JeepInn or [The] Jeep Inn

Sleeper's Jeepers

Also, are you familiar with the "Jeep" character from the old Popeye
cartoons? Maybe you could get a transfer print/applique of one,
especially one of it sleeping, you could apply somewhere near
whatever you end up naming the TD.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo