Colorado Teardrop Build Journal (Build Complete) (kayakdlk)

[KCStudly]

Nicely done!

[Bantam]

Very nice build. Enjoy.

[Woodbutcher]

Beautiful Job! You should be very proud.

[be_a_jayhawk]

Would you recommend the monster liner it looks like it comes in a lot of colors. Did you have to order it or are they in local stores.?

[Oldragbaggers]

Very nicely done. The color will make you highly visible on the road too. Your interior woodwork is excellent, but I love how you kept it simple. Now comes the best part, the camping. Enjoy your new creation.

[kayakdlk]

Thanks eveyon for the compliments.

Would you recommend the monster liner it looks like it comes in a lot of colors. Did you have to order it or are they in local stores.?

I like how the textured monstaliner looks. Since I only finished in Nov 2013 it hasn't been outside long but seems to be holding up fine. Only time will tell how it holds up. It was easy to apply with the provided rollers. Should be easy to touch up as needed. I mainly went with it as I could get it to almost match my Jeep, it was a two part paint and I think it is more durable from branch and brushes etc. while out out camping. It is also suppose to be UV protected. A lot of folks use it on the Jeep in another form I visit and there have been good reviews. The Jeeps take way more abuse than I expect my Teardrop ever will.

One note: I tried some other rollers from Home Depot but the ones they sell/provide in the Monstaliner kit work much better. . I had to order the paint and install kit it on line, no local vendors. You can search the Internet and find various discount codes for reduced/free shipping, and a free qt of Silver bullet.

Very nicely done. The color will make you highly visible on the road too. Your interior woodwork is excellent, but I love how you kept it simple. Now comes the best part, the camping. Enjoy your new creation.

Becky you are right on the visability. I typically like to blend in but the Jeep already stand out and AFTER my Wife and I discussed, we decide to match the Jeep and make it easy to see to hopefully avoid accidents. As much attention it has drawn sitting under the carport I am sure it will draw more attention on the road. Can't for this cold snowy weather to end so I can take it out.

Dan

[capnTelescope]

Excellent build! Your tear really looks sharp. Great timing too, camping season is right around the corner.

[kayakdlk]

We have had a few nice weekends over the last couple months in Colorado so I made some more progress on finish details on my teardrop while getting ready for DMV registration and its first outing.

I setup my side tables and Galley and decided on where I would normally cook and want my utensils.

Here is a picture of my setup for the stove. With the side table I can sit the stove on it and hook up to the propane tank mounted on the side of the teardrop without removing the tank. I screwed in little cup hooks to hold the Dutch oven accessories.



I also planned it so I can put the second side table on the rear of the counter to make a L shaped work area. Here is a picture with both tables setup


I wanted a place for trash can but couldn’t figure out where to put it. I decide on making a trash bag holder and using the leftover side table brackets to attach. Here are two pictures of the trash bag holder I made and attached it to the end of the side table. I put it on either side or on the end as shown



I found a simple stainless look towel hook for the galley at Walmart and hung over the galley cabinet lip. It just hang on a lip and can be moved around or removed altogether if needed.


I also found a stainless look soap disk that I mounted to the galley side wall to hold hand sanitizer, and dish soap.


As I built my teardrop trailer I wanted the most flexibility for various types of camping. I want to be able to drive, park and sleep, or do quick cooking in the galley without setting up much at all. I also wanted to be able to setup camp for a week and deal with the Colorado afternoon rain showers. I decided with the wife’s help to make two awnings that can be installed over each door.

I bought some Super K-Kote Ripstop nylon fabric from Seattle Fabrics and my wife sewed two awnings, one for each door. I bought a 20’ piece of aluminum awning rail and installed an aluminum awning railed on the flat part of the roof on each side. The awning slides into the awning rail and stands up with two aluminum poles (which I already had) mounted in grommets. I also bought a pair of outdoor rugs to put in front of each door.



For the Galley area in case of rain I did some research for an awning/side tent. I had thought of making one but decide it would be easier to modify one already made. After looking at dozens of pictures on the forum and web I decide I really liked the Kelty Carport. I found out that it is no longer made, but after some research I found a new one on Amazon.com. When it arrived it was new in an old beat up box that looked like it had sat on the shelf for many years. When I opened it up, it looked brand new. The nylon was in new shape but the poles shock cord was all stretched out. I order some new 1/8” shock cord from eBay and replaced it and now I have a new medium Kelty Carport. I made several modifications to it to get it to attach via Velcro to my galley hatch lid. I attached a few D rings clips onto the hatch lid for Velcro straps from the carport pole.

Here is a picture of it attached to the Galley hatch. It is securely attached and was pretty windy the day I set it up so I am sure it will work fine. I can also lower the hatch with it attached at night.


When we go camping we usually hang our bath or beach towels from Hot spring trips on the truck roof rack. Since I will be using the Jeep without roof rack for pulling the teardrop I wanted some way to hang bath/beach towels to dry in the Colorado sun. I decided to just attach two towel hooks on each front side of the teardrop. Here is a picture of the right side with towels and left without



I found a Tekonsha P3 break controller for a decent price on eBay and ordered it and an adapter cable for my truck. The controller just plugs right into the truck factory hardness as a backup tow vehicle. I had to hard wire it into the Jeep, but it was pretty easy. Here is a picture of the controller mounted in the Jeep.


Last year I did some research on mountain vinyl graphics and found that they were pretty expensive ($75-90). I looked around for a while and found some cheap ($25) graphics that I thought would work. I had also order matching Jeep style name graphics. I am still trying to decide what to name my Teardrop.

Here is a picture of the front graphics installed and here is a picture of the galley hatch rear graphics. I removed the name as didn't like they way it looked. Still deciding if and what to name it



A while back I had custom” Built not bought” graphics made and I installed one on the right front and the other on the left rear.


I also found some” Its Bigger on the inside graphics” that I trimmed part of a logo off and installed by the doors. I received several white Monstaliner decals when I bought my paint so I put one on each window.

This picture shows all three graphics for the right side


This picture show the left rear end decal


and this picture shows the two decals for the left side door


I recently ordered the mattress and battery and will install them when they arrive and then take the trailer to the DV to get licensed. Should be done in April, first scheduled trip in Memorial Day weekend, although I am sure if the weather is good I will try it out before. I have 29 night over 8 different 3 day to week long trips planned this summer/fall. Cant wait for the spring ans summer weather

Happy Building and Camping
Dan

[KCStudly]

Nice!!!

I am definitely stealing that trash bag holder idea using the extruded table clip mounting. The fact that it can go on either side in place of the wing tables, or on the end of either table is brilliant!

It looks like you have some dowels pinned into the bag frame. Are those to secure the bag on the frame and keep it from sliding off, or is there some other purpose for them? I would appreciate a little more detail on your bag set up.

[Ron Dickey]

always nice to see new ideas. Nice job. very nice lines.

Ron Dickey

[Gunguy05]

Great ideas. And thanks for posting great pictures of them. I may have to borrow some of them future. Looks like everything is turned out great. Great work!

[kayakdlk]

Thanks everyone for looking and the kind compliments.

KC, The pins are just to help keep the bag on. I made the shape out of 3/4 red oak pieces I had ripped from another project. Glued and nailed together and then inserted small dowels for the bag to catch on. Then I used the left over pieces of alum bracket from my side table for mounting it. I saw another trash bag holder on the forum that used similar pins. You could skip the pins and use some kind of strap, velcro, etc., but without something the bags just slipped off.

I haven't put much weight in it yet to test out. I figured at worst case I would need a small piece of wood brace to keep from too much downward pressure. Going to wait to see how it really works. I typically reuse grocery bags and they can't hold much weight anyway.

Dan

[KCStudly]

I figured it was something like that. For the grocery bags with handles that should work well.

I'll probably want to use larger trash bags, and I already have some ideas for putting the mounting clip on the underside of the table with a little standoff so that the rim of the bag is below the tables surface. For bag retention I wonder if I can adapt the rim, lid and clamp from a small fiber drum. http://industrialcontainers.southerncontainerllc.com/viewitems/all-categories/fiber-drums I'm thinking cut the rim off the top, cut a hole in the lid leaving just the rim and a bit more, then the clamp would sandwich the bag between the rims kind of like an embroidery hoop. I can get empty fiber drums/kegs at work if I catch them before they are tossed.

Then again, a simple frame like yours with a couple of spring clips would do fine and take up less room.

That's the beauty of this forum. Good ideas get shared and adapted.

[drewh1]

Nice work - love all the details, especially the side table and the back table for the galley. I know as soon as I go camping, I will want to add a lot of these types of things, so it is nice to see your ideas!

[Colorado_Carter]

That is a great job-fine craftsmanship and I like all the small touches. I am definitly thinking of adding a few of those to mine. I like the towel hangers and the paper towel dipenser - so simple (I installed one but it was not very functional) a string and a weight would have fixed it. I also liked the side canopies, I have been dragging along a pop up one, but I think I will change to a similar setup.

Hopefully see you around - I have a aluminum teardrop with an older green F-150, and big black labradoodle. We have generally hung around Central-southern colorado, but will make a big loop around northernly at some point this year. Need to work on hitting a few craft breweries and hot springs farther north. If you see me say Hi-I always have a cold home made beer for fellow teardroppers.

Doug