1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Sun Sep 07, 2014 1:54 am

KCStudly wrote:Thanks for keeping us posted. Here's hoping that you find work. :beer:

Just remember, at your age your education should come first. The better and more you do now, the better your career will be in the long run. :thumbsup:

It is first, which is actually why I'm not working. The company I was working at granted me a leave of absence for a summer internship, when I came back they "only" had a spot on first shift, which is BS as I know people that work there and I know they always have openings (security officer). I said I couldn't do first shift do to school. They have not gotten back to me saying there are any third shift spots open (even though I'd bet there are) or second shift that could fit my school schedule. Ah well, I have an interview at a different company for a third shift job on Tuesday, and I've got a good feeling about it.

Only thing about education coming first is I bought a house a year ago, and really don't want to lose that. In addition, I've been living on my own for the past 3 years or so, and moving back in with my parents is not something I really want to do. :D

I have officially gotten past the refund date on my classes at the University I'm attending now (before this I was at a community college), so I'm definitely going forward with my classes no matter what happens though. In five semesters (including this one) I should have my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby Wolffarmer » Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:16 am

Company HR departments seem to run under the motto "Don't bother us with your situation and don't make us work".

I have seen many good people fired because of little things that an understanding company could work around if they really want to. Seems they just want to get rid of people with a few years of experience, who have risen up the pay scale, and the PTO scale. Seems like the longer I worked there the bigger the target was that was on my back.

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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby bespurcell » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:16 pm

I really love how well you've documented your build and how it's turned out. 8) I've checked out your spreadsheet and it seems you've left some things out. How much canvas have you used and what size? How many sheets total foam have you used and how long is your foamie? :D
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:46 pm

Wolffarmer wrote:Company HR departments seem to run under the motto "Don't bother us with your situation and don't make us work".

I have seen many good people fired because of little things that an understanding company could work around if they really want to. Seems they just want to get rid of people with a few years of experience, who have risen up the pay scale, and the PTO scale. Seems like the longer I worked there the bigger the target was that was on my back.

Randy

The thing is, after a year of employment there is no more pay rises unless you go from a Security Officer to a Supervisor. Time off? Got a week, two weeks after 5 years (I would have been at 4 years this summer). So basically they got rid of an experienced officer who knew what he was doing and was one of the most reliable people there. Who would be there even with snow/ice? I would. Ah well.

I got a job as a cashier at Lowe's, pretty cool as I get 10% off the lowest sale price of anything in the store, but at the same time it pays a little less per hour and less hours overall, so I really don't have lots of money for projects right now. I also am staying pretty busy with school. As an FYI to people watching this thread, I'm not sure the camper will be worked on until the middle of December when this semester is done.

bespurcell wrote:I really love how well you've documented your build and how it's turned out. 8) I've checked out your spreadsheet and it seems you've left some things out. How much canvas have you used and what size? How many sheets total foam have you used and how long is your foamie? :D

Thank you, I tried to do a good job. :D

Ah, the spreadsheet. Yes, I left some stuff out, either forgetting it or later on, just stopped putting it in. I think I needed 5 sheets of the 2" foam. I bought five 9'x12' canvas drop clothes from Harbor Freight for the canvasing. I will need more. The outside (minus the hatch) is done, and a section of the inside. Most of the inside remains to be canvased, as do the doors and hatch. I have one full sheet of canvas remaining.

Again, to all watching, thank you! However, this project will probably be on hold until mid-December due to school, money, and time issues. :)
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:52 pm

I'm hoping to continue this here shortly, school is over at 19:00 on Saturday the 15th for this semester. I won't be able to buy anything new for the camper at this time, but I have a lot I can do without purchasing anything new at the moment, so that will be fine. I'm hoping I can get a good bit done over break.

Someone here should remind me to work on my camper and not waste all my time on the computer over break. :)
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby KCStudly » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:09 pm

<subliminal message, droning zombie voice> ...work on your camper...work on your camper... <loop>

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby noseoil » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:06 am

Dude, you're back! Now let's see some progress pictures over the break. Time is more important than money at this point, so get busy on the build.
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby capnTelescope » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:35 am

Glad to see you're back in the fight. Don't forget to work on your camper during Break.
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:12 pm

Just a few more days. Two finals tomorrow, one Friday, one Saturday then I'm free for a month! Working only 25 hours a week with no school is not something I have done since I got my first non-temporary job 4.5 years ago. I will have so much free time I won't know what to do with it...

...oh right, work on my teardrop. :lol:
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby lthomas987 » Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:44 pm

I hope your finals went well. Today was Study Monday at the university where I work.

What are you planning to work on with your free time this week?
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Thu Dec 18, 2014 12:18 pm

lthomas987 wrote:I hope your finals went well. Today was Study Monday at the university where I work.

What are you planning to work on with your free time this week?

I think they went okay. Semester grades are posted on the 20th, then I'll know for sure how they went.

My free time? So far, hanging with the GF. Also trying to figure out what to do with my roommate. Not going to go into it, but I think I'm going to ask him to move out. :NC

As to my free time now, I was going to go into the garage and start cleaning it up so I have room to work on my camper, as well as fit my motorcycle in for the winter. It's quite a mess currently, not that there is a lot of spare room in there with the camper in the first place though.
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby Wobbly Wheels » Thu Dec 18, 2014 2:04 pm

As to my free time now, I was going to...


DO IT !!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

That being said, today's my first day off as well and here I am on tnttt... :lol:

Good luck with the roommate - been there.
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Sat Dec 20, 2014 8:46 pm

So, I started cleaning my garage so I have room, and then as soon as I had a little bit of room I started assembling a worm composter bin, the wood for which has been cut out and laying around for a long time. That's part of cleaning, right? Get that loose wood cleaned up? :D

Anyway, at least I'm productive, and not just sitting on the computer, so there is that. Honestly, I'd like to see the camper get done, but there will be some things I need to do as I keep cleaning (after finishing the worm composter). Such as winterizing my lawn mower, tiller, trimmer, and motorcycle, which I haven't got around to doing yet.
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby jseyfert3 » Sat Dec 27, 2014 1:22 am

So I didn't work on the teardrop, but I did work in the garage. I currently work at Lowe's, and when you are an employee you are there so much you see pretty much all the clearance items before anyone else. There was a single bulb T8 shop light with the bulb included on clearance for $5. It appeared to have been an old display model, judging from the dust and the included bulb. Sure enough, in the lighting section there were no T8 florescent fixtures on display anymore, just new "T8 style" LED lights, which were pretty cool but I can't spend $55 on a "dual bulb" T8 LED lookalikes right now. Anyhow, I snapped the light up really quick. That was a couple days ago, and I needed some sort of wire or cord for the light, as none was included, and this light is typically hardwired anyway. Pushing carts into the Lawn and Garden center I walked by the holiday display and an extension cord caught my eye. A whole box of 25 foot, 16 gauge grounded outdoor green extension cords with 3 outlet ends was on sale for about $3.80 a cord (normally $15). I thought of the light and grabbed one (I'll probably have to grab another tomorrow for general light duty extension cord use at that price!).

Anyway, I cut the three outlet end off the cord and saved for unknown future projects in my electronics junk box, soldered the wires to the ballasts and covered them in shrink wrap tubing, soldered a short piece of solid copper wire to the stranded ground wire of the cord and ran that under the mounting bolt of the ballast to ground the fixture, slapped it up to the ceiling with two wood screws, plugged it into the switched outlet in my garage ceiling the two current lights are plugged into, and bam:

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New Garage Light by jseyfert3, on Flickr

I like it. Note the garage door tracks, this light is over the front part of the garage, where I have done a bit of work for my teardrop in the past (with a portable worklight). Having light permanently mounted in this part of the garage will be nice. It is blocked by the garage door when the door is open, but I'm generally working inside with the door closed unless it's nice outside (and in the day), so that's not an issue.

The lighting in the garage had previously consisted of the garage motor light (shown, one of two currently burnt out), and two 150 W x2 halogen light fixtures, one of which is in the picture, the white light behind the garage door motor (not currently on). The two halogen lights pull 600 W total when both are running, plus new bulbs are $7 each. In addition, I typically ran one or two of the lights in my portable halogen worklight when building, for another 250 or 500 W, for a total of 850-1100 W of lighting while working on my teardrop, and last spring I spent many hours working on it! This shows quite well here:

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Electric History by jseyfert3, on Flickr

Note how Jan-April (green, 2014) are higher than Dec (gray, 2013) or May (green, 2014). I heat with gas. :shock:

I did usually run a space heater (unheated but tucked under so well above freezing garage) but typically shut it off within 5-10 minutes of working out there and the activity kept me warm, as well as those power hogging lights. I typically ended up working in a T-shirt IIRC.

If I get a good tax return this year, and my finances have settled down, I may consider a nice set of those LED shop lights that Lowe's sells, 6 of them would give great even light over the entire garage for working on projects, no more moving portable work lights around. That would be $300, but would be a combined 240 W total (vs 1100 W I pulled last year), produce a combined 21,600 lumens (vs 18,200 lumens for the halogen ones last year), and a rated life of 35,000 hours. Hmm...

Anyhow, the plan is to start cleaning up the garage under the light I just installed. That's the majority of the stuff that remains to be cleaned, and so after I get that done I'll be almost done with cleaning and can start resuming work on the teardrop. :thumbsup:
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Re: 1st Build, a 5'x8' Foamie Teardrop on a 4'x8' HF Trailer

Postby bespurcell » Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:46 pm

Just reminding you to work on your teardrop :D
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