Hello to everyone! My name is Paul, and I wanted to say thanks for allowing me to join the community here. I've been researching teardrop campers for over a year now, though it started as me looking to buy one. I decided that due to the cost, and lack of customization for my needs in currently available on-the-market teardrops, I would look into building one myself. Well, in all honesty, not by myself. I will be assisted (probably heavily) by my mentor, who builds homes for a living and custom furniture as a hobby. His skills in woodworking should make the design and fabrication a bit easier, and less likely to have newb mistakes and problems.
I am planning on an ultra-lightweight teardrop that I'll be able to pull with my motorcycle, as that is my only vehicle. It has a Velorex sidecar so my service dog (her name is Cara) can ride along. I can't wait to get a trailer designed and built so Cara and I can live more comfortable when we're on the road. Right now, we don't travel as much because I'm a full-time college student (thank God for the GI Bill), but once I graduate we're celebrating by going on a two-to-three-month roadtrip; the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc. I'm hoping to have the trailer completed by then, which is about 16 months from now.
As far as some personal information about me, I am a disabled Air Force veteran. I spent 7 years in military intelligence, before separating due to health issues. While I was in, I ended up in 10 countries across three combat zones. I deployed twice to the Middle East. My specialty was as a signals intelligence analyst, which may sound boring, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was a Staff Sergeant when I separated from the military, and in all honesty I miss it...both the military, and being a SSgt, lol.
I have also previously worked as a chef and cooking still remains a huge passion of mine. I worked as a prep-chef for a small hotel in NEPA briefly before moving back to TX where I worked for the Menger Hotel as their pastry chef, and then later as a line chef for the Hyatt Regency - San Antonio. Between my culinary apprenticeship (while I was still in the military) and then working for the hotels, I have a total of six years of culinary training and experience.
I am now a full-time student at Texas A&M University - San Antonio, studying for my bachelor's in Business Administration. I graduated this past May from San Antonio College with my associate's in the same field. My goal is to eventually become an entrepreneur and own my own leatherworking business. I have been doing leather work since I was a boy hanging out (ie getting in the way) in my father's taxidermy shop. I mostly do leather clothing now, biker gear and such.
In the more near-term I will likely be applying for jobs that allow me to combine my new degree with my military background. This means jobs like a business analyst, for example. I have also considered opening a restaurant with the chef I traind under, though we're still in the very beginning brainstorming stages of that as a possibility.
I am originally from Upstate New York, and North Eastern Pennsylvania. I prefer Texas as the weather is nicer and I can ride my bike and camp all year long. Still, I usually take at least one roadtrip a year back East to see my folks. I'm hoping that with a good job after college, and a nice teardrop camper, to start seeing more of the country than my usual TX-to-PA-&-back route. I've already learned a lot from browsing this forum, and I look forward to learning more from all of you as I begin to participate and contribute here.
And lastly, here's a pic of my bike (there are a few more in my gallery here):