Table and footwell - how do you *really* feel about them?

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Table and footwell - how do you *really* feel about them?

Postby jmtk » Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:54 pm

I love the idea of a footwell and table for those less than stellar camping days. You know the ones... too rainy, too buggy, too cold and windy, or just a place to hang out and play some games when you camp late in the season long after Daylight Savings time is gone and it's way dark around 5:30 and you've got hours to go before your kid will fall asleep. To be clear, we don't intend to sit in a teardrop all day (we have good rain gear and some great hiking can be had even in lousy weather). I'm thinking more of a dry, reasonably warm place to sit and eat for breakfast or after the day is done. I'd like to hear from you all about how you really feel about yours (or how and why you wish you had one). Is it one of those things that seems great in your head and on paper but turns out to be not so great for real and it would've been just as good to just split the mattress so you can make a couch with no footwell? Or is it one of the best features of your tear? I think Bruce's (bdosborn) is cool!

Jeanette
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Postby doug hodder » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:10 pm

It's great to ask for opinions...but I'm willing to bet you have already decided on the direction you are going to take...I think Bruces is great too and he has done a fantastic job on the galley to boot!..it's all well thought out...I don't have a footwell in either tear, but I probably camp differently than you...ie, no family other than my dog...but it just depends on what works for you...I'd just do it, cuz it's what you want.... :) just my thoughts
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Postby bdosborn » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:17 pm

Thanks! We really like ours too. We camped in it before I built it and so we have a perspective on both ways. I once spent three days in a one man tent camping in the rain so I knew I wanted something more than just a dry spot to lay down. We rarely use it if the weather is nice, we have a canopy we set up and we move the table outside. I'd build it again if I had to do it over. BTW, I used the Kuffel Creek plans and the dimensions given are too small. I widened the footwell by a foot after Jean and I sat in it for the first time.
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Postby Micro469 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:17 pm

Got a picture of bdosborne's?
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Postby bdosborn » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:27 pm

Yup.

Image

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Image

Image

:lol:

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Postby jmtk » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:31 pm

Here's the link to Bruce's page showing his footwell and table:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ebdosborn/tear/teardrop7.html
Bruce, that's my thought on it, too. We'd probably not use it too much, but on those nasty days, it sure seems like it would be nice. How deep is yours from the top of the cabin floor to the top of the footwell floor? My reservations about doing it are added weight and complexity, two things I'd like to avoid, if possible.

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Postby bdosborn » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:41 pm

Jeanette,

Its not that complex or heavy. I just bolted a sheet of 1/2" reinforced plywood across the crossmembers on the bottom of the trailer frame and framed an opening on the deck. The footwell is only about 6" deep. You can see it to the left of the spare tire in this picture:
Image

I trimmed the opening in the deck with 1/2" angle just to make it look nice and keep the edges of the plywood from delaminating. I can take more pictures of it if you want a closer look.
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Postby Gage » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:58 pm

When I built my teardrop. I just wanted a teardrop that was a little different than every other teardrop. I have a vintage travel so I saw no need to try and figure out an inside table and foot well. Besides in my eyes, that isn't what a teardrop is all about. I don't need to camp in the rain so when it does rain hard and long. I just pack up and go home. There will be another day. And if I was to build another teardrop, I still wouldn't add a foot well and table. To me it's just a waste of time and energy.

You asked for an opinion, and that is mine.

Have a good day.

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Southern California

Postby Guy » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:08 am

Dear Gage,

One of the funniest things about being on the east coast this past year is that I had forgotten about real rain, not SoCal rain. At least in SoCal you get pretty good weather reports during the two months a year that it rains. Back here the darn rain creeps up on you from all directions. It can also stay 10 minutes or ten hours.


You can tell it started to rain today :?

I am looking forward to getting back to a desert.
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Postby Arne » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:45 am

I had thought about a footwell/table. I thought the footwell would nice for storage. When I thought it through, I gave up on it. I think even if I had a scamp, I would not do much inside other than sleep and lay down and read in it.

As far as eating, if it is that cold or that rainy, I wouldn't be cooking outside, so I wouldn't be eating inside. For reading, lying down, propped up with my 5 pillows (yup, 5), is very comfortable for me.

If I had a table, I'd have to cut the foam and cover it, and there would be seams.....

On our recent trip, we had one day out of 30 where it was rainy and I got bored. We went shopping. A tear is a small space to start with. Usually, if we are not traveling, and it is raining, we can take out our AAA tour book and find something interesting to do.....

Bottom line was I did not think I would want to do the set up thing and really sit in my tear. Yes, as an idea it sounds great, but in reality, I decided it was not worth the effort for the small payback.
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footwell

Postby oklahomajewel » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:20 am

I am just starting to build... had told the trailer maker that I wanted to have room to do a footwell, but then he didn't really leave the space for it, and I could still do something off center from the door.... but never intended to do something like a table. It seems awfully cramped for me. But I can see why you would want that if you have a child/children.

I intended to have it just for more storage space... to hold rain pancho, blankets, etc. But I'm also trying to stick to the KISS method so I'm not even going to mess with it.

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Postby Roly » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:15 am

The only way I would ever be able to bring the sweet wife along camping in my tear was to include some of the stuff that would make her more comfortable at the campsite. These included: 2 doors, one with a dressing room outside, screens on the windows, an airconditioner, electric heater, and above all, a dry place to sit and eat in the event of rainy weather. Hence, the footwell! While I was at it, I designed the interior cabinet to be folded flat, out of the way so 4 adults can sit inside with all 8 feet in the footwell, while we savor our prime rib dinners. The floor of the footwell is carpeted and the cover for the opening doubles as an extendable table that reaches from door to door. So far, it works for me, and yes, it is just another welcome addition that makes camping more pleasant............after all, I do hate going alone.

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Postby jmtk » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:36 pm

It's interesting to hear the thought processes that people go through when trying to decide on a feature for their tear. I appreciate your opinions. Now I just have to decide if a footwell is worth it for us. I'm still leaning toward it 8)

Thanks,

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Postby Gage » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:57 pm

Roly wrote:<snip> While I was at it, I designed the interior cabinet to be folded flat, out of the way so 4 adults can sit inside with all 8 feet in the footwell, while we savor our prime rib dinners. <snip>
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Roly, as you know, I've seen the 1/2 Nelson up close and I have always wondered. Where do you put everything from the cabinet when you fold it down so you have room for the three blonds that you invite for dinner when Ollie isn't with you? :lol:

Have a good day.

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Postby Arne » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:24 pm

Jeanette, you can always design the trailer so it can be put in later.... or you can put it in now and it will be there if you need it.

If you don't build it now, just be sure you can add it if you want to.... cutting a hole in the floor is not a big deal... unless you are cutting the frame of the tear at the same time....
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