Tony Latham - Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper EPUB

Building a Teardrop TrailerPlans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom CamperByTony H. Latham iii Copyright January 2019 Tony H. Latham All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material herein is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author. Cover Design by Jay Griffith iv Oh, the places youll go. -Dr.

Seuss v Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................10 About this Book...........................................................................12 Design Considerations................................................................13 Construction Strategy.................................................................26 Workbench..................................................................................30 Chassis.........................................................................................32 Cabin Materials...........................................................................44 Fiberglass and Epoxy..................................................................47 Template......................................................................................50 Building the Walls.......................................................................57 Building the Doors......................................................................83 Building the Floor.......................................................................90 Interior Components...................................................................94 Assembly.....................................................................................101 Electrical.....................................................................................114 About Solar.................................................................................117 Ceiling and Roof.........................................................................120 Hatch...........................................................................................131 Hatch Struts................................................................................147 Exterior Finish............................................................................151 Aluminum Sheathing..................................................................153 Galley Details...............................................................................161 Cabin Details................................................................................171 Mounting the Cabin.....................................................................175 Propex Heater..............................................................................177 Propane Plumbing.......................................................................180 Titling and Insuring.....................................................................182 Camping.......................................................................................184 Side Plan Detail............................................................................191 Profile Measurements..................................................................192 Chassis Plan Detail.......................................................................193 Other Books..................................................................................194 vi Disclaimer Im a not a professional woodworker. I dont claim to be an expert in welding, woodworking, electricity or any aspect of building a teardrop trailer. In short, Im a part-time writer who enjoys camping and monkeying in my shop. Woodworking can be dangerous. Theres been blood on the floor of my shop (but nothing that stitches couldnt fix). It involved haste while running a trim router spinning a carbide bit at 30,000 RPM. Not funny. Not funny.

Be cognizant of your fingers, eyes, lungs, hearing, and any visitors during your build. And in fact, when visitors show up, put the power tools away and the coffee pot on. If you see or read something in these pages that you feel is unsafeby all meansfind a different method and get a second opinion. Be careful! Sponsorships As you read through this book, Ill mention name brands of materials and tools that I use. I have no business relationship with any retailer or manufacturer I have mention in these pages. Introduction I remember when she spoke those words, coming home isnt a big deal like it used to be. Introduction I remember when she spoke those words, coming home isnt a big deal like it used to be.

Her words rattled me. My wife, Stephanie, and I were on the last ten miles of a 1400-mile round trip to Zion National Park. The journey had been the shakedown of our newly finished teardrop camper. The weather had been reasonable and the scenery was incredible. I thought we had a great tripat least until she spoke those words. Was something wrong between us? Why wasnt she happy to be home after ten days on the road? What had I missed? After gathering my wits, I turned and asked her what she was talking about.

I love our new teardrop. The mattress is just as good as our bed at home. *** Ive camped a lot. I was a serious backpacker for more than twenty years. I wish Id kept a journal of those miles. I fought wildfire in the interior Alaska for a decade.

For most of those fire seasons, I would spend forty to sixty days sleeping under what we called a hooch. We made these from a ten-foot square of black plastic that we hung over a spruce pole lashed between two trees. To keep the airborne bloodsuckers off, mosquito netting hung underneath it. The netting looked like a porous coffin that was often black with bugs in the morning. For three summers I guided back-to-back seven-day wilderness river trips in central Idaho. On most of those raft trips I slept under the stars without a tent.

Wed throw a sleeping pad and bag on a tarp and call it camp. We were too tired to fiddle with anything else. For over two decades, I chased poachers in Idahos backcountry as a game warden. For those patrolsthat would frequently butt into early winterI slept in a tent that wasnt much bigger than my sleeping bag. Im sure the number of nights I have spent camped on the groundboth inside a tent and under the starsis well beyond hundreds. I remember camping in a snow cave in Yellowstones Lamar Valley when it hit -25.

On at least two summer trips, I recall cutting the floor of my tent with a knife to drain the puddles of rainwater. I remember waking at 4:00 AM in Alaskas Kobuk Valley, lifting the edge of the plastic fly, and staring at a bears foot just inches from my hand. His head must have been within a foot of mine. I remember cold-camping in a pile of rocks along Idahos Salmon River and eating a granola bar while smelling the cooking dinner from a poachers last illegal meal. Those remarkable trips are engraved in my brain because of what Ill call the suckfactor. Misery and fear make for an indelible memory.

I wouldnt change any of those nights but there is a more comfortable way to enjoy the wilds and avoid the suck factor. I saw my first teardrop parked at a highway pullout in the spring of 2004. I introduced myself to the owners and they gave me what I would later call a tear-tour. The little camper was made by Hunter in north Idaho and was a representation of teardrops made by American craftsmen for at least ninety years. It had a well-lit cabin with a deep mattress. Its galley had a propane stove and a cooler full of iced beverages and food prepped for a Dutch oven.