Part 2 Teardrop Build

I've bought new wheel bearings and new tires for my little trailer. I also have painted the entire trailer with Ospho, which is a rust inhibiter, and then sprayed a coat of cold galvanize.  Now lights and wring have been installed.  Next laying out my design and putting the floor and walls up.

I ran my wiring through some plastic conduit. Overkill, I know.

I have started laying the frame for the floor.

I added hidden floor boxes for extra storage.

Something I've been thinking about....

I saw one recently for sale being pulled by a Jeep. It was small, shaped kind of like a teardrop. I had looked at them several years ago and thought about buying one. But they are too expensive for what they are. What are they? A teardrop trailer, really just a step above a tent, more like a tent on wheels. Most of them are 8 to 10 feet long and 4 or 5 feet wide. A teardrop can be easily pulled by a small truck even a car. Teardrops came into popularity right after world war two. Now with gas prices the way they are, they are making a comeback.

Here is a picture of a factory made teardrop.

As I looked around the internet I noticed plans for sale to build of of these contraptions. After studying various kinds of plans and designs, I have decided to build one. Naturally being stubborn, I do not plan on spending any money on plans. I have my own design in mind.

A factory teardrop will cost from $8,000 all the up to $13,000 or more. My budget- cheap. I am using an old boat trailer, I found for nothing. My goal is to do the whole build for less than $1,000. After all, my labor is free, and it will be a fun and challenging project. My wife will be helping also. It's a project we can do together, and we like those sort of things.

Here is the boat trailer I modified into a trailer that is 8 feet log and 5 ft 3 in wide.

Old Ways

Every now and then I get a reminder of the past,  and of the old ways and things that are part of my heritage and, childhood. One such incident occurred just this last week when my dad called me asking for my help in changing and fixing a flat on a tractor.

Us kids, we grew up with my dad working two jobs most of time. He worked as a pipefitter for Goodyear, and as a cowman/ custom haybaler as the other job. My brother and me spent many hours, from jr hi on through our early adulthood, raking, baling and hauling hay, and working around cows. So when my dad called, those memories of hot summer days, the smell of grease, sweat and hay all came back. Pretty good memories, all in all.

Now changing a tractor tire is not easy. It takes two men to handle the tire and move it around. (or one really strong guy, which I am not) For most of us, when we think of tires, we think of going to the tire store, and having the car put on a rack, using air powered tools, and having the mechanic do the work. With my dad, no power tools, those things cost money, just muscle, a five pound hammer and a couple of tire tools.  Yes, you have to hit the tractor tire right where the rim meets the tire, with the 5 pound hammer, with one person holding the tire tool and another swinging that hammer. If you miss swinging the hammer unkind and maybe even unprintable words, are likely to be exchanged, along with a potential trip to the doctor's office. You get the picture. It's hard and maybe even dangerous work. My dad is 80 years old and last Saturday, he had me huffing and puffing. I hope I came do that when I am 80.

I learned much from those old ways of work, like determination, staying with a job until it is finished, working together as a team, and that all jobs, no matter how small are important.

Today, my hands hurt and muscles ache in new places.

My dad working on the tractor tire rim. 

 

A Good Day

This day, like many other days, had several twists and turns, some good and some unexpected.

Early in the day I called a friend of mine to check on his wife, who had recently been taken to the emergency room for what he thought was a heart attack. It wasn't one, thank heavens, and they are still waiting to get the results back and should know what is going on by Monday. Toward the end of our conversation, Tom reminded me to take my wife to get an ice cream cone. It stuck with me all through that day. Tom has said that to me on more than one occasion recently. Don't know why it stuck with me, maybe it's his way of saying spend time with the ones you love. A simple ice cream can say many things. Any who, this evening we took a bike ride for exercise and stopped by Dairy Queen on the way back. Hey, rode 3 miles, I figure we broke even on the deal. I got a dipped cone and Janet got a Buster Bar. Here is Janet with the bike, and the both of us with our ice cream.

Seeing

Recently we went to visit some friends and see their new home. They showed us all the new features in their new home, like the flooring, cabinets, how large the closets were and so on. The next morning I was up early enjoying the still of the morning, and happened to notice the wonderful star atop the entrance gate to their front yard. I ran I got my camera and was able to get this picture just as the sun was coming up.  The thought occurred to me that I missed this because there was just too much for me to see.  I really couldn't focus on it until the light was so dim and almost dark that I could see it. 

God works that way sometimes for me. He has to take away things and narrow my vision so I can see what He wants me to see. When it that happens life suddenly slows down, and the really important things like family and friends, and my relationship with Him come into focus. I learn once again what it means to see the unseen.