Adventure Brigade's Teardrop Trailer Build
- Thread starter SWbySWesty
- Start date
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
Yes, the original trailer is a Harbor Freight trailer.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
So I made a quick jaunt to LA to grab the trailer back. Jeff has amazing skills. The entire tongue is new, longer, contains a bigger cargo rack and the aluminum motorcycle ramp is removable with a few bolts yet solid as anything! The spare tire was relocated to the side and reinforced with a mounting point inside the trailer. I'll load the bike and fill the Jeep's airbags to show how it sits soon, but I realized that while I told Jeff to face the rack going one direction, I forgot that that would make me have to load the bike from the driver side...not ideal while on a public street haha. Good thing there's a big parking lot next door!
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Looking good.
Mark Harley
Expedition Leader
Do you notice any ill effects with the spare mounted on the side?
Do you have another on the drivers side?
Do you have another on the drivers side?
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
No ill effects and no second spare on driver's side.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
I haven't done anything recently, but I am currently doing this with the trailer: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/115013-Trailer-living-in-CA
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
I'm done with my adventure and this weekend is Labor Day Weekend. I'd like to have the trailer a little more friendly, so I got off my butt and started doing my planned work for the interior. Step 1: painting. The roof is a very very light blue (looks white). The walls are sky blue and I'm not sure about it. The trim will be the dark blue. It's the same paint scheme as the galley. I guess we'll see when it's done, but I might just paint the entire interior the light blue with dark trim. I guess it's an adventure in painting?
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
No insulation yet. I'm in CA. Santa Barbara where the weather is considered cold if it's below 70. Plans do eventually include a Propex heater, but even in tents, I've never been cold under a down comforter in 30 degree weather in Big Bear.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
I really didn't like the blue, so I painted the walls the same as the ceiling. I'll add dark blue to the trim and doors.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
So I can't seem to find my paint brush. Nor my drill bits. Nor some miscellaneous tools I needed, so instead I installed the stereo. It's Labor Day weekend after all and I wanna party!
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
FINALLY, some progress! Keep in mind that I have no garage, car port, etc so all my work is done roadside...
I finally figured out how I wanted to mount the solar panel. I really didn't want the expense of a roof rack on the trailer just yet (I have a perfectly good one on my Jeep ha), BUT I didn't want to hard mount to the roof since eventually I'll likely have a gear rack and don't want to cover it. SO - how could I hard mount it while keeping the previous work in tact? Voila! (yes, those wires weren't long enough for when the hatch opens, so I had to redo it...d'oh! :snorkel: The panel is hinged on both sides, so if it was ever necessary, I can unscrew one side and prop it up for an extended camp for maximum exposure, but at 85W, I've never needed to do that before.
Then it was time to finally figure out the rear wiring. I've rewired everything except the side lights. I'm holding off because I want some brighter lights and will likely do LEDs, plus some galley lighting. I also want to do a big lighted whip...ya know, so I can find my way back in the evening after certain festivities....yes, festivities. So anyways, I added a fuse panel. It's basic, it's not "Blue Sea", but it's exactly what I needed.
I finally figured out how I wanted to mount the solar panel. I really didn't want the expense of a roof rack on the trailer just yet (I have a perfectly good one on my Jeep ha), BUT I didn't want to hard mount to the roof since eventually I'll likely have a gear rack and don't want to cover it. SO - how could I hard mount it while keeping the previous work in tact? Voila! (yes, those wires weren't long enough for when the hatch opens, so I had to redo it...d'oh! :snorkel: The panel is hinged on both sides, so if it was ever necessary, I can unscrew one side and prop it up for an extended camp for maximum exposure, but at 85W, I've never needed to do that before.
Then it was time to finally figure out the rear wiring. I've rewired everything except the side lights. I'm holding off because I want some brighter lights and will likely do LEDs, plus some galley lighting. I also want to do a big lighted whip...ya know, so I can find my way back in the evening after certain festivities....yes, festivities. So anyways, I added a fuse panel. It's basic, it's not "Blue Sea", but it's exactly what I needed.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
Shurflo water pump ordered! Now to plan out plumbing and mounting. It would be ideal to mount the water heater in a box on the outside of the trailer, but I think I might put it up front since the back of the trailer is a social area (what with the galley and all). This would also eliminate the need to run a long propane hose and there's the cargo tray for my portable water jugs which I'll be using until I can get a proper under-trailer water tank.
Baja in 17 days....crunch time!
Baja in 17 days....crunch time!
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
Beep Beep from Johnson Valley's muddy (dry) lake this last weekend!
