lacofdfireman
Adventurer
What ever happened to your build? Are you still building it? We need updates.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Off-road teardrop build from Canada
- Thread starter jaydon44
- Start date
Frankly, you're a tear-dropper with common sense! One of the dumbest excuses I've ever heard is that someone doesn't like the smell of cooked food in a camper. What they are really saying is they are too lazy to figure out how to cook from the inside during bad weather, might be more work involved in the simplistic design of an outdoor kitchen.
It goes to cheap psychology, justify why you don't have something that is usually the norm so you can feel better about not having something. Right, folks usually like standing in rain water cooking eggs for breakfast, they love having sand blowing in the kitchen area while cooking, grit, dust, rain water just makes for the rugged experience of being outdoors during crappy weather! I guess everyone is a fair weather camper!
How about not cooking stinky food inside, if you don't like the smel of catfish, don't cook catfish! Boil oatmeal because you need to eat!
Why do larger travel trailers have inside kitchens? Just because you have an 8 or 10 footer, does that mean you can't have a bit more luxury?
Why are outdoor kitchens popular, because manufactures don't want the additional expense of giving you an option! All of a sudden, it's cool to slide out your kitchen and stand outside in the mud to cook breakfast! Hey, no smell, ********!
Nothing against cooking outside, I'd rather, but sometimes you can't and I hate trying to live on peanut butter and jelly!
jaydon44
Observer
Hey guys unfortunately it's been a while since my last update and not much has gotten done, bin doin to much fishing/biking/camping....all things that would be way better if I had a camper!! Here's a couple pics of the minimal progress I've made
That's a picture of the kitchenette with a stove top and Engel cooler built into the countertop
And that's a little less then where I'm at now, I've sided the outside all the way around with plywood and now I'm getting ready to put on aluminum, just have to make room in the garage and go pick some up
All my wiring is going to run through trim/mouldings that I will route wire channel in myself that go to all sources/outlets and they will be fixed to the walls with threaded wood inserts so that they are easily installed/removed, all my wiring experience comes from working on cars...and I know that I will need to access the wires again one day cuz things break....so this seems like best way/that doesn't look red neck to accomplish that
Apologies for slow progress and updates... They won't speed up to much until the winter when there is less going on and I can put my head down and work in the garage....I had no idea when I started this project that it would take me this long....I want my garage back:S
Cheers!
That's a picture of the kitchenette with a stove top and Engel cooler built into the countertop
And that's a little less then where I'm at now, I've sided the outside all the way around with plywood and now I'm getting ready to put on aluminum, just have to make room in the garage and go pick some up
All my wiring is going to run through trim/mouldings that I will route wire channel in myself that go to all sources/outlets and they will be fixed to the walls with threaded wood inserts so that they are easily installed/removed, all my wiring experience comes from working on cars...and I know that I will need to access the wires again one day cuz things break....so this seems like best way/that doesn't look red neck to accomplish that
Apologies for slow progress and updates... They won't speed up to much until the winter when there is less going on and I can put my head down and work in the garage....I had no idea when I started this project that it would take me this long....I want my garage back:S
Cheers!
Last edited:
jonesw3
Adventurer
Got some colour on the inside
Gave the cabinets a few coats stain and I will finish them with top coat of polurathane
The paint i used for the rest of the interior is an exterior grade paint the research I did and the talking I did to sales reps at lowes convinced me it was a low VOC paint that would be safe to use in an RV, I went with this exterior grade because it's quite a bit more durable and will stand up to highs and lows of temperature and moisture, also it is designed with a rubber compound in it so that it will move with the trailers flexing on the trails and not crack, Valspar has a myriad of other benefits listed such as anti fungal/ made with titanium, cross linking tech.... I don't know about any of that and I'm no painter but I'm happy with the paint and quality.... Used a semi-gloss
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I used Valspar duramax on the exterior of my camper. I have only taken it out one time so far so no long term results yet. As for now, I love it.
Alabama Overland
www.alabamaoverland.net
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jonesw3
Adventurer
Thanks. I first put thompsons water proofer on the bare wood. Then I put 4 coats of primer and 4 coats of paint. The black around the bottom and front is spray on Bedliner.
I like the awning. I have only used it one time so far. I kinda wish I Would have saved up a little more money and got a fox wing awning instead.
Alabama Overland
www.alabamaoverland.net
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jgpoirier
Adventurer
Hey Jaydon,
I too am an Albertan boy. Curious if we have registered your trailer yet? If so how was the process of acquiring your VIN? I want to begin building a teardrop this winter, but am leary of the process with the gov. Debating starting with a previously registered frame and re-fabing it.
Your build looks great, was a good read. Cheers
I too am an Albertan boy. Curious if we have registered your trailer yet? If so how was the process of acquiring your VIN? I want to begin building a teardrop this winter, but am leary of the process with the gov. Debating starting with a previously registered frame and re-fabing it.
Your build looks great, was a good read. Cheers
jaydon44
Observer
Hey jgpoirier,
I haven't actually done it yet but i found out how and one of my friends asked me how to do it for a utility trailer months back and he said what i told him worked flawlessly, so here's what i know....if you haven't found out yet sorry it has been quite a while, as long as it is not a commercial trailer(using for a business or having a business selling teardrops ect.) there is no safety inspection for legal lighting or x-raying your welds, all you have to do is have something resembling a trailer (axle/frame/springs) doesn't even have to be a finished product and then you call the alberta registry and you make an appointment with a guy from calgary or edmonton to drive down and they will look at your trailer (all they are doing is making sure that it isn't a stolen trailer or that it doesn't already have a VIN on it, and once they are happy they will stamp a VIN on the trailer somewhere and take 100$ from ya and then ur done and ready to register
I haven't actually done it yet but i found out how and one of my friends asked me how to do it for a utility trailer months back and he said what i told him worked flawlessly, so here's what i know....if you haven't found out yet sorry it has been quite a while, as long as it is not a commercial trailer(using for a business or having a business selling teardrops ect.) there is no safety inspection for legal lighting or x-raying your welds, all you have to do is have something resembling a trailer (axle/frame/springs) doesn't even have to be a finished product and then you call the alberta registry and you make an appointment with a guy from calgary or edmonton to drive down and they will look at your trailer (all they are doing is making sure that it isn't a stolen trailer or that it doesn't already have a VIN on it, and once they are happy they will stamp a VIN on the trailer somewhere and take 100$ from ya and then ur done and ready to register
jaydon44
Observer
Sorry everyone it's been quite a while, it was a busy summer and i was traveling most of the fall out of country, i haven't gotten much done but i'll show ya what i got
inside mess of starting to get wiring in behind my wooden trim style conduit
here's some more conduit/wiring with a decent picture of my special shelves...if you can't see on the bottom of them there is a small spotlight reading lamp with a pull/chain switch i have one on each side of the camper, also each shelf has a 12v cig lighter plug coming out of the bottom for charging phones or iPads or whatever
this is just a picture of staining/varathane-ing the trim/wire conduit and shelves after all the wire channel has been routed out of the bottom
Drilled holes and placed all the safety/marker/signal lights....not permanently tho...still have to skin the trailer
tail lights have reverse lights built into them(eBay find)
marker light placement on fenders
and a couple randoms because everyone on here likes pictures!
short term goal is to get the wire all routed and fixed and pretty/hidden and then i will work on a panel that will hold all of my switches, long term ....prep the outside of the trailer a little more and go get my aluminum skin
inside mess of starting to get wiring in behind my wooden trim style conduit
here's some more conduit/wiring with a decent picture of my special shelves...if you can't see on the bottom of them there is a small spotlight reading lamp with a pull/chain switch i have one on each side of the camper, also each shelf has a 12v cig lighter plug coming out of the bottom for charging phones or iPads or whatever
this is just a picture of staining/varathane-ing the trim/wire conduit and shelves after all the wire channel has been routed out of the bottom
Drilled holes and placed all the safety/marker/signal lights....not permanently tho...still have to skin the trailer
tail lights have reverse lights built into them(eBay find)
marker light placement on fenders
and a couple randoms because everyone on here likes pictures!
short term goal is to get the wire all routed and fixed and pretty/hidden and then i will work on a panel that will hold all of my switches, long term ....prep the outside of the trailer a little more and go get my aluminum skin
I would double check on the registration process again...im an albertan myself and it was a few years ago they stopped allowing home made trailers to be registered due to the issues of poor construction. I built my own trailer and found out after...as in August 2016. The only way i got around this was i bought a crap tent trailer for a dollar threw it away but took the vin from it. This is a huge legal grey zone weather a certain percentage of the old trailer or frame would have to be part of the new.....though i have never had an officer give a crap about any trailers ive towed...
PCO6
Adventurer
This a real problem in Ontario. You can get a licence for home made trailer for a one time cost of $25 that's good for life. You don't have to provide any plans, photos, material list, axle info, lighting details, etc. It could have a chassis made out of 2"x4"s for all they know. I registered 2 home made trailers that weren't even built yet!
jaydon44
Observer
Thanks Man! Your right its cool to see other people from home on here, let alone Canada!
As for registration.... seems to my limited experience that there might be some non-conformity in the registry world...in Alberta...a lot of people just tell me to go in and you can "make up" a serial number....i think that method is long dead now, ive heard people say i wont be able to register a self-made trailer at all anymore as well, but just last month i had a friend build a simple utility trailer from scratch and he asked me how to register it, i told him what i said in the last post and he had no issues, an "agent" just came down to "inspect" it which involved making sure it wasn't stolen and basically that it wasn't built out of 2x4s and duct tape.... he didn't care about marker or tail lights or brakes or anything because the trailer wasn't even finished at that point, apparently u just need something "resembling" a trailer, but ive also heard stories about having to buy a crappy old trailer just to get a serial number just like you said.. and then you either rebuild the trailer or take the stamp and turf the trailer....anyways this thing is gunna be on the highway one way or an other, once i get it all done and registered i will post here exactly how it happened for future Alberta reference
So you have a trailer bhguy?
If anyone has registered a "self-built" trailer in Alberta....please god chime in! I have built quite a few utility trailers from scratch and rebuild when i used to live in BC and it was the easy make up a serial number method at that time...then i went to school for a few years and moved to Alberta and then i mention making a home built trailer a few years later in Alberta and everyone loses their minds!
Sry couldn't resist
Im hoping for a smooth registration so that thing can roll down the trail!! I sold the trailer a couple weeks ago, it wasnt a teardrop or anything for overland use.
Your registration of your last trailer reminds me when i got my motorbike licence. I paid for a test and met the guy at an old shopping mall parking lot. I rolled my bike out of my tailer as he walked up. He said hey nice bike, looks like you ride. I said ive always had dirt bikes but not on the road. He laughed and haded me the paperwok and said all good. I never started the bike or answered any questions......
Lookingforward to seeing it done as i may do the same
Your registration of your last trailer reminds me when i got my motorbike licence. I paid for a test and met the guy at an old shopping mall parking lot. I rolled my bike out of my tailer as he walked up. He said hey nice bike, looks like you ride. I said ive always had dirt bikes but not on the road. He laughed and haded me the paperwok and said all good. I never started the bike or answered any questions......
Lookingforward to seeing it done as i may do the same