Sawtooth XL Build

[ottsville]

@DanCooper Thank you for the follow up. Any thing else you would do differently?

 

[DanCooper]

@DanCooper Thank you for the follow up. Anything else you would do differently?

I would be more patient and not try to move too fast. I would take the time to get the best quality wood I could afford, i.e., baltic birch plywood, not plain birch plywood from The Box Store. I would use a hardwood for framing the doors and anyplace I used threaded inserts to provide for precise placement. Details, details, details. The small things matter, but it is still just a rolling box, not a piano. And it is never done.

The thing is, it always puts a smile on my face when I see it. It is a joy to pull, a joy to set up, and a joy to sleep in. I've spent more time and money on many, many things that I enjoy less. And the big bonus is my wife loves it.

 

[FinsUp]

This is a fantastic build. I have bookmarked your thread. Great pictures of it in use too! I think this is what I will maybe start next year. I figure by the time I get done with it our girls will be off in college.

 

[DanCooper]

FinsUp, don't wait until next year. I'm an old man now, at least that's what a Uzbekistani border guard told me as I rolled through his post on my BMW G650GS, and I would have enjoyed getting out and doing more when I was younger. I started building this the summer after I broke my ankle in the middle of Kyrgyzstan because, well, maybe I was a little old to be riding motos around the world. I wish I had done both the riding and the building when I was in my thirties.

The point is, do these things when you are young and can enjoy them with your family and little kids. The girls will love it and will later tell you how much they loved going camping with you and their Mom more than anything else. I missed that, and while it is fun with grandchildren I regret not doing it with my sons when I had the chance.

And remember, it is a rolling box, not a piano!!

 

[FinsUp]

@DanCooper, We have a tent trailer for the four of us we use. It's a copy of a 416 trailer with a RTT. That is what we have currently and plan to take to Baja in December. We love to take trips and explore as much as possible. I was just thinking this would be perfect for my wife and I.
You are totally correct about doing things while we are young. Our jobs are merely that thing that allows us to pay for the trips we take.

 

[ITTOG]

With the weather cooperating, I was able to get all the fiberglass cloth and tape that I wanted to put on the trailer actually on the trailer. I also cut out the front window and the roof vent openings

View attachment 360932

Started fairing in the door sills yesterday and the rear section around the light boxes and lower panel. Using the 207 filler from WEST (which has those micro-balloons mentioned above) and making it "soupy" produces a nice smooth finish that is easily sanded. I am happy with my first attempt and look forward to learning more about it.

View attachment 360933

Below is a poor photo of the door sill.

View attachment 360934

Then I got my brother to help me install the interior ceiling panels, using the bendable plywood. I need to fill the screw and staple holes, then finish it with a light golden Minwax finish. I like that product because it is a wipe on application, and it is awkward to work inside the trailer.

View attachment 360935

View attachment 360936

Some additional help showed up while I was sanding.

View attachment 360938

View attachment 360937

I am leaving the interior panels intact until the outer coatings are completed. Then I will cut the openings out before I install the windows. Also, I test fit the doors, and they look like they are going to work. Tomorrow will involve sanding, then filling/fairing, and repeat until satisfied. I will also (while the resin is drying) try and build that rear hatch and cut the plywood for the rear cargo door. The weather is supposed to stay warm, so I may actually get the Monstaliner on this weekend if I can get the body as smooth as I would like it to be.

Did you glass the entire exterior or just the roof? If the entire thing did you do anything special on the 90 degree transitions from the roof to the side walls? I have been reading up on how to glass and have read it doesn't work well on tight corners.

I haven't seen all of it yet but looking good.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk