Grizz-Pod Teardrop Trailer - The Completed Build.

[grizz]

Apr 26, 2010 21:36:50 GMT mrj said:

Apr 25, 2010 18:55:26 GMT grizz said:

Very little to add tonight, other than that I just had 2 x Brandy and Pepsi Max's at Nicola's place, and will be sleeping over here tonight as I can't bebothered with going home.

ah Ryan, could have told you; Pepsi is the devils invention ;D

I am well impressed about the progress on the trailer, looks like it's getting there, will it be finished until the gathering ?

Hallo Juergen, I would like it to be ready to camp by time of Classic Ford at Santa Pod, maybe not perfect and finished, but good to sleep in.

A lot of work goes into preparation.

Thanks for the comments.

Oh, and I know how you feel about Brandy and coke/pepsi..... but thats how I roll ;D

[grizz]

£1 find at bootfair, it will possibly be screwed down in the rear corner of the top shelf.

A decent wash (not really needed) and 2 coats of varnish later.




Tonight I was just chilling in the garage, as my work day was a bit poo, and I needed to unwind.

I coated all the surfaces for the galley, and the internal cabinets with their 2nd coat of varnish.

When that was done, I felt the MOJO still bubbling away, so decided to see if I could get the hinge off the window I bought for £10.00 on Saturday. That way I can start making up the galley hatch when I am ready for it.

One side slips out, the other had been press fitted along with a rubber seal between the ally and the window perspex.

I asked DeliDave and he suggested cutting it off with perspex in place.... but of course I tried "Old Skool" therapy first.... large lump hammer and screwdriver, followed by liberal WD40 application, a mug of tea and then some more hammer action down the length.

After a reasonably short time I had them seperated and am now the proud owner of 5ft 5 inches of hinge.

Starting to seperate away.




Done !!! WooHoo !!

[manbearpig]

Looking good mate. Lets see those walls standing upright. How did the house viewing go?

[grizz]

Apr 26, 2010 22:29:22 GMT manbearpig said:

Looking good mate. Lets see those walls standing upright. How did the house viewing go?

Hi Dave, the walls will be up soon, but I realised a while ago that making as much of the parts, cabinets and screwing and glueing together all the bits that could be awkward in Vertical position, makes a load of sense.

The house viewings continue, but I suspect the agency sends all and sundry to look, makes us thing we have loads of interest, but the idiots who come through the door are under the impression the house is in their budget which mostly is £20 k below what I want and need to get for the place.
I told Nicola to let them know we do not want any "non qualified" people comming through here.

I trust the house will sell, just the right buyer needs to see it.

[grizz]

Been a bit busy with the day job this week.

However, it did not stop me from popping into my secret council tip on the way home tonight, and what a score it was. !!!!

I got a 2200w, 230mm Angle grinder with steel blade attached at the tip, some steel which was the main reason for going there. I also got an old oil jug, a tin full of galvanised nuts and bolts, a leaf rake head and a seperate handle for Nicola, and lastly a really nice solid old steel trunk/tool box.

CHUFFED ?? YOU BETCHA !!



Hardly used. Not the same league as a Makita, but hey at a cost of FREE, I am not complaining.




I have given Nicola Saturday to do whatever she wants with me..... Payback I think it is called.

I think she had a picnic and movie planned.

Tonight I got home just after 5pm, so decided to do a bit more prep to the "flat pack" part of te build.

I am going to use the fillets I cut out of the steel I brought home on the inside of the trailer next to the ply, and also another one on the outside, next to the glass fibre of the mudguards and then sandwich them with recycled nuts and bolts from the original trailer, so that the mudguards are attached to the body, rather than onto a pair of supports. Every layer and the nuts and bolts will also get silicone sealant to help waterproof and absorb all the vibration. Hope that makes sense.

If anyone has opnions on my method of attachment please do feel free to raise them and comment on here.

The basic templates cut out for one side.




Drilled, welded on the joins and ground down, nuts and bolts still need to be threaded with tap and die set, to clear threads.

Next update Sunday or Monday.

[grizz]

PS: I also bought us an electric coolerbox. £29.00 at LIDL's this will be as an add on for the trailer, but also to be used in the VW touran for picnics and in my Taunus Transit when we use it on its own. Thought the price to be fair.

[grizz]

Today was Nicola's day, so we went to Dover for most of the day, shopping and lunch, then to Ashford Factory outlet on the way home.

Back home by 5.30pm , she had her newspaper, and I sneaked off into the garage to paint the strips I made yesterday and to cut the threads on the bolts I have recycled from the original trailer.... weird how it is so easy to pop into the hardware store and buy what you need, but cleaning up and stripping back a bit of rust on the threads with tap and die set gives me a bigger kick.


I got onto one of the jobs I have been dreading in a way..... cutting the old caravan window I bought last week to make a pair of porthole glasses for the caravan. Measured and marked out, I took the angle grinder to it, and finished it off with the beltsander.

Et Voila !!

Measured and prepped.




Cut out and trial fitted.

[bazzateer]

Some nice finds at the tip there Rian! Good steady progress on the teardrop too! Keep it up.

[grizz]

May 2, 2010 18:14:00 GMT bazzateer said:

Some nice finds at the tip there Rian! Good steady progress on the teardrop too! Keep it up.

Thanks Baz, it is sort of steady.

Today I gave up at 4pm, and there is another 4 hours of light.

Bloody rain, wind, rain, wind, rain and more wind..... I had the one side up , but the wind put paid to me fixing it, it needs 4 to 6 hands to get it safely fitted.

This was last years result of too much wind, and only me impatiently putting up the wals to the "Shed of spite".

So I will wait till I have more hands on deck.

[grizz]

Well, what a long weekend !!

Saturday was great, spending a day out with Nicola.

Sunday..... Rain, Rain, Rain and more rain, so very little done.

Monday, which of course was a public holiday..... Rain, Wind, Rain, Wind, Rain and more Wind... !!

Inbetween all the crappy weather I managed to redo the internal cabinets frontage, and will be adding a shelf inside the cabinet, making the closed in area smaller, but also allowing for these open bits, which always looks great on ther people's trailers. It included new frames, and floors to be added to what was there.



Between the rain coming and going I prepped the sides with holes and countersinking them, to be screwed into the floor frame, and also sealed with silicone when it happens.
The screws for the roof battens are in place, and will be screwed down with wood glue added to the mix.... that should work.
I also finally cut the porthole into the road side of the trailer side.




Another biggie job I got on with was to put the wheels back on the chassis, and to get it off the axle stands without a jack... not that clever, and then to turn it around in the back yard, so that it now faces inward, as the most of the work once the sides are up should be done from the rear and the galley.
At this point I tried to fit the side by myself but quickly realised the gusts of wind that were blasing through were going to put paid to that plan.



I remembered last years attempt at building a shed singlehandedly in the wind.... it ended up in tears for me, with Nicola lauging uncontrolably while scolding me for being impatient.




Anyway, the wind got the better of me today, so my weekend has not been as productive as planned, and I have packed away the lot, under a car cover , hopefully only till next weekend.

I had really wanted to see the sides up today, but there was no extra hands, as Nicola was sorting out her own place and kids.




Thanks for looking in.

[grizz]

Name letters, chosen in 2 sizes for the galley hatch.

[grizz]

AT LAST !!!!!



Sides are up.

My mate Derryn and Neil who works with him came down from London tonight, 30 miles to get here, but hey, what are friends for.
They came to hold the sides up for me so that I could get on with them and the battens/ribs/spars.

Nicola came around as well, to do supervision and photographic duties. Oh,and to go fetch us a family pack kebab dinner at 8pm when we were done working.

Mainly photos tonight, and possibly more than what is needed, but then I am very chuffed to have the sides up at last.

First one being set up.



Typical Nicola style photo, she always looks for a nice angle or weird perception.




2nd side getting positioned.



CHUFFED ! ! !

Both sides up, and happily standing by themselves.



Ribs/Spars/Battens going up.



This was Nicola insisting the space was not long enough, so I had to climb in and show her I fitted up to the Bulkhead. I am 6 foot tall.




Derryn also wanted to get his ass into the teardrop, and seemed pretty impressed with the whole thing as it came together from the "flatpack" store that I have .




The ugly sisters.

Derryn (left) and Neil the Welshman whose help tonight was absolutely invaluable.

Thanks guys.



Most of the ribs in place, only the load bearing Oak ones still to be fitted in place, hope to get to them over the weekend if the weather holds out.



View from the galley.

Fridge will fit into the left side, and there is a space for the Mahogany skip find worktop to fit in.




Lastly, view into the Boudoir..... long way to go, but I am really pleased the sides are up.
I have to say the structure is very sturdy too.

Hope you all sigh a sigh of relief now, as it has been a while to get this far.

[Mephiston]

congrats grizz, this is a proper milestone in the project its looking great !

[grizz]

May 5, 2010 22:43:26 GMT Mephiston said:

congrats grizz, this is a proper milestone in the project its looking great !

Thanks mate, it certainly is for me.

Although Nicola did ask me tonight "So why did we not just buy a small caravan ? " She also suggested I be put in it and onto the River Medway for a Viking burial , set alight and pushed out to sea. ;D

Now there are loads of behind the scenes jobs coming up again which will make progress seem slow.

[grizz]

Remember these Potatochops ??

I am still prefering the checkered flag design, but the other with the scallops also does it for me, think of the 63 being on the porthole windows, and scallops running back.....
Sides will deffo be painted in colour, as I want them painted to set off the polished ally roof.


What design would you think will go with the final look of the bus ??

[rysz]

Looks fantastic Grizz! Glad that the sides are up.

I personally think that the second of the chops would look best!

Glad to see the progress, it must feel like a major milestone has been achieved!

Rysz.

[Siert]

That's starting to look very good!

[tickman]

May 6, 2010 6:54:31 GMT rysz said:

I personally think that the second of the chops would look best!

+1 It looks great like that.
Good work so far.
P.S. the 9" grinder you have I have the same and use without the guard but you need the side handle.
John

[Seth]

That looks excellent Rian!

I also vote for (or at least a variation of) the scalloped design.

[nutter81]

sheer brillance my missus loves it i think she now wants one do you build to order