Grizz-Pod Teardrop Trailer - The Completed Build.

Mate, you have no idea.... Their timber is attrocious.
BUT.... I am returning everything that cacks up my build as it needs to be decently straight.

i have an old van and (warning this sounds 100 times worse than it looks) got a square numberplate made up then went to tesco and found a baking tray the same size then welded it in the rear door and added a light. instant recessed numberplate! it looks awsome and always gets comments!

Right, just deleted this post before I posted it, so here goes again.

Just a short report today.

I slept over at Nicola's place last night, so that I could bring the chassis back here today, as the cars that block the carpark spaces where I sneak through to get into my back yard, only opens at around 6am.

The chassis is a tight fit right now, but keep in mind, I will be moving the "A-Frame" toward the axle by almost 2 foot. The rear will also be cut off closer to completion, once I figure points of balance with the trailer loaded.

Where the trailer is parked will be the build space, as my garage is at about 80% of capacity, filled with "stuff"




Next up today, I went to my "Secret" Council (Municipal) Tip, to scavenge for bits of stuff to use in the build. I have found some awesome stuff there which people just throw away.

Today I was looking for some chrome pipes in the steel skip, to use as legs for the kitchen worktop extension I have planned. I found 2 decent lengths, so was pretty pleased.

Next up, I found a small portable fridge, which will take about 6 cans of drink. No electrical lead, but I am sure I can sort that, as it is 12 volt and 220 Volt.

Even more impressive was a larger , but still small fridge, I suspect from a laboratory, or vaccines clinic with a huge thermostat sticking through a hole in the front door. Unfortunately it is only 220 Volt, and the power cord was cut an inch from the body, but that should pose no challenge.

After loading it into the conveniently parked Demo Ford S-Max, I called my mate Dave (Oldbus) in Germany to gloat, he promptly offered to sell me a 3-way (Gas/mains/12 volt) camping fridge for £50 which he had bought in anticipation of the Setra camper bus project he had planned. So now I have a 3 way camping Fridge, cooker and sink landing here on Friday evening , door to door delivery when Dave and one of his sons pop over to fetch the 1938 Rover 16 he has bought.

Dang, life is good.








LASTLY: QUESTION TIME.

I was planning on painting all the timber and plywood with a coat of varnish, and then to top that off with a few coats of Marine Ships Hull paint for waterproofing, lastly doing the designs on the photoshopped pics in regular enamel Dulux paint on the sides, as the roof is getting ally skinned.

What does everyone else use for the underbody, where road water and grime lands, and those with exposed wood sides to their trailers ??

Thanks,

Rian.

Get the fish and chips in Friday evening mate and we´re quits

My dad is a rodder ;D ;D

Nice one Grizz ,
That looks like a LHD version of our fridge
I'll throw in a fish cake and a portion of mushy peas if he wants to bring it down to Wiltshire. ;D ;D

lol i read that as robber at first

Grizz

if B&Q give you trouble over returning the wood the stuff you got has VIDA stamped on the end which means that it is graded.

If should be dry graded, and so it shouldn't twist or warp further. if it does just take it back and state that it doesn't conform to the grading standards for softwood.

That should sort them! I just passed a visual strength grading course and some of the machine graded stuff that the DIY places sell can be well outside of acceptable grading standards!

As for the walls, are you planning any insulation? if not it will get cold fast in the winter, and really hot in the summer.

You could get some normal unfaced ply and sandwich 50 mm of polysytene insulation between the two sheets. Glue it together any you will end up with a strutually insulated panel. Stong light and with good insulation properties.

Google SIPs and see.

Looking nice so far mate.

Lewis

Guess I kinda started tonight, took the trailer "A-Fram" or Tongue as the Americans call it off the frame, took the brake rod off and cleaned it up.
It gets dark early now, so progress will be a bit limited.

I also tried the 2 fridges I got home yesterday, the small one works perfectly, the larger one is out on the pavement for collection by the steel collectors in the morning, I could not get it running, the element at the rear heats up, but I guess it is old and minus gas.
Lucky I have the one I bought from Dave coming the weekend.


First thing I did tonight was to move some of the stuff , or is that rubbish ? Up into the loft, to make space for the plywood and Ally thats getting delivered on Friday.

By the way for those interested, two sheets of 1.2mm by 1.5m x 3.0m cost £130 delivered. Another ouch moment, but I guess I need to just get on with the build.


Garage before:




Brake rod undone.



Roughly alligned, now needs drilling and fixing.



Must have gained around 60cm , or 2 foot by moving the tongue back toward the axle. Rear calculations to be done later.

Messed about with mocking up the chassis now that it is in 2 parts.

Will measure 3 x and cut once, I hope.

The interesting thing is to calculate the whole thing with the Axle being a trailing axle.
Where does the pivotal force work, and also where is the weight going to end up when the galley is in with all its bits ??

Anyway, bits of brick and timber to hold it all in place, and a prayer or two while I started mocking up the floor timbers.

I also had to play with the door we bought last week, just to get an idea of where to locate it etc.

Nicola once told me she made a very good banana cake (Something I am particularly fond of) last night she went to visit a friend, and as part of their evening together, they were baking.....

Tonight she came here to pledge her solidarity with theTeardrop build .






I will mount the door above the floor, with a threshold of around 4 inches, to offset the thickness of the mattress we got last week. Mockup gives an idea. I still need to plan in the portholes in front of the door on both sides as well.




Who said I could not have my cake and eat it ?? (Al, the neighbour took pic)