Tag Archives: teardrop

photo of trailer front with box mounted

More Storage – A Trailer Tongue Box

Jim, May 17:

photo of the bare trailer tongue

Bare trailer tongue

During the Big Bend trip, I started to think about refining our trailer and realized that storing jacks and other trailer equipment in the galley complicated our setup. A second storage area would make the galley more convenient and allow Marilyn to start our evening meal while I was setting up camp. I had seen boxes that mount on a trailer tongue, and thought that might be the answer. They aren’t hard to find, and I soon had one on order. Made by Better Built, and 34-inches by 19-inches and 18-inches high, it looked like it would just fit on our teardrop’s small tongue.

The new trailer tongue box

The new trailer tongue box

In hand a few days later, it looked great and didn’t weigh much — welded aluminum construction with a locking latch and power-assisted top hatch. Our trailer has a single rail for the tongue however, and it looked like the box was better suited to trailers with a “y” front hitch. Mounting the soft aluminum box on a single rail seemed like a problem — the first time it was leaned upon, it would bend. I decided to get some help from my friends at Vintage Motor to make a stout steel mount. Jason and I quickly decided  to cradle the front and back bottom edges with 1 1/2-inch angle iron. These would be welded to other angle iron and attached to the 2 by 3-inch trailer tongue with bolts.

We set to work. After measuring the front and back box edge, Jason cut 16 and 34-inch pieces of 1 1/2-inch angle iron on a chop saw. By placing them under the front and back edge, we were able to mark the precise size and angle using a sharpie. Using these marks, he was able to trim the rails with a pneumatic cut-off tool, and round the rough edges with an angle grinder.

Next, we cut brackets and holes and drilled them to accept the tongue bolts. They were then welded to the rails. There was one bracket per rail, and they were placed so that the rails would be centered on the trailer tongue with a bracket on each side. Finally we drilled four holes on the long rail, and two holes on the short one to mount the box.

Rails and brackets complete, it was time for a test fit. Everything seemed to work, so I set about drilling bolt holes into the trailer tongue. This is very tough steel, and it took awhile — even with the help of my grandad’s 1/2-inch drill. Now we could bolt the rails on, and set the box into them. Last, we drilled holes from the bottom, through the rails, and into the box. It was secured with six bolts as well. We’d had to “fudge” the fit to straighten to box and allow for lid clearance with the trailer, so the front rail was a little off-center. A trip back to the shop to adjust it’s length, and we were ready for paint.

Now painted, it was time for the final installation. To protect the bottom from being dented, I’ll cut a piece of plywood to fit the inside. The box size seems proportional to the trailer — a lucky break. I was also pleased to see that the diamond plate on the trailer matches the box, both in pattern and rising to about the same height as the diamond plate on the trailer. Looks like a custom fit!

Hit or Miss Engines

Jim, September 15:

You never know what you’ll find on the Teardrop Trail, and the Red Power Roundup in Sedalia, Missouri was no exception. While looking at the expected tractors and other IH memorabilia, I discovered a assortment of “hit or miss” engines. They were first available around 1890 from various manufacturers including International Harvester (after 1902) for use in pumping water, generating electricity and cutting firewood. The video shows models spanning several decades and demonstrates the “hit or miss” behavior and resulting name.

They fire every few cycles and rely on a large flywheel to maintain a relatively constant speed. Producing a small amount of horsepower relative to their weight and size, they were displaced by newer internal combustion engines by the mid-20th century, although they are still desirable for some low-speed (250 rpm or so) applications like oil-field pump jacks. International Harvester produced a variety of hit or miss engines, and the video shows three well preserved and and functioning models.

This display of engines was a surprise to me — I hadn’t seen this many working hit or miss engines in one place before. The engine owners were on hand to answer questions and I learned a lot about this part of our Harvester Heritage. Fun!

Packed, On the Road

Jim, June 23:

Monday morning — time to hit the road. We  had the kitchen supplies, bikes, camping furniture, water and other odds and ends loaded into the rig. It was finally time to leave. Stopping in Drip’ to top off the tank, we had the first of what would become routine encounters on the trip: Teardrop Fans. Neither one of us were prepared for the notoriety, but it was fun. This fellow was considering the purchase of a teardrop, and wanted to see inside and ask a few questions. There is something magnetic about teardrops, and many folks seem drawn to the romance of the open road in a small trailer. Guess we’re not alone!

Mazda with teardrop trailer in Menard, Texas

Lunch in Menard, Texas

First stop was Menard, Texas. We were getting hungry, and the beautiful pecan-shaded park provided an excellent place for a light repast of sandwiches, chips and cookies. As we left town, we had a little trouble understanding The Girl’s directions, and made an inadvertent 20-minute detour. No matter. After retracing our steps, we were back on the right path.

Eldorado, the Schleicher county seat and Marilyn’s childhood home, was the next major stop. We drove by her father’s former medical practice, a plain cinderbock building that seemed disused.

Former Medical Practice in Eldorado, Texas

Former Medical Practice in Eldorado, Texas

Next was the County Office  and Memorial building — fine examples of Texas public buildings that are common around the state. A final stop for gas, and we were on our way. Next stop: San Angelo, and the promise of a Starbuck’s Mocha!

The Old Jail in Eldorado, Texas

The Old Jail in Eldorado, Texas

 

Kitchen to Go – Road Food

Marilyn, June 14:

I love to cook! I was a chef at a dude ranch and have been responsible for cuisine on many long distance backpack trips. Now it was time to create a new version of a moving kitchen. I had seen a variety of galley configurations in teardrop trailers that ranged from the highly customized with many built in niches to house everything, to a rear hatch covering a simple space. Ours was the simple space so it was time to become very creative. I started rounding up suggestions from the blogs of dedicated RVers as well as full time teardroppers. One blogger’s words echoed in my mind – being in the middle of nowhere is not the time to forget the can opener or have wine and no corkscrew. Another blogger warned not to forget the practical things like rubber bands, duct tape and super glue. We found a Coleman camp stove, soft-sided sink, a folding rack to hold it all then tried it out in the living room.

Trailer kitchen in the living room.

Trailer kitchen in the living room.

Some of my backpacking equipment and skills came in handy since storage was at a premium. Finding the necessities – the smallest knives, nifty gadgets, cutting boards, measuring spoons and bowls – that could be used for several purposes. The ability to pack and unpack everything quickly was also a consideration. Then I began to think about menus. Shopping in the bulk section was great. Small plastic bags took the place of bulky bottles. I began with two plastic boxes with lids (you’ll discover why the lids are important later) and began organizing, nestling utensils, dishes and all our other accessories. We recycled two other plastic totes with fold-over lids for larger items. At last, we were ready for meals on wheels and it was time to hit the road.

Utensils and Supplies

Utensils and Supplies – a place for everything

Pots, Pans and Wine Glasses

Pots, Pans and Wine Glasses

We Meet Our (Teardrop) Maker

Jim, June 1:

The Dallas/Fort Worth area is huge, so we had to take the Girl’s advice on a route to EZ-Toad. It turned out that Don (the maker) worked out of his home, and after introductions we got our first look at our trailer. We had seen photos during the build, but I wasn’t prepared for quite how beautiful the trailer was. Don was clearly a very skilled and careful craftsman. Self-deprecating, he apologized for having custom-made the side door. It seems he had run out of the factory-made models. To my eyes, the custom door was perfectly done with a fit and finish that rivaled the best work I’ve seen. It closed with a solid “thunk” that indicated both a good seal and lasting quality. The galley door, framed with tubular steel, was just as nicely done. We were both impressed.

Don had waited to complete one custom element until I was there to help: the antenna ball mount. I’m a radio amateur, and I wanted to mount a radio in the trailer for campground use. I helped him located the proper mount point and he quickly installed the mount. Perfection.

Don meets Jim

Jim meets Don at last

Jim tries it on for size

Jim tries it on for size

It’s ready!

Marilyn – June 1:

At last it was time to go to Ft. Worth to pick up our very own teardrop. We left Dripping Springs on Sunday, June 1. We headed north on I-35, the major north–south Interstate Highway running from the United States-Mexico border to the Red River border with Oklahoma and as far north as Minnesota. The Interstate had been undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion project for years and traffic on a Sunday had become legendary. Jim suggested that we stop for Kolaches to prepare for the experience, a long-standing tradition with I-35 travelers. Kolache fever is nothing new in Texas, which has been home to a considerable Czech community since the mid 1800’s. A Kolach (plural kolache /kɵˈlɑːtʃi/, also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky), comes from the Czech and  Slovak. We pulled into the town of West, Texas and The Czech Stop And Little Czech Bakery.

Onward, fortified by puffy pastry pillows from supple dough. We took directions from the disembodied female voice of the GPS that we would soon refer to as “The Girl.” We wound our way through neighborhoods of small, one-story houses until we found the home of EZ-Toad Trailers.

The Czech Stop Bakery

The Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery
So many Kolaches and so little time

Texas-shaped cookies with red, white, and blue sprinkles

Even the cookies are more colorful in Texas

Buying a Custom Teardrop Trailer

a teardrop trailer under construction

Our teardrop trail under construction

Jim:

We discussed how much fun it would be to go to the Red Power Round Up in June in our very own Teardrop Trailer. There were a couple of problems however. I certainly wasn’t going to have time to build one in the available time and commercial models are quite expensive. I wasn’t sure about spending so much money just to see if we liked it. The handmade model we saw at one of the RV dealers was closer to what we wanted but still a little pricey. I looked all over the Internet, but it was the same story everywhere — teardrop trailers are a boutique item and command premium prices. Perhaps a used one would do.

The unfinished interior

The unfinished interior

Craig’s List was the next stop. It’s easy to search a town or geographic region — perfect since shipping a trailer across country isn’t easy. There were always a few teardrops listed, but nothing that really spoke to me. Then I noticed a listing from EZ-Toad Trailers. There was one available, in the right price range, but with no galley. A phone call confirmed a teardrop with a galley could be ready in time and modifications could be made to suit our preferences. I thought about it for a day or two, and called Don (the builder) back to complete the deal. A teardrop in four to six weeks!

Waiting was difficult but Don sent pictures every couple of weeks as the build progressed. We would drive to Fort Worth on June 1st to pick it up. We were now the proud owners of a custom-built teardrop trailer!

galley view of unfinished teardrop trailer

Unfinished teardrop – galley view