Baskets and Electrical Outlets in the Cabin

So, after some thinking and brainstorming I've possibly come up with a solution for my dilemma on the cabinets.  I need to 'hide' my wiring chase on the bottom of the shelf.  So, I'll build a very short 'false bottom' to the shelf.  On top of this, I will place baskets similar one of these:

These would have many benefits over permanent cabinets.  1). I can take them out to organize clothing, etc.  2).  They can be cleaned easily.  3).  If I ever feel the need to use the shelf as a bunk, open storage, etc. I can do so without any permanent damage to the teardrop.  4).  They should be easy to access as well.  They could be tilted easily to see what's inside thanks to the shape of the ceiling.

I'll need to decide what 'ideal' sizes would be.  As you can tell from the image, there is a slight slope  at the back of the shelf area where the ceiling comes down.

The rear measurement is about 13" from the base of the shelf to the roof.  So, I'll look for baskets that are about 13" tall.  The length is about 21" so there will be a little bit of 'open space' in the back.  I'm planning to put a small shelf in front of the electrical outlets.  I'm thinking that they would be a good place to set an iPhone, etc. to charge.  I just had another idea that might be even better.  I could make a slide out shelf that would accommodate a laptop, iPad, heater, etc.  This would solve many problems for me.  The good news is that I have an extra set of drawer slides that will work perfectly!  I really like the fold down drink holders that are often used in boats.  I would like to place one of them on each side of the door for Erica and I to put our beverages.

I can't wait for the school year to end so that I can get busy finishing up all of the projects for the interior of the teardrop.  Once I'm done, I'll be able to start polishing that old aluminum!

Another Fellow Teardrop Blogger

I have been reading the blog of fellow teardroppers, Rebecca and Darrel, who built their own teardrop and then have been traveling around the United States in it.  The two of them have embraced the simplicity of teardrop travel and write about their adventures here:  http://turned-about.blogspot.com/

One of the most helpful elements of their blog has been their detailed descriptions of their build.  I particularly was interested in how they installed their solar panels by thoughtfully bringing the charging wires into the ceiling via the ventilation fan.  I am going to consider such a design when I get to that part of my 'build' as well.

Another element that I think makes their blog unique and fun to read is the honesty with which they write about their experience on the road.  They talk about how they solved various challenges and how they adapted their trailer to their needs.  Nobody can predict how they will 'use' the teardrop space, but we can learn from others along the way.  I will surely continue to follow their travels.

Galley Animation and Windows!

So, this was fun.  I was able to make this sketch up design in about an hour today.  It's not exactly to scale, but its a lot easier than monkeying around with pieces of wood in the garage.  I was able to experiment with different size cabinets, counter tops, etc.  I'm so glad that I took the time to learn how to use this tool!  Unfortunately, the 'actual' measurements are a little tighter than the model I made here.  I'm trying to find a way to store our Coleman stove during transport and make an elegant way to use it when in camp.  I'm leaning toward a side table that will allow us to use the stove.



Galley Design One from Todd Burleson on Vimeo.

My windows arrived today.  They look pretty spiffy.  

I am going to have to do some cutting of the door to make them fit, but I think it's going to work out great.  I'm a little anxious about cutting the door; it has an aluminum 'L' piece that I'll need to trim in order to make these fit just right.  It's time to invest in a few good quality metal scroll saw blades!  However, I'm so happy that the rubber seal will cover the holes for the hinges that the previous owner cut into the aluminum!  This is the door that I still have to remove all the rust spots. 

A Few More Galley Inspirations

 This is an ingenious way to create side tables for cooking, etc.  Brilliant design!

 I want to integrate my stove storage plan into my design as well.

An expandable table like this is terrific.  One wondering is how does it get stored while traveling?  That will need to be thought through too.

Rough Draft Animation

I discovered that I could make an animation of my design in Sketchup.  This is amazingly cool!


Rough Draft Animation from Todd Burleson on Vimeo.

Time to Make a Model

I found out that the teeny tiny trailer I had seen was called a Teardrop Trailer.  A few strokes of the keys and Google delivered hundreds of images of these tiny campers in all shapes, sizes and colors.  A few more keystrokes brought me to the Teardrops and Tiny Trailer Forum where people of all sorts share their love of all things Teardrop and much more.  I spent a few days just reading hundreds of posts and looking at the images.

From there, I introduced myself on the board and was immediately welcomed into the forum.  I had invitations to attend gatherings in my area and to come and see a teardrop in person. 

I started thinking and dreaming about what 'my' Teardrop might look like someday.  I'm handy and love working with wood, so I imagined that I would build it myself.  I started exploring profiles and soon found myself building a scale model of my dream Teardrop.

I spent 12 hours meticulously constructing my 1/24th model, all the way down to awning and bedding.  It turns out that my model was perfectly built for Barbies and all of my daughter's bedding accessories temporarily found a home inside my model.

This was going to be it.  This was as close as I was going to get to making my own Teardrop until I finished work on my library school certification and a few bigger projects that we had planned for our house.  I  had come to an understanding with myself and was pretty content to live vicariously through the forum until my 'time' had come...or would I?