Take Two - Framing the Front End

Using  the garage wall as a canvas and
a strip of 1/4" plywood to determine
the arc or radius of the front end

This time, I came into the framing process with a more open mind and realistic attitude that not everything might work out as I had envisioned; setbacks and changes are all part of the process. I did take a few weeks to step away from the project and returned to it over the long Thanksgiving weekend with a new motivation from James' helpful guidance.

Cutting the arc or radius

The framing began by reassessing the height needs and coming up with the ideal arc for the front end since this time I would be cutting the arc in 1/2" plywood and would need to get it right the first time! Using a strip of 1/4" plywood, the same material that would cover the exterior of the trailer, I determined the ideal arc or radius prior to cutting the 1/2" plywood for the walls of the front end. Both walls were cut together with a circular saw to maintain symmetry and then trimmed with a jig-saw and sanded smooth. The pieces were fit into place using most of the existing framing from my previous "fail" then glued and nailed in place with 18 gauge 2 1/2" finish nails.

Epic Fail - Framing the Front End

Failed first attempt at framing the front-end.

Often times when reading about people's experiences building Teardrop Trailers or Tiny Houses, it all sounds like roses and butterflies. "It only took me three months!" or "This was the most rewarding experience of my life!", these are not phrases that I used during this phase of the project (writing about this months after it happened). I had built a test wall out of 2"x2" white wood, 1 1/2" EPS foam core insulation, 1/4" underlayment (plywood), some low VOC liquid nails and finish nails. While in concept the test wall worked great, was very strong, and seemed to fit the bill, but it was only successful on the 2' x 4' test wall (which is now the wall separating the bunks from the queen bed).

Trying to use the same process to frame a very unique size and custom arc to the front-end proved to be incredibly challenging...and VERY frustrating!

For one, the low VOC version of liquid nails I used, while a "green" product with good adhesion, was not flexible. With the trailer movement just from walking on the platform in the garage, many of the joints cracked. I can only imagine the damage once the trailer was on the road. So in this instance I deviated from my "green" ethic in the name of strength, longetivity, and safety. Unfortunately, unless I can find a fleixble low or zero VOC product, I have resorted to working with standard liquid nails on this project.

Secondly, using only 2"x2" white wood and 1/4" underlayment for sheeting and structural support quickly became apparent that it would not be sufficient, especially after my good friend James, who works in construction and is remodeling his Seattle Craftsman home, came over for a few beers and gave my structure a shake. His reaction was this thing will get torn apart in a cross wind! THIS was my epic fail and he was right. I had a hunch this was the case, but as I had spec'd the whole thing to be built with only 1/4" rather than 1/2" sheeting, I didn't want to try and comprehend how much additional weight this would add. So it was back to the drawing board, literally!