Trailer Project #9

Lots of finishing work to do yet but plenty done for a Prairie Chicken hunting trip this week to Kansas. 

Oz has been flying pretty darn good lately.  Taking really good pitches for the most part and has managed a few more ducks in the bag as of late.  I've also had some great flights with my daughters along for the ride as well; always a treat for me.  Everything is going right for once leading up to a hawking trip, and this time I am cautiously optimistic.

-RVZ

Trailer Project #8 and Chickens!

Not a whole lot more progress lately.  I finished building the tongue-box and stained the whole thing gun-stock brown.  Cold weather and a busy schedule have slowed me down a bit.

Managed to make a trip to Kansas to find some Prairie Chickens.  Oz flew off the other day and when I got her back she did not want to put any weight on her right leg.  I have no idea what happened to her but I took her in for an x-ray and everything checked out ok.  Just severely bruised on her upper thigh.  So even though we saw chickens, a flight was not to be.  I'm hoping she'll be back in the saddle by the end of next week.  She has been putting more weight on the leg over the past couple of days, but she still is treating it a little gingerly.  He's some pics of the birds we saw.

Hopefully this group and others will continue to do well through the winter.

-RVZ

Trailer Project #7

 The trailer is starting to look like a trailer on the outside now.

Insulation was placed between the joists to fill the airspace and expanding foam filled the rest of the gaps.

PL Premium was used to glue the 1/8" birch ply to the top, along with a row of screws on each side.  

 Once the glue is dry I'll remove the screws and use my router to cut off the excess and the vent hole in the top.

-RVZ

Trailer Project #6

Lens a little foggy from the rainy day, but here is the back of the trailer.

Sides now have insulation.

Interior stained, cabinets done, and electrical ran.

Bought pergo flooring on clearance to use on the floor of the trailer.  Only $10.

The inside of the trailer is basically done.  Now it's time to move on to the outside.

-RVZ

Trailer Project #5

Headliner is in.

Interior view the headliner.

View from front to back of cabinets and bulkhead.

View from back (under the cabinets) to the front.

The interior of the trailer is nearly done.  Just some finishing work left to do.

Falconry has officially started for me as well.  Hybrid went 150' feet to the kite today and looked really strong.  Onward and upward from here.....

-RVZ

Trailer Project #4

Might be ready for some part of the hawking season......

-RVZ

Trailer Project #3

Oh and this.....

Couple of days til she'll be flight ready.

-RVZ

Trailer Project #2

Cut, flipped, primed, brakes check out ok.

Flipped back, painted, bearings newly packed, tires on, and new safety chains.

-RVZ

Trailer Project

Time for another project....

I recently came across a forum about building teardrop trailers.  (www.tnttt.com)

The idea of building one of these trailers to use as a hawking rig really interested me and I just so happened to score an old pop-up camper from a buddy of mine.  

Last year, he and I thought about repairing this old Coleman pop-up but quickly realized it was not worth the trouble.  Then a few months later a tornado threw it a ways and put the nail in the coffin for any chance of repairing it.  

Now I will be taking a new approach and just using the frame.  The first step was to strip it down to its bare bones.  That process was pretty easy overall.  The only hang up came when my daughter, V, and I opened the last cabinet standing, only to find several hundred very angry red wasps!  I told her to run to the house as I ran for the can of Raid.  There were so many of the winged monsters that we could hear the droning angry hum from over 20 feet away!  Somehow, I managed to escape from this perilous Polistes situation with only a single sting, and a good thing too, because that sting is still sore 3 days later.....

By some miracle the A/C still works!

Final look at ol' Blue

Out with the cabinets (aka Fort Wasp Nest)

Sawzallsome made fairly quick work of things

Bare trailer awaiting the next step

I am in no hurry with this build.  As time, money, interest, etc allows I'll steadily plod along.  I'll be posting updates along the way.

BTW - If your interested in this sort of thing I would suggest checking out www.tnttt.com .

This build is going to be a major influence -  http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=53842

-RVZ