I'm, officially, a factory.

Some of you might remember a post, or two, where I said I was selling my place and moving. Well, the place I wanted to buy got bought out from under me, so I decided it must be for a reason. I had already canceled my yellow page ad, for my welding business, so, I've been kinda screwed.
Anyway, I've been talking and dreaming about building teardrop campers to market... and I've done just that.
Here's the prototype as it sits, tonight. I'll weld the cross pieces in and skin it, tomorrow.

I give you... The Droplet.


I'm making them 4 feet wide by 3 feet high.
The door is 2 wide by 2 1/2 high, and will be made from wood.



I built jigs for bending the sides and door arch, and a welding fixture for making the two side panels, and one for the ***embly of the axle and tongue.
I'm using tortion axles to keep them low.
I'm going to sheet them with 20ga galvanized.
Here's my fixture for the sides.


I'm going to leave them unfinished, inside... just a shell with a floor.
That way I can get them to the buyers cheaper, and they can save a ton by doing it and, by doing it their way, they get to put their signature on it...
I hope to keep them around a grand.


I have a ton of money, steel and over 200 hours invested in all the jigs.
Wish me luck...


JOE

 

Nice looking unit. I hope you sell a bunch of them. Have you got all the legal paperwork figured out yet? Are you set up as a LLC? Have the ability to issue original manufacturer certificates (***le)? Good luck!!!!!

 

Will it have the flip up kitchen in the back?! Good luck Joe!

 

Also, anyway to get them LOWER?

 

hmmmm... i could be into one

 

I don't have any do***entation, as of yet. I'm going to contact the state to find out what, if anything, I have to do to make them "legal". I hope it's not too much.

I'm a sole-proprietorship, and my business is licensed. What would be the reason/benefit of the LLC thing?
I work, totally, alone, and have no partners (not even a wife ) but I also, have the ability, through my zoning (conditional land use) to hire up to 5 employees... which would be cool.


TMAN- The first ones aren't getting a hatch, but I hope to go that route. The area usually reserved for that, above where your feet go, will be a shelf.
As far as making it lower? I don't know. It's only about 4 1/2 feet high the way it is. Maybe a couple of inches, but not much more.

You can see it at the Drags.


JOE

 

check into aluminum for skins might be worth your while
.060 would work it will be lighter product and way easier
to cut
most of the trailers i have seen are built that way
and not cost but a few dollars more
the steel bends seem to flow really nice
great job
start taking lots of pics
bill

 

I don't know much about corporations but you could loose everything as a Sole propriator if someone sues you. house, property, everything.

An LLC is a corporation a step under the "S" corp status. It means that if they sue the worst that can happen is your business goes under.

There is alot more to it but that is a big part about why I am changing to an LLC. I would also rather have the option of hiring an employee when I go full time with the letterpress/design studio.

 

I like it!

I hadn't read all of your thread yet and I was thinking, "He's got some serious time and money in all that steel."

keep us posted

edit: does it have as an option some faux weeds to grow up around it? how about some beer cans thrown on the front lawn

 

Also on the skins idea there is a local warehouse in Kansas City that deals in Airplane fasteners and other parts. One of the things that they carry is Aluminum on a spool. You can get any length you want at about 4 ft wide.

If you know guys that fly or build plains they might know of a resource close to you. They also carry Al diamond plate and thin sheet steel from time to time at lower costs than the metal yards.

 

Joe, I think it needs aluminum. Galvie ****s to paint. Also, I think it REALLY needs the kitchen, just me and my opinion.

I would buy one in skeleton form to finish out myself, any thoughts to that?

 

I've been wanting one of these forever. Keep me updated as to when you're going to be selling them and what the prices will be. Thanks.

 

an "s" corp is the way to go. an "llc" is similar but diff none the less.

i have all 3 of my business' setup as a "s" corp. the reason being, in your case, should you sell a trailor, and some ***** crashes with it connected to his brand new gold chainer boyd coddington built hot rod, and YOUR trailor goes and hits/kills some one else they can only sue the "corporation" not you individually. you become an employee of the corp. and your ***ests are protected. an LLC is set up similarly except that there are ways around it, and a lawyer about to make 33% off of a 5 million dollar deal will find the way around.
the S corp make it a in whole en***y by itself a "fake" person if you will to blame.

also if you want to seek becoming a manufacturer of your trailors i can guide you down that avenue as well. we just got done doing this for our motorcycle side of my custom shop.

you will need to contact DOT but its really not that hard a process, and then your trailors will have a market value-kelly blue book- and are financible.

if your interested in finding out about this let me know my e-mail is grsmnkycustoms@aol.com

best of luck and they look great!

 

Thanks... I might be in touch.

Mike- I'll sure let you know.


TMAN- You know, I haven't tried it, but bending the curved pieces for the hatch shouldn't be any different than than making the sides. Then what? Just a piano hinge and a latch. There should be room for a Coleman stove and a water jug.

I, still, have to research rubber mouldings and weatherstrip, too.

I'm going to look into aluminum mobil home siding. It might be that' it's already painted. I thought about going with some different types and colors of formica type stuff, too.

...and, yeah, I guess I could sell just a skeleton.


JOE

 

Joe, call me at the shop Monday or Tues.........605-343-9452. I will get you some numbers and contacts on the weatherstripping.

 

KC brought out the reason that I asked if you were an LLC. The liability of it all. I'm not one and I don't know much about what it takes to become one, but I don't think its really that tough or expensive to do so. If I ever started doing any kind of work for money or producing something, I definately would look into it.

 

I sure appreciate you guys helping me out with information.


Thank you.



JOE

 

Congrats Joe,

Those things look great! It's great ta see, in this day and age, someone
who's got guts enought ta say "hey, why not?" I like the idea of lettin'
the customer add all the bells and whistles he wants. Later on, ya can
start ta offer the H.A.M.B. Limited edition rig. Ford started out offer-
ing just bare bones transportation, look what that grew into. When ya go
lookin for business advise, be sure and get it from those who have suceded,
not those who have failed.

Good luck.....Luck is where preparation meets opportunity

 

That's what my dad has always told me.

Then again... he told me I should drive slow, too.



JOE

 

Nice project! I've never been a fan of powder coating but that trailer is just asking to be coated before the skin goes on. Buffed corrogated stainless sides with a smoth top, would look like an old Ford Tri-Motor.

 

Joe, An LLC (as I understand it) is a Limited Liability Corperation. It's advantage is that in the event of litigation, your liability is limited to the value of your product or sevrice. You Must note in your advertising and literature that it is an LLC and it is ***umed that the consumer is accepting that condition when doing business with you. If you have a 401k or similar retirement account that you wish to tap into before age 52, you want to go with a subchapter S Corp. You are permitted to roll a retirement account over as an ***et of the Corp. As CEO of the corp. you can tap that ***et to meet your salary needs and not pay an early withdraw penalty. You may also shelter a small percent of income via a pretax contribution to said plan. Watch those pennys and the dollars will take care of themselvs.......

 

id be all over one


-dan

 

looks like they are gonna turn out cool. lots of luck to ya. and think about the llc, or something similar; i worked for a corporate law firm for a bit, and you wouldnt believe how thoroughly they can screw you if you arent protected.

 

Here's what the compe***ion is doing...Tiny Tears

I did his logo, looked much better before his webmaster got it.

 

JYD,
any ideas when they will be available????
no rush, but diggin them. please bring pics to the pileup if your going, wanna see it

 

I seem to remember something about; If the purchaser needs to complete the construction of the (insert product name) the liability shifts to the owner / purchaser of the product. Kit cars as an example.

So would shipping the trailers with the wheels and axles disasembled, and the final finishing work NOT completed; does the liability to the company become less?

I'm not suggesting that Limited Liability / Incorporation should not be done; but would the risk be less?

 

Joe that looks cool=I have a couple suggestions that you may wish to ignore! One- make em so the cool wheels will fit -such as 4-1/2"on 5 lug or 5-1/2' on 5 early ford wheel etc etc..
Two cut a hole in the rear about 7" by 21"..........
Im gonna get rich offa this-
Im calling my co the ""KEEBLER ELF A/C co"". .......

I will make the itty bitty Generator ran by a weed eater motor for tiny AIR CONDITIONERS they will need!
GREAT SUCCESS MAN!

 

Very cool Joe..., and for some more ideas Check these out.

http://www.teardrops.net/mfgs.html

And this is the one I was going to purchase and retrofit a pair of vintage 1937 fenders on it...! http://www.tinycamper.com/ (p.s. they're located in Wisconsin!)

I think that you'll do well especially if you offer your rig in different stages..., such as the bare framework that can be bolted onto a Harbor freight trailer for the do-it yourselfer...., to a completed..., optioned out turn key setup!

Wishing you Good Fortune!!!!

 

Good deal, those will be cool.

Another idea on the skinning, we use to get the pre-painted aluminum sheets to build stock cars & sprint car bodies, it comes in all diff. thicknesses & colors. The paint is so super tough it doesn't chip or crack with repe***ive bending, straightening & hammering. Same stuff they use on enclosed trailers. If you used white it would be nuetral, cool as is possible in the sun due to white reflection, people could easily re-paint it or stripe it since that paint is a really good substrate/base to tape, scuff & shoot. Galv. as said before is not conducive to paint, weld & is heavy, it would be a major drawback to me if I were looking at buying one. My first thought would be how nice it would be if it were skinned with prepainted alum. Just my .02

http://www.midwestmetalsandsupply.com/Race%20Car.htm

Good luck..

 

I did NOT do that in my former business, and when it went down I DID lose EVERYTHING. My 35 Suburban, My 5 window, my chevy trucks, my Nomad, my etc. etc etc.........................etc. I had zero sheilding.

BY ALL MEANS get a Sub-S to protect yourself. Most Stationary stores have a kit to file-it-yourself. My last one cost me $78 TOTAL including stat fees. CHEAP insurance.