The plywood floor has been sealed with 3 coats of spar varnish and mounted to the frame with elevator bolts, these hold much better than the carriage bolts and don't spin when you tighten them. I've also started on framing the walls using 4 in x 1 in ( actually 3/4 in) pine. The framing for the door frame is Oak and Popular to add strength for mounting the door hinges and hardware. Next will be to buy some 4 x 10 ft 1/4 inch ACX plywood to attach to the outside of the frame, then insulate with 3/4 foam and then put the inner wall on, which will also be 1/4 ply, not sure what type of wood but more than likely it will be either Birch or Oak.

As you can see in the pictures I received the correct brackets for the shock kit and they have been mounted. I was not real happy about drilling a 1/2 inch hole through my frame for the mounting bolt, hopefully this will not cause my frame to weaken. Others have done the same with no ill affect that I know of. "Time will Tell". It took me about 3 hours from start to finish, excluding the trip I had to make to Lowes to pick up another  1/2 inch drill bit.

I ordered the wrong mounting brackets for the Monroe retro shock kit, I ordered part RB512 and should of ordered RB511, the replacement should be here this week. I also will be using elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts to attach the floor to the frame, the carriage bolts have a small head which kept spinning as I tried to tighten it down, had to use a clamp to stop the bolt from spinning, the elevator bolts are flatter and have a bigger head, hopefully these will work better and not spin when I tighten them down. I'm starting to layout the galley area with my fridge on the right and batteries / fuse panel on the left. In between will be some drawers and a counter top across the width, above the counter top will probably be a couple of cabinets or cubbys to hold other stuff. The top off the floor has been coated with a couple coats of spar varnish and sanded, I'll add a couple more coats before the floor is complete.

The floor has been insulated with 1.5 inch foam, top and bottom of the sub-frame covered with plywood. The bottom has been sealed with 2 coats of Raka epoxy, it will then be painted with 2 coats of Pettit EasyPoxy and then bolted to the frame, next is to start on the side walls. The  inner fender wells have been coated with 3 coats of  undercoating, outer fenders painted with a couple coats of primer until I can decide what color to paint them, I'm kinda liking the flat black look.  Shock kit has been orderd and will put on prior to mounting the floor, hopefully by next week.

The sub frame is 2 X 6 inch pressure treated fir mounted to the frame with 14 3 inch stainless steel bolts, 5 on each side and 2 at the front and 2 at the back. Arauco  ACX  .451 ply will be used for the floor. I used a router with a bottom bearing bit to get it flush with the sub-frame, it worked great, fast and precise. Next step is to take the sub-frame off of the trailer frame and glue and screw the flooring in place with PL 2000 adhesive. I also ordered some Pettit Easy Poxy Platinum paint to cover the underside of the sub-frame plywood floor, this will be used after a coat or two of Raka epoxy.

Fenders and mounts for propane tank and NATO water / gas cans have been fabricated. ( Thanks Steve : )I also have the tail lights and running lights mounted and working as well. I used a 7 pin preconnectorized cable and terminated it in a junction box then ran my wiring from my lights and electric brakes to the j-box. Next step is to mount the wooden sub-frame and attach the plywood to it. Not sure what method to use for water-proofing the underside of the floor, more than likely it will be to seal with Rakka epoxy and then a couple coats of Pettite epoxy paint.

Frame has been painted with 3 coats of high gloss Rust Bullet, the paint is similar to Por 15. It seems to stick well and is hard as nails, we'll see how well it holds up. I also picked up my rear stabilizer scissor jacks and front tongue jack. Next is to take it back to the fabricator to have him weld the stabilizers in place as well as the light mounts, NATO can mount and 11 gallon propane tank mount.

I ordered some electrical items from etrailer.com. LED surface mount taillights, junction box, 7 pin 8 ft cable that will connect from the junction box to my 4Runner, wiring for the lights and electric brakes and front amber running lights. Once I have the trailer frame back from the fabricator and paint it, I'll be able to move forward with the electrical then take it to get it registered with the DMV.

I received my axle, hubs and leaf springs last week. I had to use wheel adapters from the hub to my wheels, this was the easiest solution, the only other option would be to replace the studs in the hubs with metric studs  that would fit my 4-Runner wheels. I also took the steel  and axle assembly to a fabricator I found on Craigslist, he is experienced in making off road trailers, local and very accommodating, he even lent me his trailer to transport my parts to his shop. Paint has been ordered for the frame, so my next step will be to paint the frame when I get it back from the fabricator.

  I've cut out the template for the profile design, I used a couple sheets of 4 x 8 x 1/8 Luan that I got from a big box store for $10.00 per sheet. This will only be used as a pattern / template for the build. Since the profile is 4 x 8 I had to attached the two sheets together and I did this by butting them end to end and taking another piece of Luan that I cut  to 18 in x 4 feet and glued it to the 2 pieces and let it set over night to dry. Then I laid my paper template I got from Lil Bear ( Grant Whipp) over the top of the Luan then traced it with a Sharpie and then cut it out with a jig saw.
 I've gathered most of my information from the Teardrop forum, it has a wealth of information and some very nice and knowledgeable builders that are always willing to provide advice and encouragement. For more detailed information on the actual construction process I purchased the manual from Steve Frederick, it is a little pricey but well worth the money in my opinion, especially since I'm a first time builder, the more I read through the manual the more sense his building method makes and I will be less likely to make costly mistakes.

The axle was ordered yesterday, it is a Dexter 3500 lbs, 74 inch hub to hub with 6 lug with a 5.5 pattern with electric brakes and the springs derated to 1500 lbs to soften the ride a bit. Next step after I get the axle is to change out the wheel studs on the axle to fit the 16.5 wheel lug nuts of the Toyota 4-runner wheels.

I've cut the steel for the frame yesterday, I rented a chop saw for $25.00, The frame is approximately 10 feet long by 54 inches wide using 2 x 2 in square tubing. The tongue is 8 ft long and 3 x 3 in square tubing. Next step is to order the axle, then I'll be able to have everything welded.

So I decided to go with the Benroy design since it has more room and will be more practical and I think the profile will fit the profile of my tow vehicle better. I also purchased a couple of vintage type windows and my steel to build my frame. Next will be my axle which will be a 3,500 lb Dexter with 6 lugs on 5.5 with electric brakes

The design will either be a Benroy or a Modernistic-Cub 5 foot wide and 10 foot long. Frame will be made of a 2 in. sq frame with a 3 in sq tongue. I'll be using a 3500 lb straight axle with 17 wheels and the tire size will be 265/70/17.
To the right are some photos of the parts I've been purchasing as time and money allows. Once I get the pattern for the Modernistic-Cub I'll be able to compare it to the Benroy pattern I have and make a decision as to which design to go with.

Teardroppers- This is where I will post my information about the Teardrop trailer I will be building. It will be a slow process, something to do as a hobby.