Hello from Bavaria - Stainless Micro Airstream

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by pan-european

By the way - I am looking for an airstream nameplate for my trailer, but the shipping costs of 15 $ (to Michigan) are higher than the cost for the plate itself at silver trailer supply.



A friend in Michigan can it send to me in Germany via mail. Is there any supplier where I can get one without paying 30 dollars for a small plate including shipping ?

Thank you - Tom

Did you try Vintage Trailer Supply - parts and supplies for vintage travel trailers and campers! ?
Colin

PS Nice work!

[JimGolden]

Tom,

I have never towed a trailer behind a motorcycle myself. I was wondering, does the trailer have brakes?

I've seen lots of trailers behind bikes, but I've never gotten down close enough to see if they had brakes or not. Just wondering.

take care,

[pan-european]

@Colin - At Vintage Trailer supply they're out of stock.

@ Jim - I know american trailers behind bikes have electric brakes sometimes.

Here in Germany thats not allowed.
Heavy trailers above 750 kg must have a automatic mechanical brake, which is activated from the telescope tongue, when the trailer pushes the car (downhill or if the towing car reduces speed).

Light trailers can be towed without extra brakes.

Tom

[pan-european]

After the right sidewall I fitted the front shell.



And added one more window cutout.



Tom

[pan-european]

For the left sidewall with the roof section I had to connect three sheets.



Then two cutouts for window and roof vent and I shot the first line of rivets after sealing the seam with Sikaflex-221.



Tom

[pan-european]

To build the trailer I purchased a small air compressor (109 Euro), a tinshear (39 Euro) and a Hazet rivet gun (80 Euro).

I had before electric drill and jigsaw and a battery drill for deburring my 3000 holes. I needed until now only two 4 mm cobalt drills.





Tom

[mayco]

That is absolutely beautiful work, i'm curious, what is your chosen profession?

[bolerama]

Originally Posted by pan-european

Hi Lisa, thank you

Shipping an envelope with a nameplate costs here only 2 Euro !
Inside Germany from post agency to clients door 4 Euro a box up to 2 kg.
7 Euro up to 32 kg.
And all the webshops normally take 7 Euro from their clients for shipping.

When and where are you in Bavaria this summer?

I noticed, you own a Boler - do you know the "Lander Graziella 300" ?
It's a similar italian tiny 10 ft egg. I made the picture in Croatia 2010.

Tom

Dear Tom,
Those shipping costs are very reasonable, and surprising given your cost of fuel.

I love the little Lander Graziella 300! I'm not familiar with those. It must be the same size as our boler. The boler is only 10 ft. When you include the tongue, it is 13 ft. We occasionally get very cool European trailers imported here. We always dream of getting our hands on one. Your windows are so much more functional than most on N. American trailers.

Your mini-Airstream is totally amazing. I really look forward to watching the progress of the upper segments. That's a real challenge!

We are touring Europe in September, starting in the Netherlands. We are renting an apartment in Haarlem through airbnb for the first few days, and it comes with bikes. Since we'll be a bike-ride away from a national park, we plan to bike around the campgrounds gawking at cool trailers (and hoping for tours- ha ha). Then, we join an organized tour. We'll be travelling through Bavaria approximately September 10-13. I am ecstatic! We've been planning and saving for this trip for a couple of years. September is the only time I can take holidays from work, so this is seriously cutting into our camping time, but it will be worth it!

Take care,
Lisa

[pan-european]

Originally Posted by mayco

That is absolutely beautiful work, i'm curious, what is your chosen profession?

Thank you

I've been a dental technician for 15 years and since 2002 I work as system administrator.

Tom

[pan-european]

Originally Posted by bolerama

Dear Tom,
Those shipping costs are very reasonable, and surprising given your cost of fuel.

I love the little Lander Graziella 300! I'm not familiar with those. It must be the same size as our boler. The boler is only 10 ft. When you include the tongue, it is 13 ft. We occasionally get very cool European trailers imported here. We always dream of getting our hands on one. Your windows are so much more functional than most on N. American trailers.

Your mini-Airstream is totally amazing. I really look forward to watching the progress of the upper segments. That's a real challenge!

We are touring Europe in September, starting in the Netherlands. We are renting an apartment in Haarlem through airbnb for the first few days, and it comes with bikes. Since we'll be a bike-ride away from a national park, we plan to bike around the campgrounds gawking at cool trailers (and hoping for tours- ha ha). Then, we join an organized tour. We'll be travelling through Bavaria approximately September 10-13. I am ecstatic! We've been planning and saving for this trip for a couple of years. September is the only time I can take holidays from work, so this is seriously cutting into our camping time, but it will be worth it!

Take care,
Lisa

Hey Lisa - we are suffering from very high fuel prizes - at the moment 1.35 Euro per liter diesel, 1.55 for gas. But my Focus diesel takes only 5.7 Liters per 100 km (41 mpg)

The Netherlands are a very good destination watching for caravans. In Germany everybody thinks, every dutch car has a hitch and you never see a dutchman in Germany without trailer

I live only 50 Kilometers from the oldest german "Nationalpark Bayrischer Wald". Maybe its on your route.

I love my old Eriba and had the same a bit smaller(called Familia) before.
But after searching three years, I found a very reasonable Troll and travelling with it is nearly so easy like with the Familia.

I hope to finish soon with the Micro Airstream, because end of April I will start to Gibraltar !

Tom

[pan-european]

On the first of March my season plate gets valid, the weather was fine and I made the first test ride up to 100 km/h. The trailer follows very fine, no problems with braking and the size fits the bike perfect.





Tom

[pan-european]

After the test ride I began the part I was most afraid of, the roof corners.
My first plan was to build the corners like a vinyl waterball from overlapping segments.



But then I got a new idea when I saw a stainless garden decoration ball.



they are very expensive (300 Euro) in the size (0.6 meter diameter) I needed, but with a little luck I found one damaged short before last christmas with transport dents on iibey for "only" 120 Euros and buyed it immediately.

I did not know how the ball looks inside and what quality the chinese stainless steel would be. But I drilled a hole inside and took my jigsaw to take a look!

[pan-european]

And after fitting the segment to my roof corner it looks fine





Tom

[vinstream]

I was hoping you were going to form the corner panels...

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by vinstream

I was hoping you were going to form the corner panels...

Huh?

Isn't that a little like complaining that the filet mignon you were just served was delivered on the china with 18k gold trim and not the 24k gold trim?

:-)

[pan-european]

I made four quarter domes from the ball and clamped it on.



And on the next weekend I added the remaining roof sheets.
All is fixed with clecos to secure all holes are in the right place.



Tom

[Air-Texas]

Wow, that is great! Really nice work.

[pan-european]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Did you try have the name plate mailed in a postal envelope? Have the seller do that instead of "shipping."

They will send it in an envolope directly to Germany for 9.50 $

Tom

[wncrasher]

Dude, seriously impressed with your fabrication skills. You should join the Teardrops and Tiny Trailers forum. They have alot of trailer fabricators over there that may be able to offer you some tips on your interior.

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers • Index page


Update: OOPs! see you already are a member. Keep us posted on your progress though.

[Bauxter]

Tom, Where did you get the rear license plate enclosure?

If you have any spare time, I (and I bet others) would love to see more detail on how you bent the uprights. Awesome!

thanks
Mike