With my new hitch on the Fiero, and the Tyler Show coming up soon, I have it in my head to build myself a Teardrop camper..
I have always wanted one, and with their small size and light weight, can easily pull it to car shows.. Having a teardrop would also enable me to attend other shows that I can't normally make due to funding, such as Heartland, Michigan, etc...
I have a line on one of the Harbor Freight 4x8 folding trailers. It currently has 8" wheels and tires, but I plan to upgrade those to 12" when I redo the bearings and hubs. I can pick that up for $100...
After doing the math and some online Home Depot browsing, I can pick up all of the wood to get it built and weathered in for under $400. This includes the urethane construction adhesive to bond the wall paneling to the wood framework, and the roof coating to weather tight the underside of the wood deck.
The plans so far include 1/4" Oak plywood for the outer walls, 3/16" hardboard paneling for the outer roof skin where it curves over the top, and 1/4" Lauan for the interior walls and ceiling. The floor will consist of 1/2" thick plywood over a 2x4 base. The base will be laid flat, two inches tall, and bolted to the trailer at all available bolt points. I plan to use stainless steel carriage bolts through the 2x4s, then lay the plywood flooring over the carriage bolts and attach it to the framework. This should allow me to just crawl under the trailer and tighten everything in one shot when the deck is ready to be permanently attached to the trailer.
I plan to foam core the walls using foam board. The walls will be glued at all wall stud locations, and wall studs will be 1x4 poplar. The 4 inch dimension laid flat between wall layers.
Ceiling and forward wall will be 2x2 furring strips..
I do not plan to install an actual galley, but will have storage in the back, and plan on a small 110v AC unit to be installed as part of the build for summer stays.
I will also be building this with a slightly lower roofline than the norm to help with pull behinds.
This will be my build thread, and I hope to start the project within the next month.
Any constructive input and feedback is welcome. This thread is my "committing to the project" thread. Root for me so I get it built.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 03-28-2011).]
When you think of the measurements of a teardrop camper, usually 4 foot wide, 4 foot tall and on average 8 feet long, the size of a sheet of plywood, you don't actually realize exactly how small it truly is..
I stopped at a friend's place on the way home from work yesterday.. He had a 4 foot by 2 foot piece of hardboard laying there.. I picked it up and that was when I realized that in order to fit two people in a 4 foot wide teardrop, you better be pretty damn comfortable with that person..
I have two designs in mind.. The "traditional" teardrop style in which the front is taller in profile than the back.... This allows a greater amount of headroom when sitting in the trailer or sleeping...
A "modern" teardrop pop-up design, in which the front is actually symmetrical with the back.. More of a long oval shape with a low sleek front end and low sleek back end.
The front and rear would have identical hatches, they would operate just like a classic teardrop galley hatch, but the front would open up with a canvas liner, allowing a lot of extra room inside.. Or, you can camp with it closed as well, it would just be a bit more... Snug..
I am playing in MS Paint to get the overall profile that I want, and I am very partial to the popup-style..
I can appreciate the work that DRA put into his trailer...
But, my goal is different from his... I want mine to be easily towable by a Fiero. This means I have two key items I have to watch for... I can't let the profile be too tall, or I will be pulling a brick behind the Fiero, even with the more streamlined shape of the Teardrop... And I have to keep the total trailer weight under 700 lbs..
To do this, I am planning on building the walls in a sandwich composite style... 1/4" inner and outer sheathing, with 3/4" framework in between, with the gaps filled with insulation. Glued and clamped together. Some people opt to build their teardrops with solid walls, such as 3/4" plywood.. This adds weight and is known to sweat badly on cooler nights. I want to avoid this by using insulation and reducing weight for a structure that is just as rigid.
Synth, a place down the road from me makes the panels for Semi Trailers. They take two thin sheets of aluminum, put them in a frame about an inch apart from each other, and fill the void with foam. The result is an extremely strong, and very well insulated wall. It would easily make a floor as well. (for your use)
You may look into ditching the wood entirely, and making it from aluminum, or even fiberglass with insulation between layers.
The plans so far include 1/4" Oak plywood for the outer walls, 3/16" hardboard paneling for the outer roof skin where it curves over the top, and 1/4" Lauan for the interior walls and ceiling. The floor will consist of 1/2" thick plywood over a 2x4 base. The base will be laid flat, two inches tall, and bolted to the trailer at all available bolt points. I plan to use stainless steel carriage bolts through the 2x4s, then lay the plywood flooring over the carriage bolts and attach it to the framework. This should allow me to just crawl under the trailer and tighten everything in one shot when the deck is ready to be permanently attached to the trailer.
I plan to foam core the walls using foam board. The walls will be glued at all wall stud locations, and wall studs will be 1x4 poplar. The 4 inch dimension laid flat between wall layers.
Any constructive input and feedback is welcome. This thread is my "committing to the project" thread. Root for me so I get it built.
I can only think of two things that pop into my mind. First of all, stainless fasteners will gall if you don't put anti-seize on the threads. I'm using stainless on my 53 F100 and if it wasn't for the anti-corrosive factor, I'd throw them all in a scrap pile. Second, I'd use a combination of glue and meal fasteners to hold things together. You don't want things falling off as you're cruising down the highway. I'll be following your thread as I was wanting to build one too and pull it to Alaska. So, far, the wife isn't going for it.
[This message has been edited by carnut122 (edited 04-10-2011).]
Definitely an interesting project, and a good step up from a tent. I don't think the wife would be interested in camping in one (see below), but this thread got me interested in finding out more about these. I found an interesting forum with loads of plan and construction discussion, and yes, lots of build threads.
I gave up camping 15 years ago due to lack of sleep. Nothing like having to listen to drunken yahoos hollering and shrieking in the campground all night to make you give up tenting.
While I can afford to purchase the supplies for the project, I can not afford to do so all in one single shot. The issue is that if I get started on the project, I can't take the trailer out to haul stuff with it once I get the decking down, as this may ruin the floor and base while traveling, especially in inclement weather..
Here-in lies the rub... Home Depot has issued a credit card, as has Lowe's. I tried signing up on a whim, and was approved for both. I do not intend to go buy crazy with either of them, but now have the opportunity to make the initial "get everything needed" purchase, and then I can start and get things weathered in...
I just don't like credit cards.. But I need/want the trailer prior to the height of show season, and plan to use it in it's "roughed in" condition for camping when I visit the kids...
So, within the next two weeks, the project will begin...
I believe I'd start with the bed and rear frame from a long-bed S-10, '82-'93. The axle can handle 3000#, hold real wheels and tires, and those brakes can be used with a surge-brakes tongue. No, it's not $100 for most of us, but you can safely build the sleeping floor wider than 4', you can add more storage pockets, it'll be more stable in high winds from any direction, and if there is a mild collision in traffic, it'll survive better. A duke might not like it in the mountains, but any L36-or-better won't have any issues.
I gave up camping 15 years ago due to lack of sleep. Nothing like having to listen to drunken yahoos hollering and shrieking in the campground all night to make you give up tenting.
Good luck with the project.
I tried tenting once when I was a kid... due to the noise and cold, I stopped and lost all interest in camping..
Now we use a 5th wheel.. dont hear anything from the neighbors
I believe I'd start with the bed and rear frame from a long-bed S-10, '82-'93. The axle can handle 3000#, hold real wheels and tires, and those brakes can be used with a surge-brakes tongue. No, it's not $100 for most of us, but you can safely build the sleeping floor wider than 4', you can add more storage pockets, it'll be more stable in high winds from any direction, and if there is a mild collision in traffic, it'll survive better. A duke might not like it in the mountains, but any L36-or-better won't have any issues.
Wouldn't that add to the weight? It not a bad idea otherwise.
Actually, I plan to use the leaf spring/solid axle combo for a while, and eventually move into a torsion axle.
For a proper teardrop, you want to start with a flatbed trailer anyway, and the torsion axle ends and hubs I am looking at are rated at 2000 lbs, and give me a 4 1/2" x5 bolt pattern with a standard bearing hub.
Again, the goal is to keep the weight WAY down on this.. I plan to have the trailer weigh in at less than 700 lbs when all is said and done. That is a dry weight. We'll see how it goes.
Today, I picked up the trailer, several sheets of 1/4" plywood, Birch for the outside walls, "Sandeply" for the inside walls and ceiling. Sandeply is an engineered smooth grain white wood that has no blemishes or knots, no voids in the sandwiched layers, and is very flexible.
I decided to make the walls 2x2 framed instead of 1x2. This allows a thicker insulation and a stronger attachment point to the floor. I have also decided that instead of doing the full 4 foot height off of the trailer bed, I am going to make the total outside height of the trailer 42 inches off the trailer bed. A six inch savings is enough to decrease the overall profile by a very large amount, and since I intend to use this thing for sleeping only and not for living in during weekends and car shows, it is more than adequate for it's purpose..
I have photos showing the trailer and the load of materials, will get those uploaded soon.
The lower height could save quite a bit of weight too.
Brad
Up until the time Synthesis sets his fat ass in the thing.
I have always thought they build those tear drops the wrong way. Shouldn’t the front be the lower end to reduce drag? Especially when towed behind a Fiero.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't. Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
Up until the time Synthesis sets his fat ass in the thing.
I have always thought they build those tear drops the wrong way. Shouldn’t the front be the lower end to reduce drag? Especially when towed behind a Fiero. Steve
Actually, it is more efficient to pull with the larger end forward, and the sloped back end reduces drag by reducing the turbulence in the air that leaves the trailer.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 04-17-2011).]
Actually, I plan to use the leaf spring/solid axle combo for a while, and eventually move into a torsion axle.
For a proper teardrop, you want to start with a flatbed trailer anyway, and the torsion axle ends and hubs I am looking at are rated at 2000 lbs, and give me a 4 1/2" x5 bolt pattern with a standard bearing hub.
Again, the goal is to keep the weight WAY down on this.. I plan to have the trailer weigh in at less than 700 lbs when all is said and done. That is a dry weight. We'll see how it goes.
Wouldn’t a rear axel from just about any fwd work? I would think the vans like the caravan and astro would have 3,000 lb axels or better. And cheaper.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't. Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
Yes, but then you start dealing with coil springs, alternative mounting points, etc.. And they are designed to handle a lot more weight than what I need, thus the trailer might be torn apart simply by towing it down a very rough road.
The torsion axles I am planning to use are just stub axles, they do not tie to each other, but instead weld to a plate on the trailer underneath.
I may stick with the solid axle and leaf spring setup for the time being, but plan to eventually move to the stub torsion axles.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 04-17-2011).]
Make sure you use springs rated for something that light. It would suck to get it done only to have it bounce to pieces because the springs are too harsh.
Make sure you use springs rated for something that light. It would suck to get it done only to have it bounce to pieces because the springs are too harsh.
Brad
Yep. I found torsion axle stubs rated for 1000 lbs, and also a set rated for 500...
I also found a set that have a bolt for mounting a shock, so that you can have the torsion spring, and the benefits of a small gas shock.
Pics.. I have already removed the three sides, and have the trailer up on jack stands... I will be removing the side brackets, cleaning the frame of any rust, and then most likely hitting the frame with Rustoleum, black...
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 04-17-2011).]
Got the old deck stripped off the trailer, and sort of called it for the night.
I need to remove the bolts for the stake pockets on the sides and need to get two pieces of steel 3/16" bar stock cut and drilled to replace the pivot hinges on the trailer for where it folds up.. Once I have done that, I can then begin the floor assembly.. Might be a few days though, as the snow is rolling in here this week.
The trailer is black (except for the tongue)... Since I plan on this being a personal use trailer and don't need to impress anyone but myself, the visible sections are black, and the center frame sections are still red. They'll be hidden when the floor is bolted on.
I got the 4x8 framework for the floor put together, and started drilling the bolt holes for mounting the floor to the trailer.
Tonight, I'll get the bottom lauan glued and screwed to the framework, and then will most likely start tarring the bottom to weather seal it. Once it has cured up, I'll flip it over and get it bolted to the trailer, and then I can begin the process of insulating the bottom and putting the top layer on.
Can't wait to watch this one get done.
.jpg)
.jpg)
