Tear Drop Trailer

An outstanding job. Makes me want to go and camp out. (I still use my 1967 Apache pop-up, though it needs work.)

Not to be nosy but about how many American dollars? (I need to replace that Apache pop-up)

Where did you find the aluminum that wide?

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Pretty cool. I’m almost too claustrophobic to look at the picture, but cool nonetheless.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

A very nice low budget camper. A very nice crafty project.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Neat!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Now that’s the way to go – keep it simple! I quit camping several years ago, because it was just too much work to load everything you needed into the car. This looks like the right approach to me – hook up the trailer with everything already in it and go.

Nice job constructing this useful project.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Now Andy, that’s a BIG box. Pretty neat.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Don will love it – a box on wheels! Nice job.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

WOW, you did a great job, I have been wanting to build one of this for sometime now, just can find a the right trailer,(cheap) might have to look into Harbor Freight. Thanks for sharing…..Joey

-- Joey~~Sabina, Ohio http://sleepydogwoodworking.blogspot.com/

Thanks all.
@PanamaJack-The cost on this was about $1100.00.But my wife and I built one for ourselves that is 5’ wide x 4’ high and 10’long,that has a Queen size mattress and we only have about $800.00 into it.The aluminum sheets are fairly easy to get thru any sheetmetal fabrication company and runs about $60.00 for a 4×8.
@Tom-I dont like confined spaces either,but this isnt a problem for me.When lieing down,my shoulder is at the door opening and my hand is just below the handle.Its easy to bend my knees and pivot thru the opening in one fluid motion if the need arises. :-)
@Joey-We salvaged a camptrailer (free)and gutted it for the frame and axle.This is the best way to go,if possible.Make sure and crawl under and take measurements, etc… first.We tried a tent trailer,but the frame needed to be completely cut apart and rewelded to work,so it wasnt worth it.Another advantage of using a regular trailer frame is that they typically have 14” or 15” wheels which look more retro.

-- " Stubborn tenacity substitutes for natural ability" ANDY

Here is a link to teardrops.net if anyone wants to pursue a project like this.
http://www.teardrops.net/

-- " Stubborn tenacity substitutes for natural ability" ANDY

There is a guy here in town that makes them. They run about $8,000. Seems kind of high to me.

What a delight!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

Andy -

I have looked at the teadrop site in the past. These are very cool little trailers wih almost a cult following. You did an awesome job!

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Nice job Andy….I didn’t build mine …but we love our Cozy Crusier.

-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

DW and I love teardrops. I have one as a project in the future. An excellent and low cost way to camp out.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

Wow! Does this every bring back memories. When a lad I did a lot of camping with my family. We could only afford tents. The Tear Drop Trailer was only a distant dream.

Almost persuaded to give it a go.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Great looking trailer. I’ve done a little campling in my time but I now like full size beds.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Jeepers, I coud pull that with my TR3.

-- Bruce from Central New York

I have wanted to build one of these for a long time. I went to see my brother race over labor day at Lime Rock Park. He has an airstream that he converted to a moving garage/living space that he used for his all aluminum tour . I saw a teardrop trailer being towed by one of the micro fiats. Very nice little setup. He had storage space built into every conceivable spot. Great project.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Definitely need to get some plans. HHmmm….actually this would be a great Sketchup project design.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

No kidding…We just returned from camping last weekend and there was this guy there who built one of these. I had to check it out of course. The outside skin of his was 1/4” ply covered with about 5 coats of gloss polyurethane. The grain pattern “shined” all the way across the campground!

Here’s a hint…Check out www.superbrightleds.com for some good 12vdc lights. I could also picture raising the inner floor 4-6” to accomodate slide out drawers for increased storage.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

This is great! I think this is my next project, as long as I can convince the wife to go camping . . .

Well you can always camp in the back yard if nothing else…

Nice work Andy.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Wow nice work!
Glad to see that I’m not a loner Teardropper!

-- Blessings, Steve. Upstate NY. http://www.campingclassics.com

It’s even got dovetails! What more could you ask for.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Andy:
Very nice project. I have been curious about building one of these. Like the idea of downsizing from a pop-up and being able to pull with a smaller vehicle. Anyways, I am curious about the one you and your wife built for $800. Do you have any info. about that one availble anywhere?

-- Bren Hartman, Battle Creek, Michigan

Thanks Bren! Sorry, but I dont have any additional info regarding the ones I have built.There are dozens of websites and plans available in many sizes and configurations.I opted to design my own and based it off of a 5×10 sheet of plywood.( not easy to get nor cheap ) A 4×8 is alot easier and cheaper to build and thats what most of the old ones were.Keep in mind that if you decide the 4×8 is just too small after building it,you wont have any trouble selling it and making a little profit to go towards the next one.This is a common practice.Just keep it very simple,no sink,stove,TV,inverter,lighting,etc…Less time and money into it and they seem to sell faster that way.People always want to modify them to anyway.

Here is a great place to start looking around.Dont go there unless you want to get really hooked. :-)
http://www.teardrops.net/

-- " Stubborn tenacity substitutes for natural ability" ANDY