New Here!

[Slym]

Hey guys

Joined because I found out what teardrop trailers are and loved it! I am not much of a camper but would love to see a lot of national parks. being in my early 20s means buying an RV is a streach, however being a tradesman, building a trailer should be easy!

After sucking in as much info as I can I've come up with three different designs: a traditional, an "airstream", a camper looking one, and a variation on the first.

I'll be picking up the trailer from Harbour Freight this week, then I can start construction. After seeing a lot of build videos I guess I have a few questions...
-are most people riviting the aluminum to the plywood? or gluing it?
-would there be any additional benifit to using Tyvec wind shield on the sides, and vapor barrior on the bottom (in addition to the sealant)?
-are there any suggested ways in making the trailer removable? I was thinking a few squarebolts through the floor frame onto the metal frame (by knotching out one of the wood frame pieces)
-do you guys buy most of the manufactured supplies online or in person?

Sorry that I am spilling all the questions at once, but after a week of research, I only have a few things to clear up.

I hope that by the start of summer I will have it completely done, with fancy gadgets and all!

[KennethW]

If you don't know already clean and repack the bearings the stuff in the bearing is NOT grease.
Don,t be intimated with the curved roof on a teardrop. It is easy with a pair of ratchet tie straps.
Have you seen the foamie section ? Some foam covered with glue,canvas and paint (PMF).
Go 2 doors and 5 foot wide if you can, even with fender wells 5 foot wide is a lot more room.
For the cost of a HF trailer I would not try to make it removable.
When putting the trailer together. You may look at mounting the last two cross members under the side rails then you can slid in the galley floor between the rail. It will create a lot more galley storage room
Just some thoughts. Good luck and have fun with you build.

[Slym]

That is extremely good to know about the grease! Thanks!
Also to add on, a cool little thing I was planning was a central grease port, just by running 1/4 inch hose to each grease fitting and running it to a male port on the side of the trailer. A lot of productin machines I work on do that... however they usually have like 12 places to grease, not 2 lol I am just lazy.

And I suppose you are right they are pretty cheap, do you know if anybody has had trouble getting the trailer parts across the border (Canadian FYI)

Also I really have to watch my weight, I drive a mini cooper S (thankfully a manual) and the trailer hitch for it is only a 1000 pounds towing.

Thanks!

[pchast]

In machine work I found a common grease line POOR use of technology.

There is no way to prove you are getting good, even, distribution of the lubricant. When these were installed in a boiler room against recommendations, there were a multitude of expensive motor and pump failures. Grease had hardened in the 1/4" copper lines and did not flow to all bearings.

[Slym]

hm I didn't know that, The machines I deal with, it is manufacturer recommended to grease before the start of every day. I can see what you are saying, maybe I won't as I wont' be greasing every day. Thanks!

[KennethW]

That is extremely good to know about the grease! Thanks!
Also to add on, a cool little thing I was planning was a central grease port, just by running 1/4 inch hose to each grease fitting and running it to a male port on the side of the trailer. A lot of productin machines I work on do that... however they usually have like 12 places to grease, not 2 lol I am just lazy.
And I suppose you are right they are pretty cheap, do you know if anybody has had trouble getting the trailer parts across the border (Canadian FYI)
Also I really have to watch my weight, I drive a mini cooper S (thankfully a manual) and the trailer hitch for it is only a 1000 pounds towing. Thanks!

Packing the bearings does not have to be that often if done right. I grease mine every two years,15,000 miles or when I replace the tires. what ever comes first(tire and miles tied)
With a teardrop you are not backing in to water like a boat. So the hub does not need to be full of grease. But the bearings do. To get the inside seal out I tap the inside race out. it will push the seal out with out destroying it.
At 1000 pound you will have to think light. the trailer a lone is 250 pounds. 1 1/2 Foam and PMF maybe the way for you to go.
To help you design your TD this may be helpful http://www.mikenchell.com/perfect_td.html
.

[Slym]

Yea the weight is something I have been thinking about. I've gotten a quote for some aluminum and the place near me sells 0.25", I believe most people make their trailer with .6" right? I can't see any disadvantages to using a thinner gauge metal. The 0.6" came to $100 canadian/ each 4x8 sheet.

[Nobody]

Welcome to 'teardrop time', hope you enjoy it. We're in our mid 70s, early 80s & have 'graduated' to a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe with bathroom (important, especially at our age). I remember teardrop trailers from the 1940s/50s & we have been camping (in one kind of rig or another) most all our married life (57yrs come June 4th). Our two sons grew up camping, & their kids think it's the only kind of family recreation. I built our TD in 2006, on an HF 1800# (think they [HF trailers] may now be 1720/40#??). It is 60" wide and 114" long (outside dimensions). Pretty simple to build and pull. We started towing with a '95 Nissen Hardbody KingCab 4X4 p/u with 5spd transmission & 2.2L (I think) 4cyl engine. The Nissen did well towing the TD except on steep grades at elevation, or facing a strong headwind. When I got the opportunity to acquire a 2008 Toyota Tacoma, 4dr, long bed 4X4 with auto trans, I 'jumped' on it. It tows the TD well under all circumstances, & the Casita well also, with little degradation of fuel efficiency towing either one. There's a lot of things I did while building that I can't remember but it is all pretty well pictured in my gallery. Take a look & if you have any ?? I'll try to answer. I think most folks who use aluminum as an outer skin, use 0.040" & some (me included) use a small amount of construction adhesive to hold it in place. The edge trim & doors (and any windows) hold the edges so the siding usually 'floats' on the sides/roof, negating any 'oil can' effect as the aluminum siding expands and contracts with heat/sunlight while traveling. I used 0.063" 'diamond tread' aluminum for trim on front & bottom sides. I don't think you'd want to use .6 or even 0.06" for siding as it'd be very stiff & quite heavy. Generally the goal/objective of TD construction is to keep weight down as much as possible so you can tow with almost any vehicle... Again, welcome to TNTTT!

[Vedette]

Yea the weight is something I have been thinking about. I've gotten a quote for some aluminum and the place near me sells 0.25", I believe most people make their trailer with .6" right? I can't see any disadvantages to using a thinner gauge metal. The 0.6" came to $100 canadian/ each 4x8 sheet.

I think you have your decimals in the wrong place. 0.25 is 1/4" thick????
You would not want to work with an aluminum skin thicker than .040"
Good Luck with your build.
And do your homework well before you jump into buying things like a HF trailer.
Where about in Canada are you.
Good Rods
Brian & Sandi

[Slym]

lol 1/4 inch thick sheet, I am glad I don't order metal over email.

And I am in Niagara so border jumping is done almost weekly. I got the trailer and it was about $55 CAD in duty. Why what is wrong with the HF ones? Even though they are made in china they still have to meet DOT requirements.

[Nobody]

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with HF trailers, as long as you remember that the stuff that comes 'packed' in the hubs ain't really grease. It appears to be merely some kind of preservative & you should clean the hubs & bearings thoroughly & repack with a good grade of wheel bearing grease before using the hubs. Some folks don't like the smaller (12" wheels) and insist the smaller wheels/bearings will heat up quicker. I've towed trailers with 12" wheels from coast to coast, loaded & unloaded, usually loaded with upwards of a ton of gear (Hunting/camping), at all speeds up to freeway speeds, with no problem either from the wheels or the trailer chassis (I do have a crack in a weld bead on my current TD where the tilt mechanism is welded but I blame that on being rear ended in 2010). If it was indeed cracked during the rear end collision. the TD has been towed more'n 15K miles since then including a trip at freeway speed to California & back in 2013? I will repair the weld crack before the TD goes on the road again just for my own satisfaction... I have absolutely NO problems with any trailer with 12" wheels. I might be a little more hesitant if I were using 8" wheels but again, trailers using those wheels (pop-up campers, boat trailers, etc.) have been towed untold thousands if not millions of miles using small wheels. I hear lots of claims & speculation but I don't KNOW of problems that can be laid absolutely to the size of wheels used & my considerable experience doesn't jibe with it.

[Slym]

Again, thanks for the advice on the hubs, I cleaned them out pretty well and put red tacky in it, that should do fine.

I agree the trailer looks fine, nothing visably wrong with the welds, the holes all line up, and it feels pretty solid.

The work I have completed so far:
-trailer built
-decking down
-framework extended over the wheels (dimentions of camping now 5'6" x 8' 4")
-insulation in the floor

I decided that I would make the camper removable since garage space in the winter is an issue with having it. Was actually pretty easy.