Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

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Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby KendaldaCosta » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:50 am

Hi everyone, I've been thinking about building a Teardrop so my girlfriend, our 2 dogs and I can take some weekend adventures. I've been batting around the idea of a compact trailer that can slide back to give more sleeping room for 2 adults and 2 medium-Large dogs (Black lab and Golden Retriever)

My design criteria is as follows:
- 7x7 trailer base
- 5' interior clearance so in case of poor weather we can sit in there and not have to be squished
- 10' total expanded length so the dogs aren't on top of us while we sleep

See attachment for what I've drawn up. In the expanded mode, it would have some jacks or outriggers of some sort to support the part that slid out.

Is this a dumb idea? I like the idea of pulling a shorter trailer and I like the idea of having the extra room inside for the dogs but is this worth it?
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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby Pmullen503 » Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:06 pm

Slide outs in various forms are common but they do increase cost and complexity of the build.

Why not make the front slide out over the tongue? You could incorporate the support structure into the trailer frame.
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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby tony.latham » Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:05 pm

K:

I don't think it's a dumb idea. But as you read my thoughts, bear in mind, there is no camper that's right for all of us. Thankfully. Or this would be a dull forum. So it may be a good idea.

One of the many reasons my wife and I enjoy our teardrop so much is the lack of set up time. (Ours is 5' and 10' long.) On long trips, it's not unusual for us to pull off the road and take a nap-like break. Open the door and get in.

There are a few folks on this forum with five-high teardrops. Personally, I think it's just a place for warm air to go when it's cold outside. You can't stand up within 5', so I don't get the purpose. Try making 4' and 5' marks on a hallway wall with tape and sit down and think about your cabin height. 5' tall is also going to add complexity to your build because of most material widths.

There may be ways to make a portion of a slider system waterproof and dustproof, but it will be a challenge. I'd suggest you just build your trailer long enough for your end goal and call it good.

We put our pooches in the back seat of our Tacoma at night. They seem to like it. (During the eclipse, they both wanted in. Go figure.) By the end of a camping trip, that back seat is a mess. We've got a U-shaped dog seat cover so it's contained. Better there than in our 'drop.

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Camping with dogs? :thumbsup:

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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby KendaldaCosta » Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:54 pm

Pmullen503 wrote:Slide outs in various forms are common but they do increase cost and complexity of the build.

Why not make the front slide out over the tongue? You could incorporate the support structure into the trailer frame.



I think the complexity thing is what I was drawn to. I often overthink/overdream projects that I complete. The reason I didn't have it sliding over the frame was that the galley line seemed to be a logical place to slide from and I never thought about that being the fixed portion.

We put our pooches in the back seat of our Tacoma at night. They seem to like it. (During the eclipse, they both wanted in. Go figure.) By the end of a camping trip, that back seat is a mess. We've got a U-shaped dog seat cover so it's contained. Better there than in our 'drop.


I don't think they'd go for that.. but hey, you never know. To be honest, I think that the sliding trailer idea came from me wanting to make something unique and less from a functional standpoint. I may just build it to length and call it good as you said, Tony.
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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby daveesl77 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 6:46 am

Ours is 5.5' wide, 5.5' tall and 10' long. We did it this way so our bed is raised on a platform, plus we have open floor at the foot of the bed and the front curved area contains cabinets and a small dorm fridge. We had a really big, old beagle a we kind of designed the floor for him. This size allows us to have a ton of room, we can sit up on the bed, comfortably and the galley rides underneath the bed. Galley slides out the back. Fixed sizes are nice, but no size is perfect.

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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby Pmullen503 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:37 am

The extra height is nice, even just to get in and out of clothes.

If complexity is a feature, not a bug then a lifting roof might be just the thing. Being able to see over the trailer would be a big plus when backing up not to mention better fuel economy.
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Re: Brand new to the teardrop game. Sliding Tear Questions

Postby Socal Tom » Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:30 am

I would just go with a 10 ft long trailer, but build the galley to slide out from under the bed. With 5ft height you can have a “bathroom “ with floor space for the dogs if you put the bed side to side. There would be room for a water heater, generator and sink . With a water heater you can use the hot water to create a heater. Plenty of things to make the trailer complicated with cool features that add to the enjoyment, rather than making it complicated for the sake of making it complicated.


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