Chassis Chice

[Longrifle Joe]

OK---

I have been wanting to do one of these teardrops for a long while, and i need some advice.

First, I will be using this unit as a single person---no human companions. I may have a small dog (a Rat Terrier sized companion) on most of my trips, so I am interested in the smallest, lightest, most fuel efficient design possible. I also plan to insulate it so I can use it in any clime or condition. I will use it on a year round basis, not just during warm weather, and I will likely end up in some remote wilderness areas of the USA. I will be towing with a Ranger 4WD or something comparable, and my wilderness stays may extend for as long as a week or two.
These parameters have led me to conclude that the smaller "cubby" or 4 X 8 design would suit me best. Does this make sense to those of you who have been doing this a long while?

Secondly, In looking at the "red trailers", I see a good bit of difference in price but I am not sure exactly what are the actual differences in the designs offered. Would the cheapest trailer kit be sufficient for the "cubby" design? Which red trailer model do you recommend?


Thirdly, is there one particular "plan" that is better than others, or one that is more highly recommended than others? I see Kuffel offers a set of plans, and mostly I see good reviews of them----are there others on the same par or more highly recommended?

Lastly, I have a well-equipped woodworking shop and have a good bit of experience building furniture (mostly Shaker reproductions)----I am confident of everything except the hatch---I am unfamiliar with the hurricane hinge so have no idea how difficult that is to install. However, I see so many of you folk who have built these things and many of you seem less experienced with tools and working with wood than I, that I feel with your help, I can do it. Do the plans from Kuffel for example illuminate all these issues?

Thank you all for any help you can give me.

Joe

[asianflava]

First of all, Welcome to the board!

A cubby will probably suit most solo trips.

I'm not shure about the trailer selection since mine was custom made.

If you are familiar with shop tools and construction, you might be able to just use the plans as a guide, and come up with your own thing. I started off with a full sized pattern, and some drawings of the cabinet layout. I kinda made up the rest as I went along. BTW, this is my first time taking on a project like this.

The only difficult thing about the hurricane hinge is getting the proper orientation. It is designed to shed water in one direction, but it is easily installed backwards.

[MOKI SEAKER]

I have built some shaker furniture myself, at least a Doz. candle stands. As far as design goes, they are pretty much the same, I like the Benroy, it seems to make the most of the space you need, you don't hit your knees when working in the galley. If you are a single guy you probably don't need a hang'e up closet, that is the only advantage for the round front trailer. Thats just my opion. They are plain and funictional. Jim G

[Longrifle Joe]

Thank you all for replying already---I just posted my questions last night and already you are helping me out. I was afraid it would be weeks before I heard from anyone.

Today, I found a local man who builds utility trailers---he is very experienced and will build me a frame including axle & springs AND 13" wheels & tires for $595.00. The neat thing is, he only lives and works about 5 miles from my house---and he will not only do the frame for me, he will help me with anything else I need in the way of advice or expertise. The only negative is that he has never seen or heard of a "teardrop". I have decided that I am going to have him build my frame----it will be far sturdier and of better materials than the "red frame".


I do have one other question at this point: given the fact that I will be using this unit as a single guy with only a small dog as a companion, is the 4 X 8 large enough? I can do a 5 X 8 as easily as the narrower one, but I want the unit to trail behind without extruding beyond the width of my tow vehicle. Any thoughts from anyone?

Oh yes, candlestands are nice Shaker projects especially when you use the sliding dovetail joint to attach the feet. I have built a few of them myself, but I have to admit that my first sliding dovetail joints were a mess----took me a while to get that detail right.

One thing I am noticing is, many tear builders have had little experience with tools or woodworking, but they all had a lot of determination and willingness to learn. In the end, they all seemed to turn out some really nice projects. I am inspired LOL. In fact, I haven't been this excited about a project in years.

Joe

[asianflava]

If there is one thing you will learn about this forum, somebody is always online.

That is a pretty good price, my frame probably cost about that much. I even had the welding done for free!

If a 4X8 is what you seek, you can't beat the price of the HF, TSC or Red Trailers. Anything bigger, I'd go custom since it's easier to start from scratch.

My 5ft trailer tucks in nicely behind my Mazda (Ranger) and our Highlander. Even with the fenders, it is in the shadow of the TV.

You may want to go ahead and do a 5X10 or 5X8, if you think it won't be too much extra trouble. For solo camping it might be a little big but you'll probably not regret it, unless you plan on going offroad with it. One thing for certain, it will be easier to sell if you want to build another one. Just to put into some perspective, a 5ft trailer is the size of a queen mattress inside (usually).

[Longrifle Joe]

Since I am often up late at night, it is good to know someone is close by.

Although I have no idea of selling my camper once it is built, I have certainly learned it is better to "never say never". I can go 5 X 8 as easily as I can do the 4 X 8 (relatively speaking of course).

When we talk about "off roading", I am always uncertain as to exactly what is meant by that term. I will be using unpaved roads at times and I will not always be in places where there is electricity available. I am not going to be heading into places similar to the "Baja Run".

My biggest problem I think is that I want everything to be sturdy----and I fear I might "overbuild". I do not want a failure to occur out in the boondocks someplace.

Joe

[sdtripper2]

Joe:

A few subjects come to mind after reading your posts :

1) When you decide the type of cabin on top of
your frame, axle positioning can have a bearing:

1a)Axle placement issues:
Placement of axle can effect fender position, tongue weight and door placement.
So before you have the guy tacks down your axle read the top part
of this thread to get some basics down.
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=11178

1b) How will you mount your axle if your not using a torsion type?
Above the springs or below the springs?
Some put the axle below the springs to give extra height for rougher
terrain?

2) Hurricane hinge questions?
Asianflava aka "Rocky", spoke of right positioning and cutting of this type
of hinge. Please read the top of this thread to see mistakes and questions
on that subject explained in pictures and experiences aplenty.
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=11210

As Rocky suggests this forum is wide open and free flowing with lulls where
there are less people between 3-5 AM EST. Most every other hour there
are more than 10 people on board willing to help or point you in what ever
direction you are having issues with. Ask your question and usually within
an hour there will be replies. Within a day your replies will stack uP like
airplanes coming in to JFK on a holiday weekend.

Joe, Get them fancy tools honed and working fine ... there are
some builders here that also have woodworking skills that will
love to see your attention to detail.

Joe, You know the coin of the realm here is pictures so questions
accompanied with those clicks will get you faster and better responses.

Good luck and welcome aboard Joe~

[Longrifle Joe]

Thank you--One of the problems (among many it seems) is that I am not always sure of what design you are talking about here. I see "benroy" "boxter" etc. and am not always sure exactly what all these designs are. Is there a site I can access that will show the different designs/shapes so I can become familiar with them?

My primary exposure to the teardrops is from the Kuffel Website---and I am thinking that what they call the "cubby" is the size I want to build. After doing some measuring and laying out, I agree with what many have already told me, and am settled on the wider 5 X 8 rather than the 4 X 8. My frame builder will build it any way I request, so am going for the wider frame and cabin.

The links you provided are most helpful, and I thank you for them. I am a fairly fast study and I am anxious to progress far enough that I don't have to ask some of the questions that now baffle me. However, I already know that the wiring will present me with lots of challenges---.

Does everyone else have the same anxieties I am having over this project?

Joe

[jagular7]

Joe, at the top of the website forum, there is a small pic of a teardrop. It cycles through every time you refresh or change the page on the screen. There is an album in this forum to give you plenty of designs and styles to look at. Just click on the photo.

About the only suggestion I can provide is that you layout something on the floor and a close wall. Someone here did just that and gave them an idea of height for counter tops, storage compartments, length for interior space, etc. Its only 2-dimensional, but at least gives you dimensions needed to figure out what you'll need. Some here also have 3-d programs to draw up ideas. That's really cool.

My situation/experience: I went with a commercial built 4x8 utility style td. It doesn't have a real kitchen area, but more of a countertop only. The sleeping area is smaller than most 4x8 because of the curves of the td front upper and especially lower areas. My requirement was to sleep for 2-3 nights at best and mostly primative as camping was with trailriding in a Jeep. I bring barely enough to be considered a kitchen for cooking, and I wanted a clean protective sleeping area off the ground. 4x8 sleeping is a bit close, but what can you expect for a 10 yr old rolling around during his sleep. For a single person, plenty of room. Yes 5' wide would offer more interior space, so maybe a bump up is fine for you. You could also make the width of the trailer to enclose the rear tires. Some have done that with minimal interior space problems.

You have to plan out what you will be taking with you, its storage location while en route, accessibility when you need to get at it, any hardware locations (sink, heater, propane tank, water tank, etc), and if its out in the weather, when you store it back, will it affect anything else (think rain, water, etc on an awning).

[doug hodder]

Joe...another thing to consider is that if you go with a 5x you will have more costs up front for material...a 4x8 really does minimize materials cost...but for me I've built a 4x 10 a 4'6" x 10 and am doing another 4'6" x 10...It's just me and a dog also, but the extra 6" in width really made it nice and the extra length means I don't have to "jam" stuff into the galley...I've got 6'6" of length in the sleeping area. An idea might be to go out and snap some chalk lines of the dimensions on the garage floor and lay down in it...think about what is going to work best for the way you camp...take along a lot of cooking stuff? etc...you might want a bigger one...but then if you do it all the way you want from the start...there's no need for a 2nd one...and where's the fun in that? "Hi everybody...my name is Doug and I'm on my 3rd tear..." my own 12 step program.... Doug

[Henry]

Where in Ky are you? I am in Radcliff, And there are others in Lex,,Ashland, Cinci(oh)Central Ky to name a few

[dacrazyrn]

I built a 4x8 on the HF frame. It fits myself and a 4 year old without problem. It could easily fit 2 adults, but close to shoulder to shoulder. Interior dimensions of the sleeping area ended up about 45 inches, insulated.
It tucks behind my F150 perfectly. Both brake/tail lights on the truck are visible and the third brake light above it also. The wheels track on the inside of the truck tires, just within the "groove."

[bledsoe3]

"Hi everybody...my name is Doug and I'm on my 3rd tear..." my own 12 step program.... Doug

Does that mean you have nine more to build?

[doug hodder]

Jim.....I kinda hope not...while they are a lot of fun to build and use, sooner or later I'm going to build one that I'll keep for a long time. Doug

[bledsoe3]

Let me know before you get rid of the "Road Titan".