I have been researching this forum and other sites for design ideas and solutions for my teardrop build. Some specs I have settled on, and others are still being worked out. The basic concept is for an off-road capable teardrop that is light, durable, with a nod to the early age of teardrops in appearance. It will be 5'W x 9'L x 4'H. I think that's about a small I can use to accommodate a roughly queen sized mattress and sufficient storage space. The basic frame will be a standard 5' x 7' rectangle with 3 cross braces custom fabricated, and on a 3,500lb axle on 2,000lb rated leaf springs. Planning to use 2" x 3" steel tubing. 15" or 16" smoothie wheels 5" or 6" wide with some skinny, off-road bias ply tires.
I'm leaning toward stick-built walls using 1" x 1" thick wood skinned with 1/8" plywood on inside and outside to accommodate sufficient insulation in the walls, and to keep it light. Roof spars of 1 1/4" x 3/4" aircraft grade Sitka spruce because I already have it in the garage.The floor might be 1/4" bolted to the frame with a 1" x 3" frame built on top of that to create an under floor storage area, and topped with 1/2" plywood with access hatches built in. I say might be, because I'm not entirely sure that I want to sacrifice 3" of head space to gain 3" of storage space. If not, 1/2" plywood will do. I intend to stuff 3" of foam insulation under floor between the frame rails to insulate the floor. Entire body skinned in .040" aluminum.
At this point, building and sealing the doors and hatch are still a mystery to me.
Other details I'm considering are a Fantastic Fan that closes when it rains because I will forget to close it, a top- hinged window like Little Guy (can be opened in rain without getting my mattress wet), under trailer spare tire/hub mount, roof rack for kayaks and gear, basic ac/dc power system for use on battery or Honda eu2000i generator with solar upgrade capability, and a good mattress because a teardrop is just a cool way to haul around a bed after all is said and done.
I've already found this forum to be a valuable resource, and hope that sharing my experiences might help someone else. Pictures and drawings to follow.