Optimal TD Size

[greenchicken]

Hi, me again (get ready for a lot of postings while I get this dream turned into a reality)

I want my TD to be as small as possible
I want my TD to be as comfortable as possible for 2 adults.

I have been building scale models.

My first was 8x4 but I feel it will be too small.

So now I am thinking of 5x9.

Opinions?

IMG_0547.JPG (104.92 KiB) Viewed 1929 times

[GPW]

Chalk it out on the garage floor , pile in all your gear then all parties concerned ( pets too) , see if it all fits … Simple

[tony.latham]

“As comfortable as possible”

That’s a five-wide. The length depends on what you need beyond the length of the 80” queen bed.

I could probably do fine in a 5x9 but I like a headboard with storage under it.

T

[booyah]

I love my 5x8, but if I had it to do over again it would be a 5x10

[Esteban]

A little over 5 ft. wide and about 10 ft. long seems optimal to me. I like to have room for a 60" x 80" Queen sized mattress for sleeping on, two doors, and a generously sized galley with room for an ac/dc fridge freezer, a Camp Chef stove/oven and several deep storage drawers.

To save weight and make it easier to build wider than 5 ft. I favor skinning it with fiberglass.

[KTM_Guy]

I looked at our sleeping bag that was a double. It used two 20" wide pads so 40" total and that was doable but a little more would be nice. Then I looked at mattress sizes. Twin 38", not going to work. Full 54X74, getting closer. Full XL 54X80, We have a winner. I took the those measurements and scaled my plans to fit the mattress. Also added 1.5" to have room to tuck sheets and blankets down around the mattress. I am 9'10" at the longest point. 53" cabin height to the highest point and 58" wide. We got a 5" firm memory foam mattress and added a 2.5" soft topper. We can't slept in the camper yet but I did sleep on the mattress and topper in the living room and was very happy with the setup.

I like being 53" tall on the cabin. It makes the inside not feel cramped. We can sit up and still have a lot of head room. I used 60" wide baltic birch for the sides so it was easy to get the extra height.

Don't over think it. If I was starting over I would have built a quick easy basic teardrop to see how we use it and then build the one we really want. Then sell the first one, or keep it for friends or family to use.

Todd

[noseoil]

Minimal is 5x9, but 5x10 is better for the galley & storage once it's done. Our 5x9 is great, but an extra foot really helps when there are more things stored, towing a 5x10 also feels a bit better & It's easier to back up...

[GPW]

Gotta agree with Nose ‘ ^ , the Magic number for comfort is 50 sq. ft. of floor space, minimum . ( That’s for me , but I’m “Large Frame” ) .. And we found although a 6’ ceiling is nice , you can actually be very comfortable under a 5’ ceiling , and still be able to sit upright in a comfortable camp chair and still have room for your hat … JMHO

[Tom&Shelly]

Well, first tear was 4 x9. Good for me lasted 9 years still useing it.stsrted in 013 building a 6 x 10 kampmaster for a,wedding...then decided I didn't need it just yet, and put it into build when I am bored mode and let it collect dust...so if i ever have a out of the blues mirical and meet Mrs truly I might need it yet for 2 people but yea its a 7 year bored build project right now way no rush to finsh it and if I do need a person to camp with me the kampmaster provides stand up head room.....i find right now 4x9 is plenty room for myself..slow...

Good to have the backup plan Slow. I was 45 and a committed bachelor when I moved to New Mexico. Bought some land and had a house built to my bachelor needs. Then at 52 got married. She loves it here, but occasionally I hear about the house's shortcomings!

Tom

[Tophog]

5x9, based on my needs. Currently have a 4x8, and it stores our gear okay, but when we're trying to sleep, it's not camping, it's CRAMPING.

[Hamilton Felix]

We're asking ourselves the same questions, as I try to learn all about teardrops.

I have the cushions from a 1988 Jayco pop-up that I need to scrap. So we laid down on them. The one which pretty closely matched the bed in a 4 wide (46") was too narrow for us (neither of us is small). I put another cushion alongside, simulating a 5 wide, and we thought that was pretty good.

We're both under 6' so a 6' mattress will do, as long as it's queen width. Now to figure out how much more storage we need. Knowing how we'll use it will make a difference there. Of course, some vehicle camping using one of our vehicles will probably teach us more.

For us, the additional constraints are that we want it sufficiently light and streamlined to tow behind a 5 speed Corolla. Not wanting any plumbing, built in water tank or fridge will make some difference in size requirements. But we still need room for water jugs and an ice chest. I'm thinking 5x8 can do it for the two of us, but 5x9 would be better. A 5x8 teardrop will have less storage than a 5x8 box, but the true teardrop is necessary for aerodynamics.

[Tigris99]

mine if 54" x 80" internal. Hell we sleep fine with less at the in laws when we travel there.

galley type space is separate, trailer I'm building right now will put it at 8.5ft long total main camper length

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[Hamilton Felix]

Interesting.

I like the idea of the rear galley. But something I occasionally appreciated on the old Jayco was the ability to attach the table outside or inside, and to attach the cooktop outside or inside. I see that some teardrops have shelves that fold out. Even having Jeep style fenders gives you handy flat surfaces. That ability to "expand the kitchen" shoud reduce the trailer size needed. You pack tightly, then fold out when you stop to camp.

I see some teardrops have under bed storage, but I know you don't get something for nothing. If you don't want the trailer too tall, and you still want clearance underneath it, you're not going to want to give up many inches of interior height.

[Graniterich]

My drop floor goes under the trailer, no lost head room!

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[Hamilton Felix]

My drop floor goes under the trailer, no lost head room!

Interesting. Does it cost you any significant ground clearance?

I looked at the Star City Teardrops site. Their storage is cute, but they look fragile, and the whole trailer looks made for good roads only.