Teardrop toyhauler?

[confyushus]

Hey everyone! This my first post but I have been lurking here for a couple months. Get ready, because this might be a long post.

I like to travel as well as ride dirtbikes, and once a year I drive out to Glamis, CA (I live in SC) to ride the sand dunes for a week over thanksgiving. I have an ambulance right now that I was using as an rv but with diesel/gas prices so high, I need something smaller to stay in but also can carry my bike. This last year I drove my delsol out and pulled my 4x8 HF trailer and slept in the trailer with a tarp over the top for the week. This got me on the idea of a small camper, I stumbled across teardrops and loved it! I saw the little rascal first but with the price so high I searched and found this great site and decided to build my own!

So here is my big question to everyone here, has anyone built a toyhauler teardrop? I really like the looks of the grasshopper style, but I would be open to almost anything. I would like to keep the bike inside during travel (it can stay outside once I get there) as I am really paranoid about someone stealing it when I stop to sleep, but if I had to a sideways rack across the rear would work. I would like to use the HF trailer as I love mine and don't totally trust my welding enough yet to build a trailer. I want to keep it as aerodynamic and light as possible to save fuel plus it will be pulled by my delsol some of the time and a 4runner the other times. I want it hardsided and insulated because anyone that has slept in a tent in glamis at thanksgiving knows, at night it is very cold, very loud and at times very windy. The other stuff I want such as batteries, solar panels, bedding, etc I can figure out, mostly because of all the posts I have read on here. Oh, and I guess its worth saying that it will be offroad for some of its life, not hardcore, just dirt roads and sand, but I think the trailer can deal with that

I am really excited to start building, but I am trying to get a good solid plan started before I buy anything. I am open to all suggestions and ideas. I know I am asking for a lot, but I don't like the normal everyday stuff, if everyone has one, it is boring and uninteresting! Thanks!!

 

[Retro-TNT]

Hello,

I am looking for a teardrop toy hauler for a couple of motorcycles, too. I like to go to vintage motorcycle races & events. Would luv to roll up with my teardrop, open the back & roll out a couple of my old bikes! I am very surprised that a manufacturer has not designed one especially as popular as the big toy haulers are. Just open it up, roll in the bikes. When you get to camp, roll them out & set up camp. The bikes are left out a night & you have your camper. Sounds easy to me. If anyone know of a teardrop toy hauler, please let me know.

Thanx Much!
Retro

 

[elmo_4_vt]

That's a great idea and where I started from. However, I think part of the problem is that to fit a bike, the trailer has to be at least 5.5' tall, a dirt-bike will likely require a full 6' of interior height. By the time you get a door/ramp frame at the rear of the trailer, the opening is about 6" less than the trailer height. My KLR is just under 5' tall at the top of the windshield.

I've started a build based off of a cargo trailer. Not quite as small or cute as a teardrop, but it was the smallest I could make work fitting the bike.

Don

 

[dreadcptflint]

The coolest one that I have seen was a couple of years back. A guy in Spokane took a Harley Hauler trailer and built around it in a modified Kampmaster style. I wish I kept the pictures of it as it was a smart design for a good sized toy hauler.

Matt

 

[confyushus]

I saw the one that "little guy campers" makes, it was ok, but I didn't want all the weight from my bike/s on the tongue. On the trip out to CA, I loaded everything so I had around 50ish pounds on the hitch and it pulled beautifully without sagging the back of my car too much. I measured my 450 real quick the other night and the top of the bars sat right about 4'6" (and my streetbike is even shorter), so I am thinking that 5', give or take a few inches, should be close to right with insulation and everything. It doesn't have to be roomy, just tall enough to roll a bike in. I had a riding buddy that used a chevy astro and would run a strap from the bars to the front axle to lower it a few inches before rolling it in, so that thought has been going through my mind to lower the roof height some more, probably won't bother, but it's an idea.

Thanks everyone for the responses, I am really getting excited about starting on it! And again, if you have any ideas, comments, or concerns, feel free to let me know, I would rather run into a problem in the planning stage than in the building stage.

 

[Aaron Coffee]

I had played with the idea, and for my Honda Shadow 750, I figured just under 5 foot, I would have to crouch down loading it. I had also thought of building a 6 inch trough down the middle of the trailer to give me that much more room. Haven't done much more . Weighed my bike and my scooter(which I have since sold)and played with the weight in the design library(trailer balance). The big head scratcher for me was how to regain the structural rigidity I would lose by not having a galley wall, as I was thinking on having no galley. I have also thought of a cargo conversion.

 

[TJinPgh]

Somebody posted something on e-bay from a site called www.desertteardrops.com that I found interesting. Might fit your needs?

They built a convertible type teardrop that doubled as a bike trailer...

 

[angib]

Here's some photos I saved from somewhere - the EXIF data on the photos says they are from 2005.

The way the middle of the galley is filled in after unloading is clever, as is the use of a deep false floor so that your bed doesn't share the floor with the motorcycle tyres. I don't remember what suspension system was used to make the trailer go up and down.

 

[DRYVEM]

Angib, if you can remember where you got these pics from or who made this trailer, it would be much appreciated. I found one of the original cabin frames in friends yard. Martin

 

[Hometownhockeyfan]

I had similar requirements, but ended up taking a different approach. For me the ability to carry my motorcycles, have a kitchen and storage...was more important then the sleeping...so here is what I came up with.

It is more or less a teardrop reversed on the front, shortened to accommodate the open 'toy hauler' in the back. Toughest part was designing the tongue so it could retract under the trailer when not towing so it was not in the way of the kitchen. Trailer without the tongue is 12'6" x 5'.

I may use a tent designed for the truckbed for sleeping...but, I don't mind using a tent if I have everything else in the trailer.

I have pictures in my gallery of progress so far. (Working on the trailer deck now...just finished painting the trailer last weekend)

Good luck in your search...

David

 

[linuxmanxxx]

I'm going to soon build my first toyhauler model based on my standard styling of my microcamper with the cabin up front and the long back deck 6 to 8' of trailer to haul bikes and atvs on externally not within the camper to prevent any gas odors within the cabin. Once unloaded the rear trailer becomes the party deck behind the camper for hot social hours to ensue until packed and leaving. Don't think I can pull one off with a single axle trailer but I'm game to try it eventually. I'm going to build the first one on a standard 16 or 18' car hauler trailer and will price around 12kish.

 

[confyushus]

Wow, it has been a while since I have been here, new site even! I really like all the pics and responses everyone has posted. I have been busy and haven't had much chance to start building my camper recently, but I would like to start soon. My thinking for right now is to make a grasshopper style with a lift up rear door and the ceiling will be just high enough to fit my crf, I want to keep it as low and light as possible. The "galley" area will basically just be boards that I can slide into slots on the walls once my bike is out, not the greatest, but will work great for making sammiches in the desert. I will just store my mattress along the wall while the bike is in and after its out I can lay the mattress down and sleep. Now, a couple questions, Aaron mentioned a loss in rigidity from no galley wall, is this a major issue or will I be ok with a little extra bracing towards the rear? Will having a flat rear on the trailer majorly affect wind resistance and therefore MPGs? Thanks everyone for the help and the motivation!

 

[bajaTripper]

I'm building one now for my vintage TL125. ( Actually building 2 more )The entire galley is removable, the lid fits into a T and becomes structural when closed, limiting flex and there is a box beam across the rear floor also adding . stability. Box beam also houses plumbing and wiring. More pics soon.

edited cuz i just read the rules

 

[synaps3]

Whatcha ride? I love my KTM:

If my fiancee hadn't wanted a standie, I would have built a drive-on-top toy hauler / teardrop trailer to haul our scooters with on vacation. I lost the sketchup, but the basic concept is this:

The sketchup drawing I had made used the HF trailer, and had trays to carry 2 scooters on the top (made the drawing before I dirt biked).

Alternatively, you could build a conventional teardrop slightly moved back on the HF frame, with a platform on the front of the trailer for your bike. Think like the Little Guy 5' Platform:

 

[vaddisonme]

Utilitoy makes a really cool camper/toy hauler with a solid aluminum frame. It has a curved composite top that is translucent and can be hosed out. Their website is not very well developed, but the trailer looks great and can be pulled by a 4cylinder car. They have a YouTube video showing them driving various motorcycles into the trailer. I corresponded some with the owner/creater of utilitoy and it seems like a really great product. Ran about $8500 with A/C.
Instead I ended up going with a smaller little aluminum trailer called a Car-go lite, because I wanted to pull a lower-profile trailer. They also make a bigger one that would hold more "toys" called a Car-go lite Extreme, but here's a picture of my little trailer to be..

This is the actual one I am buying. It would have to be a pretty small motorcyle to fit inside, but a little regular bike would fit!

 

[Apache Eagle Camper]

I too am interested in a TTH (tiny toy hauler) mine is to be very basic. I had thought years ago I wanted a Tear, but my needs are like yours. My wife and I want the Cruiser with us. With our kayaks or Sunfish on top. To be pulled by our PT Cruiser

My build/idea images are posted to this link. https://picasaweb.google.com/108335829480258795541/TinyToyHauler#

I can use 4' high sidewalls, by removing my quick detach windshield and rolling the handle bars down.

Overall box length will be 10' plus the rear hatch. Hatch stays up to form hard porch roof and is of a box design so that awning fabric and poles will stow inside the hatch.
So the box structure is basically 4'Hx10'Lx5'W.
I will use a pulley and cable system in the roof/ceiling to get the bike in and out, with commercially available aluminum ramp.
Wheel dock will be bolted to floor in front.
True queen size air mattress will sit on a raised box foundation like the dinette in any commercially produced RV or camp trailer, the center will be just a sheet of removable plywood
I will use an adjustable tongue tube to account for varying CG/tongue weight, depending on bike loaded or not.
There is ample room for a small AC unit or heater. There will be no galley, as we generally cook on a picnic table even when fifth wheeling.
All the places we stay have full facilities, so we are up in the air on the Hygiene related amenities.

You may want to look at a plywood boat building method, that may come in handy on my build. It's called Stitch & Glue. Makes a very lightweight and STRONG boat.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&biw=994&bih=606

Good luck. My build has begun 4 years later than planned. But I now have a firm vision and foundation, ie: a Harbor Freight trailer
Jim

 

[Grummy-TNT]

Four years late isn't all that bad..... I have not logged into this site for a few years myself ! Still have the itch though. I have spent this summer converting a grumman step van into a do-all rig, so I spent more time looking at truck conversion sites.

On the topic of TTH trailers, one I drew years ago was based on Rik Kellers Road Toad, but enlarged enough to haul my Yamaha V-Star. I forgot what Rik's dimensions were, but my overall look was about the same, albeit with a front kitchen and a rear opening cargo door. At 10' in length, it gave me a LOT of extra room compared to a traditional tear. The shape allowed for a large flat roof area to accommodate solar panels. The rear hatch allowed for an extenda-room or "patio".

My "design" ideas revolved around the fact that I have access to a 6' x 10' CNC router, and all the "parts" would be cut from plywood and assembled with biscuited "dog bone" joints. It would almost go together like a puzzle. Then simply skin and insulate it. Now with all the interest in "foamies", I think I would almost head down that road rather than the wood. Whether or not I will ever get to build one is up in the air. I have way too many interests !

The other day I walked past my Aluma utility trailer and thought..... "I could put a teardrop body on top of that thing"! My wife said something along the lines of oh boy... here we go.....

I'll attach a photo from inside the Cad program I was using....

 

[Apache Eagle Camper]

Oops, noticed that this thread started January of 2012 & died in July. Oh well. Grummy your design is nice, but I have no CAD skills nor access to the cnc equipment to cut it. Mine will be trial & error, hopefully the errors will be few, it's just a box with a round nose, LOL...... Wife says I have until April 2013. She wants to do the Smokies and Appalachian range again. This time WITHOUT canvas

 

[mgharvey]

Love these ideas....

I've been looking for a solution to the same problem for a couple monthes now.

Was wondering on the prices of the Microlites?

Thanks for all the posts, giving me lots of options...

 

[vaddisonme]

My little car-go lite was just under 7000. The bigger Car-go lite Extreme runs 9000 or so, I think.... You would need the extreme for a motorcycle. You can check their website....