Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Well, as I often do, I was on Ebay to day, looking for TD stuff when I stumbled across a set of plans to build a fairly good looking TD quickly. Well, as I looked at the pictures, I noticed an incredible trick that I would love to learn how to do. When you look at the outside of the camper, the doors are square BUT, when you look at the interior pics, they are rounded. (Sarcasm) Pretty Damn Impressive!!! (/Sarcasm) Plus, the interior looks like someone's on here but I can't remember who. In any case, you be the judge, here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=87130&item=5181846311&rd=1

Looks like the seller is getting a farily nice price for the plans.

That does look familiar but I don't remember anyone on here building a trailer without a frame. I thought it was the way I was reading it at first but I went thru it a few times to be sure what he was saying. According to his description, his tongue and springs are bolted directly to the wood frame work, there is no frame under this trailer. If that is true this guy is dangerous!

" Holy $hit and what a ride" Nightimes? Gimme a break!!! Had to laugh at your saying typed in right after your comment this trailer is as I quote "dangerous"! The trailer nor the guy is dangerous. If the unit was built well enough, the manner it was secured to the tow frame and axle, its just another way to build a teardrop. More interesting the trailer could as safe as the HB and all the other bolt together trailers now being hauled around, less expensive and weigh less! Consider the fact that one of the best known and a highly respected British sports cars, the Morgan, was built on a wood frame. I haven't seen the plans on this trailer and don't know the builder but if it was designed properly it WILL and does, work! If this guy was smart enough to think of this and build one, maybe two, has it registered and has used it, I think he may change the approach of backyard Teardrop building! I think he has more on the ball than some of the folks building their own trailer considering some of the questions they have posted. My hats off to him! But my opinion is that of a teardrop builder who has never built a teardrop although I have enough years, grey hairs, scars and knowledge in woodworking and construction to know this will work !!! I'd give him a thumbs up but those silly little $hits on the left are silly little $hits---

John B with tiny tears builds his trailers about the same way. He doesn't use welds to hold it together and uses an axle and plywood.
I wouldn't call John dangerous. I'd say he's building a teardrop trailer not a trailer for a teardrop.

I'm of the impression that most of these trailers are overbuilt anyway.

Someone thinks that they all have to be built with 2"x2" square tubing and supported in the center with 2"x2" square tubing and have a 3"x3" square tongue. Have a 5000lb axle. Springs, etc.

Your building a 600 to 900 lbs tear why all the extra weight?






Bufordt

The picture taken of the interior has a different style doorlatch than the other pictures

I am kind of torn on the need for a frame. I agree that what we are building is very lightweight but on the otherhand.... One thing that comes to mind is, here in the central US, we sometimes have potholes the size of VWs after winter scraping and salt. Hit one of those going 70 MPH with a wooden frame and I'm not sure you'd do too well. I have bent steel wheels before by hitting potholes. I can only imagine that it is worse the farther north you go. That's one of the reasons that I opted for the lighter HF frame. I figured that, otherwise, one day I might end up dragging safety chains and splinters down the road if I didn't. Althought, I didn't see the need to have a 1800# trailer for a 600-900 camper. It seemed like it wouldn't handle properly due to it not being suficiently loaded. Just my 2c worth but I feel better with overbuilding especially because it's not just your life and property we're talking about but everyone's around you.

I can't believe that he actually has $41 bid on his plans! That is a very basic design, not to mention all of the information you need is readily availible for free if you just take a little time to search the web.

I'm afraid I'd be very leary of not having a frame under that here in PA. I've seen small trailers tortured on our roads, It seems to me that would put a lot of stress on the wood where the bolts go thru. I can see where it might work ok in the pics BufordT posted but I don't think I'd like it that way. It's a little hard to be certain, but it doesn't look like he used any suspension either (if he did the fenders are going to part company with the trailer at the first bump, no clearance) which is also going to increase the jarring and add stress to the works.
I'd have to see how it was put together to know for sure but in the meantime I think I'll stick to my opinion.
On another note, I'm not sure how you would get it titled in PA, it's tough enough here when you keep it simple and standard, but try to explain to PENNDOT a wood framework with a tongue and axle bolted to it, oh joy!
I also find it hard to believe it's up to $41, that's way more than the other ones were getting and they were selling multiple sets of plans.

On the subject of building in wood only, I'll repeat what I've said before: of course you can build in wood only - you just have to engineer the design to suit the material. If you can build a wooden aeroplane, a wooden trailer seems really simple.

The Morgan isn't a great example, as it's a wood-framed body on a steel chassis. Here is a previous discussion on all-wood automobiles.

Andrew

it's a wood-framed body on a steel chassis.

Don't want to change the subject here, but if you go back in history far enough, all American cars were built like the Morgan, wood frame body. General Motors didn't go to all steel until 1937.

On the teardrop in the EBAY add, notice the doors shown in the interior view are suicided, or open backwards.

SteveH wrote:

it's a wood-framed body on a steel chassis.

Don't want to change the subject here, but if you go back in history far enough, all American cars were built like the Morgan, wood frame body. General Motors didn't go to all steel until 1937.

On the teardrop in the EBAY add, notice the doors shown in the interior view are suicided, or open backwards.

And what kind of roads did they have in 1937? Not very many paved one's I'd bet.

Bufordt