Starting to save up to build a teardrop.

[bigluelok]

Alright so I have decided to start saving to build a teardrop.
We recently went on a small 3 day 2 night camping trip in big bear. It was the first time i have been camping in about 13 years i'm only 25. well we bought everything for tent camping and had a blast but the ground was so uncomfortable my back and neck were in pain for about 4 days after we returned home. So I am trying to convince my G/F of 8 years that we need a tear drop since we plan on camping a lot more, and plan on doing a few road trips in the future.

just thought i would look around and find some interesting builds to read through.
any specific builds to read?
any advice on what kinds of material to use?

[BrwBier]

I don't know where you are from but if you look for a gathering to attend I'd bet you could convince your girlfriend easily. You would meet nice people and see some teardrops in person. The hardest part will be getting people to stop talking about them. Have fun and you have the right idea, save for what you want.
Brwbier

[Kody]

G'day cobber,
It would help if we knew where you are from and your intended use of the T/D. There are dozens of builds you can peruse thru for info on what other fellas are building and how they did it. You might also have a bo-peep at my own build. I looked up the building code for trailers/caravans in my own state of Queensland (Aust.) and found a can of worms. Over (down) here, a trailer must be designed with a factor of safety of 3. If it is going off road, the factor of safety jumps to 5. It may be in your best interests to check out if there is a design/building code for your particular state. Some of the trailer chassis I have seen in the photos on the forum would never make it to the road over here in Queensland.
Give a lot of thought to the design of the chassis and the size and section of steel to be used. Personally, I would shy away from using angle steel for the frame. If you can weld, I would go for a welded structure using RHS for the frame and build it yourself. Perhaps the most important decision to make is the width between the inside walls. This width is flexible but is usually made to suit the mattress of your choice. Five feet wide gives you much more room and space but is more expensive as there can be more than 2 1/2 feet of ply lost per sheet when covering the the frame and sides. Regardless of what you choose to do, it will be great fun to do. Don't hesitate to ask lots of questions in the forum before and after you start to build.

Good luck and enjoy your project

Kody

[les45]

I have never been accused of being bashful or modest, so I'll jump in here with a recommendation for my favorite build, the weekender. I chose it primarily because of its simplicity. With the flat, angular outline, there is no wood to bend or large curved hatches to deal with. The smaller hatch eliminates complex construction and support issues and the lack of curves provides a lot more living space inside the cabin. Mine is painted plywood with a few manufactured accessories like the Northern Tool 5X8 trailer kit, doors, Fantastic Fan, and Progressive Dynamics converter. However, you can make your own trailer and doors and modify nearly every other aspect of your build to suit your own tastes and budget. Just because it is simple doesn't mean you don't have to give some thought to how you build to assure structural integrity, watertightness, and usability. There are lots of good ideas for all these things here on the forum. Just keep researching. Check out my build journal (click on link below) as it is loaded with lots of how-to narrative and pics for every step. Don't hesitate to ask questions for whatever you decide to build. Good luck.

[bc toys]

He is from southern Cali and I would like to say welcome to great site just tell girl friend you can save $$ on hotel rooms

[CARS]

Welcome.

This should keep you busy: viewtopic.php?t=12276

[grantstew8]

Hi big
Welcome.
I'm almost double your age and collected tools over this half of my life. A geometric shape 4' wide is probably the most economic.

Tell everyone what you're doing and dont be afraid to ask; you'll be surprised at what you're given.
[URLhttp://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=56819][/URL]. Has some valid posts.

Good luck!