Ballpark cost?

[frankroadrider]

The real answer is: How much can you afford to spend?

There is a fellow in the UK who spent I think as little as around $260(?) because almost everything was used, recycled, and/or donated.
Some have spent so much that they would be embarrassed to tell you here.
After a while, I stopped trying to add the invoices up and just threw them in a shoebox, where they still reside.

The moral of this story? Maybe it's "Be careful what you wish for?" or "How badly do you want that item?" or "Reclaim and repurpose?" or....

Maybe, like 'working on it', above, my answer is "I don't want to know."

LOL I know exactly what you mean. It seems the older I get the more I spend on tools and projects. Although cost is a definite factor, I don't think it will be the deciding factor. I hesitate for many reasons. I love the idea of building a TD. The question I am wrestling with is do I really want a TD or is it the challenge of the build thats is attracting me? I'll spend time on this by reading builds and chatting until I come to a decision.

[Mary C]

Mine is now $650 and that is with a $350 Harbor Freight trailer I am building a foamie.

Mary C.

[Steve 70]

I have right at $2500 in mine. I also started my build keeping all my receipts. Then one day I asked myself why I was keeping track of the cost. The cost became a moot point. I was building the camper and I was going to build it the way I wanted it to be. If it cost $500 then great.........if it cost $2500 then great as long as I was satisfied with the end product. I can say that Teresa and I are both very happy. A member of this forum had as part of his signature a brief statement that says it all...and I'm paraphrasing ....."the quality of the build will be remembered long after the cost is forgotten" I stopped keeping receipts after reading that statement.

[frankroadrider]

I have right at $2500 in mine. I also started my build keeping all my receipts. Then one day I asked myself why I was keeping track of the cost. The cost became a moot point. I was building the camper and I was going to build it the way I wanted it to be. If it cost $500 then great.........if it cost $2500 then great as long as I was satisfied with the end product. I can say that Teresa and I are both very happy. A member of this forum had as part of his signature a brief statement that says it all...and I'm paraphrasing ....."the quality of the build will be remembered long after the cost is forgotten" I stopped keeping receipts after reading that statement.

Excellent point Steve! Mary C...??? What is a "Foamie"
Frank

[Forrest747]

I have about 4000 into my trailer at this point. now a 1000 of that was just the frame and tires rims and axle. another expensive item is i went with cherry paneling for the entire trailer. I would do it again in a heartbeat looks nice for sure. Any how I built a spreadsheet and listed everything i could think of and then took out things i know i want to change for teh next one and that included no water tank pump. i know i could so the next one for different materials and change a few things like shape and length for about 2500 dollars.


CHARLEY
Plywood 1/4 50
Plywood 1/2 100
Plywood 3/4 200
Plywood 1/8 0
glue Gorilla 30
spars 2x4 50
lights 112
battery 89
Battery box 10
mattress 100
doors 40
roof vent 40
epoxy 150
screws 20
paint 60
fiberglass 10
converter 176
wire 50
fuse block 30
rails 40
wood 40
outlets 15
switches 12
12volt outlet 15
hardware 50
poplar 30
door latch 70
hinges 100
vinyl 20
sink 90
tile 0
Epoxy Grout 50
cherry 264
water tank 100
grey tank 100
pvc 20
water pump 100
hose 20
fittings 20
Stabalizers 50
Tongue Jack 75
steel 250
coupler 40
axel 275
rims 50
tires 200
running lights 100
windows 300
cooler 30
Fenders 70
Total 3913


AMELIA
Plywood 1/4 300
Plywood 1/2 50
Plywood 3/4 0
Plywood 1/8 100
glue Gorilla 30
spars 2x4 50
lights 75
battery 89
Battery box 10
mattress 100
doors 0
roof vent 40
epoxy 150
screws 20
paint 60
fiberglass 10
converter 176
wire 75
fuse block 40
rails 40
wood 40
outlets 15
switches 12
12volt outlet 15
hardware 50
poplar 30
door latch 70
hinges 100
vinyl 0
sink 0
tile 0
Epoxy Grout 50
cherry 0
water tank 0
grey tank 0
pvc 0
water pump 0
hose 0
fittings 0
Stabalizers 100
Tongue Jack 75
Trailer 300
running lights 100
windows 0
cooler 60
Fenders 70
Total 2502

[aggie79]

it depends on how elabarote you want your new teardrop. do you want rv applances? do you want high end building matterials? do you want a plain jane simple teardrop? or a work of art? do you want a simple harbor freight frame or one that is custome built?slow

Slow hit the nail on the head. You can go from mild to wild in a hurry.

I didn't keep receipts and from what I've told my wife I have about $5000 in ours. (The actual total is probably $6500.) Here's the big ticket items I used:

1. reflective anodized aluminum - $1000
2. fiberglass fenders - $700
3. smoothie wheels, trim rings and moon hubcaps - $500
4. white wall tires - $400
5. custom frame - $750
6. Petcool A/C - $400.

[Forrest747]

Tom dont forget the flux capacitor and Mr. Fusion added features.

[Gage]

Just by looking at them, you can sure tell the difference between those that have been built for under $1000 and those that cost more than a $1000 to build. But to each his own. My goal was for my finished teardrop not to look like a home built.

[KCStudly]

I'm at $5800+ in direct costs and another $800 in indirect (tools, consumables building supplies, etc.).

I still have to purchase my roof vent, but I think that is the last big ticket item left to purchase. That and some oak or maple for the hinge spars... and a mattress.

My major costs were;
$600 5mm Okoume marine ply
$600 select cedar 2x10's (not a single knot, light weight, worth every penny to work with)
$600 Teflon coated 15 inch aluminum rims and 31 inch AT tires
$400+ 3k lb axle w/ big elec. brakes (the brakes cost a lot, but to me are well worth it)
$400 Jeep YJ leaf spring suspension with Ruff Stuff heavy duty hangers and brackets (does not include cost of shocks and bump stops)
$400+ steel for trailer and remainder of trailer fittings (safety chains, jack, stabilizers, bushings and hardware for custom swivel coupler, etc.)
$200 (about) Hehr flush mount windows
Couple hundred in maple for the cabinets
Hundred or so for the canvas.
Glue, poly, blue tape and sandpaper adds up.
I have had to buy some wire for the lighting, etc., to get the needed colors, and all I can say is thank goodness that I had a bunch of that on hand already. Small quantities of automotive copper wire is expensive locally!!!

No fancy RV appliances, just a good solid chassis and the best materials that make sense from an engineering stand point.

The rest just adds up. I have kept track of almost every single receipt, only missing a few small runs to the big box for nick knacks.

I am a firm believer that most people underestimate their costs to build because they only remember the big ticket items, and that's what they add up in their head to come up with a number.

"The best way to build and inexpensive TD is to not keep track." - you can quote me on that.

The quote from big Mike goes, "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials".

After the time and effort that I put in building my custom chassis and seeing Mike's luan ply camper implosion, I took his advice and used more expensive rot resistant materials.

YMMV, but what ever you figure it will be, add 20/ct in overruns.

[Gage]

No offance taken Slow. I just look at the poster and what he/she posted and then consider the source. We all know that there are those who know what they are talking about and then there are those who think they know what they are talking about.