Benroy teardrops

[Esteban]

I started building a Grumman II inspired teardrop in 2008. I was ambitious. Planned to build one 5' x 10+' with room for a queen sized bed inside. Had a local welder build a custom frame with a Dexter #9 torsion axle with elec. brakes. I got as far as putting up the fiberglassed walls then stopped building. My home built doors warped which really annoyed me and set me back. My project sat unfinished in my garage for years.

My ideas have changed over time. Now I'm planning less for beauty and more for a functional design (which I hope can be beautiful if done well).

I plan to cut away the walls down to the floor and start over with a 63" wide by 121" long Benroy design. I think it should be an easier, more functional, plan to build. Another compelling reason to change the design is to have enough flat roof area for a solar panel to power an AC/DC chest type fridge/freezer, lights, etc. I most likely will buy two doors from "Frank Bear" to save time and help avoid future errors.

I plan to fiberglass and paint the outside very similar to Lance and Becky's beautiful Benroy pictured below.



There is an ongoing discussion about the aerodynamics of different teardrop designs. Becky used a more gentle 24" curve in the top front of her roof and also has a tongue box. I plan to do both of those too. Hope that makes for a reasonably aerodynamic teardrop I can easily/safely/economically tow with my car, a Chrysler Concorde, with its 1500 lb. limit. My aim is to keep the teardrop relatively light weight, under 1200 pounds, without camping gear.

I'd like to get Benroy owners ideas what you like best about yours. Pictures are encouraged.

edit: Comments are welcomed whether or not you have a Benroy style teardrop.

[Oldragbaggers]

Hello Steve,

I take it as high praise indeed that you are using our teardrop as an example. Wow, how very kind of you. The Sagwagon is not the kind of beauty that causes people to get whiplash when it goes by, but it has a nice clean look and is very functional. I think it also gives you the most bang for your buck for interior headroom. We had a wonderful season camping in it last year and it served us well in every way.
I found the Benroy design to be pretty straightforward to build, and I was grateful for it's simplicity as my shortcomings as a builder started becoming apparent to me. I wholeheartedly agree, buying the pre-made doors was a great decision (for me) and Frank Bear was great to deal with. The hatch was my big obstacle. If I had tried to also do my doors I would probably still be building today instead of camping. I also am happy I have the flat roof as we hope to add roof racks.

I wish you the best of luck with your build and hope that you are as pleased with your teardrop as we are with ours.

[citylights]

I am thrilled with my 5x10 benroy. I went with a roof rack, plenty of roof top if you want solar.

It may not be as curvy as a Grumman, but I think it has class. I worried that the AC pop out, tongue box, under bed storage, and roof rack, would detract from the teardrop shape, but somehow they seem to fit in well.

Lots more pictures in my build log. Keep at it and Good luck!

[Vedette]

If I were to build a traditional styled TD, I would go for a Modernistic.......just my favorite style
Good Luck with your build.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Rhino Ray]

I love my Benroy. Lots of room inside and plenty of room in the galley area. I suppose I can put lots of solar power on the roof if I wanted but I haven't got that far yet. Enjoy!