Comanche Cocoon Build Detail....better late than never!

[Comanche Cocoon]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I hope this post is informative/inspirational to anyone that is reading...just as all of your posts informed/inspired me in the building process. I got the teardrop bug several years ago and researched all the teardrop forums...including this one....so thanks for the help! I purchased parts(and advice) from Grant(trim) and Frank(doors)...so thanks to those two guys! I also had a little welding help from my neighbor JC, so thanks to him! My borther and wife provided an extra set of hands a time or two...so thanks to them! Other than a few hours of help, I built the entire thing by myself. I had a little building experience...but building a teardrop was new to me.

I'm an art teacher by trade, and my wife is a teacher also...so we have summer break off every year and we do LOTS of camping and travelling in the summer. Camping in a tent got old fast, and renting cabins/hotels is way too expensive...which led me to building a teardrop..and I've been hooked ever since.

The Comanche Cocoon was completed in June 2013. It took me ONE SCHOOL YEAR(about 9 months) to build, working on weekends when I had time. I definitely took my time(and learned plenty of lessons). It's 5x8 and came in at about 1400 lbs loaded for camping...she's fat. In the two years since completion, my wife and I have put nearly 10,000 miles on the trailer and been all over the USA. From Mexico to Canada...and everywhere in between. We've been to Montana/Wyoming both summers, and I think Glacier Nat'l Park is our favorite so far.

FUEL SPECS(for those who are interested)
The first year, we towed with my 2002 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4cyl/4x4/ 5spd manual...had no problems...only really noticed it was there when we went over the Rockies...which was a little slow...but we averaged 17-18 mpg the whole trip! The second summer we towed it with my wife's 2008 FJ Cruiser 4x4 auto with the 4.0 V6 and or course it towed great....we got 16mpg, but the driving was much more enjoyable. I consider an honest 15-17mpg in a 4x4 equipped gas vehicle to be excellent towing mileage. I know some people want more, but I think that's asking a lot. I have towed it as fast as 85mph(not advised!)...but I usually tow no faster than 70 to get this mileage. I now have an F150 and am building a bigger camper, but we still tow the teardrop with the FJ, becuase it looks tiny behind the full-sized truck...and these things matter to me!

Anyway....on to the build detail:

BODY DESIGN
I found a picture online of a design called the Rimple..and I liked it. It reminded me of a canned ham camper...which led me to the vintage paint scheme. I'm also 6'5, 230 lbs...and I wanted room. The Rimple design allowed for maximum headroom compared to designs that have a steep slope at one end. I also opted for more leg room with my design...my bed is an extra extra long queen(actually longer than a king, the width of a queen). I wanted to be able to completely stretch out, and I can. It makes a big difference when you're spending 2-3 weeks in the camper. The trade off was a smaller galley, which I was fine with. I didn't want a sink/water storage/fridge/etc...just wanted a little storage and to be able to cook out of the wind. I never really drew up a plan...just made it up as I went along. It turned out great, but the next one will be even better!


FRAME/AXLES/WHEELS
I found a 5x8 heavy duty utility trailer on Craigslist and cut it down to the bare frame. I moved the axle back, serviced the hubs, welded up a tire mount, welded in a rear hitch, and welded in a lot of reinforcement that i thought might be necessary if taken offroad....this girl is heavy duty and stout. The frame accounts for a big portion of my weight. If I had known how elaborate the build was going to be, I would have welded my own frame(just for looks and simplicity and efficiency). If I build another I will weld the frame from scratch. I found a set of three brand new wheels and baby moon hubcaps on Craigslist for very cheap..the guy was building a hot rod trailer. I bought three brand new full size trailer tires...I recommend full size tires if you can swing it.

BUMPER
Everyone asks, but it's so simple. I made my wooden bumper and front platform from new 2x6 lumber that I roughed up to look old. A hand grinder and a hammer can add a lot of character to wood!

BODY CONSTRUCTION
I used a single sheet of exterior plywood for the outer walls...no insulation in the walls. The walls are strong and simple. If I do it again, I'll do it the same way, but I'll use marine grade plywood and seal the wood with epoxy. I laminated two 1 inch poplar pieces together for the roof spars...very strong. I insulated the roof with the pink sheets of rigid foam...works well. I put down some foam squares under my mattress on the inside to insulate the floor and keep condensation from forming under the memory foam...works well. I chose not to make my doors. I wanted as much light as possible in the tear, so I bought the biggest doors that Frank was selling. Turned out to be a great choice. The doors have locks, keys, sliding windows, screens, are easy to install, and let in tons of light. I used 3/4 inch plywood for all of my galley walls/shelves/interior pockets/ etc....it's overkill and it adds to the weight, but I like the thick wood look and the sturdiness. I "rough up" all of the exposed wood to make it look old. I just use an orbital sander/grinder/hammer to beat'em up a little. I used luan plywood to cover the roof spars, then I laid my aluminum over the luan. It took a few minutes of internet research to find 5 foot wide aluminum.

HATCH CONSTRUCTION
I cut the curved hatch frame supports out of exterior plywood, and the spars are laminated poplar. I used a hurricane hinge from Grant for the hatch...the best choice. I did not rout a notch on the body of my teardrop, I just let the weatherstrip seals compress. I use a wooden rod to hold the hatch up, and I made a base for the rod to connect so the wind can't blow it away. Very simple hatch and seems to be holding up nicely.

TRIM/PAINT/EXTERIOR COATING
Once construction was complete, I sanded, primed, and painted with exterior grade paint. I even primed, painted, and sealed the luan roof before I put down the aluminum skin. Then I stained the wood that was left exposed as part of the design. Then I used Helmsmans Spar Urethane over everything...several coats, sanding between coats. The Helmsmans has worked well for me...some don't like it. Maybe next time I'll try epoxy. I reapply a coat every year because I enjoy it, but I've never seen any cracking or flaking. I also used the same stain, paint, and Helmsmans on the interior of the cabin. Took a while to air out, but looks great. If you're looking for easy maintenance, an all aluminum trailer is the best choice. The woodies look awesome, but they do take a little extra care.

INTERIOR CABIN
I used a bright white synthetic bead board for the interior ceiling...really opens up the small space. Looks great, but does get dirty easily. I bought a California king size memory foam mattress off craigslist, and cut it down to my size. It's a few inches longer and one inch narrower than a queen. Fits my frame nicely. I added a Skyworth Trucker 15 inch LCD TV/DVD that runs AC or DC and draws very little power. I also added a fantastic fan...works great! I'm from Texas so of course I have an A/C(more on that in the A/C section). I added a few reading lights, cup holders, magazine rack, wooden pockets, etc. It turned out very comfy and cozy and I don't feel closed in at all...and I'm a little claustrophobic. Big windows, room to stretch out, and tons of light coming in really goes a long way to make a small camper comfortable.

ELECTRICAL
I went super simple, DIY on the electric. I have seperate AC and a DC systems....and I have AC and DC outlets in the cab. I used a GFCI extension cord that I hardwired to the inlet receptacle to plug in to 110AC....as seen on this site, but I don't know who came up with it. When I'm plugged in, I can charge my battery, use the AC outlets in the cabing, and have enough juice to run the air conditioner. When I'm not plugged in to 110AC(most of the time), I use a deep cycle marine battery to run the TV, lights, DC outlets in cabin, and fan. I've lasted up to five days in one location using the battery, watching a movie every night and running the fan all night...and I still had some juice left! Usually we alternate a few days in the boonies, and a few days in a park...so I usually have plenty of opportunities to charge the battery(and take a hot shower). In the future, I'd like to hook up a charging system that uses my car alternator to charge when I'm driving down the road...just haven't gotten to it yet.

AIR CONDITIONER
I mounted the window unit high in cabin, with the rear of the A/C sticking out in the galley. I like this because you can't see the A/C from the outside(they aren't real pretty). The only downside to this location is that the galley hatch must be open(or at least open a little) for the AC exhaust to vent properly. I made a smaller(one foot long) hatch support pole that I use when it's raining and I need the AC. It just holds the hatch open about a foot to allow air circulation but still keep it pretty dry. In all my days camping, there's only been one occasion when is was raining AND hot enough to warrant the AC...it was in Palo Duro Canyon TX, and my small hatch support worked well and the galley stayed surprisingly dry. I relocated the AC thermostat wire sensor to a different, hot location(by my feet) so the AC would think the temp was hot...and basically I have it setup to run the AC non-stop anytime it's on. I just crack the windows to adjust the inside temperature. I did this because originally, the AC would cycle on and off all night, and it would be humid and noisy...this solves that problem. It is a little wasteful, but I still haven't seen a perfect teardrop AC setup, they all have trade offs. The AC sits in a hidden pan that has a garden hose drain tube that runs out underneath bottom of the camper....I had to fabricate all of these parts with plastic pans/glue/varies garden hose parts..but it works great. Overall, having an AC in a teardrop is not ideal, but it's required for summer camping in Texas...and it does work well and it will FREEZE you out.

AFTER 4 YEARS REVIEW
The camper has been great. four years, close to 10k miles, all over the US and even into Canada...I feel like I've already got my money's worth.

I recently had two small areas of delamination occur in the exterior plywood. I stored it under a carport that had leaks, and it appears that water found it's way into a few screw holes that I thought were properly sealed around the galley hinge. I was able to take off the top layer of ply in those areas and repair/reseal....good to go now. I also repaired the leaks in the carport.

After several folks ran me off the road and asked me to build them one, I put an ad for my teardrop on my Etsy page and had lots of interest...but ultimately decided not to build for customers. I build elaborate custom chicken coops(including stained glass) for customers in my free time...so I don't think building a few teardrops would be out of my realm....just hard to find the time! I can build a nice coop in a week, and it took me a year to build the camper.

I haven't figured out how to post pics...so I'm just going to post a link to my website with pics: www.justinpreston.com

My wife and I just had our first child, so I upgraded to a bigger truck and I'm now working on a custom canned ham type camper. I will post about it when I'm done.

Thanks!
Justin

[greygoos]

Nice build. Keep us posted on the new build.