Newbe

[Happy Camper]

I new here. I've been looking at little camping trailers for a while now. Prices too high. Someone told me about building a little teardrop shaped trailer. Tried of sleeping in tent, so I'm looking for a small camper trailer to build. I want something small & light but comfortable to sleep in. something easy to construct using wood,alum or that stuff they use on new travel trailers. It dont have to be teardrop shape just convient to sleep in & a kitchen area. What is the easyest & simplest one to build. Happy Camper ; traviling around the "Good Ole USA" seeing the sites.

[mikeschn]

Well Happy, you came to the right place.

The easiest camper you can build is a teardrop or grasshopper. And the easiest size to build is 4x8. Are you building it for 1 person or 2?

Mike...

[BufordT]

I new here. I've been looking at little camping trailers for a while now. Prices too high. Someone told me about building a little teardrop shaped trailer. Tried of sleeping in tent, so I'm looking for a small camper trailer to build. I want something small & light but comfortable to sleep in. something easy to construct using wood,alum or that stuff they use on new travel trailers. It dont have to be teardrop shape just convient to sleep in & a kitchen area. What is the easyest & simplest one to build. Happy Camper ; traviling around the "Good Ole USA" seeing the sites.

Welcome Happy. How much are you thinking about spending and what type of chassis are you looking at?

Bufordt

[Chip]

welcome to the new world Happy,,,just a suggestion,,do a lot of research,,look at a lot of member sites,,learn all ya can then when ya good and confused,,take two shots of ya favorite beverage and start cutting,,ohhh ask a lot of questions,,one thng ya will learn,,advise is real inexpensive here,,,and a lot of it comes from people who have built their own tear(s),,so its usually right on the money,,by the way thanks to all those who have input information to me in my quest,,
ya'l l keep em straight out thar
chip

[Happy Camper]

I need it for at least 2 people. Money isnt a problem when it come to building. I do a lot of Mountain camping, so I think I'll need to look into an axle with electric brakes. I seen some plans on E-Bay but that little rig look to small for me. Need a little more room. happy camper out camping in the middle of no-where in the Mo.Ozarks

[mikeschn]

I'll be in the MO ozarks this summer.

As for the size, there are some people (mysef included), that after trying a 4x8 teardrop, realize that it is too small. I've concluded that the right size for many people is really 5x9.

A 5x9 is more complex because you can't use standard sized aluminum on the top.

But the sides can be cut from 4x10 plywood, and covered with 4x10 aluminum.

The top has to be several pieces of plywood, and then either covered with several pieces of aluminum, or 1 piece of Filon. Oh heck, you could do like I did and paint it with a 2 part Urathane Paint. I just put the first coat on this morning, and I'll have some pictures for you in a little while.



Mike...

[BufordT]

Oh heck, you could do like I did and paint it with a 2 part Urathane Paint. I just put the first coat on this morning, and I'll have some pictures for you in a little while.



Mike...

New Pic's. Lets see new Pic's. Yea that's the thing. New Pic's.

Bufordt

[mikeschn]

Okay, okay...

Here's a photo to hold you over!!!



Mike...

[BufordT]

Looking good there Mike. Looking Good. Painting should work just as well as covering it with something. I like the way it's looking. Plus it's a good way to keep the cost down on these things.

Bufordt

[mikeschn]

Hey Buford,

Yes, the right kind of paint would work as a replacement for a skin of some kind. But this stuff is not cheap. I think I paid $87 per gallon. (Makes gas seem kinda cheap, eh? )

The toughness, adhesion, water-resistance and appearance of this product is outstanding. UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic is a two-component elastomeric abrasion resistant polyurethane finish/final coating. It possesses high tensile strength as well as an excellent balance of elongation, hardness and abrasion resistance resulting in long term wear and impact resistance. It is highly water-resistant and obtains a tenacious grip on properly prepared surfaces. It is a 70% solids mix. UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic can be used as a topcoating for ELASTUFF 120 or on its own as a final coating for wood, fiberglass, concrete or steel. It produces a smooth, semigloss finish, and is available in White, Flint gray, Burlap, Sandstone, Brownstone, Turf Green, Tile Red. Coverage is approximately 100 sq. Ft. per gallon, and at least two coats are required to get proper film thickness. It applies easily and is self-leveling, even on vertical surfaces. Coatings will cure tack-free in 2-3 hours at 70° F temperatures. The unused UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic can be covered and will remain usable for about 24 hours. Thinning can be accomplished by using small amounts of xylene.

UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic is sometimes used as a topcoating for ELASTUFF 120, but can be used by itself if traffic or wear conditions are not severe, such as on boat hulls, walkways and home decks. It cures to a slick matte-finish surface and if traction is required then sand or pumice needs to be broadcast immediately onto the next to last coating or mixed in with the final coating. The color is absolutely stable under all sun and weather conditions. UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic is the toughest elastomeric coating you can put on any surface. It is compatible with CPES™ (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer) and all our fillers and resins.

If UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic is applied as the primary coating, all surfaces must be primed with CPES™ (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer), or if on steel with Primer 302 (special order).


For plywood it is beneficial if all side and end-grain surfaces are completely waterproofed with the UNIFLEX 255 Aliphatic, ELASTUFF 120, or an epoxy resin such as our Layup & Laminating Epoxy Resin™, or sealed from any moisture penetration with 3 applications of CPES™ (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer).

[BufordT]

Hey Buford,

Yes, the right kind of paint would work as a replacement for a skin of some kind. But this stuff is not cheap. I think I paid $87 per gallon. (Makes gas seem kinda cheap, eh? )

Yea but it's still cheaper than skinning it with something. Like aluminum, filon, or even frp.

Bufordt

[Joseph]

Hey Mike - if you still have that picture of the Ajoa Sportsman "canned ham" that I've been lusting to build (after my teardrop, of course), you might post that for Happy - might be just what he's looking for if a teardrop is too small. More furniture to build for the inside, but as I've said before, the exterior should be easier than a teardop since you don't have a hatch to mess with.

Joseph

[mikeschn]

Oh you must be talking about this one...



It was in the canned ham thread!

Mike...

[tdhombre]

I am in the process of completing the build of a teardrop. I also wasy convinced that I needed something at least 5 ft. wide. I had the opportunity to check out a couple of teardrops and soon became convinced that a 4 ft. wide one would suffice. I did, however, make mine 9 1/2 ft. long to get the extra storage space.

I choose to stay with the 4 ft. wide flavor to simplify the building of the teardrop. Adding the extra length was really worth it but the extra 18 inch extension added to the 8 ft. length created some challenges that had to be dealt with.

All in all, I would recommend you check out a 4 ft. wide plan. Lay out a 4' x 8' ft area on the living room floor and laydown in it. I would recommend staying with the more "standard" 4 ft. size - at least for the first one!

Good luck!

[BufordT]

I tend to agree Dave,

When I built the mini-hopper I wanted to buiild it 4x8 but it had to be 4x9 to look right. That extra foot added things to the build.

The next one will be a 4x8. After all It's a 4x8 world. I'm also going back to the moto of keep it simple stupid on the next one. I think it will be a lot more fun for me than this one was. Although this one was a lot of fun.

Bufordt