How long and how much and how difficult?

[NinjaMini]

I was wondering how long it takes to build a teardrop (in hours)?

How much it cost?

and

How difficult it was? Can someone with little woodworking experience do it?

[dales133]

Answer to the last question is yes.
Answer to the first 2 depends on to many variables.
Realisticly most people seem to take around a year I guess although some do it alot faster.

[bobhenry]

Depends on the design, the kinds of built-ins you incorporate, and on and on......

Chubby took four months of week end days as it was my first effort at a full sized teardrop. 160 - 200 ?? hours

dtd 5-23-07

dtd 5-29-07

dtd 9-10-07



I built the barn in exactly 30 days most of this work was done on very long Saturdays and Sundays. So lets say 90 100 hours.

dtd 6-3-09

dtd 6-9-09

dtd 7-5-09

dtd 7-11-09

I had Rip Van Winkle rolling and weather proof in 3 weekends about 60 hours. It took a year on paper but during that time I was derailed building the caboose tiny house and the chuck wagon for the Cross roads of America gathering.

dtd 7-8-10
dtd 7-17-10
dtd 5-2-11
dtd 9-5-11

So with each build I got faster and better and used different techniques to weatherproof the units.

As to money I have never had much to waste and they were built with a great deal of used and recycled lumber and found trailer bargains.

I have to guess a bit on cost but Chubby was about $900.00

The barn about the same and Rip was my bargain at about $300.00.

With a lot of good shopping you can make a very nice little trailer without a giant outlay of cash. Yard sales , Craigslist , and sometimes just walking up and knocking to ask about an item saves big $$$$.. The little trailer that Rip is built on I did just that! I knocked and offered $50.00. It wasn't for sale so I left a phone number in case things changed. A week later she had polled her grown children and no one wanted dads old trailer so she called and we negotiated to $65.00 and I filled up the flat tires and towed it home.

[booyah]

so I can help here, cause I'm still building mine

I was wondering how long it takes to build a teardrop (in hours)?

LOTS :-)
I've worked on mine evenings, and the occasional chunk of time outside of that off/on since april, and it should be campable by the end of this month. Thats not "done" by any means but usable. My current scope of work with the project manager (wife) states usable, and thats what I am chasing right now. Once thats accomplished the rate of work will decrease, and the little add ons will be probably done late fall/early spring.

How much it cost?

Right now I have about $2400 not counting tools tied up in my 5x8 benroy. That includes insulated walls, LED lighting, manufactured doors, etc. When its campable it will total out about $2800 (some electrical, battery, mattress are the big purchases left). I could have done it cheaper if I'd wanted. skipped insulated walls, not do full epoxy on everything, build it as 4x8 rather than 5x8, etc, but I'd rather do it the way I did.
a 4x8 can be done MUCH cheaper than a 5x8. You save an easy $200 right on the frame itself (4x8 from harbor freight vs 5x8 from Northern tool)

and

How difficult it was? Can someone with little woodworking experience do it?

Since I'm doing it yes, yes they can. Take your time, go slowly, and learn how to use a router. That one tool has seen more play than anything else except for my drill. A decent router with three bits (flush trim top bearing, flush trim bottom bearing, 1/4" round over) are the ones I use, and are a LIFESAVER. For the record my router is the 1/4" drive Ryobi. Not the greatest by any means but it does a dandy job for me.

Major tools involved
router
table saw (I used this for ripping 2x4s to 2x2s, and 1x6s to 1x2s. Otherwise optional)
circular saw
jig saw
drill
sander
kregg jig
electric stapler (i used this for securing the interior walls to hold while the glue dried, and for the ceiling/roof. Others have used clamps/straps for these jobs, I preferred to staple and remove the staples afterwords)

The kregg jig is nice to hide holes and keep from having to drill through the sides, but is otherwise optional as well.

[Tomterrific]

I'm still figuring mine out but before I even had the top ply bent in place I had my idea for the next.

The trailer is really no more than a hard tent for sleeping so as long as you can crawl inside and keep out water, you're set! With that in mind and a lack of craftsmanship, my next will be very rustic. The sides will be reclaimed cedar fence boards and the top corrugated metal roofing. The reclaimed fencing can have the bottom and top cut from each board to make it good. The corrugated roofing takes bends extremely well. Since the cedar greys pretty it can be considered prefinished, the roofing also needs no finishing, so fast to build. Both materials are light in weight. Extreme rustic appearance means lack of craftsmanship is a feature! :-)

Tom in Columbus

[tony.latham]

I was wondering how long it takes to build a teardrop (in hours)?

There's a thread here where a guy (and some friends) built one in eighteen days. I think we all thought he was nuts but he pulled it off and is on the road. I can think of another thread that's been chugging along for three years. I've built three of these little beasts in three years. And no, I don't sell them. It takes me about four months of steady cranking. But that's me. I'm retired and like to build stuff.

How much it cost?
The two 5 x 10's I've built were about $4500. That included commercial doors and no corner cutting on materials. I build using the sandwiched method and that is a bit more expensive (but well worth it or I wouldn't do it.) The 4 x 8 I built for my sister and bro-in-law cost about $2,000 without the chassis –they built it. Can you do it cheaper? You bet.

How difficult it was? Can someone with little woodworking experience do it?

I'm a long-time woodworker. I bought Steve Fredrick's Teardrop shop manual, and even though I'm not tool short or inexperienced I found it a huge help. Obviously, I highly recommend it. (search for it on this forum and on the 'net) That, along with this forum, is a big deal to me in my 'drop building. A rookie builder with a bit of help and can Google and ask questions here should do okay.



Tony

[Fred Trout]

I have not finished my foamie yet but it should be campable in two weeks.

Started it the beginning of May (8th) & plan to take it camping around the 24th July. I worked on it most days - would say figure 5 or 6 days a week for 4-8 hours. I am a terrible carpenter and have trouble getting a straight cut, but despite all the mistakes, its coming together. Building with foam is a tad more forgiving than wood.

Bought a used trailer, junked window, making my own doors, but spent $$ on quality components like a 14" Fantastic Fan. Should have between $ 1500 - 2500 into it when done.

[kirkman]

It took me 30 days.

[jss06]

5 years (2 years to build the basic shell) and roughly $7k including AC, solar, battery and electrical. I had very little wood working experience when I started.

[azgreg]

I don't even want to think about how long it will take me and definitely not how much it will cost me.

[wiseguydirk]

My woodie build has taken 350+ hours for 2 people and $7000

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1436390495.189109.jpg (140.27 KiB) Viewed 844 times

[daveesl77]

Mine isn't done and probably never will be, but we just returned from her maiden 2,800 mile, 2 week camping trip.

A person with patience and a desire to make something unique can build one with very little experience. Why? Because there are a ton of people with experience who will be more than happy to help out. You don't need a giant workshop or thousands of dollars in top of the line tools. A few simple hand tools and some other things will work, just tougher.

I actually kept track of my build costs and at this point I'm just over $2,300 on mine. With that said, I had a lot of stuff already that I did not have to buy. If I had to buy the stuff, then probably around $4,000.

Time is up to you. I'm retired and disabled. I work about 20 minutes and rest for 40. I might work 10 days straight or not do anything for 3 weeks. I might put in 8 hour days, 12 hour or 1 hour. Mine, from putting together the HF frame to leaving on the trip was about 4.5 calendar months. I cannot say how much actual hours I have invested as I don't care. This has been a joy for me to build and will continue to be so. I figure I'm maybe 85% done and will probably build another one at some point in the future.

Don't build one to just get it done, build it because it will mean something to you and your family.

dave

[Jdw2717]

I have about $2500 in mine. $700 in the trailer and $600 in the doors. When I build another I will just buy a new trailer from northern tool. I spent more money ($500) fixing up the one I got off craigslist for $200 than a new one on sale $400 would have cost. Lesson learned.

Time was several months on weekends. I don't remember the exact time but I do know I spent almost as much time stripping, fixing, painting and replacing parts on my "bargain" trailer (see photos) as I did on the shell.

Remember the camper is really a glorified plywood box. I am a woodworker in my spare time and have built over 30 pieces of furniture and I was intimidated by building the camper at first. But once I started building it I realized how simple it really was. There really isn't any thing that complicated on these things and most are way over built structurally, mine is anyway.

Good luck.

[Kaz]

Time depends on too many variables. I have fewer woodworking skills than machinist skills. I tried to make parts fit very close and tight. I bet I have close to 300 hrs part time and 9 months total build time. Right around $4700.00. Was a really fun project. Even more fun to actually use it. Stay focused and don't rush it. I have learned to watch glue and paint dry. This forum is the best place for tips and tricks. Everyone is willing to help. Good Luck and have fun.

P.S. Take lots of pics.

[pchast]

Its difficult to answer your questions because everyone's reality and needs
are different. How simple will you dream; flashlights or installed wiring,
cabinets or plain shelves, Galley or none, Do you want to make your own
doors?

I started simple and then added wiring and lights, no galley. I spent more
than I needed to. I bought some things I did not use. I spent 2700 that
went into the trailer. I deleted some products not installed from the total.

I used an inexpensive HF trim router. The foam was no challenge for it.
I'd guestimate around 400 hours including some oops's.