Time frame?

[bobhenry]

Don't let them scare ya ! If you are starting with a rolling trailer frame you can have a floor built the sides cut and attached and spars and roof overhead in short order. (If you really want a guess how about 45 hours )It won't be fancy but it will be campable. Take your time and use it during construction you will learn what you want and where.

[Airspeed]

I worked on mine an hour a day for 90 days or so. I have a shop full of tools and had almost everything ordered and in my shop when I needed it, that makes a big difference.
Aaron

[cuyeda]

If you need to speed things up on the think tank process, you could order a full sized profile from Lil' Bear. Trace it on some wood and start sawing. I believe it has placement of the galley shelving.

Steve Frederick has a nice build manual on CD that could help give you a head start on build techniques. Plus Steve Fredericks just started a nice build forum on his web page for customers that bought his CD (no extra charge for his help forum).

You have come to the right place! Everyone here is so helpful. Look thru the hall of fame to get some ideas on a profile. Welcome to teardropaholics.

[Jst83]

Done with it
I've been working on mine for almost 2 years have 2,000 plus miles on it and 'm so far from done. are they ever really done?
Welcome to the fun. If it was done what would I do?

[eamarquardt]

Let's see. It took me a little over two years working only on weekends, and probably only 2/3 of those weekends averaging about 8 hours a day. Rough estimate of 1000-1100 hours. That does not include the late night hours sitting in front of the computer reading this forum, the hours of daydream planning on the job or "the wake in the middle of the night and think about a design element." And from my weekend time, to be fair, you would have to subtract maybe 500-600 hours of sitting and staring at the project while drinking a beer. Then, you also have to factor in shop mishaps and the Murphy factor . . .)

I think you and I are on the same frequency. Planning and anticipation are half (or more) of the fun of a "project". Not to mention the beer.

Cheers,

Gus

[Tripmaker]

I started in October. Took me about six months with the first 3 months working quite a bit each day, but I had the body and much of the galley finished by December. The last 3 months were spent building doors, skinning, and finish work. The time I spent working on it was spotty depending on the temperature in my shop. Like Miriam said much time is spent waiting for glue and polyurathane to dry. I would go out before work and put on a coat of poly, then sand and another coat in the evening after work. Don't know what your wifes schedule is like but you said she is handy with a paint brush. That would allow you to get more done on the weekends. Just don't get in a hurry. When it gets it's done it's done. Remember you are on teardrop time. The trouble is, it is like painting a picture. You never really know when you are finished.

You said you drive a truck in Boston. You must be a very patient man. I would go nuts driving in that traffic all the time. Patience is a quality you do need while building. Good luck and get going. You will never finish it if you don't start.

[starleen2]

The clock doesn’t start until you make that first cut. It took us about 52 hours to complete our camper in a campable condition – then came the upgrades. The most time spent was coming up with a design that I was comfortable building. A final note: you need two things – time and money and those two go hand in hand. Sometimes I have money – other times I have time (More often than money) but can’t seem to get the two togther at the same time!! AURGGHH!

[doug hodder]

I build start to finish in about 6-7 mos. working weekends and some evenings. If I didn't spend so much time sitting in the chair and cooking up ideas, watching car races and cartoons while I build, could do it in less. Next weekend will be slow as it's the Barrett Jackson auction. The key for me is to get it all ready to shoot paint/ clear before the bugs hatch. Doug

[Nitetimes]

......The key for me is to get it all ready to shoot paint/ clear before the bugs hatch. Doug

Boy, you must not be getting the shop warm enough!!!
My bugs hatch if it's 20 below outside if I'm going to paint!!!
I've had wasps in the garage in January and February, and let me tell you, they are mean that time of year!!!

[doug hodder]

I heat the shop almost daily so I've pretty much got them killed off by early spring. I'm talking about the big hatch...but it's nothing like the miller moths I used to get in Colorado. It doesn't matter, mix up a batch of clear and they come in from every surrounding state to watch!!! doug

[Weerider]

I spent about 350 hours over 5 1/2 months to get form Idea to finally camping. That doesn't count design time and lots and lots of time reading this forum. I bought materials as needed and think it would be much easier if you have all or most everything on hand when you start. I think a second build would go much faster but I haven't done that, so I don't know how much faster.

Good luck and enjoy!

Howard

[Juneaudave]

I've been working on mine (off and on) since the summer 2005 and figure to finish this spring. But don't take that as any indication of how much time it takes because I mostly just go out in the shop and fuss with the Tear and about a hundred other projects that I have half finished, and try to fit time between work, fishing, hunting and other interests. I have no idea what Teardrop time is about...but I've found the build to be relaxing, the T&TTT forum to be a great place to spend time, and am looking forward to getting out and visiting a gathering this year!!!

Maybe the bottom line is that it takes some people a long time, others get it done in weeks...it seems to be an individual thing.

[Kens]

Four months start to finish. I used a store bought frame.

[Steve_Cox]

Grasshoppah, err....Eric

For some it is not about the destination but about the journey. I, as you went through the planning stage, into the dreaming about tear drops stage, then on to the building stage. As time progressed the tear drop obsession became so great I found myself often working on it all night and calling in the next day so I could have more tear drop time. Work became just another place to daydream about the tear drop. This went on for about 400 hours of actual labor, but thousands of hours of scheming and dreaming. Just a warning; Your life may never be the same

Hello there everyone. I am in the planning stages of building my TD. I have spent the past few months reading and learning from this forum. I have searched, read, re- searched and read some more lots of extremely through information in this forum...the one thing that I have not come across it Time...... no one has really covered about how much time it took them to build thier TD... I only have a limited amout of time available (weedends only) as I work 10+ hours a day during my "day job". I would greatly appreciate any advice that any and all could give... Again thanks to all for a great forum. Eric & Sandy

[ccdell]

Wow, I am going about this time thing all backwards. My way is allot simpler. My wife says it will be done in three months. So, it will be done in three months (or so)

Really though, my limiting factor is my (short) attention span. The tear is a hobby for me - pays no bills and takes effort So, I get distracted from ... time to time. (sorry)

I have been working on mine for about 6 months (actively for about 1/2 of that) and I have the frame, floor, inside skin and cabinets mostly done. Things should start to pick up now that the "detail work" is done. I am shooting for a 9 month build.