Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I don't know, if its posted already,
but this is what I found today.
A test of the little T@B and also the building of it.
The movie is German spoken, I can't change that. Sorry.
http://www.tabme.de/en/newsticker/topic ... i-galileo/

Thats an interesting clip.. Id like to go visit the factory sometimes.

Classic Finn

Classic Finn wrote:Thats an interesting clip.. Id like to go visit the factory sometimes.

Classic Finn

Can I travel with you?

What about building a F@KE T@B?

H@nk wrote:

Classic Finn wrote:Thats an interesting clip.. Id like to go visit the factory sometimes.

Classic Finn

Can I travel with you?

What about building a F@KE T@B?

Sure Henk meet me over in Germany in March We,ll go look see.
Ive got too many Irons in the fire right now says the wife.

She said ya better Gitem All Done... 1st. She said youve also got a truck to do so I guess Im booked for the next 10 years.

So when you going to build yours Henk?

Classic Finn

That is a very interesting clip. I certainly did enjoy it. I am anxious to show it to my husband when he comes in.

Thanks Henk
Betty

Catoosa Grani wrote:That is a very interesting clip. I certainly did enjoy it. I am anxious to show it to my husband when he comes in.

Thanks Henk
Betty

Your welcome Betty, but isn't he home yet?

Its 2.46 in the morning!!

Classic Finn wrote:

H@nk wrote:

Classic Finn wrote:Thats an interesting clip.. Id like to go visit the factory sometimes.

Classic Finn

Can I travel with you?

What about building a F@KE T@B?

Sure Henk meet me over in Germany in March We,ll go look see.
Ive got too many Irons in the fire right now says the wife.

She said ya better Gitem All Done... 1st. She said youve also got a truck to do so I guess Im booked for the next 10 years.

So when you going to build yours Henk?

Heikki,

I'm going to build as soon as I surely know what I want. Today its a F@KE TAB, yesterday it was the Lill Diner and the day before that it was a teardrop like the old Constructam, so I wait for the better wheater, I have to do it outside.

H@nk wrote:

Classic Finn wrote:

H@nk wrote:

Classic Finn wrote:Thats an interesting clip.. Id like to go visit the factory sometimes.

Classic Finn

Can I travel with you?

What about building a F@KE T@B?

Sure Henk meet me over in Germany in March We,ll go look see.
Ive got too many Irons in the fire right now says the wife.

She said ya better Gitem All Done... 1st. She said youve also got a truck to do so I guess Im booked for the next 10 years.

So when you going to build yours Henk?

Heikki,

I'm going to build as soon as I surely know what I want. Today its a F@KE TAB, yesterday it was the Lill Diner and the day before that it was a teardrop like the old Constructam, so I wait for the better wheater, I have to do it outside.

Dont worry Henk Im also building outside.. except to sneak a few things to do inside the house..

Heikki

A few things to note from that movie:

- Did you see just how light the frame is, and how little of it there is? An 1800lb T@B is both bigger and longer than a teardrop - how come it can get by with only a quarter as much frame? No metal transverses at all, except for the rubber torsion axle. The stabilisers are fixed to the main rails only at one end - the lifting end is just fixed to the plywood sandwich floor. Two men can easily pick up that 40 sq ft plywood floor - so there's no 2x2s and 3/4" ply in there. Could it be that all teardrops are overbuilt? Surely not.....

- T@B's very sensible build process is to complete the inside before adding the outside (like every other trailer builder). OK, that's easier to do for non-prototype builders who can for example make the cabinets the right size without having the body built, but it's worth copying where possible.

- Hands up those who noticed that T@B use the Steve Fredericks recessed wall-roof joint.

- Nice shots at 6:30 of a (~30hp) Trabant pulling the earliest T@b (well, Tabbert) standy teardrop.

I also notice that T@B are now showing a new, larger T@B_L with separate sleeping and sitting areas.

Andrew

Tell us, Andy, honnestly, how many times you looked that movie.
The thing you're saying about the frame is true. I owned a Caravelair and that had the same short trailerframe. Underneath it looked like a boat trailer.
The iron of that frame was thikker, but there where also holes in it to save weight. Did you noticed the special AKS 1300 sway killer? That thing is realy amazing.Most of the trailers I know have it (here in Nederland)

I looked also the American site of T@B and there they said, the T@B German is a perfect Copy of a 1936 Airstream. Is that true? It looked like they where right.

Look Also at the even bigger T@B XXL . It has a living area like home, with a big flatscreen and a stove. Its like a 40.000€ home.

I sure like the looks of that Tab L, sticker price here almost 20,000 Euro Guess I dont like it that much then..

Classic Finn

Classic Finn wrote:I sure like the looks of that Tab L, sticker price here almost 20,000 Euro Guess I dont like it that much then..

Classic Finn

Better buy it here in Holland. Price 8.000€
Or building a look-a-like, even better.

How does the total weight get to be 1800 pounds?

The frame, deck, walls and roof all look lightweight. Is it the overall size, fit out of equipment, and/or the comparatively heavy wall/cabinet particle board?

I don't know how they make trailers in the US of A, but here we are using
a sort of plywood for cabinets and closeths. Also the floor is thick and the further electrical stuff. The trailer chassis is made by ALKO, that means it has the opportunaty that the axs will be modified if you like. For example the coupler is a heavy thing, weight about 20 KG. Thats only the coupler, this hole trailer is made of the best materials. Made by Tabbert, or you could say, made for a lifetime.

aggie79 wrote:How does the total weight get to be 1800 pounds?

Interesting question.

Firstly I should correct that weight, which is the laden (ie, GVWR) weight of the Yurpeen T@b which is lighter than the Merkan T@b:
Unladen weight: EU - 1210lb, US - 1585lb
Laden weight: EU -1760lb, US - 1940lb

So the T@b is really a 1200lb (EU) or a 1600lb (US) trailer. Some forum members have 5x10 teardrops that weigh more!

Its body is 66% taller, 53% longer and 65% wider than a basic 4x8 teardrop and I reckon that means the body shell should weigh 2.6 times what a 4x8 bodyshell should weigh, so that explains a lot of the difference, even if it is lightweight construction.

There's some fittings inside the T@b that most teardrops don't have - fridge, water tank, pump, heater - but I don't think they weigh all that much.

I do suspect that the interior joinery weighs quite a bit - particle board based furniture is cheap to make (and kick-proof) but it isn't light.

Andrew