Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

We have looked and looked and even seen the manufactured Little Guy this last weekend at a festival and what is the absolute easiest teardrop to construct? They all look sort of difficult. We wanted something for three but are considering something smaller and docking on a tent. Is squarish easier than curved? Would a paper pattern make it any easier or a template? We have considered buying the Little Guy but...Thanks for any insight, Cathy

Hello!

IMO, I would have to say the Weekender is the easiest. Here is a link to a thread.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... =weekender

This one can be built in a weekend or 2...... al la Weekender.

None of the designs are terribly difficult but by the same token, nothing worth doing is going to be easy. So pick a design you like and give it a shot. I'll bet you'll surprise yourself.

Joseph

Easy depends on your skills and the tools available. If you can cut the angle on the plywood edge and be sure to seal the edges the Weekender might be easy.

If you have a router or can use a jig saw most of the TD are reasonably easy.

Truth is these are not "hard" they take time.

...the short answer...a really ugly square box on wheels...I think a lot of folks with minimal skils and tools PERCEIVE that the Weekender is easier to build but that is really a matter of perception as much as anything...your best bet is the "Generic Benroy Plans" at the top of this page...it was designed by members of this board to give a quality product that anyone can build with a minimum of skils and tools.......
madjack

I told my husband we could build one for "Barbie" in "Barbie" size in order to check out a design. I was thinking I could use some heavy cardboard and some this and that from around the house since we are working on our house and I have a tablet of graph paper. I figure once I see "Barbie" trying it out that I could decide if I liked it or not. Partly makes sense and partly sounds crazy. I think my husband has a jig saw but mostly if I can do a lot of the work myself it would really move along a lot quicker. I once used my son's Matchbox jeep and boat trailer to explain how backing up a trailer works. So, maybe? Cathy

Lots a folks do that. I don't know about the Barbie thing though....

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... =cardboard


Ah...looks like it had been done....but not with a Teardrop.


Mk

Easy? Madjack is right. A 4x8 square box. Problem is, it looks too much like a coffin.

Easy means building solid plywood walls for starters.

The weekender ended up with spars for reinforcement, so both curved and angular designs have spars. For the weekender you need a table saw to cut the spars. For a curved design you can use off the shelf 1x2s. So for this step the curved design is easier.

For the weekender you can cut the plywood to the right size, and screw it to the spars, no bending required. For a curved design, you have to bend thin plywood around the profile. So for this step the weekender is easier.

If you need a hatch, then a flat panel hatch is easier than a curved hatch. But you still need ribs for both designs. So both designs are more or less the same difficulity.

Once the walls are up and the roof is on, the devil is in the details. And not of the details are really hard, they just take time... and lots of it.

My advice, build what looks the most attractive to you!

Mike...

You might want to consider watching the 'for sale' items around and maybe you will find one that you like and can afford to buy. Buying is easier than building. I much prefer to build, but thing that buying might be easier for most folks. Just my opinion.

Here is another option. What I did was buy a Little Guy "cargo" model, which is mostly built, but unfinished on the inside. I then finished the inside the way I wanted to.

That way, the manufacturer does the more difficult stuff, like the frame and hatches and doors, but you still get a teardrop that fits your own needs, tastes and desires.

CD

Franklin wrote:I told my husband we could build one for "Barbie" in "Barbie" size in order to check out a design. I was thinking I could use some heavy cardboard and some this and that from around the house since we are working on our house and I have a tablet of graph paper. I figure once I see "Barbie" trying it out that I could decide if I liked it or not. Partly makes sense and partly sounds crazy. I think my husband has a jig saw but mostly if I can do a lot of the work myself it would really move along a lot quicker. I once used my son's Matchbox jeep and boat trailer to explain how backing up a trailer works. So, maybe? Cathy

Go for it! Once you get it in your mind it will work. I know because I did it and did most of it alone, but with a lot of help from this forum.

A suggestion---get Steve's shop manual and read it. That is not a plug for Steve, just that tools work better if you get the right one and use it to full advantage.

We will be here day or night to help. Just remember the Pictures really do help keep the bubble oil level.

Oh yeah and MHO square boxes torque and twist and are UGLY.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. To pick our favorite would be a big job as we love nearly everyone of the plans. Well, let's see we are in our 50's and if we take really good care of ourselves and make a special fund (it is much easier not to buy things you don't need if you have a goal of getting something good out of it) maybe we could build one a year. Well, going to sit down this weekend and go through the plans one more time but I think this time we will start by listing those that really don't fit our needs first because when we made a list of the ones we liked, there were probably 12 on the list. We had saved money to buy a pop-up but with so many bad experiences I couldn't let go of the money when it came time to buy. Cathy

madjack wrote:...the short answer...a really ugly square box on wheels....

I have one of those!

starleen2 wrote:

madjack wrote:...the short answer...a really ugly square box on wheels....

I have one of those!

...actually you have a "cute" square box on wheels...you, Smokey Bob and a few other have shown what can be done with a square box...thanks
madjack

starleen2 wrote:

madjack wrote:...the short answer...a really ugly square box on wheels....

I have one of those!

No, yours is rectangular, not square. That's different.

CD (always the diplomat)