Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

hello all,

I have posted once about a week ago and would like to have a trailer. Unfortunately, I had someone offer to help but I hate to be rushed and the person needed a quick answer and I just wanted to chew on it a bit.


Anyway, does anyone know anyone that might have one that they started (basic box) etc that they might want to sell? I want it to be fairly nice but I am willing to add things over time as I have the time and spare change. I live near Hilton head, SC.

I would prefer to have a 5ft wide trailer and I really liked the functionality of the "baja benroy" I saw. I would like something similar maybe a little more basic at first but with the capability to add on later. The teardropparts.com company does not make kits for the benroy anymore. I talked to the gentleman on the phone.

Can anyone recommend a set of plans to purchase? Honestly, I am not sure I want to build one from the ground up. I have NO experience in the like.

Thanks

Everyone (well, I saw one guy complaining) seems to think that the Kuffle creek plans are very good. I've only been surfing here for a month or so but I've learned a great deal from this forum. Look at the Hall of Fame, check out the build journals of the campers that strike your fancy. Heck, look at them all, you'll get something out of every one of them.

If/when I do anything, it will probably be a cargo trailer conversion, but I may order the Kuffle Creek plans just to see what all the fuss is about. Besides, thier add in Fine Woodworking is what made me aware of TD's in the first place.

dbryan wrote:Can anyone recommend a set of plans to purchase? Honestly, I am not sure I want to build one from the ground up. I have NO experience in the like.

I searched for the best(and most detailed) plan due to my lack of knowledge on the subject. I chose the Kuffel Creek plans and am very pleased with the results so far. However, I have put my *basic* knowledge through some tests. Frankly, if you have zero experience with this kind of thing, I would hesitate recommending them. As it says on the Kuffel website, a teardrop should not be your first project.

just my $0.02

As a side note, I have seen a few partial builds on eBay in the past that appear to be great starting points. They don't come up very often, but the ones I have seen looked decent

WoodSmith wrote:Everyone (well, I saw one guy complaining) seems to think that the Kuffle creek plans are very good.

OKAY! I APOLOGIZE! THAT GUY WAS ME!

I was just complainiing that the plans were wrong for modifying my lighter weight Harbor Freight trailer.

I think I'm going to have to send a couple of lobsters to Kevin at Kuffel Creek to redeem myself on this one.

Rat... you can send me those lobsters and, uh, I'll make sure he gets 'em Honest!

DestinDave wrote:Rat... you can send me those lobsters and, uh, I'll make sure he gets 'em Honest!

HAH!

Funny thing is, I hate the Florida lobsters down here (no claws), and only eat the ones shipped down from up north, Maine or Long Island.

Now if you've never had a Florida Stone Crab claw before, that's a different story! They're only available in months with an "r" in them (the season), they're cooked on or right off the boat, and shipped on ice and eaten cold with a mustard, honey and mayonnaise sauce. Delicious, pure meat--and just the claw!

One possibility would be to look at R.W. Johnson's http://www.teardroptrailers.net/parts/trailers/trailers.htm site. The chassis is intended for a 4' wide Kit, but could be used as a departure point for a number of other projects. One advantage is an axle and hub bolt pattern for larger wheels. The kit comes with quite a few components.

Do It Yourself Kit-

This kit contains a complete assembled chassis with springs, axle with 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern, and coupler for 1 7/8" ball, it also includes all locks, latches and locking handles for 2 doors and the rear compartment. It includes a pair of windows along with the necessary aluminum trim for both doors and enough aluminum body edging for the complete trailer. The included plans have a pattern for cutting the correct curve of the body and complete details on how to cut and assemble the trailer along with material list.

The buyer must furnish the wood, aluminum skin, nuts, bolts, screws, adhesive and varnish.

PRICE AS LISTED ABOVE
$795.00

BTW, you can have the lobster. I suspect Kevin might like abalone. The beds are nicely regenerating here in La Jolla, but it is still illegal to take them. You always want what you can't have....

Tom

Okay...at the risk of not doing a search on the internet, what the heck is an abalone? It's a shell fish, right? Because I know they use the shells as ornamental material for guitars.

And what is a SAND DAB? I saw them on the menu in San Fran last year, but real expensive.

San Diegan wrote:BTW, you can have the lobster. I suspect Kevin might like abalone. The beds are nicely regenerating here in La Jolla, but it is still illegal to take them. You always want what you can't have....

Tom

We used to catch Abs off the Channel Islands in the '80s. I would cook them for my ex, but didn't care to eat them myself. Rock scallops on the other hand....yum.

I still have my ab iron somewhere but it sure doesn't get used except as a paper weight.

Joanne

IraRat sounds more like a conch person to me.

- JT

JT wrote:IraRat sounds more like a conch person to me.

- JT

Only when I go to the Keys! Conch is the poor man's shellfish, so no thanks.

My seafood: Lobster, Stone Crab, Sea Scallops, Mussels, Oysters, King and Queen and Dungenoss and Blue Crab, Clams and Shrimp.

All shellfish, and sure as hell no GEFILTE fish!,

Joanne,

I think you have to nearly brutalize abalone to get it to the point where you can chew it. Once that is done, however, I enjoy the almost sweet, piquant taste when they are lightly fried in olive oil with a tiny bit of butter.

We can still get them about below Ensenada and above San Quintin in Baja. I am giving some thought to scouting some of my old haunts down there once the Hunter arrives (Real Soon Now).

Meanwhile, I hope dbryan lines up a frame and gets to join us one of these days.

All of this talk of seafood is making me hungry!

Tom