Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hiya guys, I did search the forums for some time, so if I missed something, please link me and I will read up, thanks

I was looking, and teardrops are expensive! But now I have found you guys, I am convinced I can do this myself, but I do have some very basic questions.

Who I am:
2 adults, 2 children
1 Pontiac vibe; tows 1600lbs max, max tongue is 200lbs

My goal;
Make a very light weight teardrop camper (I am not married to the shape so much, but the aerodynamics will likely make it teardrop). I would like to make it as light weight as possible, while not using exotic expensive materials, I am on a budget

I may built 2-3 at once, with a friend of mine, which we hope will save on cost.

Questions;
1) Why are most designs made out of wood, isn't it heavy?

2) What are the issues of using only 1 sheet of aluminum for the walls?

3) Are there any good links for battery power supply

4) What are the heaviest parts, and how can I minimize them?

5) How much have you sold a homemade teardrop for?

THANK YOU!! for all your input, I am sure I will have more questions after this thread starts moving, but this is a good start!

BlankMonkey wrote:Hiya guys, I did search the forums for some time, so if I missed something, please link me and I will read up, thanks

I was looking, and teardrops are expensive! But now I have found you guys, I am convinced I can do this myself, but I do have some very basic questions.

Who I am:
2 adults, 2 children
1 Pontiac vibe; tows 1600lbs max, max tongue is 200lbs

My goal;
Make a very light weight teardrop camper (I am not married to the shape so much, but the aerodynamics will likely make it teardrop). I would like to make it as light weight as possible, while not using exotic expensive materials, I am on a budget

I may built 2-3 at once, with a friend of mine, which we hope will save on cost.

Questions;
1) Why are most designs made out of wood, isn't it heavy?

2) What are the issues of using only 1 sheet of aluminum for the walls?

3) Are there any good links for battery power supply

4) What are the heaviest parts, and how can I minimize them?

5) How much have you sold a homemade teardrop for?

THANK YOU!! for all your input, I am sure I will have more questions after this thread starts moving, but this is a good start!

Welcome! I'm fairly new to this, but I've learned a lot since I've been here! I'll try to answer your questions, but I'm sure others will comment as well!

1.) Wood is heavy, but not as heavy as metal. Wood is typically easier for the average joe to work with, and is readily available in many varieties/thicknesses. With wood, you can do solid 3/4" walls (as I have) or you can do insulated wall panels (3/8" ext wood, 3/4" insulation/framing, 1/8" interior panel)

2.) Not sure how you'd use more than 1 sheet of aluminum. Typically the aluminum that you see is just an exterior skin, over a wood wall.

3.) There is a LARGE amount of info on batteries in the electrical section on the forum. Personally, I'll be running a tow-and-charge system, where the trailer battery is hooked in parallel to the tow vehicle battery. When near electric, I have 12v 5a Battery Tender that will charge/maintain the battery.

4.) Heaviest part is probably the frame. Depends on your design. Wood can be up to 30-40#/cu.ft., while steel is 490#/cu.ft.

5.) Price for a home built trailer depends on way to many variables... features, build quality, finish, size, etc. The major deciding factor is finding someone to pay what you want. There is no standardized value.


Hope this helps at least a little bit! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Good answers, all. Outside of the frame, the next heaviest item would be the battery. Most people use golf cart batteries in the 110AH range. That's a lot of lead to haul around. We use a 35AH gelcell. Our longest time away from shore power was 4 days and we still had plenty of power left. Our lighting is all LED and we keep the fan on low. To really cut down on weight use lithium ion. They're pricey, but will come down as they start to show up in hybrid cars.

A good source for battery info: http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/index.html

Yep, wood is heavy. You can cut down on weight by making hollow panels. Use baltic birch ply. It's stronger than the equivalent fir ply, so you can use thinner material.

It's been said many times; noobs overbuild. I did. You would rather make it too strong than risk having it fall apart. If you're going to build 2 or 3, build 1 first so you can learn from your mistakes.

Good luck. It's an adventure. Have fun with it.

Yes wood and steel are heavy which is why ours is all aluminum framed. There are composites that are being used by high end trailer manufactures. Composideck for floor, aluminum honeycomb walls and roof and you have aircraft construction techniques.

To pare a phrase, light weight costs money how light do you wish to go. I have url's for many suppliers

I would love any links you might have. I was looking at some aircraft cloth, but on thinking about it, it might be kinda spendy. That said, keeping my weight low, I might not have much choice.

How did you guys handle sealing at the seams, doors, and windows?

If you aren't fond of the forum search mechanism (I don't blame you!) then, try clicking on sdtripper2's index in the "letterhead" near the top of your screen. You'll find tons of information sorted into alphabetical (kind of) order. Most of the really important things can be found in that "letterhead" area. Check out the Generic Benroy Plans up there, too. Peruse the forum for a while and you'll find lots of information and ideas. Enjoy!

wannabefree wrote:Good answers, all. Outside of the frame, the next heaviest item would be the battery. Most people use golf cart batteries in the 110AH range. That's a lot of lead to haul around. We use a 35AH gelcell. Our longest time away from shore power was 4 days and we still had plenty of power left. Our lighting is all LED and we keep the fan on low. To really cut down on weight use lithium ion. They're pricey, but will come down as they start to show up in hybrid cars.

A good source for battery info: http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/index.html

Yep, wood is heavy. You can cut down on weight by making hollow panels. Use baltic birch ply. It's stronger than the equivalent fir ply, so you can use thinner material.

It's been said many times; noobs overbuild. I did. You would rather make it too strong than risk having it fall apart. If you're going to build 2 or 3, build 1 first so you can learn from your mistakes.

Good luck. It's an adventure. Have fun with it.

We're noobs, too, and overcautious to boot. That's probably what we will do - overbuild, but I like your last piece of advice the best...it's an adventure. Have fun with it!

http://www.portafab.com/composite_panels.shtml
http://compositek-inc.com/superdek.htm
http://www.fvvleck.com/index.cci

Aluminum trailers can be found and the company building ours can direct you should you wish to go that route.

sdtrippers index, that is awesome, I love it, TY