Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am in the final stages of planning my frame (planning self-made, welded with 2" square tubing, I think...) and the floor distribution.

I am quite settled on a five-foot width. I also know that I definitely want longer than 8 feet, so I can put in a small closet in the front. (Maybe 9 or 10?) But I am also concerned about keeping weight down, within reason. (Around 750-800 pounds empty.)

So my friends, I am quite full of questions. (Yes, some of my friends believe that is not all I am full of!)

1. What are the floor dimensions (space length and width) used for a double-bed-sized foam mattress? And for a Queen-sized foam mattress? Do you design the floor area with a little extra perimeter space?

2. How much floor space is typically allotted to the galley? (I know part of the upper galley will be over the mattress area. I just want to know typical floor space.)

3. What is the typical distance between the ground (outside) and the floor of the galley?

4. What is the typical distance between the ground (outside) and the counter top in the galley? (Most counter tops in home kitchens are about 36 inches off the floor. My bride would like a similar heighth.)

Thanks in advance!

Mine is 60" wide inside for a queen-sized bed. That make bed making difficult... Now I would go with 61-62" inside. With 1-1/4" walls on each side, add another 2.5" to your inside wdith.

I went with 104" long (queen mattress with dog bed at end). Now, I would make it 10 feet, or 120" (for galley space)..... adding another foot does not increase weight substantially, as you still need a tongue and and axle, springs, wheels, etc.... But, you (me) will miss having that room..... today, I cut down a cabinet wall 1.5" to give the dog (bed) more room.... It increased the area by 10% and is quite noticeable (I hope she appreciates my effort<g>)...

If you put pencil to paper with a decent idea of what you want inside, it will all fall in place..... a clean sheet of paper is a lot easier on the nerves than mid-building corrections....

I'm still building

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... ser_id=888

But mine is 5'W x 11'L x 4'9"H. I have a 20" cabinet in the front, Queen Bed, small shelves on the side walls, and about 30" deep galley.

Don't forget about space lost to: exterior walls, bulkheads, cabinet faces, hatch thickness and support rods, and taillights.

I placed my axle @ 48" from the rear. I'm not finished nor have I driven it down the road yet but the tongue weight is about 100lbs. I still need to build/mount a tongue box with my battery so I think it is going to be about right.

I also went with the Benroy design because it seems to give more space in the Galley since the bottom of the hatch is flat and goes to the frame.

Dr. Steve,

I feel that everything with these little trailers is a compomise. I wanted a queen sized bed, but to have that, the exterior would have to be wider than 5', and that would be a problem finding covering material and I wanted to cover with aluminum.

So, my tear is 5' wide outside, and with 3/4" walls, the bed is almost queen sized at 58 1/2" wide and 75" long. I also went with a Benroy type profile for the room. My trailer is 9' long which gives me a galley that is 24" deep with the cabinet at 36" off the ground. It weighs about 1250 pounds.

Another benefit of the Benroy style profile is you can stand right up against the galley counter top without either bumping your shins or having to lift stuff out away from your body to set it on the counter top.

I spent days drawing and redrawing my plans until I was satisfied with it. Shure, it would be easy to just make the thing big enough to have everything you ever wanted in there, but that takes away from the whole idea of teardrops.

Good luck with your design.

The stand-up/close to the counter/not banging your shins aspect of the Benroy was a plus for me too.

60 wide 118 long over all
inside dim 56 wide 90 long
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... ic_id=1828
gally counter is 20 inches +4 to back
ground to inside floor 18 inches top of counter 36
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... ic_id=2220

Well the outside dimentions are 56"x9'4" , the cabin bed is 54"x 6'4"( a standard double bed) and galley counter top is 35" high and 23" deep, there is not a lot of wasted space but it is more than ample for two comfortably,

chipper

Mine is 57" wide and 94" long and has 1 3/4" thick walls. I don't know if you are going to insulate or not but the 750-800 pound is not gonna happen, I think. I don't have a galley in mine and it weighs 800 pounds. I have a full size mattress in mine and it is plenty big for me and my girlfriend. I'm not done with mine yet so it's fighting weight will probably be around 950 lbs empty.

The "Stacker" I am building measures 6 feet long, 40" wide, devoted entirely for single berth sleeping. No square footage used for the galley, which will have a countertop 36" from the ground. My feet will touch the hatch lid, when closed. Keeping it light and simple.

Roly ~~

My latest oversized CUB MODERNAIRE is 69" wide outside and 117" long. Loads and loads of inside closet space as well as cupborad space in the galley. Check out the photos in my album!

gerald

by the way as for weight it is 1150lbs empty but including all permanent fixtures such as TV, microwave and 2-10lb propane bottles on tongue. add another 150 or so loaded with ice in the cooler and a bit of food and grub!