Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Still planning my tear-in my head.

I am planning a 4x8, would LOVE a 5 footer but weight and tongue-weight are key considerations for my little car. I see most of even the smaller home made tears weigh in at about 900 lbs. I need to cut 200 lbs, I also need to do it quickly since I am renting my workspace monthly

The natural wood most of you have done is GORGEOUS but I don't have those skills so it looks like paint and carpeting on the interior and either aluminum or fiberglass on the outside.

I still want a functioning galley though (for tailgating).

So, given I don't need beautiful woodwork, what hints are there to save a) time and B) weight.

Hi Phillyboy, Given the choice of 5 foot wide *or* fitted kitchen I would take 5 foot wide EVERY time, but then there are two of us. If I was a solo camper a four footer would work fine.

If you are limited for weight/time/cost, loose the kitchen and improvise with a folding camp table and portable stove.

You can always go back and retrofit the kitchen at a later date. Once you get the trailer mobile and watertight you can loose the rented workspace.

I am also very glad that I covered my trailer in aluminium. It gives a superior, robust finish at an admittedly higher short term cost.

I tow with a 2000cc diesel Toyota station wagon with a relatively weak European spec engine. You would hardly know there was a trailer being pulled along. Unless you overbuild or are pulling with a SMART for 2, I doubt you will have too many problems. What are you towing with?

As for skills... Aluminium is very easy to work with. All you need are a pair of tin snips. If you can operate scissors you can operate snips.

My interior is bare ply with a thin satin varnish. I'm sure you have painted before?

The floor is very convincing adhesive floor tiles about 1 foot square. They look great and were cut to fit with a craft knife.

I built my trailer outside during the worst winter in decades. I would say, just do it. :)

Pulling with a yaris. Towing anything is not "recommended" but is allowed in Canada with a 70# tongue weight and 700 lb towing weight. I'm gonna go with the Canadian restrictions

So I am thinking about stick-building the sides with 1x3's and foam in between. Using pine for the spars.

What would be lighter for the skin? Aluminum or fiberglass? Which can I use without an underskin?

Looking at navy blue indoor/outdoor carpeting on the inside and 1/3 up the walls. The one luxury will be some red diamond plate chairrail as a transition from the catpeting to prolly white high gloss paint

With the galley, I am really just thinking shelving and cubbies. Would probably save weight by not adding doors. Little propane stove wouldn't add anything but an ice chest would. So would an ac unit which I will mount.

I have a 1x1 spruce stick frame with 1 inch expanded polystyrene foam in between a 1/4 inch WBP ply sandwich.

The aluminium does need to be applied on top of the outer ply. This outer ply has been treated with an epoxy varnish which is allowed to cure before applying the aluminium as a floating outer skin.

Fibreglass is either an epoxy or polyester (don't use polyester) resin encapsulating a woven cloth. It will be heavy and probably work out much more expensive than the aluminium to do it right. I would not build in GRP.

Going super light weight I would consider 1/8th ply sandwich over 1 inch urethane insulation board and very minimal 1x1 stick framing for fixings points only. Then thin aluminium as the outer skin.

I do not think your 700lbs target weight is unachievable *but* consider reducing weight on the extras, or think about carrying your heavy extras in back of your Yaris when towing.

In the beginning we were thinking along these lines also as Lovely Assistant has a 3 Dr. Yaris

Believe if you went 5' wide the extra width would be harder pulling. If you used Mike and Andrew's plans you shouldn't have any problem getting on the light side of 700#

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... sc&start=0

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=7275

Good Luck and keep us posted!

Will

I don't know how a stick wall compares to a plywood wall as far as weight but #2 weighs 570lbs. !/2 plywood floor with 1x2 supports, 1/2 plywood walls, 1/2 plywood galley walls and shelf (I did reinforce the shelf with 3/4 ply), the closet wall is also 1/2. I have to add battery yet and switch, lights, and plugins.


The dimensions are 40" wide, 107" long and 42"tall.