Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm sure this has probably been asked before - but searching the site I found removeable galleys - but not removing the camper itself from the trailer. Most trailers I'm finding have the welded sides to the frame - and if I was going to go that route - I would like to make a convertable - - be able to take the box off the trailer frame and then us e the trailer - How would one then secure the box ???? any thoughts ??? Thanks Alex

I had a 1949 Kit in 1979 that I used to swap onto a motorcycle/utility trailer. The rolling frame had a flat steel tread type deck on it so I just drilled the floor on the Kit and through bolted it to the utility trailer. Put some spacers under the floor in it and 4 3/4" bolts. I dragged it for thousands of miles with no issue. Thing is...while it may seem easy, it's kind of a hassle to trade them off often. Just what I experienced. Other opinions may vary. Doug

My wazat had large turnbuckles on all four corners to hold it down.

Sorry, don't know exactly how this one is held down but seemed to work.

Use angle iron on the body of the camper to sit around the outside of the frame. Drill holes through that will allow you to use hitch pins to lock the frames together. Adding tabs to the corners of the trailer will allow you to use jacks to lift the body off the frame of the trailer for storage.

Ive designed mine so it has 4 mounting points welded into the chassis. Its not really so i can remove it, but more so I can lift the camper round the front of our house (space is limited).

It attaches with 4 bolts, 1 on each corner.

I may add a couple of side bolts for piece of mind.

The camper section is about 150kg so not the heaviest thing in the world. Trailer is about 130kg.

Ill not be moving it loads so not too concerned about it twisting etc but to be honest the frames quite strong on the camper.

When I first started building teardrops, I thought that being able to remove the cabin from the frame would make the trailer more versatile, so that's what I did ... 6-8 elevator-bolts through the floor at strategic inside-corner gusset plates is all it takes. The big advantage for me is that the body is built separate from the chassis so I'm not having to work around it while building the cabin, or wrestling all that extra weight. In 30 years, though, I've never separated a body from the frame after they've gone together.

Don't forget, though, that if the trailer lighting is attached to the trailer body, you'll also have to have lighting for the chassis as a utility trailer ... and at least a 4-pin wiring connector between the chassis and the body electrics.

Good Luck, and as always ...

CHEERS!

I thought seriously about doing this. I would use a piece of pipe slid through brackets at the front and back of the body... the ends of the pipes would be attached to camper jacks for truck slide in campers. The pipes could be whatever length necessary to clear the trailer wheels. Simple operation when need be. Those jacks can be as expensive as another utility trailer though.

Wimperdink wrote:Those jacks can be as expensive as another utility trailer though.

Maybe a CL special? Here, there's a guy selling his old slide-in for $100!

That's a better price for sure. Another rendition of that idea was to permanently attach pipes to the top of the trailer to work as a canoe rack with slightly smaller pipes to slide through to the jacks since the slide in camper jacks stand so tall already. Lift from the top of the body.

If you made a lift in a car port, you could do that easily, or use the eye hook idea...

There have been several in the past who have done this I was going to do it with mine but it got to heavy to remove. although Andrew helped me figure out ways to do it. Setting up a A fame on each side and a wench to pull it straight up. some have lifted it on one end and pushed the trailer to a higher flat area and rested it on that and then pulled off the body and tied it in such a way that they could do the reverse.

I have bolts under my center that could be removed and it lifted off. I had little choice because of the design of my trailer an old boat trailer. it is now bolted to the back T. I bolted more down because you do not want to get in an accident and have it leave the frame in the air.

I finally realized that it is so cheep to own a trailer it is better to have different trailers for different jobs if you have room. You can buy folding trailers and put them on end. T42 who lives here in slo county has one with the teardrop in a utility trailer and found he almost never removed it.

But if you have little space you might try my idea of a Pickup teardrop. where you remove the galley and the hatch for when you need it for work. You put a lumber rack on it and you will have a place to rest from a job or a place to do the paperwork warm and comfy. and when it is time to camp you put back the Galley and the hatch.

I just started this I just drew some ideas but have not submitted them yet
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=54358

Ron Dickey

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In my case the Teardrop can be regarded just as any other cargo and loaded on the trailer whenever necessary.

Regards
Kai