Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Considering the 5x8 NT Trailer which I have read has an precise 5x8 bed.
Any advice on building 5x8 Teardrop FIRST - then placing unit on trailer?
My concern is lack of working space in garage.

I don't know anything about that trailer. I built my 5x10 last summer on the trailer and probably wouldn't do it again. It was challenging to get the trim behind my fenders and that's not the only reason. I built most of it outside the garage but when I moved it in, it was a real pain. I'm about to start a 4.5x8 and it'll be built before the trailer is done. I'm thinking about some kind of low castered frame to move it around on. Take a look at Grant Whiip's build on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teardrops.net

He's built a ton or two of teardrops.

Tony

I like building the trailer frame before I start the rest of the build. Once you have your floor on, it gives you a nice big work space. I also like to have the body of the finished trailer hide the frame. And, especially on a 5x8 trailer, if you build keep your walls outside the frame then you have a full-width 60" wide queen bed. People have built both ways (on top of the frame, vs "around" the frame) and it just all comes down to personal preference. I just like starting with the "foundation" and building up from that.

Appreciate!!

I used to build a version of my Bare Bones trailer where I would tell the customer to buy a specific trailer, register and title it and then in a month or so come and pick up "The Box"

It saved the customer a lot of money and I didn't have to warranty somebody else's Trailer.






The secret was having good drawings of each trailer.

Happy Trails

Len

Do not build the body before you have the trailer or at least the trailer frame.
I am busy with my weekender and I see torrents of tears (or sweat and money) ahead when trying to fit the body on a frame. I never noticed that the damp weather caused my base/floor to bow after the first test-fit of the walls . after slapping on copious amounts of PU wood adhesive before wrestling the wall in place, when inserting screws I found there to be a up-down mismatch of 1/4" in places. Hopefully the trailer builder will be able to work around that, but that is a complication I did not need.

So get your trailer or trailer frame without suspension, slap it onto a wooden sub frame with castors and build on that if the full frame takes up to much space.

Good luck

Andre

Sure appreciate everyone's comments.

I'll be building a Benroy on a NT 5'x8' trailer frame. Plan to install a cheap temporary floor to get the trailer licensed. Then will use the licensed trailer for a lumber run to buy plywood, etc. Once home I'll unload the building materials and build the permanent insulated floor. Will remove the temporary floor. Then install the permanent floor. Next I'll build walls and bulkheads. Will install them to the floor. Following that I plan to build and install the galley and cabin cabinets. Then the ceiling, roof, and hatch.

Those are my basic, very oversimplified, steps.

I have a 4' x 9' building project table on caster wheels. So I will use it and the trailer floor for work spaces. Many times I may use both for increased workspace.

YEP!

Did one of mine that way......




Here it is ready to back the trailer under it.

If space is an issue, you can take the tongue off the front and not mount the axle. I made mine on a 5/8 NT trailer, and doing that left me more room to maneuver. I just made the frame and set it on concrete blocks. The other nice thing is that you can use the deck of the trailer as a table for working on some of the other large components (like the walls).

I made the trailer frame first; then built the floor frame to match and put the bottom skin on (all according to detailed plans of my own design). Before putting the top skin on the floor I set the assembly on the trailer; aligned and clamped it; then traced up thru the mounting tab holes onto the under side of the floor. Next I drilled thru the floor at the marks (I had installed blocking at each of the bolt locations) and installed T-nuts from the top; then I put the top skin on. The cabin will bolt to the frame from the bottom with no fasteners thru the top skin.

So that gave me a very stable built up floor that fits my trailer perfectly (floor frame filled with foam board and both skins glued on). From there, the trailer has sat outside while I finish building the cabin in the loft of a timber frame barn/fabrication shop. I built a support cradle under the floor and set that on saw horses to use for a work table while building and attaching my walls and bulkhead, but the cradle is mostly there to be used as a rigging fixture for later when we hoist the cabin down thru the shipping hatch in the floor. Could have easily omitted it otherwise.

I suppose if you use one of the well documented trailer types and either build on top, or allow a small fudge factor if planning to skirt around the frame, you might be okay, but I would be much more comfortable having the trailer on hand before starting the cabin. You don't need to build the cabin up on the frame, you just need to make sure it will fit when the time comes to join them, and the time to do that is at the beginning.

If you are not making your own trailer, or having one built to your specification, then it only makes sense to have the trailer before you start.