Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello!

Has anyone bought kits or know anyone that has experienced with the products provided by overlandtrailer.com? I'm looking to get their Teardrop trailer frame kit and essential teardrop part kit. Any information provided would greatly be appreciated.

Longn46 wrote:Hello!

Has anyone bought kits or know anyone that has experienced with the products provided by overlandtrailer.com? I'm looking to get their Teardrop trailer frame kit and essential teardrop part kit. Any information provided would greatly be appreciated.

That's a lot of money for steel for a trailer frame. And I assume the $900 doesn't include shipping.



You should be able to weld up the above chassis for half of that using 2" x 2" .120" tubing.

I couldn't find what their "essential teardrop part kit" includes.



Tony

I know, years ago (2012/13) when I was researching teardrops (before I bought my first one), they were located in Spokane, Wash. - they were building/selling their own tear than = it was sided in "Stainless-Steel". I did get to look at one of them at a 'get-together' a few years later. Looked to be a well built trailer, but I did see in the last few years on their web-site that they didn't look to be building them any longer - it was kits and parts - they also had some kind of connection to the DVD-video that was produced years ago(2011) about teardrop trailers. - "Historic Camping & Teardrop Trailers" - A film by Mark Janke - I still have a copy and have always thought it was a very well done video about teardrop trailers.

My cost right now for steel for a 5x8 or 9 is about 250-300 bucks, a coupler is 20, a chain set is 15, and a light kit with wiring is 30. I would weld it together for 300, you paint and wire it. So yes 895 is a rip off.

I broke this down on the face book group, add 315 for a dexter torsion axle with no brakes, rims and tires are 150 or so. Fenders are 75. Total is 855 plus some tax and other stuff.

I spend 4 hours total driving to get the steel and the axle round trip. Each is 1 hour away, and picking up the axle saves 200 bucks in shipping. Takes me about 8 hours to cut and weld the frame. 2 to paint it, 3-4 to wire it, and hour to put the fenders on. I will have about 20 hours in a frame and make about 500 bucks or 25 an hour, not doing it to get rich.

also adding brakes adds about 400 bucks, the wiring, plus the battery, plus the added cost on ordering the axle with brakes.

This not not a sales pitch, it is an example of costs. Use it how you see fit.

Found this list for the "Essential..."

Included in the Kit:

Trailer Frame Wiring and Battery Wiring Bundles
Galley Hatch Door CNC Wood Parts, Seals, Trim, Gas Strut and Mounts, and the custom Overland Trailer Galley Latch Kit
Body Electrical and Hardware Bundles
60″ Hurricane Hinge with Rain Gutter & Vinyl Insert Trim for Galley Hatch
ALL of the Overland Trailer Manufacturing 5′ x 8′ Teardrop Trailer Body, Frame, and Wiring Build Plans
Full-Sized Teardrop Trailer Wall Pattern.
20 Min live one-one virtual meeting with Mark

I hope you can find someone with experience with their products. Maybe call them and ask for a couple references.

$1775 seems like a lot to me for that list of items. Wiring harnesses might be handy if you are following their plans closely.

Plans can be had very cheap or free. There's many members here that would help you. Sounds like you are buying the trailer frame kit so you are not afraid of welders (like me). Tony and others will share their designs with you if you ask real nice. Locally sourced steel will save you some cash.

Twenty minutes with the designer might just break the surface of questions you have along the way. I hope they are more generous with their time than that.

Again, ask them for a reference. A customer that used their kits to build a teardrop. That information will be very valuable if you are investing in their product and design.

Dang that’s for all the information guys. I ended up getting your book too Tom!

saltydawg wrote:My cost right now for steel for a 5x8 or 9 is about 250-300 bucks, a coupler is 20, a chain set is 15, and a light kit with wiring is 30. I would weld it together for 300, you paint and wire it. So yes 895 is a rip off.

I was going to weld my own 5x8 trailer to build on, and with nothing used available in the southern half of CA, or they are priced in the 1000s for old rusty nonsense, I got a price quote from a big Los Angeles metal house, and priced out material for a lightweight steel frame. The total loaded trailer weight would be about 1200lb, so I went light duty on the steel, and the quote came to $875 just for the steel. By the time I add axle, wheels, tires, electrical, and tongue, I'd easily be around $1200 PLUS the time to weld it myself.

So I ordered a Northern Tool, which I am now in my 2nd/3rd month of waiting for. If steel prices in CA were only $250-300 I would have a trailer built by now.