Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone has taken an old pop up camper and used parts to build a teardrop? I have one for sale by owner close to my house. As far as a popup goes it would need alot of work, but can I use the trailer/frame (which looks sound), lights, stove, sink and other bits and pieces to build a tear? If so, what are the downsides?

Thanks in advance,

Todd

Todd,

Need to check the width of the frame and width of the tires. If these are what you want for the tear build GREAT.

Frank

There are several people on the forum building tears on recycled pop-up frames. Guy just posted some pics of his frame that was from a pop-up if I remember correctly. Check this thread:
http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=108412&highlight=#108412
I junked out a pick-up camper to get some parts for mine.

Depending on what kind of pop-up it is, it could have a stove, fridge, sink, pump, water tank, propane tank and mount, heater, 12volt lights, 110 volt to 12 volt converter, cabinets and/or cabinet hardware, table mounting hardwart (great for an external table on your tear), foam matress, ect...

Look it over, take an inventory of what you may be able to use, then decide if it is worth the asking price. If you plan (or hope) to use the frame, crawl under it and check for heavy rust and cracks. [/url]

I'm tearing down a pop-up right now. Most of the wood on it was rotten but I've got a water container, spare tire holder, sink, and possibly cushions. They still smell funky so they may not be able to be saved.

I'm also tearing apart my father-in-laws camper that has a rotten roof. At the minimum I'll be getting another water holder, sink, faucet, 3 burner stove and a heater.

I'm thinking that I'm going to name my trailer Frank-N-Trailer and paint it green.

i am using a popup trailer frame for my build. the frame folding jacks andthe propane rack are ok. be careful how much weight you put on those since they are usualy very light. as for the with off it you can always do something whit the sides like i am doing on mine. i have a small tow vehicule so i cannot make the body as wide as the frame. but i think recycling a frame is always a good idea.

Kaos
I'm using a popup frame for my build. Had to have some spot welding done and straighten out the dip in the frame. As for weight you can find the original weight of yours by going to the online rental sites. They post so you can know which to rent for your car.

My tongue says it is 3500 so I only need to worry about my tow vehicle. The "C" channel it is built of is narrow on top so the sides will be attached to the the frame, if I can work around the extra plating they use to hang steps. (less than 1/8th thick).

The wheels are inside so you have to deal with the raised level. I am going to 5' and a drawer under the bed in back instead of front. You can also make or get longer hanger brackets in back and that will bring up the floor. (someone please correct if wrong).

If you have the money have it sandblasted, taking off the paint is easy, scrubbing rust is a pain.

Check out the springs, 26 inches looks a little flat but they should be even. Some of the popups have heavier equipment and can make uneven loading while sitting.

Have fun and paint a color you really like cause you may not want to go through it again .
Miriam

I used an old pop up frame and it worked great! I don't have a welder and it gave me a great base to start my build. It already had the stabalizer jackes welded in place and I desigend my tear around the trailer frame. I made my tear a "fat" 6' wide. I put the wheels inside and raised the bed above the wheel wheels. This way I was able to purchase a standard full size matress (without the box springs) and put it on a "lift up" lid over the wheel wells. This gave me a lot of storage under the bed and I can sit on the bed with my feet on the floor INSIDE the trailer. I used the standard 4' wall height and I have plenty of sitting head room inside. It worked out great for me, I just had to make my design match the frame.