My design is influenced by the tent-top camper my grandpa built in the 1940s, and which my mom grew up camping in, and then us through the 1970s. It was 6' wide, 8' long, back entry, beds/bunks lenghtwise, and kitchen drawers that pulled out the back for outside cooking, Colman stove, ice chest, no heater, no water tank. Minimalist. Grandpa's was 800 pounds empty, probably 1200 when loaded for camping.
I bought an old PUP several years ago, and it was HEAVY! Also a pain for a single person to put up! And although my kids wanted to be helpful, they just weren't big enough. When the aging canvas failed, I sold the trailer for someone else to build on, and we went back to tent camping. But I kept thinking of the camper from my childhood, and how easy it was to just park, set up, and camp.
Then I found T&TTT! I figured that I would buy/build a 5wide tear, and the 3 of us could squeeze in. But the kids are 9 now, and getting bigger, so I considered a large tear with a bunk for one kid.. We live in bear country, so I wasn't happy with the idea of me in the tear and the kids in a tent. I'm getting older, too, so I also wasn't happy with the idea of the KIDS in the tear and ME in a tent. Then I wanted a table and benches inside for when the weather is drippy or cool. The camper kept growing.
I wanted to keep it under 1000 pounds, though! I started looking through the vintage plans at standies. At least one called for 1/2 inch ply for the floor, and 1/4 inch ply for the walls, didn't seem to call for insulation or inside skin--that sounded light! They all seemed to include a camp oven, closet space, unnecessary heavy stuff and no bunks for kids. And a door in the side just wastes space, as far my needs go. We have so far always camped in Forest/Park Service campgrounds with privies, so we don't need a toilet (we'll take a converted bucket, as needed, for more primitive camping). Likewise, we don't need a water tank, as we can fill a carrier from the faucet at the campground.
So anyway, this is what I have come up with. Lenghwise queen bed, wall to wall, bunk overhead supported by 1/2 inch ply ends (the ones near the back/door will be hinged to fold out of the way when we are using the bed area as a table and seating). 1/2 inch floor and back wall, 1/4 inch side walls. I was thinking the roof would be 1/4 inch, as it was all I could find, but I may have a source for 1/8 now. I'd like a 24" wide Dutch door in the back, but the door and the drawers are still in the planning stage.
Oh, my grid doesn't show, and I don't have measurements! I'm building on a HF 4x8, making my floor 64 inches wide, and from the front of the curve to the back it will be 10 ft (hanging 1 foot off the back of the triler). There will be 2 feet between the benches, a little more right inside the door where the kitchen drawer/cabinets are, 24" wide door. It'll be a bit over 6' at the high end. I'm still looking at windows, so I haven't marked anything for those.
Catherine
