Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

There is another build in progress that is using an air bag suspension;

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=33063

P.S.

Just hoping you don't end up having to use a ladder to get in and out of your teardrop!

Prem

wow!!! a ladder!!! lmfao you are too funny!!

ok i said i was gonna try to get down to 31's. then suddenly the fear is i'll need a ladder to get in because i dont want to use 235-75-16 tires.

so, that 1/4 inch will make me need a ladder???????


235/75R16 = 30 3/4" x 10"

that makes no sense whatsoever!!!

unforgiven wrote:it actually has me thinking. the plan was to get the same ground clearance as the jeep. the only way to actually achieve more ground clearance is with larger tire size. butttt, with your post, i got to thinkin on that. now with the jeep, you have the bottom of the diff as your lowest point. but with the trailer, it's only a straight axle, so using the same size tires you actually achieve about 4 inches ?? more clearance.

The above reason is why I went with a smaller tire on my latest project (the one pictured below). I wanted to go with 35's on the trailer to match the Jeep but decided against it. Yes 35's would look better but I felt it was not needed. I ended up matching the frame height of the trailer to the Jeep but went with a 27.5" trailer tire. I have 11+ inches of clearance under the trailer axle. I kept the body of the teardrop low. It sits about 42 inches above the frame. I have a full size spare recessed into the frame just above the axle. I don't mind carrying the weight of the spare in the present position on the trailer. I actually have provisions to carry 2 full size spares if desired. The track width of the trailer also matches the Jeep.

I will admit I don't plan on dragging the trailer through any extreme trails. The trailer will only see moderate/mild off roading. I just wanted the ability to take it with us on our offroad trips, park the camper and then hit the "fun" stuff with the Jeep.

Have fun designing and building .

hey brad, thanks for your input. i appreciate good input.

now, after working on the neighbours car, i redesigned my tire to be a 31.

here's the difference. 31 on the left, 35 on the right. no more shots of the trailer yet, i'm working on numerous different ideas i have gleaned from you good folks.



and yes we like to play on rocks. here's the one video i have of my jeep on 31's last year.



hence the "offroad teardrop"!!!

darryl

I know you are a ways away from building so maybe when you are ready I might have a set of 31" tires for you at a good price. The 35" bfg's on my cherokee will need replacing next summer but will be good for my trailer, I can leave it spring under and with the 3500lb wider axle the wheels will sit outside of the body. Once you decide to build you will be so happy the first time you go camping. Plus, for me anyway a lot of the fun is mentally designing and redesigning how to build it.. Take a look through the hall of fame photos to see some real nice trailers.

unforgiven,

Humor. Simply ladder humor. (In response to the 35s.)

I once had an inline 6 diesel in an International Scout. I put 235-75R-15s on it. Took the family on an outing 4x4ing one afternoon on a 30 degree 4x4 path in the mountains. I turned the hubs, put it in low on the transfer case and in granny low on the tranny. Freaked them out when I got out and walked beside the vehicle just above idle (throttle pull handle on the dash for use with the PTO winch) going up the hill with the window down and steering with my right hand while I walked. I got back in after less than 100 feet. We were towing a 4x8 old tent trailer. It had a drop axle with 15 tires on it. My fantasy was to reverse the drop axle giving the trailer massive clearance. Then I figured what size step stool I'd have to build just to get into the back entrance of the trailer and decided against it.

Prem

unforgiven wrote:so, oldtamiyaphile, are you on rcjeeps as well? just curious, as it seems to be the most sought after rc for crawling.

There are a few names you might recognize off r/c sites. I recently found RCJeeps, but have yet to sign up.

There is one more thing to consider when thinking about tyre size. Lifted 4x4's typically have approach/ departure angles approaching 90 degrees. With a trailer, the tongue becomes a hindrance, and when the terrain angles change, even a very tall trailer will drag. When the Jeep faces uphill, the rear bumper drops towards the ground.

Search youtube for 'off road trailer' etc to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Personally, I've decided that lifting a trailer so it won't drag is too impractical, and I'm going to be using polycarbonate skid plates that can be replaced when they wear through.

well, i've done it!! not quite finished yet, but here's the barebones idea.









several changes to this one. number one is design, it flows better. you can see i left the body of the original in the first pic for comparison. size is narrower for the tear, keeping the axle width the same. lower overall height. one foot longer in the body. 31 inch tires. oh yeah, we can fit a queen size mattress!!! pillow top comfort baby!!! that's what the front hatch is for, changing out the mattress as required. makes for healthier living that way too.

i'm unhappy with the galley sofar, but that's the size of it for me to work with.

let me know what ya'll think.

darryl

I really like the shape!

Could you eliminate the front hatch and make a hinged or removable lower wall in the galley to insert the mattress?

Is the floor of the teardrop going to serve as the "counter top" of the galley due to the overall height of the teardrop?

Endo wrote:I really like the shape!

Could you eliminate the front hatch and make a hinged or removable lower wall in the galley to insert the mattress?

Is the floor of the teardrop going to serve as the "counter top" of the galley due to the overall height of the teardrop?

excellent idea with the lower galley wall!!! i'll have to implement that.

and yes, the "floor" will be the main workspace of the galley. as it's drawn, the lower drawers are large enough to house 2 of our butane stoves, 1 in a drawer, likely with a spare canister or two in each drawer as well.

but, like i said above, i'm still not too happy with the overall "feel" of the galley design yet. still trying to come up with a better feeling plan for it.

thanks for the comments,

darryl

unforgiven wrote:



darryl

Great 3 d sketches, detail and good ideas.

... some thoughts .... I'd like to see storage in a low centre of gravity for the heavy stuff battery; water etc; so how could you add this idea to the design?

Your design looks great!

I am not a four-wheeler, but was wondering with your inboard wheel design, and no wheelwells, have you allowed enough clearance for suspension travel?