Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

So here's, like, a total noob sketching teardrops, trying to fit self, hubby and two kids in a reasonably small package. This is sketch eight or nine, I think, and heavily influenced by the designs and plans found here on the forums *deep bow in the direction of the masters* ... I did this from the inside-out and not only forgot wheel wells but put them in the wrong place when I first placed them. Comments?

Looks like a great start! Here are some random thoughts. Hope I read your plans right!

Since your trailer is only 5'wide, why not go with exterior wheels and fenders rather that having them inset? It will give you more room inside. Right now, you only have 3.5 feet between the wheel wells.

You might have trouble finding a good vent/escape hatch that large that will fit well on a curved roof. You might use a smaller vent and forgo the escape hatch idea. the two doors should be fine for emergency exits.

Not much room for a galley. Is this just storage only?

If you need more room, you could make the bunks a bit narrower. 24"-26" seems to be the standard for camping cots. You're at 30" right now. You could also remove the back bunk and just make the top of your storage area a sleeping platform.

You're height is about 4.5', so that will require a little more work on your part, either piecing sheets together, or tracking down larger plywood.

Typically, the door opening doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the side wall. Conventional wisdom is to make the bottom of the door hit at half the mattress height.

--Dean

Dean_A wrote:Since your trailer is only 5'wide, why not go with exterior wheels and fenders rather that having them inset? It will give you more room inside. Right now, you only have 3.5 feet between the wheel wells.

Yep, that's what I'd do.

Dean_A wrote:You might have trouble finding a good vent/escape hatch that large that will fit well on a curved roof. You might use a smaller vent and forgo the escape hatch idea. the two doors should be fine for emergency exits.

Alternative: Install a vent in the ceiling and windows on the sides at the head / foot of the cots. Find a window that also swings out as an emergency exit. A ceiling vent will give you more air flow over all, but I can also see some airflow issues for you using the lower space. Its gonna get hot with 2 adults and 2 children in the TD.

Dean_A wrote:If you need more room, you could make the bunks a bit narrower. 24"-26" seems to be the standard for camping cots. You're at 30" right now. You could also remove the back bunk and just make the top of your storage area a sleeping platform.

Or use the storage area as the sleeping platform and install a removeable platform as a bed for the second child. I think I would suggest something like 1/2" plywood (reinforced at the edges, put a lip on the front) instead of canvas. Canvas will stretch over time. Eventually, you may only have one child sleeping in the TD with you - or even going on the camping trip at all. Leaving yourself some flexibility can be a good thing.

Dean_A wrote:Typically, the door opening doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the side wall. Conventional wisdom is to make the bottom of the door hit at half the mattress height.

Don't worry too much about conventional wisdom. We put our door as LOW as we could (about 0.5" off the floor) and I still feel the pressure of the sill on the back of my legs. Put the door height where it works for you.

Suggestion: Design a change cup (or something like it) for use at night to hold stuff that's normally in your pockets. (Wallet, receipts, change, etc.)

Don't worry about an overhead lamp for the children's spaces. Give them a head lamp or two and it will also give them hours of entertainment irritating each other and yourself. Also, give them some place to put their "stuff" (a shelf, hanging fabric pocket, etc) so they don't end up dropping it on top of YOU when they get up in the AM.

Andrea.

Curious how long you hope the whole family to use it. My wife and I are each 5'10"- but our 7 year old daughter is already 4'7" so I'm glad I didn't build a teardrop with transverse bunks for the kids.

If you're going with inboard wheel wells I would try for a rather wide trailer. 6' on the outside would give a lot more space to grow.

Jim

I like the design that Karch did...





Make it 78" wide and you'll have lots of room for the kids to grow into it.

The Generic ET is 78" wide! http://www.mikenchell.com/Generic_ET_Ph ... ndex6.html

Mike...

Grant's Campster 12 is very similar, though 12ft long by 7ft wide is a lot bigger than 5x10:





Campster 12 web page.

Andrew

One thing that is not clear to me is the chassis you are building on. Since you are using wheel wells, there is no way your cabin can be 5' wide.

If you are building on a 5x10 trailer, your cabin will be about 78" wide, and if you are building on a 4x8, your cabin will be about 66" wide.

Mike...

Random comments: As far as dimensions on this, I did a bunch of measurements around our queen mattress and ourselves - there is plenty of head and knee room in there so long as we're not having flailing nightmares. The trailer I had in mind was from an online store - but you're right, I could look for external wheels. I want the door at the bottom so I can sweep it out more easily.

I did want a window that swings open just for emergencies - that part of the roof may have to be flat. I hadn't thought about the canvas stretching. I suppose it's relatively cheap to replace, though. I liked canvas bunks because if the kids are in hammock-style bunks rather than on flat wood, they're less likely to roll out of bed and land on top of us. At least that's the theory.

I hadn't intended to actually cook in that kitchen, more like bring a roll-up table and cook at the back of the camper. The kitchen area is just enough room to carry what I bring with me now ... and I often cook with the single burner on the ground and prep on top of my plastic kitchen storage bin.

I liked the campster, too. Like the other design (Karch's) posted here even better. But I am starting to think about the kids' height and the towing capacity we're trying to stay under. That plus lack of covered / enclosed space to work on it has me starting to look at cargo conversions. I'd never seen those until I hit this forum.

There's something visually elegant and functionally compact about the teardrop shape that makes me really, really want one, but I may have to bow to practicality. Especially with the size teardrop we'd be looking at. Still tossing the two around. Thanks for comments so far ... given me much to think about![/b]