Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All,

I got the bug big time, and I have been fretting over my TD needs for a couple of months...
1) my TD should be big enough for three (me and my boys)
2) Sitting room inside
3) standing not required
4) extremely cool looks
5) classic rear galley
6) lightweight, removable interior
7) lots of second hand or reclaim material

So I came up with this mix of Campster, 2+2 and Widget with shell dimensions of about 3,2 x 2,05 m (10`8" x 6`8"), as it has to house sleeping across the width. I built a 1:10 cardboard model which will serve as a generic idea, details to be honed when the trailer is ready (I need some framework done and a technical inspection or it will never be road legal. Rules are mighty strict over here...). Hope to start this summer and have it done in time for next year´s summer season, so that I can take it to the mediterranean.

The galley will be fitted with a two-plate electric cooker, no fix sink, but 2x10L fresh water canisters with spigots, plus a 12/220V cooling box. We are not planning to do much off-grid camping, so a 220V connection to camping site electricity is a must. The floor between the seating area and the front bunk will be lowered, and I am thinking of something similar for storage under the galley. In the end, we will have a four-place seating/dining area which converts into a 130x200 cm bed (4´4" x 6´6") and a 65x200cm (2´2" x 6´6") single bed. I am 6´4", so these dimensions are a must.
As the interior should be lightweight, I am debating whether a frame construction covered with thin ply or 3/8" thick ply should be used for furniture...or even frame construction covered with sailcloth or some such. The "wardrobe" may be replaced by a hanging shelf...think IKEA Skubb. The interior height should allow 100-110cm above seating position for comfy seating, so the overall trailer height will end up around 170cm (5´6"). In the end, it will all be determined with a cardboard mock-up on the trailer frame I got cheaply off the local version of our all-beloved online auction house.

Looking forward to your comments!

I like it. Do you really think you will need to hang clothes?

No, the hanging wardrobe is more like an assembly of shelves mae of cloth so to store T-shirts and trousers. Small items will be kept in bags in the underbed compartment

Hey Hepcat from Germany.
I too am from the Motherland. Mine is at Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California. A drop floor may be what you need? I have posted plans for a 5' x 5' x 10' TD with a drop floor in the frame and chassis secrets section under drop floors. Some heavy hitters to the site responded before i made my drawings so it was based on great input. I have detailed drawings of my design if you need.
Enjoy, Chris

Hi Chris,

very cool, where can I find the plans? The drop floor is definitely foreseen, but still it will remain a crouchie, it´s more for comfy seating at the dining table.

Guten tag Herr Hepcat, wie gehts?, Willkomen hier. Txbum

Nice side profile and interior layout but it sounds awfuly wide.
6 foot wide would be a real chore to lug around and on some roads would be near on impossible to drive without constantly pulling over for oncoming traffic to pass.
Here in australia and NZ for that matter you'd have issues towing it without a wide load permit I recon.
Maybe I'm wrong but id seriously consider pulling it back to closer to 5 foot it you can.
Mines 1600 wide and I wouldnt want to go to much wider

I can't see the problem with a 6'8" width - that's less than 99% of the caravans (travel trailers) in use.

The problem I see is that using a lot of reclaimed material is going to make it hard to keep the weight sensible as so often the material available will be heavy.

As someone who's done the bed building every night, I suggest trying to figure three dedicated beds. Put a little one in a hammock and you sleep on a bunk bed.

Thanks for all the input. The width of 6´8`` is a must, or we will never fit three sleepers inside. And the little ones ain´t so lil´anymore, by next summer they will be 14 and 17yrs, so probably our last chance to have a boy´s outing before my firstborn joins the army...

Right now I am fighting the technical inspection (TÜV) over here...I cannot get it registered as a camper, or I´d have to prove fireproofing and splinter reluctance of all used materials (...fat chance, with wood and all...), so my best bet is to create a flatbed trailer, register it, and build the cabin as a removable load on top, to be fixed with spanner nuts on tie-down points (MUST be removable without tools!). I´ll report back as soon as I get the trailer back from the garage where they check light and brakes before inspectioning.

Oh, and the width is no problem on them these roads here, I plan to use the Autobahn most of the time. Plus, my tow vehicle is wider over mirrors, so I am not worried.

So, I got the trailer back from the garage, with some nice new lights which will no longer hinder the platform on top, and with the help of one of my boys I have removed the old bed. Next week the new bed will arrive from the wood specialist, and I´ll be one step further and almost ready for the technical inspection. The new bed will be made of a 15mm thick wire mesh plywood reinforced with a subframe of the same material underneath and screwed together. I´ll post some pictures soon.