Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello all,

I'd love your input on my design! The only thing I can tell that is "off" is the measurements haven't taken into account the thickness of the walls, roof, floor and bulkheads, but other than that, I think it's pretty accurate. The left side you can see is a diagram of the walls and floor thickness, the other photos from top to bottom are the galley from behind, the interior design layout from the side, and the layout of the outside wall. I am still waffling between having a headboard and not, but I really love the idea of the shelf above instead to give extra galley room (we'll be feeding at least 4 or more people on any trips we take).

The second image is of the trailer frame, which honestly scares me the most (never welded before!). One question regarding the trailer I had was this - I was planning on using all 2x3 11ga steel for everything, including support beams, should I do this, or use something a little smaller? Tow vehicle will tow up to 6,000lbs so not too worried about weight. Also not pictured are the steel triangle plates that I'll add in for extra support on the tongue.

Please don't hesitate to post any concerns or things I might have missed, as I have never built anything like this before and I plan to start just after the new year! Thanks all <3

A few things...

Why a width of 66"? My wife and I are great with 60", and that's the width of Baltic birch plywood.

This is going to be heavier than it needs to be. I assume you are building some kind of framework within your walls. I sheath mine with 1/4" on the outside and 1/8" on the inside. It's strong. 1/2" is overkill.



The same goes for your floor. I use a 3/4" framework with 1/4" on both sides. 1/8" on the bottom would be fine. You can stand on it while building without feeling like it'll fail. You're planned floor will be a beast.

I assume you are building the doors; if so, make them taller. (I'm not a fan of "porch lights" since they are right at face level and will night blind you and will add unneeded complexity to the build.) And if you are using my seal system, the corners need to be round so the Trim-Lock doesn't need to be cut.

And I think you're adding too much steel with that 2 x 3" .125". 2 x 2" .120" is fine.

Weight adds up fast in camper build.

Tony

Your trailer frame is stout but not ridiculously over built. It could be lighter, but that's up to you.

One thing you may want to consider is to assemble the steel with tack welds and bring it to a welding shop to complete it if you don't trust your welds. The other alternative is to gather your scrap steel and practice on that to make sure your equipment and skills are up to the task.

tony.latham wrote:A few things...

Why a width of 66"? My wife and I are great with 60", and that's the width of Baltic birch plywood.

I'm a pretty big guy and I feel the extra 6 inches, not only in the sleeping area, but in the galley will be pretty massive. I have been waffling between 60" and 66" and I will likely end up with 60" to avoid using even more expensive BB (it's $300 a sheet for 3/4" 5x10 sheets of it here, likely a bit cheaper if I go down in thickness)

tony.latham wrote:This is going to be heavier than it needs to be. I assume you are building some kind of framework within your walls. I sheath mine with 1/4" on the outside and 1/8" on the inside. It's strong. 1/2" is overkill.

The same goes for your floor. I use a 3/4" framework with 1/4" on both sides. 1/8" on the bottom would be fine. You can stand on it while building without feeling like it'll fail. You're planned floor will be a beast.

In your wall design you use 3/4" plywood center to help the structure/strength, do you think 1/4 outside and 1/8 inside with 1x3 (1x4?) support beams and 3/4" insulation will be strong enough? Should I upgrade to 2x2 supports and use 1.5" insulation if going for the 1/4" outside and 1/8" inside?

Regarding the floor, I think I will swap to your design, as I mentioned before I am a pretty big guy and was worried about moving around in there, but if you think the floor should be fine, I'll trust ya!

tony.latham wrote:I assume you are building the doors; if so, make them taller. (I'm not a fan of "porch lights" since they are right at face level and will night blind you and will add unneeded complexity to the build.) And if you are using my seal system, the corners need to be round so the Trim-Lock doesn't need to be cut.

And I think you're adding too much steel with that 2 x 3" .125". 2 x 2" .120" is fine.

Tony

Yeah I'll be building the doors, I mocked up several iterations and I think taller is even better the "porch lights" are something the lady wants, so I was going to put them in and make them fairly dim so nobody gets blinded, lol.

Pmullen503 wrote:Your trailer frame is stout but not ridiculously over built. It could be lighter, but that's up to you.

One thing you may want to consider is to assemble the steel with tack welds and bring it to a welding shop to complete it if you don't trust your welds. The other alternative is to gather your scrap steel and practice on that to make sure your equipment and skills are up to the task.

That is something I never actually thought of! I think I can tack weld it up and make it square pretty easily, but having a welding shop finish it up is a fantastic idea! Thank you!

In your wall design you use 3/4" plywood center to help the structure/strength, do you think 1/4 outside and 1/8 inside with 1x3 (1x4?) support beams and 3/4" insulation will be strong enough? Should I upgrade to 2x2 supports and use 1.5" insulation if going for the 1/4" outside and 1/8" inside?

An internal structure that is 3/4" thick is fine. I use 3/4" plywood and not "sticks." Been there, done that. Plywood is much faster and allows for more design flexibility.







Tony

to avoid using even more expensive BB (it's $300 a sheet for 3/4" 5x10 sheets of it ...

Are you sure that's Baltic birch or just birch? Baltic is waterproof and a high number of plys with no voids.



I've never heard of Baltic birch that size. 5'x5' and 4 x 8', yes.

Tony

tony.latham wrote:An internal structure that is 3/4" thick is fine. I use 3/4" plywood and not "sticks." Been there, done that. Plywood is much faster and allows for more design flexibility.

hmm, maybe I should just use 3/4 inch like yours with knocking out some spacers for insulation. I just wanted to make it REALLY insulated. Decisions decisions!

tony.latham wrote:Are you sure that's Baltic birch or just birch? Baltic is waterproof and a high number of plys with no voids.
I've never heard of Baltic birch that size. 5'x5' and 4 x 8', yes.

Yeah, they said they could get baltic birch for that price, but I can confirm with them tomorrow.

I just wanted to make it REALLY insulated.

We live and camp in the Rockies. 3/4" insulation in the walls (& floor), with 2" in the roof is great.



Tony

amelia123 wrote:Your design shows promise, but considering the thickness of walls and structural elements is crucial for accuracy. The galley layout and shelving idea are thoughtful for group trips. Regarding the trailer frame, using 2x3 11ga steel seems robust, considering your tow vehicle's capacity, but consulting a welding expert for guidance on materials and support is advisable

AI bot.

Yep. This is dangerous, IMHO, as somewhere this AI nonsense is going to generate bad advice that someone follows, without realizing the source, costing them time, money, or causing injury.

EDIT: Thanks to the modertor who took it down promptly!

Tom