Greetings, salutations, and so on.

[drammons]

Hi folks. My infatuation with teardrops is most certainly rooted in my love of camping, but was stirred the first time I saw a T@B a couple of years ago. I thought to myself, "Wow, you can cram all of that stuff into one of those, and still pull it with a small vehicle?" Subsequently, wept bitterly when I saw the price tag associated with a T@B.

That's when I found this forum and the ever-widening world of DIY teardrops, and I really feel like it's something better than buying a T@B (with my whole savings and my left arm), or any other travel trailer.

The prospect of building something that encourages outdoor recreation, provides an easy way for my wife and I to escape, and is crafted to my specifications, excites me. It has "Possibilities" written all over it.

In case you didn't catch on, I haven't built or bought anything... yet. I'm still evaluating a few options, and I'd love the opinions of you experienced folks.

To get things started I'm certain that, although I do have some carpentry skills, that I will need to build my first tear with the aid of a good set of plans. Although I'm not a welder, it's not an issue since I have at least three places I can go to get some welding done if I need it.

I've looked at a couple of teardrop plans including:
- Kuffel Creek
- Desert Teardrops

There are a couple of important factors in my idea about what I want in a teardrop plan:

1) A sufficient electrical plan which includes inverting 110V AC from a campsite, as well as the basics like lighting and fan ventilation. I've got some electrical experience, but I want the basic bases covered.

2) I need options when it comes to water. I change my mind every day about whether or not I want to put in one of those cool little sinks with a pump in my galley. I want to know if it's worth the time and money it takes to put one in.

Those are the major issues that I'll need to address, either by using a set of plans, or by getting some serious help from folks like you. I don't have enough info on any of the plans I've glanced at in order to know whether or not they meet that criteria.

That being said, thanks for being such a warm community. Just reading many of your posts made it seem like an easy place to get some good, friendly help. I'm looking forward to the time when i can post my own trailer photos and give some advice of my own.

David[/url]

[Miriam C.]

to the playground David and wife. If you look at the menu up top you will find the generic benroy and other plans. Also most of the build threads can be copied and modified so pick out a profile and

Ya gotta have a to keep the bubble oil level too.

[Steve_Cox]

Hi David, and welcome.

I mostly agree with you on the electrical side of things. I have 12V for lighting, RV exhaust fan and sound system. 120V is for the outlets, Air Conditioner, Heater, and Battery charger. I still haven't needed an inverter yet, but should the need arise I'd do it. I replaced my wet deep cycle battery with an gel battery pretty quickly at the beginning.

I have a 10 gallon water tank, 12V pump and a hidden sink in a drawer under my counter top. We use it a lot and it has been a good feature I think. The sink itself is 1/2 of a deep steam table pan, cost $8, the pump and faucet was from Ebay $12 and the 10 gallon tank was from Ebay $22. The sink has no drain, so nobody leaves the water running. It really works well that way. I just lift it out of it's drawer frame and dump it when needed.

I didn't use plans, but had been looking at the forum for months before I started, since then there have been some really good offerings like the Gen-Ben Auntie M mentioned. (link at the top of the page)

Happy teardrop building.

[Dean_A]

Welcome David,
I found the Kuffel creek plans to be a great starting point, especially if you want a fully-insulated tear. Between that and this board, I was able to get all the info I needed. Of course, with all the great ideas here, I ended up doing a lot of customization. I also referenced the Generic Benroy plans for a few things (the hatch plans from those is great).
I chose not to go with a sink. I figured that a couple plastic dishpans and a big jug o' water was a lot more flexible, plus less complicated to build. But to each their own. That's the great thing about these. Each builder gets to "have it their way" and put their own special spin on it.
We had a discussion in another thread about whether folks see their TD as a luxury tent, or a stripped-down RV. Answering that question is a great place to start when thinking about features.
--Dean

[toypusher]

David,

Welcome to the board. Like Miriam said, check the top of the page for the 'Generic Benroy Plans' and check the 'Vintage Plans' section. Also, look through the 'Hall of Fame'.

Just another thought on the water. If you plan on camping primarily at campgrounds with electric and water, then put in a sink and a faucet that you can hook directly up to the camp water with a hose.