large reverse Teardrop or Tiny Travel Trailer

[moreforles]

My name is Les and I've another newbie to this site

I currently have a 25' Class C yellowstone cavalier, but at 10 to 12 mpg, its hard to drive unless I really need the space... I bought it with the intent on using it like a motel room when I buy some land in southern Ohio, leaving it there while work and improvements were made to the land, or after house was built or modular home was delivered, leave the RV in Cleveland to stay in for a couple days while working here, before driving back to Southern Ohio.

I also picked up an Astro conversion van that I've planning on converting into a small RV. I've stripped several other RVs for parts for converting the Astro, and also thinking about building a large reverse Teardrop (12 long, plus tongue and at least 5' wide with possibly a hydraulic slideout on one side, extending the width to 6' or more in the sitting/sleeping area)

The height (6'5" from center to rear) along with the size, might put this into the Tiny Travel Trailer catagory instead of Teardrop, but it doesn't matter. and build it using foam board and panel interior and ? skin on exterior (sips panel?) and built on either utility trailer or salvaged popup frame (gave away and sold three of them before I decided to build a camper of my own.... just have to wait for another to show up)

My intent is that the camper be used in addition to the Astro RV for when more space is needed for quests or extended stay requires more supplies/gear?

The camper will have a full sized shower, commode in the back on one side along with and counter w/ small stainless steel round sink and room for camping LP stove on the same side, and on other side a rv Sofa/bed, some storage space that may be on slide out. A standard sized RV door with screen door on the same side at the rear. I currently have several RV windows of various sizes.

On the tongue of the camper, I plan to put a hinged platform for storing water and LP tank(s)



Also thinking about about a small wood burning stove (free unlimited stove) but might not have room for it......

[BillandMarijo]

Moreforles,
Wow sounds great. Oh yea Welcome to the forum. Great people around here. If you have any questions, youll find the answers here.
Enjoy the build,
Bill

[satch]

The brain power here is incredible,so ask away when needed. Keep us updated,btw WELVOME too!

[mikeschn]

Hi Les,

Welcome to the forum.

Are you from the heart of the city, or in a suburb?

What part of southern Ohio do you hang out in?

Mike...

[Miriam C.]

to the playground. Sounds like a couple of wonderful projects. Hope you will keep the bubble oil level around here with some

Enjoy

[moreforles]

It's still in the planning stage, waiting for other projects to be completed and even a few that I havnt started yet.

As far location, I'm in Cleveland, could walk downtown in about 15 minutes, only a few minutes drive.

Been here for 48 years, been tired of it for at least half of that time.... looking to unload a house after a few repairs are done and head south or at least the southeast corner of the west side, close to the nearest suburbs (Brooklyn Hts/Parma) But still would prefer Southern Ohio, around the Cambridge/ New Philadelphia area. half hour, 45 minutes from Marietta and Parkersburg, WV and a hour and half to 2 hours from Cleveland, so I can still take care of customers here until I build a big enough customer base in Southern Ohio.

I've used the 25' Class C to go to Virginia once for a Family reunion and to Southern Ohio twice for Gold prospecting (found a few specs.... not really worth the effort or gas, except for the experience)

Gone to North Carolina twice prospecting, first time with my wife and friends of ours, (nice trip, but not profitable as far as gold was concerned)

Second time, with another friend, we spent two days and nights at an Emerald mine (found a couple small specimens and some other minerals/rocks) then to another location to hand feed a front end loader of material through a high banker (found about $40 or $50 worth each and a small nugget) then stopped at another location on the way home for a few buckets of material - (gem and rocks)

I've also ordered some concentrated material from several suppliers (Alaska and Georgia) for hand pan at home (just to have something to do in the winter months and ounce for ounce, cheaper than driving to locations to get similar amounts of gold and other gems)

I'm planning on getting out quite a few more times in 2009, so wanted to have something comfortable and economical to sleep in.

A Teardrop would meet those requirements, but the smaller ones would be a bit cramped for someone my size, as well as the junk (I mean sophisticated stuff and important technical equipment) that I might be bringing with me. and I would prefer to keep my food inside the camper, not on the exterior rear, although from the view point of keeping it simple and cooking heat out of the interior, I understand the reasoning for the design.

I han't seen one with a lazy Susan in the rear, spin the storage and cooking area around to which you need from either the inside or outside.....?

I've seen some RVs and Popups with optional exterior stove/grill in addition to the ones inside.

[b.bodemer]

Hi Les,
I'm practically a neighbor in Lakewood. Welcome to the forum.
Barb

[mikeschn]

I'm from Strongsville... and I would think you want to go farther south than Parma. I happen to like the Mohican River Area, and would gladly get a spot down there if I had a chance.

Then again, if you need to build up a business, you have to go where the people are.

Mike...

close to the nearest suburbs (Brooklyn Hts/Parma) But still would prefer Southern Ohio, around the Cambridge/ New Philadelphia area. half hour, 45 minutes from Marietta and Parkersburg, WV and a hour and half to 2 hours from Cleveland, so I can still take care of customers here until I build a big enough customer base in Southern Ohio.

[moreforles]

the farther the better as far as I'm concerned.

my wife's parents live here, and not doing too well. Her mom had a stroke a few years back, in a wheel chair, and her dads had surgery, and while not wheel chair bound, he's not doing well either, so we've been staying close by, brooklyn hts, Parma, old brooklyn is about as far as we'll go for now.

but would like to pick up 5 - 10 acres in Southern Ohio or even central West Virginia (have sisters in NC and Charleson/Beckley area would be about the halfway point) to play and camp on.

Don't know when or if I'll ever get started on camper, but I've been accumulating parts anticipating building something...... beds, sinks, 4 burner cook top, counters, vents, light fixtures, generator, small wood stove, water containers, plastic barrel, rv bath tubs and windows...

Its just too much not to build something out of it......

in addition to camper, the Yellowstone Class C needs some water damage repairs to rear wall, awning from the one across the street taken off it and ? install on it..... the 94 Astro conversion van has to be modified into a camper (have extra bucket and rear bench seats stored at a friends house. Repairs to my house, sell house (doubtful, but possible), move (transport my accumulation to new place...) while still running my business (Carpet cleaning... the seasons just about over) then I'll have some time, but I don't have a garage, so weather doesn't usually permit doing much - it never fails that I have work scheduled on days the weather is nice and when I'm at home, it pouring down the rain, snow or just too cold to do anything. (next house will have garage or barn or both, or I'm not moving in.....)

[Marti Domyancic]

Welcome to the gang. Don't let the winter slow you down.. You can get one of those nice tarpcovered standup garage things for less the 200.00 and build all winter!!!!!!!! Happy trails, Marti

[moreforles]

Winter is usually the only time I have to work on or plan projects.

Moved the yellowstone closer to home and will be moving closer to it in the next two weeks. will be living near W117th and Lorain Rd. The new house has a garage (first one I've had in over 20 years) myself and the wife of the first floor and second floor for kids when (if) they come home from college, drive way wide enough for yellowstone to pull into, although I don't plan on storing it there. (although I have been told the house next door has been empty for quite some time, might have to talk with owners and see if they would like or mind if something(s) were parked in driveway or garage..... at least the illusion that someone lives there....)

I might actually be able to work on things, store materials and tools to work on projects with... I can actually empty all the rv parts from my astrovan and start turning into a rv instead of shed...... then all the left over parts can be used to start camper project (once I decide what to build)