Hello from Albany, Georgia

[mrmom_1999]

Hi!
I have been interested in Teardrop campers for several years now after seeing ads for Kuffle Creek in WoodenBoat magazine.

I am an Eagle Scout that is now back into scouting with my son's Cub Scout pack. We really enjoy camping as a family.

My parents bought a nice pop-up camper when I was 16. Water damage and time took it's toll on the camper. Mom gave it to me, and we did a lot of work to bring it back including putting a new air conditioner on top, installing new countertops that we made, buying new beds, etc. The canvas is starting to get beyond repair. My wife agreed to let me turn the pop-up into a teardrop when we get a new camper. We got the new camper last weekend, so now I can start to take my teardrop ideas more seriously.

Last year I found Mike's Lil' Diner on eBay. I "googled" it and found the build journal on Steve Frederick's web page. From there I bought his manual on disk "Building a Wooden Teardrop Trailer."

I am really attracted to the traditional lines of the classic teardrops. I would also like to salvage as many parts from the pop-up as possible starting with the trailer. It is a monster camper. The frame (not including the tongue) is 130X79. It is an old Coleman Williamsburg.

Is there a way to use the roof mounted air conditioner without taking away from the traditional look? Mike's Lil Diner had a wall mounted unit that was interesting.

Have there been many pop-up/teardrop conversions?

Happy camping!
Bill Waller
Albany, Georgia

[Miriam C.]

The playground is wide open Bill. Enjoy. Yes you can make a teardrop that big. It cost more and is a lot more difficult. Worth it in my opinion. Mine is 10'long 5' high and 6' 4" wide. I put the bed across the front.

Some tips. The bed would be better over the wheel wells, Two doors up front, and some minor changes in the hatch. You can also cut the frame down and it will still work. If you want fenders you will definitely need to cut.

Have fun and please share the Keeps the bubble oil level and the Madones' happy.

[mrmom_1999]

Thanks for the welcome!

I was looking at Andrew's Grumman 2. He has partial fenders. I am thinking of going that way for the "look" of a fender without having to cut the frame.

Also, I just discovered the 2 + 2 design. Hmm...I have some nice benches that make into a bed in the pop-up plus a table etc. Also have two boys. This may be a real possibility with some adaptation.

Bill

[Ira]

Hey, Bill. At that size, if you don't want to narrow it, I think you'd be better off building something like the THIS extraordinary trailer:



That's 48Rob's cabin car, and again, I lost the link to his build photos. (He doesn't keep them on this site.)

It's all a matter of taste, but to me, when you're going as big as you're talking about, this is a real classy, antique kind of profile. No, it ain't "cute" like a TD, but at your size, it ain't gonna be.

And oh--you can stand up and SHOWER in this beauty.

[Tear Les]

Welcome Bill!

Sounds like you've got a pretty good base for the Cabin Car as well. Andrew has one version on his site but Rob (48Rob) from the forum here did another version with the bed across the back of the cabin and a potty room forward. You could go with a bed across the back and a gaucho across the front...couch by day and the back swings up to form a top bunk by night. That would work perfectly with the profile of the cabin car.

Have fun!

[Tear Les]

Hey, Bill. At that size, if you don't want to narrow it, I think you'd be better off building something like the THIS extraordinary trailer:



That's RobR's cabin car, and again, I lost the link to his build photos. (He doesn't keep them on this site.)

It's all a matter of taste, but to me, when you're going as big as you're talking about, this is a real classy, antique kind of profile. No, it ain't "cute" like a TD, but at your size, it ain't gonna be.

And oh--you can stand up and SHOWER in this beauty.

Knock if off Ira! I was already working on my post!

[Ira]

Isn't that weird Les how we were thinking the same thing? (At least you got Rob's handle right--I mistakenly wrote RobR but later edited it to 48Rob after seeing YOUR post.)

Whenever I hear large dimensions like Bill mentioned, this is the trailer that ALWAYS comes to my mind.

[mrmom_1999]

Wow, Rob's Cabin Car is a beauty! Looks like it would solve so many of my questions such as size, lack of fenders, and most of all...what to do with the shower that was in the pop-up!! It also looks like a project that will take a long time, but one that will be passed down by my children (especially if I can enlist their help.)

By the way, my oldest son (9 years old) loves crabin' as well as cookin' and campin'.

Sounds like I have found a list of kindred spirits!!

Bill

[Tallguy3578]

Well, what do you know? My 3 year old loves cookin' and campin'. Hasn't tried crabbin'. Maybe Ira would let "fishin'" slide on that one!
Welcome to the group, I'm fairly new here myself and these are some really great people.

[Tear Les]

Isn't that weird Les how we were thinking the same thing? (At least you got Rob's handle right--I mistakenly wrote RobR but later edited it to 48Rob after seeing YOUR post.)

Whenever I hear large dimensions like Bill mentioned, this is the trailer that ALWAYS comes to my mind.

Yeah...spooky! Especially since we can't get much further apart in the continental USA.

What bugs me is I lost track of the building site. I just read through the whole thing a few days ago and now....poof!

[Ira]

I found the link, thanks to Dennis's post on that thread.

Jim/Bill--here is a picture of the original 1947 Cabin Car, and why Rob decided to build it. The very, very first sentence on this page has a link to his album.

There are a lot of pages there, so I would think you would want go all the way back to page 1 to see construction from the beginning. The most recent pages (there are 10 total!) will show you how COOL and functional this trailer is.

Also keep in mind that he tows it with an ANTIQUE, so it's LIGHT as well:

http://groups.msn.com/RepairingYesterda ... oject.msnw