Voluntarily unemployed in New Mexico

[Rick Wood]

Rick Wood here, in Santa Fe NM, AKA "Baja Colorado"
Semi-retired Mechanical Engineer with too much time on my hands.

I know I would (or will) really enjoy building my own camper, but my wife and I are impatient to get on the road. So we are considering 5 options:
1) Purchase a new manufactured unit. Advantage: it is quick. Problems: lots of money, and not quite what we want.
2) Have one built for us one to our specs. Problems: Finding local builder who isn’t busy, who is open to experimentation, and affordable. I think these things are mutually exclusive. Advantage: We will get exactly what we want.
3) Purchase a used (starter) unit from one of the For Sale listings. Advantage: Probably affordable, and it could get us into the campground quickly. Disadvantage: The only units that we have seen for sale within one-day drive from Santa Fe are few and those haven't been close to what we want.
4) Go ahead and bite the bullet, and build my own. Advantage: It appeals to my love of hardware. Disadvantage: Since my wife and I are both perfectionists, it could be a LONG TIME before it hits the road.
5) Stick with the tent.

Only way to decide this to do more homework. Thus, here I am pouring through this and other TD websites for ideas. Got any?
Anyway, since I know you are going to ask, we are leaning toward a 4'X8' Rimple design with 2' radii on the front and back top corners. This seems to be the best way to get all of the Galley and other cabinet space that my wife wants without going to a 9' length. She is a little "under-tall", and does not want a countertop that is too high or too far forward of the back bumper.

As a Mechanical engineer, I am interested in knowing what sort of hard data there may be on the relative aerodynamics of the various TD profiles, and of the various TD features like roof vents, and under-skirting.
_________________
Rick Wood

[ssrjim]

Seems to me that weight is more important than shape. The trailer is really in the wake of the tow vehicle. I suppose if you had a superlower rider it might be more of a factor??? Pick the shape that appeals the most to your eye, not worrying about fuel use. Can't speak for others but I only lose one to two mpg when towing, maybe less.

but the heavier it is the more fuel you are going to use. the harder it is to stop. etc. etc.

Build your own, it really is 3/4's of the fun. Then when the people come by to see it you and ask where did you buy it you can respond I made it. Really adds to the remaining 1/4 of fun.

[BillandMarijo]

Welcome Rick and wife from one Newbie to another. Marijo and I home built our Teardrop. It was fun planning and building it. Took lots of time and cash but it was well worth it. We enjoyed every minute of it. Good people on this forum.
So good luck to you,
Bill and Marijo

[Lgboro]

Welcome to the forum!

I am currently building a tear but others buy a factory or buy a shell and finish it which saves much time. I believe Steve Frederick here on the forum sells kits and will custom make a kit to your specs. If I remember correctly he builds the walls etc. and ships by truck to your location for you to assemble and complete. Might be an option to get you camping sooner. His builds are first class from what I've seen and he frequents the form on a regular basis so he shouldn't be hard to find.

I just found Steve's site http://www.campingclassics.com He is located in upstate NY and if he can't help I bet he knows who could.

[mandy]

Hello Neighbor
I'm in Albuquerque and still dreaming of a teardrop trailer. As far as I can tell there is only a few of us here in NM. There is a member who builds commercialy his handle is WOLF, he's in Tucumcarri.

Welcome to the TD & TTT Forum.

PS there will be a TD gathering in CO in September. Look it up in the North central reagon. It's called the last gasp of summer gathering. It's good to go to a gathering because you can see first hand how roomy they really are.

Have Fun
Mandy

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome to the forum, and it looks like we have another new teardropper about to join us. I suggest that you build one of your own design, not being too fussy about fit and finish. It will get you out and camping sooner and that's what it is all about. Now for the second one, you can build it easier, and be a bit more exact after you realize what you wish you would have done with the first one. After all, we all know that you just can't build just one!

Good luck on what ever you decide, and remember, take pics as you go along, ask questions and we'll see you at a future gathering with your one-of-a-kind creation of your own choosing. Oh yes, remember, you have got to name it and let us know what the name will be.
Roly

[Arne]

Tents suck, even if the weather is perfect (after you've owned a t/d).

Buy a used one and live with it's shortcomings. It will teach you what you really want in a t/d.

Meantime, you can 'probably' start your trailer frame and floor pan....

Or, you may find you can just improve the one you buy one step at at time...

At least you will have a hard roof over your head. If you decide to build one, you can probably sell your first one for what you paid for it.

Weight counts when accelerating and decelerating (and up and down hills). Shape counts while towing at highway speeds. But then you knew all this anyway.

Aero-1 was built with both in mind. Shape for aero and weight for the other part.

[Miriam C.]

to the playground Rick. If your camping season is longer than ours buy a used one while planning the one you really want. If not---spend all that money making a really spectacular TD and take lots of to keep the bubble oil level.

I wouldn't worry too much about the aerodynamics too much. Mine only drops the fuel 3 mpg in a head wind and it is big.

For ideas check out the "Hall of FAme" and the design library in the top menu.
Enjoy

[Rick Wood]

Thanks, everyone, for encouragement. Sue and I made a run to Arizona this week to see three TDs that were listed in the various "For Sale" sites.

One, the seller disappeared, second one sold, third one not what we had in mind. Anyway, still no trailer. We will keep trying. Not much for sale in these parts.


Now, regarding the aerodynamics question(s):
As I said before, I am leaning toward building a 4X8 Rimple with 2' radii on the front and rear top corners. This leaves a nominal 2' vertical face on the lower half of the hatch. This offers several advantages in terms of storage cabinet space and countertop accessibility. But most builders opt for a 9 or 10' long TD to achieve the same results.

There are three reasons to build a classic sloping teardrop instead of a rimple.
1) You want to continue the classical look of the 1940s and 50s campers,
2) you are concerned about aerodynamics, or
3) that is what everyone else is doing/has done.
These are all good reasons. I just want to know if there is any hard data available that would allow a comparison between a 8' Rimple and, say, a 9' TD. My guess is the Rimple will be easier and cheaper to build, but will look clunky. But I am an engineer. Optimization is my trade. I like clunky, as long as it is practical.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Welcome! If you want to build, and are in a hurry, try the basic weekender plans by Mike. http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/. If you stick to basics, you could build and camp in one of these in less than a month, and keep your cost way down two. Then take your time and build the jewel you really want!

For me, I fell in love with the weekender style, and once Isaw Joanne's Desert Dawg, I decided the weekender was the one for me!

[Rick Wood]

We were just in Phoenix and Sun City to check on two TDs that were listed For Sale. (My brother and his family live in Mesa.) I should have done some more hunting on the members list and given you a call. It would have been nice to see your trailer, even if you weren't willing to part with it.

Anyway, I looked at the Weekender website. Pretty cool. Actually, it has several similarities to ideas I have considering on my Rimple. Just going through the mock-up pictures gives me encouragement that I can build the one I really want in something less than my lifetime.

The drawings and color rendering are really nice. What CADD system was used? Is it affordable? I was very adept at Unigraphics and Solidworks when I was still employed, but both of these are really high-end software, and much too expensive for "casual" (aka semi-retired) user. If I had a 3-D modeler on my computer, I would be a lot farther along on my design than I am. (Mostly, it is a bunch of pencil sketches on quadrille paper right now.)

[ssrjim]

You should have. We hang a some of the local cruise nights on the weekend if we are not camping. Usually a good spot to see several in one location.

[surveytech]

The Rimple will give you the most space (other than a rectangle) for a 4' x 8' foot print.



and it will maximize the galley space too. Its nice being able to be close to the countertop.


I have found no difference in my mpg while towing.
27 with or without the trailer
hope this helps.

Walter

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome to the board, Rick. Unless you are planning to strap your teadrop atop an Atlas misstle, I wouldn't be too concerned about aerodynamics. It isn't like there is a flat, 16 square feet smashing up against 60 or 70 mph smooth air, since our trailers are right within the turbulant slip stream behind the hauler.

I even forget mine is back there, it tows so effortlessly, and the mpg is almost the same. Well actually I am aware it's there, especially when I pull out into rushing heavy cross traffic and fear that with one false move, I will end up with a bunch of splinters on a badly bent HF trailer.
Roly