Upgrading camper with the teardrop bug

[jnowis]

Hello, thought I would introduce myself and ask a question here on an idea I have been kicking around.

I'm a youngish environmental engineer planning to sit for my PE exam later this year with an interests in woodworking, rock climbing, and chess. I enjoy climbing off the beaten path in Utah and that is what has spiked my interest with building a teardrop, specifically an offroad capable teardrop.

My idea is along the lines of the Jumping Jack tent trailer. The Jumping Jack tent trailer has a tent you can remove and have a usable utility trailer for use outside of camping. I was wondering if anyone had designed a teardrop that you could lift off the trailer and then use the trailer seperately as a utility trailer?

Currently I thinking of building a custom trailer that could be used as a utilty trailer rather than purchasing a utility trailer and converting/modifying it to use on Utah's backroads and putting a teardrop camper compartment on it. I was thinking that using a system similar to a truck camper jacks to lift the teardrop off the trailer.

I have not lurked around this forum too much so I would appriciate any direction you can give me on which forum to post in with design ideas and sketches regarding a removable teardrop camper to be able to use a teardrop as a utility trailer.

Thanks
-Justin

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome to the board, and good luck on your proposed build. Yes, what you have in mind has been done, and I understand it works quite well. Follow this thread, I'll be there are folks that will respond and post some pics as well. ........So, hang in there, there is more to come.
Roly

[bve]

I may have missed a couple, but these are from the 'Hall of Fame' - link at the top of the page.

Good documentation for what is there, but incomplete updates.
http://home.att.net/~daniel.v.jones/tea ... intro.html

Mfg built Wazat
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... _order=ASC

[Rvankeur]

We were thinking of something similar at one point. Wanted to have a teardrop "pod" to be able to carry both sleeping area and a couple of Harleys. Ed was thinking about being able to slide the pod back and forth, etc. to get the load correct, depending on whether we had the bikes or not. You and Ed would probably have fun discussing it - he's a PE - civil/geotech.

Anyway - we decided that what we really ought to do (and will probably get started doing once we get our popup fixed and sold), is convert a cargo trailer into a toy-hauler. We'll want to be able to use the cargo trailer as a cargo trailer if we're not camping/ hauling bikes.

Check out the Cargo Trailer part of the board and see if that might be what you're looking for.
Good luck

[jnowis]

Thanks for the reply and the links, keep them coming.

My hauling requirements are more along the lines of lumber that most likely will stretch beyond an enclosed trailer that I would want to tow (10 to 16 foot lengths). I have a 1996 Toyota T100 that will be the tow vehicle.

I'll try and get some sketches together for the design soon, but as I said I'm studying for my PE (hence the push to get started on a teardrop design). Oddly enough whenever I had finals I always seemed to get side projects going. In college I built a pretty nice fooseball table during finals.

To spell out my idea in words, I am thinking of making a seperate deck that the teardrop camper is built on, most likely steel. The deck would have angle iron stubs that you could bolt to the trailer frame. I was thinking that having a hollow piece of square tubing exposed at both the front and back of the teardrop camper would allow you to slide in a piece of steel and jack up the camper. I have a couple thoughts on how to clear the fender wells, but I'll leave that to my sketches.

I am mulling over two things
1) The decking for the utility trailer. One option is a standard 2x8 deck, either removable to save weight or permanent. 2nd option would be to use expanded sheet metal (wire mesh or whatever it is called?) that is tack welded. I worry about noise and rust with the expanded sheet metal and weight and the extra hassle of removing the wooden deck. The expanded sheet metal is also thin, not affecting the height as much.
2) Providing a buffer between the teardrop cabin and the steel trailer frame. This would be to reduce noise and wear and tear. I was thinking UHMW plastic (cutting board material) that is glued to the teardrop subframe. This would be 'relatively' cheap and durable and could be replaced when it is worn.

Half (maybe 90%) of the fun with teardrops is designing and building your own rig, but I'd love to be able to gain as much info and experience as I can.

Again, thanks for the replies. I hope to get sketches soon. When I get the sketches, should I repost in a design forum?

Roly - I love the woodworking detail you put in your trailer, especially the wooden show hitch and chain.