Hello, Massachusetts future build for a New Beetle

[Kursac]

Hello everyone, tripped over you folks researching teardrops to pull with my Beetle. I'm a long time camper and have restored 2 slide in campers and had a nice 30 foot travel trailer and countless tents. tears have fascinated me for some time and it seems a natural companion to my beetle. So my journey begins, the more I learn the more excited am about the build. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Charlie

[George Taylor]

Hello. What part of MA are you from?

[Kursac]

Hello. What part of MA are you from?

I'm in East Bridgewater

[Alleged User]

Welcome. I was born and raised in Acushnet, right down the road apiece. Moved to DC a few years ago, and am still homesick. Still make the pilgrimage every fourth of July to camp at Maple Park in Wareham with my family...spent my first birthday at Maple Park and been camping there ever since.

Anyhoo, you've stumbled upon a wonderful site here. No end to the information you will absorb. Enjoy. And go, Pats!

[Kursac]

I have camped in Maple Park, I have a friend that keeps his 5th wheel there year round. His wife & kids stay there all summer and he commutes to work from there. I'm kinda done with the big campers I think, they are great when it rains but it is a different kind of camping. I think I want to get back to something a little more rugged.

[davidrn]

Welcome to the forum, I am also from Massachusetts. Live in Fitchburg now, but went to Brockton High School.
If you need help, let me know, I am not that far away.
I went with a Woody Teardrop,(9 x 5 ) I am at 650 lbs, used a light weight pop up frame.

[Kursac]

Welcome to the forum, I am also from Massachusetts. Live in Fitchburg now, but went to Brockton High School.
If you need help, let me know, I am not that far away.
I went with a Woody Teardrop,(9 x 5 ) I am at 650 lbs, used a light weight pop up frame.

Thank you very much, I am still in research mode. I have my eyes on a trailer that is wounded pretty good. The beauty of it is it will allow me to cut it down to the exact dimensions I want. I am very skilled in many trades, growing up as a farm boy creates a unique perspective on things. My outside dimensions will be 5'x 8' or 5'x 10' based on the available skin material available. My tow vehicle is a 2006 New Beetle and is also the reason I began researching tears. These are click able thumbnails.

[Martini]

Hello and welcome ABQTurtle

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome to the forum, Charlie. Looks like you are looking for greater gas milage and easy towing, up and down the hills. So, now that those concerns are over for you, what width, length, and type of building materials do you plan to incorperate in your build? Building a teardrop trailer is a once in a life time experience. (unless you are convinced that you can't "build just one", as many of are told). Who knows, it may be a twice in a life time thing.

You must know, that every 10th person to log onto this builder's site, has to build a 100% woody...........Naw, just kidding, only those of us who expect our builds to turn into wet cornflakes when it rains, do so.

Remember, check the forum often, ask questions, expect non-confrontational answers, take pics and be sure to post em, we love pics. What else can I say, be sure to make your maiden voyage to So Calif, swing on by and we'll talk teardrops over a cup of coffee....or stronger!
Roly, just an ol' Woody guy, and lovin' it. (BTW, have you checked the tow rating of your Beetle, a 5 x 10 might be a bit heavy?

[Kursac]

Thank you Roly, I have decided to go with a 4'x 8' do to the cute companion factor and wt. I do not want the car to struggle at all pulling or stopping. I am still in research mode, taking my time looking through the wonderful build threads here. I have been composing a list of resource vendors in my bookmarks. I am thinking along the lines of a 3/4 plywood skeleton with a sheet aluminum outer skin and a combination wood and fiberglass interior. I am fortunate that I live in New England so marine material is readily available. I am also in the trucking industry so I have aluminum resources available to me as well. I have all the skills and tools I need to complete the task and this forum is a wealth of information and great advice.

By the way I was a former resident of Hollywood Ca back in 1978-1980. I was a very young boy & had very fun & lucky years there.

[Walt M]

Welcome, I haven't been around much lately,but I'm thinking of starting another build. I've got floors and walls ready to go if you think you might be interested in building along side someone else. you can check out my gallery and touch base. I built and will build another 5'x10'. good luck if I can help at all I'm just in Plaistow nh, north of Haverhill.

[Kursac]

Thank You Walt,
I came through Plaistow yesterday down 125 from Rochester. I don't get out much but I had a Sleeper unit in the yard and I wanted to get all my drivers in as early as I could to I took a run up to Portland Me and over to Rochester NH. I decided to stay off the supper slab as much as possible and ran the skinny roads. Nice to meet a fellow New Englander.
Charlie

[canned o minimum]

Well,well,well,who'd a thunk I'd run into a Northern Yank...who likes teardrops...and drives a VW ?

I'm a Yank from O.O.B.,Maine( just a bit South of Portland ) I moved to Needham,Mass fer 3 years and relocated ( living in exile) to Riverside,Ca. back in 1978.

Picked up a 2005 Little Guy ,4wide as a "salvage" project. I rebuilt the trailer and customized it to MY liking. It weighs about 775lbs dry.

I tow it with a 1965 VW bug and it does great ! I was worried when ya said you was thinkin bout a longer trailer to pull with that VW.

A 4x8 will do well behind yer Bug ! May the wind fill yer sails and the waters be still on yer journey !

Robert

[Kursac]

Well,well,well,who'd a thunk I'd run into a Northern Yank...who likes teardrops...and drives a VW ?

I'm a Yank from O.O.B.,Maine( just a bit South of Portland ) I moved to Needham,Mass fer 3 years and relocated ( living in exile) to Riverside,Ca. back in 1978.

Picked up a 2005 Little Guy ,4wide as a "salvage" project. I rebuilt the trailer and customized it to MY liking. It weighs about 775lbs dry.

I tow it with a 1965 VW bug and it does great ! I was worried when ya said you was thinkin bout a longer trailer to pull with that VW.

A 4x8 will do well behind yer Bug ! May the wind fill yer sails and the waters be still on yer journey !

Robert

LOL How about that, My bike riding partner lives in OOB Maine so I know exactly where your coming from. I have been a bug guy for a long time but this is my 1st New Beetle. Yea I am doing a 4x8 should be just about perfect. Good to meet you friend

[Judeyramone]

Bicycle partner... or motorcycle partner? I'm a motorcyclist, but me best mate used to race bicycles. If motorcycles, post pics.

BTW, my dad was born & raised in Portland, and I visit there every couple yrs. My ex also has family in ME. It's one of the places I'd move if kids/job/finances, etc were no issue.