I've got the teardrop fever, and there's no stopping it now. Been 'lurking' around here for a few weeks now, and just CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! The way I figure... the sooner I get to posting, the sooner I'll begin to realize all of my wildest teardrop dreams and ambitions. You all seem to have an amazing community here, and I am eager to become a part of it. Thanks in advance for the wealth of knowledge, kindness, and support that has already become so evident in the short time I've been here.
A little about myself:
I'm a current Washingtonian (former Michigander) who has fallen in love with the wild and abundant land of the Pacific Northwest. The mountains (among other things) brought my wife and I here about a year and a half ago, and we've yet to look back. This area of the country has stolen a permanent place in our hearts. We like to take advantage of these great outdoors at every opportunity and the teardrop trailer, we've decided, is the perfect vessel to facilitate such activity. I think the teardrop means something different to everybody. To me, it represents the idea of escape and exploration.
A little about my intended build:
First and foremost, I plan on adhering to a strict K.I.S.S. policy throughout the course of this build (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) as per Mad Jack's sage advice. This will be my mantra. I tend to think of our teardropping forefathers as being innovative, penny-pinching, minimalists... and that the teardrop trailer evolved out of basic human instinct and necessity: the need for food, water, and shelter. Three principals at the core of any logical teardrop trailer design. This is not to say I won't be incorporating certain 'creature comforts' into my design... just that I aspire to construct a simple, light- weight, low-cost recreational teardrop, with only those design features which I deem necessary (or essential to our comfort).
Some specifics:
Material: wood - I love the clean, simplistic, and natural aesthetic.
Profile: Leaning towards some variation of the Benroy.
Sidewalls: Sandwich construction with a door/window on each side. Probably 1/4" (unless somebody wants to talk me into an 1/8") exterior (okoume or something 'higher grade'?). 1x2 stick framing, 3/4" EPS insulation, and 1/8" interior. I decided that the insulation was a necessity for this climate. The PNW is a wet, wet place. I also intend on heavy winter usage. Snowboarding is one of my biggest passions, and the mountains routinely drop below zero. This puppy is going to see a whole bunch of powder days in her lifetime.
Roof: same as sidewalls (maybe 1" EPS instead?), hurricane hinge for the galley hatch.
Floor: 1/2" plywood, 3/4" EPS underneath the mattress/sleeping area, a la Mad Jack, to prevent condensation and promote heat retention.
Galley: simple - space for my cooler (although a built in one sounds nice
, but don't forget to K.I.S.S. Not sure how difficult it would be). Space for a rubbermaid bin down low (pots and pans and large item storage). Additional space for water jug, camp stove, and maybe a couple of cabinet doors up top for misc. small stuff.Electric: like a foreign language to me
. I'm thinking 12V? Would like to power two small reading lamps for the Mrs. and I, one galley/hatch light, and a Fantastic Fan (which I've deemed a necessary item). I'd also like to have one or two 12V outlets in the cabin, as well as the Galley. This would allow us to charge our mobile phones, and run an inverter if necessary.Cabin: shooting for a full sized mattress (54"x75"), around 5" thick? Minimal head storage, maybe just a small shelf. Basic foot storage (two cabinet doors, with a couple shelves in the middle for clothes storage).
Overall Size: undecided - help with this would be appreciated. My K.I.S.S. methodology tells me 4'x8'. It's the most common size of plywood (I'm thinking 1/2" for the floor), which could be directly bolted to the most budget-friendly of trailers, the HF 4'x8', 1195lb (Note: zero experience with metal fabrication... would prefer to keep trailer modifications to a minimum, i.e. tongue extension or reinforcement, etc.). There's also the 1720lb version. I see a lot of people opting for the latter. Are people concerned about the load capacity or general integrity of the 1195lb trailer? I wonder what the "average" woody TD weighs in at, complete and fully loaded...
That SAID, I'm leaning more towards the 5'x8' (or 5'x10') design. It seems that building too small is one of the most common regrets among TD builders. Both my wife and I are around 5'8" tall, so having the extra length is less of a concern for us. Although I DO think we would appreciate that extra foot of width.
The 5'x8' (or 5'x10') tear does change some things. If I went with the HF 4'x8' trailer, I would need to build a frame to elevate the floor above the level of the wheels (or build around them), and would also need to use multiple sheets of plywood for the flooring (assuming I'm unable to find a source for 5'x8' (or 5'x10') ply, which is far less common and probably significantly more expensive). This begs the question of whether or not the Northern Tools 5'x8' trailer would be more appropriate... I wonder if the cost (and labor) of building a wooden frame on top of the HF 4'x8', outweighs the $200 difference in cost of just going with the Northern Tools 5'x8'?
These are a few of the questions I am struggling with early on in these planning stages. Once I lock these decisions in, things should start to fall into place rather quickly.
WHEW! Sorry for the long-winded post! I suppose this entry is more for me than it is anyone else. Something to come back and reference when I inevitably become lost. Just trying to sort all of this out in my head before I proceed. I have every intention of starting a build journal when things do finally get rolling, and will be sure to post LOTS of pictures, as I know you guys like.
CHEERS!
-Tyler
It will be your biggest regret if you don't!
