Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has posted to this site, without it I could not have completed my own conversion. When I set out on this project I thought I had a unique, one of a kind idea. In the end, I am glad I was not alone, the help I have found here has been invaluable.

So now I am ready to give back. I have completed my conversion and posted pics in my gallery. If I did not post something right or you can't get to the pictures tell me and I'll post them directly in here as well. If you have any questions or need more pics of something just let me know. I've used the camper for a full year now so I have a few suggestions and things I would do different if I were to do it again. Once again, thanks to all of you who have posted your own builds, it has helped me tremendously.

Very nice.

Looks very nice. I see the booth converts into a bed and then you have one across the rear?

What are some of the things you would do differently? I think each of these builds are a learning experience.

Thanks for sharing!
Nathan

The biggest problem I've had is with the ceiling, I used some tan speckled egg pattern paneling I found at Lowes. It looked great but over the past year has absorbed moisture from condensation and started to warp. My ceiling is now all wavy. I'm in the process of taking that out but haven't decided on a replacement.

I was thinking about using some white, textured, plastic like panels they have at Lowes but they are normally attached with plastic rivets and adhesive and that isn't going to hold on the ceiling of a camper bouncing down a dirt road when it's 20 degrees in the middle of hunting season. I would just screw it but screw cover caps run 70 cents a pair so that would cost a small fortune. If anyone has any good ceiling ideas I'd sure love to hear them. What ever I use has to have some flex as the roof is slightly bowed.

That's lookin darn good, very inspirational.

MtPhishPhan wrote:The biggest problem I've had is with the ceiling, I used some tan speckled egg pattern paneling I found at Lowes. It looked great but over the past year has absorbed moisture from condensation and started to warp. My ceiling is now all wavy. I'm in the process of taking that out but haven't decided on a replacement.

I was thinking about using some white, textured, plastic like panels they have at Lowes but they are normally attached with plastic rivets and adhesive and that isn't going to hold on the ceiling of a camper bouncing down a dirt road when it's 20 degrees in the middle of hunting season. I would just screw it but screw cover caps run 70 cents a pair so that would cost a small fortune. If anyone has any good ceiling ideas I'd sure love to hear them. What ever I use has to have some flex as the roof is slightly bowed.

The ceiling is why we ended up with the paneling we did. It was true ply and not press board with a face on it. I figured that would be better for the ceiling. Donna liked the looks and wanted it for the walls so that's what happened.

Someone had some thinner strips (in thickness, I think it was wood) that appeared to be 2 or 3 inches wide that they used to cover the screws along the ceiling rib. It was attractive in a contrasting stain color. I was going to do something similar but haven't yet. I just used brass screws along the ceiling ribs. Haven't camped too much in real cold weather but so far haven't had condensation dripping from the screws. I figured if I did I could retrofit the ceiling trim strips.

Nathan

Here's a cheaper place to get snap-caps. Mine were rec'd within a week.

http://www.pro-dec.com/snap-caps

I think I'll go with the real birch panels on the ceiling like I did on the walls, thanks for the suggestion. I originally wanted to break up the wood on the walls with something different but I think it will be fine.

Thanks for the link to the snap caps, they're over 2/3 cheaper and way more of a selection.

Phish, I'm glad I read this post. I was about to buy a bunch of the paneling from Lowes. Probably the same stuff you used. Just wondering if you have insulation in your trailer? You said it warped from condensation. Was that from people being in the trailer, with no insulation, or just accumulated moisture over time? I want the "Factory built" look for the walls in my build, but I'm going half nuts trying to find paneling here in Washington State. I wonder if Luan, sealed, with vinyl wallpaper would do the trick? Thanks, Kyle

I used real 1/4" birch on the walls coated with 2 layer of polyurethane and they have had no problems. I have everything insulated except the doors and the floor, that is my next project. I camp from -10 to 80 above and use a Mr. Heater when it is cold, that's when most of the condensation occurred.

I just finished my ceiling again and this time used the birch. It was easier to work with and I think it came out better. With the screw caps I won't have any metal exposed to the outside and inside air so condensation should be reduced.

Anyone have any information on insulating the doors? I was thinking about having the blown foam thing done to the underside of the whole camper and was wondering if a guy cut a little whole in the door paneling if he could fill that up that way. Anyone have any experience with this?

The only thing I can suggest with the door, is that the door on my CT is not completely hollow. There is "blocking" in the door so I'm thinking you would have to drill several holes and not sure how to know just where to drill them. Might look into removing the interior "skin" that way you would have a better idea of what you are dealing with. Good luck, keep us posted.
Dan

the door on my CT is not completely hollow. There is "blocking" in the door

Thanks for the info. I was hoping to get away from tearing it all down. It sounds like you have removed the skin of yours, did you insulate it? How hard was it to get everything off and did it all go back together solidly?

I only removed part of the interior skin (1/4 or 1/8 ply) to put an RV type handle on, but from doing this could see there was "blocking" in the door. Did not insulate - I've been in the planning stage for at least 3 years

Dan

very nice! curious about the bed, do you sleep cross-wise or diagonally since the trailer is only about 68" wide or so? Nice work, sir!

MtPhishPhan, Howdy;

Dang!!! That's one good lookin' camper!
I live fulltime in an RV to fight the condensation I keep the
roof vents cracked a tiny bit so it can escape. May be just me
and the pooch(Rascal), but we're both healty and expel co2.
4 years and no problems so far. I used to live in the Sanpete
Valley in Ut. We had some good cold days -40* and stayed sub
zero for several days in a row the 3 winters I was there.

hank