Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Just starting out. Initally I looked at a 7x14 but decided for the price difference to go with a 7x16. Funny thing happened when I had to shovel snow off the deck of my 16ft open trailer, when looking at the space I thought not a lot of room really. Well long story short, I ordered a 7x18 all aluminum from R&R in Michigan. My needs are fairly minimal but need to haul 2 atv's, sleeping area for the boss lady and myself and some type of toilet. Sure the list will grow.
Ordered the unit with a lot of the options I needed: Insulation,finished ceiling, rubber flooring, ramp, E track, window, RV door + screen, 30amp electrical, roll out awning, additional roof vent and a extra 2 inches of clearence as we tend to get off road a bit.
Searching this site I found a lot of info and great Ideas that will come in handy as I finish this trailer up.

Will post pics as I start this venture and thanks for all the great information.

Dave

Welcome aboard! What did they tell you for a delivery date?

Build is set for the week of March 11th

Congrats! Be sure and post some pictures when you get it.

Will Do.. I am already getting excited about the idea of not having the tent to deal with and the boss lady can't contain herself at the idea of a toilet (inside even), heat and electric lighting. Going to have to hold off on telling her about the A/C plans as I already overruled her about the awning, thought there was a better way for A/C then to spend $900 on a roof setup. Glad I found this board, now I know I was right in that decision. Still have to come up with a good Idea for the bed as I would like to get away from the air mattress, thinking foam on a fold up frame or rig a way to suspend a mattress with cargo netting while the toys are in there. Have a lot of ideas but need the trailer here to size everything up and lay it all out. I am sure I will not be the first guy here to sit on a chair in his new empty cargo trailer drinking beer and hatching his plans about what he wants to do and what his check book can tolerate.
Dave

Welcome Dave. Have fun with your build. You have come to the right place. Hope to meet you around the fire someday!

seebeer wrote:Build is set for the week of March 11th

Good!! You won't have to wait too long. The best advise I found was to do a layout on the floor with painters tape. Sure did help me. Next best thing I did was do a quick throw together that would suffice for a week trip. Spending that time living out of it really opened my eyes to changes that would work better for us. I'll be able to sleep in mine too with my bike in it which is one of my requirements. $900 sounds like you are going with a roof mount AC. Check out http://www.easternmarine.com/RV-Air-Conditioners/ They are cheaper than that. Your other option is to go with a removable thru the wall window unit. Access door plus AC unit will cost less than $200. I took a ducted roof mount off of my donor trailer but have decided to go with a window unit due to replacement cost. Also, I don't know about the new roof mount units, but I had a 2001 Lance cabover with a non ducted unit and it was loud. We had a hard time sleeping or talking. I hope the new ones are better. But I would advise go snooping at a RV dealer and have them crank one up for you. Good luck and enjoy the cold beer.

Earnest

I too like the trailers made by R&R Mr Thomas was really easy to work with and put up with a lot of questions.
one of the things I was going to add was a 24"wide X 18" tall cargo door on the road side near the roof so I could
stow a window AC unit in a cabinet and slide it out when needed. Lots better than a roof AC.

My health and age has made me rethink getting a cargo trailer but it would be an R&R if I did.

pete42 wrote:I too like the trailers made by R&R Mr Thomas was really easy to work with and put up with a lot of questions.
one of the things I was going to add was a 24"wide X 18" tall cargo door on the road side near the roof so I could
stow a window AC unit in a cabinet and slide it out when needed. Lots better than a roof AC.

My health and age has made me rethink getting a cargo trailer but it would be an R&R if I did.

pete42, I am 68 and also had the same age thoughts....but I enjoy being out in the woods and such so much, that I said, "nuts, just go ahead with it, you are not getting any younger for sure.".
And I wife supports me on this, so why not. Yes, I do not expect to be able to sell it someday and recoup all that monies put into it, but again, so what. Maybe my boys will want it. Worse case, it can be sold as a true cargo carrier with windows after all the stuff added is removed. And I love to do things myself, which is why this forum and ideas offer so much enjoyment.

Now all I have to do is to order my CT in the next few weeks. I am waiting now for my friend to get his 6x12 Lark in so I can really go over the construction of the Lark with a fine toothed comb.

The parts and pieces of this project are rolling in. The boss ladies potty and my converter arrived yesterday. The toilet I can handle the converter is something I need help with. I am not looking at a lot of 12 volt use, 6 or 7 LED's, a pair of 40 watts for load lights and a car stereo system maybe 400 watts max. Thinking a group 27 or 31 AGM or a pair as we do go to the desert for 10 days every year and some weekends off the beaten path here in Wisconsin. My question is what do most recommend for a fuse panel, want it expandable as I already see I will want more comforts down the road and plan to add solar next year( that will be more questions).

Dave

Seebeer: To keep your 12 volt system charged on those longer trips into the desert, definitely look into a solar panel or two. My small panel keeps my battery charged forever if I leave it set up wherever I'm camped, even in the lower sun seasons like October. Mine is portable. I set it on the ground resting against the trailer, toward the general sun location, and hook the wires to the battery terminals with alligator clips. Snap on, snap off! You'll know how much juice you're using and the size of panel or panels needed after some use, so I'd wait unless you come across a real steal. In hindsight though, I don't know how I ever went without one. (I hooked up the trailer and burned gas charging my battery from the truck, that's what I did )

Looks like solar may be an option sooner rater than later. I thought the cost was going to be more than it actually is. Electric is decided, a pair of type 27 AMG's and add a bit under 500 watts of solar, should get it done with a room to spare. My drain is the tunes, LED lights use nothing really, other than that should be able to add a few 100's of watts of amps and be fully charged most of the time, all for another 1K+. My how thing seem to add up. On a positive note, I will have the unit home to start working on it by Sat afternoon. This is Wisconsin afterall, Give me spring or give me a project.. Give me spring or...Give me spring... Give me... Give... You all get the idea (cabin fever). Anyway, found a great fuse block that will work out fine for anything I can throw at it down the road and alot of neet items on vintage trailer supply web site.. kind of thinking a 1950'ish look to the interior is the way I may be heading at this point. Ya but, I first have to see what the boss lady thinks that, and then convince her that I am right.. Wish me good luck

Dave

seebeer, Howdy;

Always easier to ask for forgivness then permission ...

hank

Howdy Seebeer

WOW .... Sounds like a great trailer, all alum 7 x 18 ......
You will be rolling in that puppy for good 30 years
My guess that you easily broke the 10 k barrior on that ct

I was thinking of that same one by R & R , but mine has wood walls & alum roof framing,
I'm going for max insulation value on my new 7 x 18 , Afterall it will use less energy & hopefully
Be usable from 10 deg to easy 100 - everything on solar I hope.

Can't wait for your pics

PU on the 29th this month for mine.

Jerry

Did not break the 10K, it was close. With everything I picked up already for the build 10K is easily in the rear view. However, I should be able to pull it out to the desert without it self destructing coming out of the first wash I have to cross. Looked at toy haulers and all I could see happening was smashing something straped underneath, and this was a better unit and more cost efficient for what I need. Figure everything should come in under 13,000 Costly but way cheaper than a toy hauler. Anyway, leaving early in the morning to go retrieve it, will post picks of what I bought.