Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

My girlfriend and I have been thinking about and researching all types of travel trailers for about a year, from tear drops, to manufactured travel trailers. After much research (largely thanks to this forum), today we ordered a custom trailer from plainoltrailers.com. We ordered a single axle, 7'x12' cargo trailer, with 6'6" interior height. Other upgrades we sprung for are: delete the rear doors, upgrade the side door in height, add a side window and electric brakes. We live in Georgia so I will go pick it up when they are done building it. I will post pictures and a build log as I go.

Can't wait too see it. I'm like you. I've been looking at travel trailers and finally decided to do my own build. Congrats on the purchase!

I'm also ordering a trailer from them, what was the cost of your build? Any timeline on a finish date? Thanks

d_odom wrote:I'm also ordering a trailer from them, what was the cost of your build? Any timeline on a finish date? Thanks

The final price was $2900, with a $1500 deposit due to the deleted back door.

As for the time line, we were told to expect two weeks.. so I am hoping to pick it up on the 26th or the 29th of this month (February).

One thing I found out, that I have not seen mentioned else wear, is that there is a 5% charge if you pay by credit card.

Well I just ordered mine and I am super excited! Can't wait to go camp with my wife and daughter! What are you thinking on a/c? I want to do a window unit but will look at locations when I receive the trailer.

d_odom wrote:Well I just ordered mine and I am super excited! Can't wait to go camp with my wife and daughter! What are you thinking on a/c? I want to do a window unit but will look at locations when I receive the trailer.

I'm not 100% sure yet, I have been thinking about that a lot as well. Here is an image I drew up real quick on sketchup of my tentative layout. I couldn't figure out how to make the image not take up the whole page, so here is a link. http://i.imgur.com/SNmf40o.png

As of right now, I am also thinking of using a window AC, and installing it on the back wall, over the sink. I deleted the rear door, so it will just be another wall. I am thinking about doing it like another trailer on saw on this site, where they had a hatch that would open from the outside and then the AC was on a sliding shelf, using drawer sliders, so it could be retracted when in transit, or stealth camping. My main concern with this layout is that there maybe too much weight on the back of the trailer. Another location I have considered is one side or the other of the v-nose, my main concerns with this location is cold, dry air blowing directly on me while sleeping, water being forced in to the hatch cover when driving, and that I plan to mount a small generator on the tongue of the trailer, and the heat of the generator being so close to the air conditioner might hurt efficiency. My batteries and power distribution will all be in the v-nose area, so I will probably run a wire to the back to run the AC and if I end up moving the AC to the front it will just be an extra electrical connection at the rear of the trailer.

What are you thinking? also- what trailer did you order?

I ordered a 7x12 6'6 height with a window taller door. And I also deleted the rear door with single axle. My bed will be in the back turned width ways to save space. I'm not doing a toilet or shower because I will only camp at places with bathhouses. I have seen some window units on the side of the trailer with no hatch, that's what I'm leaning towards. My sink counter will go from half of the V around like a L but curved.

d_odom wrote:I ordered a 7x12 6'6 height with a window taller door. And I also deleted the rear door with single axle. My bed will be in the back turned width ways to save space. I'm not doing a toilet or shower because I will only camp at places with bathhouses. I have seen some window units on the side of the trailer with no hatch, that's what I'm leaning towards. My sink counter will go from half of the V around like a L but curved.

I considered a similar lay out to that, but we decided that we wanted the option to use the trailer for road trips and stay in wal-mart parking lots and such... So my GF insisted on the toilet. I'm not 100% on the shower yet. I ordered and received the pan from amazon but I am going back and forth as to if I will install it or not. I might just frame it out and use it as a closet, with the option of adding the shower later on.

I got a call from the manufacturer today (http://www.southgeorgiacargo.org/). It seems that Plain ol Trailers had neglected to pass on a few details of my order to them. Apparently it will be AT LEAST two weeks from now until the trailer is ready, so if they stick to that I will be looking at an actual 3 week+ build time.

I may be buying another trailer for work soon, I will research ordering directly from South Georgia Cargo, and cut Plain ol Trailers out of the loop next time.

Well that stinks, my order was a week after yours so I hope everything goes well.

Have you got your trailer yet? I still have not heard anything on mine, today was 2 weeks

r0ss wrote:

d_odom wrote:I ordered a 7x12 6'6 height with a window taller door. And I also deleted the rear door with single axle. My bed will be in the back turned width ways to save space. I'm not doing a toilet or shower because I will only camp at places with bathhouses. I have seen some window units on the side of the trailer with no hatch, that's what I'm leaning towards. My sink counter will go from half of the V around like a L but curved.

I considered a similar lay out to that, but we decided that we wanted the option to use the trailer for road trips and stay in wal-mart parking lots and such... So my GF insisted on the toilet. I'm not 100% on the shower yet. I ordered and received the pan from amazon but I am going back and forth as to if I will install it or not. I might just frame it out and use it as a closet, with the option of adding the shower later on.

I got a call from the manufacturer today (http://www.southgeorgiacargo.org/). It seems that Plain ol Trailers had neglected to pass on a few details of my order to them. Apparently it will be AT LEAST two weeks from now until the trailer is ready, so if they stick to that I will be looking at an actual 3 week+ build time.

I may be buying another trailer for work soon, I will research ordering directly from South Georgia Cargo, and cut Plain ol Trailers out of the loop next time.

I might add that there may be times where the public or campground bathrooms are just too far away or too inconvenient to to, such as in the middle of the night. A porti-potty at least gives you the added emergency protection or convenience. Showers can wait but other things having to do with the body cannot wait. This is just IMHO.

d_odom wrote:Have you got your trailer yet? I still have not heard anything on mine, today was 2 weeks

I just got the email on Wednesday that it is done. I am headed down to pick it up tomorrow (Friday March 10th). I will make a post with pictures and more information after I pick it up.

In the end, it was about 3.5 weeks from putting in my order, to getting the email that it was done. I started pestering Barney from Plain Ol Trailers by email last friday, and after sending him semi-daily requests for updates, it was mysteriously ready on Wednesday. I would send him an email and check in... it may be that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, in this case.

lrrowe wrote:

r0ss wrote:

d_odom wrote:I ordered a 7x12 6'6 height with a window taller door. And I also deleted the rear door with single axle. My bed will be in the back turned width ways to save space. I'm not doing a toilet or shower because I will only camp at places with bathhouses. I have seen some window units on the side of the trailer with no hatch, that's what I'm leaning towards. My sink counter will go from half of the V around like a L but curved.

I considered a similar lay out to that, but we decided that we wanted the option to use the trailer for road trips and stay in wal-mart parking lots and such... So my GF insisted on the toilet. I'm not 100% on the shower yet. I ordered and received the pan from amazon but I am going back and forth as to if I will install it or not. I might just frame it out and use it as a closet, with the option of adding the shower later on.

I got a call from the manufacturer today (http://www.southgeorgiacargo.org/). It seems that Plain ol Trailers had neglected to pass on a few details of my order to them. Apparently it will be AT LEAST two weeks from now until the trailer is ready, so if they stick to that I will be looking at an actual 3 week+ build time.

I may be buying another trailer for work soon, I will research ordering directly from South Georgia Cargo, and cut Plain ol Trailers out of the loop next time.

I might add that there may be times where the public or campground bathrooms are just too far away or too inconvenient to to, such as in the middle of the night. A porti-potty at least gives you the added emergency protection or convenience. Showers can wait but other things having to do with the body cannot wait. This is just IMHO.

Agreed, I plan to rarely use the head, but having the option is nice. I am leaning towards the shower now, I'm thinking about making up a gray water tank, out of 3" pvc, made in to a snake type shape and mounted inside the frame below the floor. something like 5 gallons.

BOB I GOTTA ASK
"but other things having to do with the body cannot wait"

More detail please , so I don't miss anything.

Wow, prices of trailer have really shot up, 7 years ago my double axel 7 x 16 GA trailer was only $3800 - now a single 7 -12 is $2900....even build times are longer....

Cheers ottct

I was the same way with Enrique from plain ok trailers, and got a email wednsday I picked it up yesterday. I ordered mine a week after you funny they were finished on the same day. Took over a hour for them to take my money and let me leave. I drove from Pensacola fl so I was ready to leave and drive back, now the hard work begins lol