Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello
I am new to this forum. I was hunting/camping when I first heard about teardrops. Since then have been eagerly researching any info I can find. I was considering if I should build one or not. Having been bit by this bug pretty severly, I am going to build! I will be wanting and asking advice from fellow members. Only researching for less than 3 months now, I have a lot to learn. I will ask for suggestions from all of you, and post results, or lack of them on this forum. Looking forward to learning from this and you guys! My tear is going to be able to be offroaded and probably a little more heavy than most of what I have seen on the net. I want to be able to take it anywhere and have it survive as well as transport gear and hopefully game, for years to come Please help in anyway you guys can with advice and suggestions.
Regards
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to the forum.

We'd be glad to try to help you with any questions you have. Also be sure to take a look at Dave N. stuff and even Larry S. stuff.

Mike...

My Mexican Tear was originaly being built to be pulled behind my Jeep off road. I used the Northern Tool snowmobile axle for lots of ground clearence.

I am selling my Jeep and going to pull the Mexican Tear behind my new 49 Plymouth. Looks like it is axle change time.

kai

Well it is official. I found an axle 3500# w/electric brakes. I really have got to make my mind up for the design.

Jeff,

Welcome to the board. I'm only a couple of months ahead of you with my tear. I ended up designing my own, with a lot of help from this board and from Andrew's (angib) design page. If you would like to see what I'm doing, please visit my album, as my tear is a tad bigger than most at 5' X 9'.

The one comment I would make is, even for a big heavy teardrop, a 3500 pound rated axel is overkill. From what I have learned here you want to be looking at a 2000 to 2500 pound axel.

Good luck with your new project.

Jeff is refering to Larry S. teardrop... in which he had to replace the lighter weight axle with a 3500# axle. But he has conventional leaf springs, and is able to adjust the springs to the weight of the teardrop. He needed the heavier bar going across the width of the tear. The lighter bar on the 2000# axle got bent up from his desert travels.

I don't know what axle Jeff is planning on using, but if it's a torsion axle, you definitely want to go with a 2000# axle. If it's a conventional axle with leaf springs, he could mix and match parts.

Mike...

Sorry Mike and Jeff, but as nice as they work/fit, I didn't think anyone would consider anything but a tortion type axel.

Anyway, again, welcome to the board Jeff.

Jeff wrote:Well it is official. I found an axle 3500# w/electric brakes. I really have got to make my mind up for the design.

Well then Jeff, what kind of 3500# axle did you buy? Torsion or Leaf Spring?

Mike...

well this may have been one of the first of many mistakes or i should have done it this way things, i bought a leaf spring axle, but the price was right. i actually bought two axles, 2-dexter 3500# axles with hubs and electric brakes, a seller on e-bay had them, it was a lot of two. so if any one out there is looking for one of these set ups i will have one shortly.

I have used my tear off road with a 2000# axle with gas shocks per Larry Sorensens design and have had no trouble (see more pics at the trips link on my site)...of course Larry likes to drive through the desert at 100 mph with tear in tow.

If I build another tear for off road only I would go with the heavier axle but stick with the lower spring rate and add electric brakes. In addition I would use a lock n roll hitch setup



Lock n Roll Hitch Information
http://www.locknroll.com/
Installed on Matt Wilson's off-road Benroy
http://photobucket.com/albums/v365/wilsonmc/?action=view&current=P8050178.jpg
Matt's Benroy In Action
http://photobucket.com/albums/v365/wilsonmc/?action=view&current=PC120428.jpg

Thanks for that info Bob. I hadn't seen Matts new Benroy yet... Last I saw was he had a frame fabricated, and then he injured himself.

I definitely see two different kinds of teardrops. The domesticated teardrop that hangs out at campgrounds, and the desert teardrops that bounce around on the washboard roads of the west.

Three quarters of the country doesn't need any more than a domesticated teardrop, even if they do dispersed camping. But if you are planning on going out west, I would definitely beef it up...

Mike...

P.S. I am planning on going east and south east. I guess I'd better get that Air conditioner built in, eh? But my 2000# axle should be plenty good!!!

Jeff,
What is the width of the axle? I'm in the process of building an off-road tear also. I'm a litte north of you, up in Jim Thorpe.
Steve

steve
72" i believe hub face to hub face

Jeff,
Email me at [email protected] a pic when you get it. I was about to order one about that size. How much will you want for the one? What is your tow vehicle? And where do you plann on going for your first o-r trip? I'm in rock country pa, in Jim Thorpe, well know for its rocks, white water and mountainbike trails.
Thanks,
Steve C

no problem steve, i will be in contact with you, tow vehicle is a full size bronco

mike i have a question for you, are there any drawings for the hummer concept tear i've seen here somewhere? i like the looks of that alot, want to go with something along those lines, or a cross between that and the weekender. any help will be appreciated!