The Oscar Mike Overland "Teardrop"

[HyperActive]

Well, after weeks of lurking, reading, watching YouTube vids and otherwise obsessing over building a teardrop to pull behind my Jeep JKU, Im taking the plunge.

Im planning to build a modified teardrop, very much like the hiker trailer. I actually contacted Wes at Hiker and was seriously thinking of just buying one but they are already pushing into January of next year so I really didnt want to wait that long to camp! My (probably over-abmitious goal) is have it camp-able by Sept 27th so I can haul it to Overland Expo East in Asheville, NC to stay in.

Some basic specs Im planning:

- 5x8 body with a 24" front platform to hold the electrical, have some additional storage and a few jerry cans.
- 3x2x.120 wall frame with 2x2x.120 wall crossmembers
- Dexter 3500lb axle with 5 on 5 hubs to match my Jeep so I can run the same wheels/tires to eliminate one spare (35x12.50x18 Nittos)
- 120/12v with MPPT solar controller and 125ah VMax AGM battery
- no onboard water tank, will use my rotopax or aquatainers
- space for my 50qt ARB fridge in the galley
- roof rack with Foxwing awning
- Climate Rite 5000 btu ac unit
- other stuff Im sure Im forgetting

I already have my doors, vent fan, axle stuff, metal and a few other things on oder that should start being delivered this week.

Here are a few quick/dirty/unfinished sketchup models I have been working on to get the concepts down




Should be able to start posting some progress pics by the weekend.

[Dirtclod]

At the overland expo last fall I saw the Hiker trailers and they are very well made and a great use of space.

I like where you are headed. Keep the pics and updates coming.

[HyperActive]

Yeah if it wasn't for waiting so long and having some upcoming trips I would've just bought the hiker.

I do like having more space, but after getting a quote for the rear cargo door big enough to make the rear usable as a galley, Im seriously thinking of going a more traditional teardrop shape so I can just build the galley door and save the hit against the budget.

The door with shipping is going to cost me right at $500. The door itself is only $314, the rest is packing/shipping.

I mocked up my thoughts going to a more traditional shape, and I do like the idea. I know I have to factor the costs of the hurricane hinge, trim and seals but it should be way less than $500.


I picked up my steel yesterday for the trailer so Im going to get started on that tonight. Will post pics of what I can over the weekend.

[jonb8]

Good luck on your project, I also went traditional because of the rear door problems with a flat back.... Glad I did the rear hatch wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be.

[HyperActive]

Well, I managed to find a door that should fit my needs for the rear for about $200 total so I have moved forward with the hiker style "flat back" design. The door is a little smaller than I wanted by about 10" in height but should be fine.

Only got to work on the frame for a few hours this weekend and got the main frame rails cut/welded together and ready for the crossmembers.


Now Im trying to figure out where I want to place the rear axle. Its an 8 foot box that has a 24" front "deck" on it that will be covered in expanded metal. So Im thinking of putting the axle center line about 38" from the rear of the trailer but nothings in stone. Still need to do a bit more research on that. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Got my rims/tires all mounted up to match my Jeep as well, these things are going to look crazy on this TTT! But now I dont need another spare.

[KCStudly]

40% from back (38/96) is about as far forward as you probably want to go, but it really depends on your load out. If you have a sizeable TB with battery up front and a lot of heavy gear stored there, then you are probably okay.

On the other hand, if your AC, water jugs and fridge are going in the galley, then that could shift the weight balance further back, and you might want to consider moving the axle back a bit.

IIRC, anything from 30 to 40 percent is considered reasonable for a TD with galley. 30 percent for a heavy galley, more for smaller/lighter galleys and heavier TB's.

For hardcore off road, departure angle can be improved by moving the axle back and/or under cutting the rear of the body (sloping the floor up). Some guys even make adjustable length tongues (using a draw bar and pin type of arrangement) so that they can tuck the trailer in close for tighter maneuvering, or extend it for more stable on road towing, easier backing and the ability to do a jackknife turn.

[working on it]

40% from back (38/96) is about as far forward as you probably want to go, but it really depends on your load out. If you have a sizeable TB with battery up front and a lot of heavy gear stored there, then you are probably okay.

On the other hand, if your AC, water jugs and fridge are going in the galley, then that could shift the weight balance further back, and you might want to consider moving the axle back a bit.

IIRC, anything from 30 to 40 percent is considered reasonable for a TD with galley. 30 percent for a heavy galley, more for smaller/lighter galleys and heavier TB's.

For hardcore off road, departure angle can be improved by moving the axle back and/or under cutting the rear of the body (sloping the floor up). Some guys even make adjustable length tongues (using a draw bar and pin type of arrangement) so that they can tuck the trailer in close for tighter maneuvering, or extend it for more stable on road towing, easier backing and the ability to do a jackknife turn.

• Months of planning, and fore-knowledge of proper trailer balance helped me get my trailer (on paper) near the magic 60/40 proportion, but, when actually constructing it, changes in details made it a challenge to get correct, especially after altering the frame proportions to attempt something different than normal. After lurking on this site, and Expedition Portal, before starting my trailer build, I thought I had a good plan to convert an old trailer frame into a simple, strong TTT, using 3/4" plywood, with a limited budget and woodworking skills. Since this was a project that was not needed at the time, but built in preparation for my retirement years (I told my wife it was for her, true if she desired it, but most likely for me, later), I had to keep the materials cost low, and only as needed at the time. And, trying to save money, I only used tools I had on hand (or at my friend's race shop home garage). That meant (for me) that I had to utilize straight cuts and no bends, since I thought the thicker plywood would hold up better than the bendable, thinner materials, and basic wood cutting tools, we both had. Plywood only, no foam or dent-able aluminum skins, and all materials to be constantly moved around in his shop, for a year, while working on automotive projects. So, I constructed a "simple" 4'x 8' TTT, hoping that it would eventually be soft-road capable, with good ground clearance, acceptable departure angle, and the longest tongue I could fit into my garage bay (12' overall length).
• The original frame was 60" long and 50" wide, and I added rectangular steel tubing, to extend it to 97.5" long, to have room for a twin mattress, with just enough room in the galley for an on-board generator. The simple's square shape in the rear dictated the available depth of the galley, from closed vertical hatch, to the rear bulkhead wall, as roughly 22". I had originally planned to use my 6k watt generator there, but it was too big, so I traded it for a 2500 watt that would fit (and mount on a swiveling slide-out). Storage space in the galley would suffer, due to this generator placement, and the trailer balance, too.
• I always had intended to get the trailer balance near to 10% tongue weight, favoring a lighter tongue weight than most, since I was to tow with a light vehicle, so I added more length in the rear than in front, much as the Europeans do (they use smaller vehicles, and lighter tongue weights, than here); the plan was to build the trailer and equip it first, followed by finishing it with a tongue box only large/heavy enough to balance it out. Changes in details, adding more weight to the rear than I had accounted for, and greatly underestimating the finished total weight threw my original plans & proportions out the window. The rear weighed too much, forcing more forward weight to balance, and accentuating the mis-proportioned frame dimensions' effects. Prior to finding the correct tongue box, and shifting weight forward ito it, I had 0 lbs tongue weight, dry, with no loads. The extra length in the rear was showing its' negative effects, now.
• Slowly modifying gear and loads, and later greatly strengthening the running gear, my TTT is now over 2000 lbs travel weight, far exceeding my original 1000 lb goal. Forced to tow with my HD truck, I have the tongue weight near 15%, more conventional than I had planned, and the full tongue box, and a front rack, have brought the weight distribution to a final resolution. But, if I were to build it again, even if the materials and gear were the same, I would have kept the frame proportions at a de rigeur 60/40 ratio, rather than attempting to defy conventional wisdom.

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  compensated for incorrect proportions.png (77.3 KiB) Viewed 1601 times

  my components superimposed on the OP's design; my centerline vs weight struggle

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  original frame before extensions.jpg (102.23 KiB) Viewed 1601 times

  my original frame dimensions; added structure in wrong ratio

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  frame extended using wrong proportions.png (409.46 KiB) Viewed 1601 times

  another view of what was vs. what should've been done

[HyperActive]

Been making a bit of progress here and there. Things have really picked up the last couple days. My stabilizer jacks arrived as well as the lock-n-roll hitch.

Frames getting close. Have the axle installed and all of the welding on the bottom side is completed. We just flipped the frame last night and will start welding the final joints on the top. Still have to install the shock kit and cap all the open tube ends as well.