Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I've been collecting parts for my frame for a bit now. Cut the steel a few weeks ago, and finally got the frame all welded together. Installed my hitch receiver last weekend. This weekend, I'm planning to get the wiring for the taillights installed, get the frame primed and painted, and start laying out my foam pieces to cut. Might even get the dowels cut and some of the foam glued if time permits.

Still need to purchase my canvas. Haven't been able to locate any in town for a decent price. Has anyone found a reasonable online supplier?




I have some cool ideas for the trailer for when the camper is removed. Should be able to carry our kayaks, gear, and bikes all at the same time. But for now, I have less than 3 weeks to get the foamie built and campable before our roadtrip. The utility trailer/towable roof rack part will have to wait.

Sounds like a great project. Welcome to the world of being a foamling!!! Three weeks sounds like a short time frame, hope it all works out for you. We'll be watching. Keep the pics coming!

Steve , check the Ladies fabric stores , they have some really Heavy canvas , and lighter canvas too , even comes in colors ...and there’s always a sale ... Big sale on Memorial Day for sure... My local flier said 50% off (Hancock) , so that makes it about 5-8 bucks a yard ... that’s a good price ...

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't even think about a Memorial Day sale! Trying to keep the camper portion pretty light, so what's the best weight for the canvas? Something that will provide the rigidity for the shell, but not add too much unnecessary bulk?

I'm planning to use POR15 to seal the trailer frame, but now I'm reading that it's damaged by UV and also that the bare metal will need to be treated before putting on the POR15. Suggestions for treating the bare metal before putting on the POR15? Once the POR15 is on, what should I use to protect it from UV? Guessing rubbing some Coppertone on in won't do any good.

When you get the fabric/canvas in hand , pull on it , trust your instincts .... I usually get the heaviest stuff I can find , cause’ I stretch it and paint on it too... and save the rest for the next Foamie build

Re: POR15. I used it on my car trailer after the bare frame had sat out unfinished for neigh on 20 years. Power wire brushed, wiped with a little thinner, POR15 directly on steel, POR15 Blackcote as a top coat UV inhibitor. The Blackcote is a gloss, but there is a Chassiscote semi as well. Here's a link, http://www.por15.com/Single-Part-Topcoats/products/4/.

It is expensive, though.

Forgot to say that aside from the tinge of green moss that is growing on it in places (from sitting under trees with leafs all around) the paint has held up very well for several years...mostly in the shade...never obused...hell, I admit it, never even used .

hey stevew..welcome to the foamling group. depending on what you want in your camper, it is very possible to make one "campable" in 3 weeks. you can fine tune it as time allows. my shell was built in 1 weekend, the canvas laid on another weekend, and i belive there was a 3rd weekend one of the gals came down and helped with canvas on the inside. inbetween all of these weekends i worked on it as i could, the priming and painting part. but all in all, total time probably was 3 weeks.
good luck, can't wait to see your pics.

POR15 and Blackcote on order. No canvas on sale at any of the local shops, so I went ahead and ordered some (a lot, since it didn't cost much more than a little). Even ordered some hot wire foam cutting tools for doing the kerfs. Looks like financially I've obligated to making a second one down the road. This particular build will be light, but not necessarily inexpensive. Still much cheaper than taking the family to Germany this summer, or buying a teardrop already built, which were our original two plans.

Eagle, seeing the builds that you have thrown together in such a short time is the main reason I didn't scrap this idea until after our trip. Like you said, "campable" in 3 weekends is doable. I can always add the finishing touches later.

Tropical storm kinda kept us from having any fun outside, so we played a bit with the camper while we waited for the weather to clear.

The kids helping measure the SIP panel that we will be using as the floor.


A little test with the scrap to see how well this will hold up.


I'm 175 pounds. The scrap was 3 inches thick, 4 inches wide, and about 3.5 feet between the supports. Barely any flex when I stood on it. Pretty confident about using this as my flooring now.


The panels are just placed on the frame until I make the finishing cuts and join the walls, but Kristin is ready to camp. She wants to sleep on it in the garage tonight.

Whoa, those photos are huge. Is there a way to display them at a lower res here on this site?

Kristin is precious and your son seems to be 'onboard' with the project, too! You are building their best memories right now. Way to be a good dad.

I always size mine to 702x528 or there abouts on my Blackberry [thats what I use for pictures] then e mail them to myself, download them to a file on my computer, then upload them to my gallery. It seems to work for me.
Sample:

That stuff looks really awsome for a floor. The kids are adorable too.
Frank

maybe i have overlooked it, but what is the material for your floor? it looks like 3" foam.

If you are still looking for canvas, I got mine at harbor freight. 9'x12' painters canvases for about $15 on sale. There is a center seam you can leave or cut out for two pieces about 6'x9'. It is fairly heavy and the cheapest I have found.

Louella, it's a Structural Insulated Panel (thin aluminum skin sandwiched around 3" foam).