What length do you prefer ?

[bledsoe3]

I'm going 5 X 8. I need to keep the weight down.

[mikeschn]

My first teardrop was a 4x8. The mattress ended up being about 72" long. We found it uncomfortably short, and uncomfortably narrow.

My second teardrop had a queen sized mattress in it, and that was perfect. We'll always build around a queen sized mattress now. And that means a 5x9 trailer minimum, if you want a decent galley.

You could build a 5x8 around a queen sized mattress is you build using the cub/modernistic profile where the hatch starts further up...

Mike...

[Stephen G.]

The design I have so far is minimum of 5x8 and that don't leave much room in the galley with a 78 inch bed. I also have a 5x9 and a 5x10 designs so thats why I'm doing a poll lol. In the 5x8 design there is no room for a cooler at least not this one unless I take out the stove. I'm going to have a outside rigged Petcool reguardless. Now with the 5x9 things start to get interesting. Pretty much all the room we would need for everything I guess it would be almost ideal but here is the crock of it. It will cost as much to build a 5x9 as it would a 5x10 so now what

I hope people keep votting because which one wins is what we will build

[mikeschn]

Unless you can actually use the space in a 5x10 design, I would say a 5x9 is just about right. Source: Little Red Riding Hood!

Mike...

P.S. I just looked at your poll results and was surprised to see so many people build 10' long. I guess they figure if they are going to build longer than 8' they might as well go all the way to the next larger wood size, which is 10'

What body style are you going to build?

[Stephen G.]

Mike it will be traditional shaped which we like. I have designed my own profiles but they dont have any pointed corners everything is round or ellipse. I have a 8,9 and 10 foot long and each is a modifacation of the other. I'm pleased with them so far but I continue to fine tune them. I have gathered and saved every picture of teardrops that we like as I can in MY PICTURES. I don't know how to use CAD so I hand draw them. I need to have it done by the end of September because thats the last vacation time my wife will get. It does not seem like much time but I can do it and still have a top quality tear. I did have a set back. I bought some wheels on Ebay and the fellow sent me the wrong size and is being slow about correcting it. He said he will refund my money so I hope it will work out. But until then I can't buy any until I get that money back lol. I started from the ground up with the designs.

The Hall of fame pictures really help alot

[mikeschn]

There are lots of traditional shapes... Kit, Benroy, Modernistic etc...

Go here, and tell me which one looks like the one you are going to build...

http://www.nicksteardrop.com/photos.htm

Thanks,

Mike...

[Stephen G.]

Mike its kinda like the Tourette profile but not as wide except our front and rear bottem corners are round.

Man thanks for that link thats a mother load of styles

[mikeschn]

Ah... I would definitely make it 10' long then... You're going to lose a lot of precious space because the back ellipse goes all the way to the floor.

You'll also lose some space in the front, either to the closet, or because the mattress can't go all the way to the front curve.

The extra foot will make up for it! And if you go with the 5' width, two people will be plenty comfortable in there!

Mike...

[Stephen G.]

You are absolutly right. I did not make the front as round as that so it saved some inches. The back slope is not so great that it takes away from the counter top to much. They all are compromises we have been trying to figure out what is most important. It will drive you nuts

[beverlyt]

I'm one of the few that really like our 8' long Cubby. Bob and I are both quite short though...I'm 5'3" and Bob use to be 5'8":)

I like how "tiny" it looks, was easier to build and helped keep the weight down. We've never never regretted making it 8'.

We have regretted we didn't make it wider... but then that's not the question.

Bev

[Stephen G.]

I like a 8 foot too. small is cute. My wife is 4'11" I'm 6 foot but I roll around alot so 5 foot was the only answer to that question. We both layed in a Kit for a few minutes and we agreed that we could live with that size 5ft would be better. Don't mean anything bad to those that like 4 foot wide.

[Classic Finn]

I have to admit. I am building a 5 x 8 ft. I dont have plans on paper but
thats what it is equivalent to . Meaning we use the metric measurement
here in Finland..

1st trailer so we,ll just have to see what it turns out to be..


Classic Finn

[Marck]

Kinda hard for me to say as The Six-Pack is 6' wide and 12' long, never been in a smaller one, I HAVE tried laying down on the floor of the 10' modernaire I am building, and "stayting within the lines" of where the walls etc will be... I guess I'd probably say 10 foot would be better.

[Woody]

4 x 10 or 5 x 10, 10 foot, is a good length for Teardrop in my opinion, Both of mine are 10 footers

[Steve_Cox]

5 X 10 more or less, the frame is 116" X 60". Queen size bed, 10" deep cedar closet in the front. Kim was sure to let me know she wanted a closet to hang clothes.