Another dang newbie

[mobtownvelo]

Another newbie here anxious and inspired by many to build a teardrop for a cross country road trip. This time next year I should be finishing my degree in Electro-Mechanical engineering, and when I'm done plan to hit the road leaving southern PA and going to ??? with many stops for great mountain biking in between. The vehicle towing will be my 1982 VW Rabbit with a full 1998 Turbo Diesel swap installed. I'm a mechanic by trade so building this teardrop won't be an issue except for ironing out the details of it's final design. I look forward to showing the build progress and hopefully sharing my story/stories.

cheers
Gary

[jseyfert3]

Welcome! Are you planning a foamie, or more traditional design like a woodie or aluminum skinned?

[mobtownvelo]

My vision is a Grumman woodie with an aluminum skin roof. This vision will probably change but i''d say i'm pretty much decided on it.
Right now I'm debating what trailer to build it on or do I start from scratch. The Horrible freight trailer seems popular and it's cheap enough. Thoughts?

[jseyfert3]

My vision is a Grumman woodie with an aluminum skin roof. This vision will probably change but i''d say i'm pretty much decided on it.
Right now I'm debating what trailer to build it on or do I start from scratch. The Horrible freight trailer seems popular and it's cheap enough. Thoughts?

I decided to use the 1720 lb HF trailer. It seems good enough, I did have an issue where the bearings on the right side would not fit on the axle, I was able to solve it by sanding the axle with emery paper. Other then that, I really can't say much. Although it's finally getting close, I'm not yet finished with my first build, which is inspired by the Stretched Austrilian Sportsman. After reading here, I decided on a foamie. Since it's not done, I can't really offer any more thoughts then that, unless you have some questions regarding what I've already done in my build.

I'm sure someone else will chime in with some thoughts for you as well.

[mobtownvelo]

Thanks for the info, I'll certainly keep an eye on your build!

[Shadow Catcher]

One thing you need to seriously consider is brakes, you will need them!

[bobhenry]

Oh Tommy,

Not everyone needs brakes! I have had 11 trailers in my life time. I currently have 7 in my stable and not a blessed one has ever had trailer brakes. I have towed the 1500 pound barn and the 1800 pound see thru teardrop with not rated to tow vehicles and lived to tell about it.

If you are a safe and conservative driver they are not a necessity. I do not down play them as a great safety device and a nice feature to have but does a 1100 - 1500 pound trailer really HAVE to have brakes?

Maybe a poll is in order to see who does and who doesn't have braked trailers !

[Vedette]

I agree Bob
We tow Miss Piggy (1450 lbs) behind our 1946 Studebaker truck or our 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe and don't even know it is there most of the time.
I have a bit of a led foot and tend to drive into corners and stop signs, relying on the brakes to slow me down in a hurry most of the time........and no problem.
I would however be a bit concerned about weight if building a TD to be towed behind a VW.
I have owned Beetles, Rabbits and Jettas, and never considered any of them as a "Tow" vehicle.
Thus, when we bought the Santa Fe, towing was a major consideration. It has proven to be a great choice.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[mobtownvelo]

I have considered this factor and the car has an upgraded brake system from it's 9.4" solid rotors to 10.1" vented rotors and an upgraded brake booster. More than it needs really.

As for brakes on a trailer, thats going to be a serious upgrade to a 4x8 HF and probably overkill. While i'm concerned about safety and stopping, I think the brake upgrade on the car will do just fine.