Help! Reviving a neglected/unfinished teardrop...

[PKCSPT]

That is about what I would like to find, if it feels solid. Get it "campable" for now then do a rebuild if necessary. Sure looks like you would have to look it over real careful though. Let us know what it looks like in person.

[48Rob]

Hi Mike,

Rob, to answer a previous question, the asking price right now is 1200. It it basically a new trailer frame and axle, newer jeep alloy wheels, newer 31" BFg at's, doors, vent, the leakproof galley hinge, etc.

He is saying the plywood is not delaminated and it's just the rough side of the plywood. Assuming this is the case and I check it out before I buy it) Would it really be a big deal to pull the roof and galley skin, check for mold, insulate, replace the Masonite if necessary and skin it ?

I agree there are some good parts there, but only that there are some good parts there.
What has been cobbled together with those parts doesn't make the sum of those parts worth what he wants.

If a person were to buy it with the intention of tearing it all apart and building a new teardrop of the frame using those parts, it may not be a bad start on their own custom, personalized teardrop.
About $500 is all I would pay because of all the effort involved in removing the parts, cleaning everything up, and disposing of what isn't use-able.

Is it a big deal to pull the roof, the galley skin, inspect, insulate, and skin the trailer?
Yes, it is.
By the time you do all that, end up replacing one or both sides of the trailer's plywood because of delamination, and redoing the galley to suit, it is coming very, very close to building your own from scratch.
The builder admits he built it in a hurry without concern for details (and it shows)
It is a thrown together mess that is falling apart and has major water intrusion issues due to a serious lack of understanding about construction techniques and proper waterproofing of an exterior structure.

Please read over the comments the other posters have made, they are all right on the money!
I/we all want to see you get a teardrop and have a good time, but from what info you have shared about the builder, the trailer, and your skill level, this one just isn't a good deal.

Rob

Good trailer, good profile, good frame, but it think the builder's rush to finish it has let him down.

It looks like the builder didn't put the time and money into doing it correctly, and is now left with that. Don't make the same mistakes he did.

I'd be pretty weary of mold and mildew. Its not impossible to get rid of, but you're going to spend more time and energy trying to battle it than you would just starting over. Adding cabinets and cupboards will require solid wood to attach to. Hopefully the sides are not too far gone to do so. The damage looks deep

as it sits now, you could definitely make it watertight and usable for a few years, but for all that expense and effort, you will always have a cobbled-together low-quality build. Is that what you want?

but the seller either isn't being straight with you or just doesn't know what he is talking about

[oz97tj]

Hi. This is my trailer. It was built under a very tight timeline and was my first , and only to date, teardrop and as such it was quite a steep learning curve. Unfortunately due to the time frame, I was unable to take my time and fix issues or even finish what I planned (finish the galley/build cabinet inside/etc). Ill try to explain some issues...

First, the sidewall ply is cabinet grade, or at least thats what the lumber yard sold me. The finished side is facing inside. The outside isnt a finished side as I planned the smooth it all out with filler and then coat the entire exterior with epoxy like ive seen on this very site many times. Due to the time frame and having never used marine epoxy coating before (and too cold of temps that pretty much screwed me from the start) it didnt work out as planned. After I realized I didnt have the time I figured it was "good enough" and painted it. I planned to come back and redo some things and then do a better job with the epoxy but frankly life took me away from it and besides a few trips it was pushed into the backyard and left to sit.

Second, the masonite was used at the advice of members here ss its flexible and cheap? Coated properly in the epoxy, no moisture should get to it and it would be ok. "Properly" is the key here. I obviously screwed it up. My first coat was put on in fsr too cold of temps so it was applied very thick and rough. I spent hours sanding mostdof that back off. I then waited for some warmer temps but due to that damn time frame it only got two more thin coats which obviously didnt seal it up.

Third, the cracks. This is the bigges issue by far. The cracks are the masonite expanding from the moisture and cracking the epoxy. Its a big deal, no doubt. Ive advised Mike to remove all the masonite (outer roof and the interior ceiling stuff) and replace it all. Then take the time and epoxy is correctly. Concerns of mold could be real but would be mitigated by the removal of the entire roof and ceiling so I dont see it as an issue.

The water intrusion in the sleeping area I believe was due to the vent. I left it cracked open last summer. This winter had lots of snow and quite a few melt/rain/freeze again cycles. I believe that is where that came from. Ive looked at the plywood and its water stained but I cant see or feel anywhere that indicates delamination. The water intrusion in the hatch area is due to not having any sort of weather seal. I was lead to believe by another teardrop builder that the lips I built into the hatch area would keep water out due to gravity once it was all epoxied. Again, I think poor execution on the idea and bad epoxy job ruined that plan.

I honestly believe the tear is salvageable by replacing all the masonite and redoing the epoxy correctly. Id probably rebuild the hatch door and rethink a sealing system back there too but with some weatherstripping I think whats there could be made water tight. Maybe those more experienced would disagree? It doesnt much matter as a new owner could make their own decision.

What I know is this. The frame and axles were built very heavy duty for offroad use while trying to be weight conscience. Those materials and parts werent cheap and they still make a very fine base for a trailer. Its some cheap Harbor Freight trailer. It was built with the intent of offroad use and could easily be used to pull or winch from without having to unhitch. The rest of the hardparts also were quality parts. Im pretty certain the trailer could be ripped apart and id be able to get the money asked in the parts alone. Wood is relatively cheap. Im not advertising the trailer or even actively attempting to sell it but I also realize if restoration isnt attempted sometume soon the weather will doom the tear for good. I just dont have the time to take to fix it for various personal reasons and my family situation has changed anyway so its use is now very limited to me so when I saw Mike was looking I offered it up as a fixer upper. Ive tried to be clear on everything. Its funny how people assume a seller is always shady. It was scratch built by a first timer that admittedly made mistakes in the build and in the upkeep afterwards. However the frameis extremely solid as im a competent metal worker so I know thats good. The wood part is what it is. I believe the sidewalls are usable and the divider wall to the galley is bare to be built on however one sees fit. The roof and ceiling need to be replaced but that is cheap and fairly easy to do if some care and time is taken. Then redo the epoxy coating properly and paint and a well built offroad tear could be had for relatively cheap.

Mike, like I told you before. It doesnt matter to me either way. Im not waiting to buy groceries with the money. I wouldnt be upset if it stays where it is. What matters is if you feel comfortable with the project. It is not a camping ready trailer. It needs work and love.

I'll also say this. Those walls arent exactly rockect science to make nor is the ply really that expensive. The time spent removing all the masonite carefully enough to rebuild may just be better spent starting from scratch. Wood is cheap. Either way, everything else needed is there. The cabin is just bolted to the frame and could be removed in probably under 10 minutes and then parts could be scavenged as needed. The options limitless really.

[Dale M.]

Buy it.... Do temporary repairs for trip and then this winter fully repair/restore it when there is not a time crunch...

Dale

[PaulS]

Buy it.... Do temporary repairs for trip and then this winter fully repair/restore it when there is not a time crunch...

Dale

Like dale said buy it there is plenty of help here for the questions that you have and there is a lot of good stuff that you could reuse even if you tor it apart and rebuilt it over the winter. Are you in the metro Detroit area mike. If so I may even be able to help you

[48Rob]

Oz,

Thanks for posting and clearing up some of the gray areas.

The frame does look well built, and you are right in that the new buyer can either repair, or start over.
In the end it will make someone a nice trailer.
Mike just has to weigh his skill level against the potential cost to repair or rebuild and determine if this trailer works with his time crunch and budget.

Rob

[oz97tj]

Oz,

Thanks for posting and clearing up some of the gray areas.

The frame does look well built, and you are right in that the new buyer can either repair, or start over.
In the end it will make someone a nice trailer.
Mike just has to weigh his skill level against the potential cost to repair or rebuild and determine if this trailer works with his time crunch and budget.

Rob

Absolutely agree. Only he can make that decision. I honestly dont care either way what he decides. I dont believe the cost will be high either way he chooses (fix or rebuild) as the expensive stuff is already there. Better still, if he does choose to buy, hopefully he uses all this as lessons.

[mikesova]

Buy it.... Do temporary repairs for trip and then this winter fully repair/restore it when there is not a time crunch...

Dale

Like dale said buy it there is plenty of help here for the questions that you have and there is a lot of good stuff that you could reuse even if you tor it apart and rebuilt it over the winter. Are you in the metro Detroit area mike. If so I may even be able to help you

No, I'm in Gladwin. Feel free to come up and help. There is a great rustic spot for camping just north of town.

Mike

[PaulS]

Yes there is a rustic state camp ground with a beutiful swimming lake in the north west corn of the county. I used to have property on heil rd near the shoe

[mikesova]

I came across this one yesterday and it already sold on me today. It would have been nice to check out a few as long I was making the trip downstate.





He was asking 2k and willing to negotiate! It was also 6' wide.

[GPW]

Whatever wooden camper you buy , be aware , water intrusion is the Number One Problem with all trailers . In a “restoration” like this , some of the existing wood may be saved , some will have to be replaced . A close and thorough inspection is indicated !!!  But IMHO , ALL the wood should be treated with a waterproofing formula inside and out , and all seams should be covered over with a separate “membrane” , whether it be a glued and painted fabric (heavy canvas) , Fiberglass tape , or a RV type tape (Eternabond) , to lessen the chance of water getting in . The traditional use of trailer /RV caulk for roof/wall seams , just doesn’t “seem" to work out over time ...
In a well equipped shop, you could rebuild this trailer ^ in less than a week .... In a garage with hand tools ... I dunno’ ??? We have seen (and have bought) trailer-projects that were found to be less favorable after a while , and projects abandoned, and parted out ... for various reasons. Restorations can however, be great FUN , if you’re ready for it .
Oz, no worries eh ... my first camper wasn’t that good either .... the learning curve... Third one built seems to be the Charm !!!

[rowerwet]

If I felt the trailer was a good deal cost wise and bought it knowing I would need to do plenty of re building in the future, but wanted it for a few trips this year first (seems to be the gist I get). I would do the cheap easy, waterproof fix now http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-Ma ... -weatherp/ . for about $100 you would have a watertight place to sleep and prevent any further damage until you are ready to tear it down to a good point to rebuild.
Definitely give it a good once over for mold before sleeping in it.

[stefantwotimes]

Maybe it's cheaper to build a ne
w one, but if it's cheap! you can buy it and use used parts to the new! .. but the water has been made, with it, clearly

[mikesova]

Thanks for all the info, everybody. My wife and I decided to go in a different direction. We're picking this up tomorrow:



It's a 5x8 cargo trailer that's been converted to a living space with galley style kitchen in the back.

It's more money, but it's ready to go, no crunch time last minute repairs to do.

[48Rob]

Mike,

Congratulations on your new camper!

Not having to rush, and not having to fix anything will make for a much better trip!

Now you can try out the trailer idea, and then move up, or change direction altogether once you get a feel for what works for you and what you find you need.
It might be just perfect as is...it looks good from here!

Rob