The build has begun.

[bbrider]

I got my metal yesterday and started building my trailer frame. I finished adding the tongue today and got my axle coming tomorrow. I still have to cut the tongue down to length too. I haven't made my mind up how long it needs to be yet. I want to add a storage box on the tongue so I am thinking it will need to be 5'. I still have to add the angle braces on the tongue too.

I extended out the rear bumper 10"s and the front support cross bar 10"s as well. My plan is to add 1" square back to the fender support put diamond plate on each side of the camper front and back of the fender. It can serve as a place to sit and I am thinking of mounting Jerry cans for gas and water for our Alaska trip later on. I am putting the entrance door in the rear off to the left side and two windows on each side of the camper. It is going to be a Caravan style with an angle on the front (tongue end) about a 1' down and 1' back. I will be added roof vent with fan as well. Later I plan to add an AC in the end next to the door up high so it will blow towards the front. The camper will be 5x8, 4' high with 3/4" birch walls. I am planning on making my own door, but I will be buying my windows. I plan to skin the outside with .040 aluminum with an enamel finish.

I love to build and after 40 years in the carpentry trade I am getting excited about building this trailer. I am retired and my wife is planning on retiring in 18 months. We are planning a month long trip to Alaska in our two door jeep and I am building this to pull with the jeep.

[brx017]

Looks cool! Are you going to have a curbside door too, or just the rear door? How about a galley?

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[Vedette]

You will want a Galley in the rear or it just won't be Teardrop Camping!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[bbrider]

Looks cool! Are you going to have a curbside door too, or just the rear door? How about a galley?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Thanks! Just the rear door and no galley. We don't cook much and when we do it is on the picnic table or the bbq pit.

[bbrider]

You will want a Galley in the rear or it just won't be Teardrop Camping!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

We camped in a Kwik Kamp tent trailer that we pulled behind the motorcycle for 12 years and traveled all over the USA and Canada with it. We loved it, but the Harley didn't like it when I changed from a Goldwing so I sold it. I had health issues back then and thought my long trip days were over at that time. It took a few years, but I am back to traveling again. Sometime on the Harley and sometimes in the Jeep. We bought and sold two full size travel trailers in the last 6 years, both of which were hardly ever used with one pop-up camper between them. Now we are back to a tent on the ground and it will be fine for those Harley trips. Have used it on jeep trips too, but my wife has become crazy scared of being eaten by a bear.....lol. So that is what got me to thinking about building a teardrop. The only thing was I knew we didn't want a galley. She like riding somewhere to eat. It is her thing and I don't mind going most times myself. So that changed my teardrop plans to a more caravan style and since I have a jeep I wanted something I could take off road to a small degree. I liked the look of the off road trailers. So my jeep fenders will be here tonight and my axle tomorrow for my semi off road caravan. I know there is a name for it somewhere in that...LOL.

[Vedette]

It is all about meeting your needs and allowing you to travel and sleep in comfort!
Good Luck with your build!
The people you will meet along the way are a bonus!
Good Roads
Brian and Sandi

[bbrider]

Not much progress on the trailer over the last few days. For a retired guy I just don't seem to have enough time to do all the things I need to do with all the things I want to do.

I got one fender about done. I have to weld in the inside panel and drill the holes for the bolts to mount it. I spent a lot of time just looking at the fenders trying to figure out how to hold them in place and what to use for mounting them. I didn't want to weld them as I would need to remove them when I build the box. So after a couple of metal runs I finally figured out how to temporarily hold them where I wanted them so I could weld on the mounts. I also got the support bars welded on for the diamond plate running boards. I bought an old truck toolbox made out of diamond plate aluminum for $45 and plan to cut the lid up to make the tops on my running boards. I think after doing the one side I will be able to get the other side done easy tomorrow. I might even get the diamond plate cut too. I do have to make a Home Depot run for bolts for the fenders and plate though. My plan is to paint everything gloss black including the diamond plate.

I got a great deal and a barely used Aluminum diamond plate storage box for the tongue today too. Making a frame for it will be next after the fenders and running boards are finished. I saw a fellow member made a spare tire mount that is on a pivot arm on the tongue that allows the spare to lay flat above the tool box on the tongue, but pivots up out of the way when you need to get into the box. I am planning on building something very similar to his and use a pad lock to lock the tire down for added protection from anyone/anything getting into my toolbox. Pictures are coming when I get it built. I wish I could name the member who's idea I am borrowing, but forgot to get his name and can't find the post again now.

Anyway here is a picture of the right fender clamped in place and the running board supports welded in at the back. I cut the front support off and mounted the outside support later too.

[bbrider]

Been a busy week and haven't had much time to work on my trailer plus it has been raining every day here in Louisiana. I finally finished all the welding yesterday other than the taillight mounts. I got the conduit ran for the taillights too. Finished those today and pulled it out in the sun for the first time. I shot rustolem self etching primer on all the bare metal to get ahead of the rust from all our wet weather. I wanted to quit for the day, but I just had to see how hard cutting up the truck tool box I am getting all my diamond plate out of would be. I cut one piece with my circular saw and it cut pretty good so I called it a day. I will get the rest cut early next week and hopefully I can get the paint on it later next week. Then on to the box. Not bad for 11 days of work off and on.

[bbrider]

Went for a test run yesterday and it pulled great. I think I need to get a 4" drop drawbar instead of the 2" to make it ride level though. Today I shot the black paint and mounted the lights. I have run the wires, but didn't connect them. I plan to run a ground to each light instead of using the frame and I didn't have any white so I will do all the connections tomorrow. Then I can build my floor and get it stamped with a vin number for title and licensing. Oh I almost forgot, my tiny trailer now has a name and logo. It will be oval shaped when it is done, but I couldn't get my program to do it so I made it square for now.

[bbrider]

Floor is tarred and feathered (LOL) underneath and installed on trailer. I used plain 3/4" 4'x5' plywood for the front piece and Birch 3/4" 4'x5' for the back half. I stained the back half with Golden Pecan Minn Wax, but I haven't put the Polyurethane on it as I figured to do that when I do the walls. I still have to add a couple more 2x2's to it. One where the foot of the bed will be and one mid way in the front area for support. Then I will cap that with 1/2" with stain for the mattress support.

I am going to use 3/4" birch for the walls and roof so no insulation in them. That has me wondering if I should insulate the floor under the bed. The 20 inches or so that will be the actual floor for the entrance area will not be insulated so I don't see any real gain by insulating the area that will be under the bed. It will be a 6" foam mattress and I would think that would be enough.