New Member From Nebraska

[SwiftRiver]

Hi all,

My name is Benjamin (please don't stalk me). I am a college senior in Nebraska and will be moving to St. Louis at the end of the school year. I have been keeping an eye on this forum for several months now, ever since I first started getting serious about building a teardrop camper. Now I am finally an active member.

It all started when I proposed to my fiancee. I was thinking about what we might do for a honeymoon, and we were thinking that a road trip west might be a good idea since neither of us have been sightseeing out there. However, the idea of paying to spend a night in a hotel every day didn't seem like a good idea to me. I looked into renting a camper, but the rates were not much better, plus there was nothing in my area. Then I saw a DIY teardrop and thought that I could pull it off. After a lot of research, some more research, and developing plans of my own, we have finally started working on our own little piece of freedom (all this while still going to college full time and prepping for a wedding). Now, instead of just needing to read this forum, I hope that I can ask some questions to more experienced builders so that I don't make unnecessary mistakes.

So far our plans are to make a teardrop on a 4x8 harbor freight trailer. We plan to frame the walls with mostly 2x2s with some 2x4s mixed in (well actually we have already begun this process). To waterproof the rig we are going to use the poor man's fiberglass technique. I do not know exactly how we are going to do the galley hatch, but I have a few ideas bouncing through my head. One thing about our camper is that is will not have a curved roof. It will still retain the idea of a teardrop, but it will be angular instead (just thought it would be easier to cut the framing and not worry about bending stuff, also like the look).

You may be wondering how as college students we will be able to undertakes such a momentous task. Well the answer is that we have been unimaginably blessed by the people in our lives. We have a host family through the church we go to who offered to let us use their garage for assembling the actual trailer (not to mention our "host Dad" is an electrician and has agreed to do all of our electrical work) . Through their connections, they have also hocked us up with the work space of a professional woodworker, with access to all the tools we could need. Without them we wouldn't even be trying this.

I honestly do not have that much building experience, but I do know how to read, and have a lot of friends who have an abundant amount of experience. When I start posting pictures you will be able to see that we have had eight people working on it already and probably more who want to. When we told our friends about this, they said that we couldn't do it. But now that we are, they are jealous, because everyone wants a teardrop trailer.

[Roly Nelson]

Hi new member, I am sure your first name isn't Swift, and River just doesn't sound right either. Welcome to the best trailer building forum on the web. We hope that your might take the time to check out the Newbies note shown on the main page. There is a note there that reads:

"When you do start posting, introduce yourself first and tell us a little about yourself and what you ultimately intend to do...you wouldn't walk up to a group of strangers and start asking who/what/when/where and demanding answers...that would be rude and would be considered the same here."

Many newbies skip this all-important step, but believe me, it sure helps those of us that are here to help you, understand what your plans are, and how much building skill and construction experience you have. Many of us started with very little, but as the build progresses, proper tools and dexterity soon will follow. Do check out the Hall of Fame, and you can check out hundreds of teardrops, already built and many share their building progress pictures. Free plans are also available, so look them over.

You are on the right track, making plans to build and follow through with plans to explor our great country, (especially out west)
We are here to help, and many of us have been on the same mission you are about to undertake. So, check out the many sections of the Forum, ask any question, no matter how minor, and by all means, take pics as you go along. (we love pics, if you post em) I am anxious to see your follow-up posts, and believe me, others will jump in with both feet to help you in building the perfect trailer.
Roly, the little ol' woody teardrop builder in sunny So Calif.

[Ron Dickey]

welcome,

Do not worry about what skills you have, most of had not taken on anything this big before.
Roly is a prof. wood worker and has made around 7 trailers in all the years I have known or know of him. the trailer in that shot even has a wooden hitch. The last one I saw he had looked like a fighter plane!! Proving you can go any direction and make a fun trailer or trailers.
I am on my 2nd one but got stuck with other things and had planned to do it in 3 months that was in 2014. It is still in our garage, but I design it everday. just know time to do it. But I did get some metal last week to mound my spare wheel under the trailer.
My first trailer took 5 years, I had no real building skills at the start. Boxkite was the first and it was simple and had no galley. the new one will have a galley, has a trolley top and each day I delay it I come up with better ideas.

This forum will walk you through every step. I remember when I was working on the floor and I had just put the glue down, I asked a member if I should put screws down now or wait. I got a answer right back saying screw it now.

Make sure the wood you get is good wood many of the box stores have poorly glued plywood and you want to have the best wood for the walls, and floor. My floor is insulated my walls are build like a house. a little heavyer. The new designs make the walls slimmer and many cut with a lazier. There may be a shop near you or at a near by school that will have one and for a small cost can cut it out. If you say what town you are near there are several emeber in your state. Infact I think the national gathering is there or was.

Good look with your build go to build journals and start your build then ask question in the different subject list to find our the best answer.
Oh and go to donate and help this forum keep alive. I collect cans for a year and send the proceeds to the forum. My money is supper tight and building teardrops makes sense for my budget, but where the is a way there is a will.
Ron