How many hours to build your teardrop?

[halfdome, Danny]

On my TD #5 I kept a time sheet of only shop hours and it came to 750, #6 was about 800+ hours since I made some slight changes & improvements.
I upgraded #5 before selling it so it ended up 800+ hours too.
This does not include going to buy materials locally or on line.
Danny

[Aguyfromohio]

My friend and I built a pair, we are just completing the pair.
We had 2 people x 6 hours per Saturday x 48 saturdays per year x 1.5 years = oh about 900 labor hours for two trailers.
We did save some time building two at once, that second set of parts goes quick after the setup for the first.
We still need to finish out the galleys, call it 500 labor hours each trailer when you use a two person team.
We worked in a two car garage at my house. Some folks around here have barns and larger shops with better equipment which has to save a ton of labor time.

[GPW]

The process of building a small camper trailer in actuality is really a Fun activity and an interesting experience !!! We never bothered to keep track of the time , because it was something we Wanted to do and thoroughly Enjoyed doing it …. Spend the time , have the Fun !!!

[Staryder61]

For me to have kept track of the hours. Would have made it more like working (at a job). What's the fun in that? I wanted to have it done at a certain time. But because of life and health throw in's, it's taking me longer. Now I do it with the attitude "It'll be done , when it's done". That being said... If I was planning on building them to sell, I would have kept a great log of time. Like I did when I was working building custom cabinets..
A few have mentioned the cost (budgets) here. We wanted one. Just never seemed to be in the cards to have enough at one time to buy one. Thought about setting up just a savings account, little in it each month, til we had enough to buy one. Then figured to construct one would work better for us. Do it on kind of an installment plan, little here, a little there. And have so much fun building it the way we wanted it, not buying what someone else thought it should be.
Well, still working on it, enjoying it when I do and when my health lets me...
All my receipts are in one desk drawer. Couple months ago, I decided to add them up,,,, immediate thought,, WOW, I spent that much... and I'm not done... (Though remember) I'm doing this on the installment plan..build as I go (available funds and time).. If I'd done the savings account idea, I wouldn't have enough yet to buy one. And I have been enjoying myself so much, building it myself... Priceless !!!!!!!!
Not to forget, I have met so many great people through this forum, that I wouldn't have met, if I had just bought a little camper... (looking forward to seeing them on here and eventually meeting one day when this little camper is campable)
Sorry for gettin a little winded here,,, to much coffee, so early this morning... never a good thing..

Have fun, make it yours, and enjoy it when it's done. (Well campable, because It will never be done, hahaha)

[GPW]

David , good luck !!! We also build our trailers on a strict budget …the reason for Foamies ...

[breb]

Time of build for me is totally lost. I wish I had kept time, just for my knowledge . Starting 2015 the end of August to September was the frame and thought I'd roll right into 2016 but life circumstances took it's toll and very little was accomplished . As 2017 appeared I was ready to make the charge. My work situation became more part time and flexible which also was a incentive. 2017 definitely was a productive year on the TD and what I mean by year really pan's down to June through the middle of September. 2018 started in June and up to the end of August here has seen a big leap toward the end. Totally I'd say I have 8 month's of work into the TD. To anyone who reads these post's to assess the time element. I would say be careful not to frightened one's self out of a build. From my experience this can grab you and put you into a obsession and you'll loose yourself in the project and forgetting about the total time. Really enjoying the experience .

[noseoil]

483 hours over 2 years, not counting the small stuff after it was "finished"...

[Staryder61]

David , good luck !!! We also build our trailers on a strict budget …the reason for Foamies ...

Thanks GPW, and I like the foamie you made, and I have looked at every detail pic you have in your album.. very impressive..

[daveesl77]

On the initial build, took about 6 months, maybe 40 hours per month, so 240 for that. Then spent another month finishing the finishing, so like 80 hrs. (320). Then did another 12 hours replacing a broken frame member a couple of months ago. This fall I'll be removing all the wood on the outside and replacing, as I did it wrong when I first built. Did not epoxy and only used poly over the cedar, big mistake. That means the Fritter gets a new side look.

All total we have about 350 hrs to now, and at least another 100 coming up. I think the total money spent is somewhere around $4,000, on the high side.

I want to build another one, probably starting next year, but we love the Conch Fritter.

dave

[Sparksalot]

The process of building a small camper trailer in actuality is really a Fun activity and an interesting experience !!! We never bothered to keep track of the time , because it was something we Wanted to do and thoroughly Enjoyed doing it …. Spend the time , have the Fun !!!

+1