Any Birchcampers.com builds?

[Paintsalot]

Hi Everyone,

I was just looking a the kit available from https://www.birchcampers.com
I have looked through the forums and don't see any threads on this kit yet.
Does anyone have experience with these? They are CNC generated kits that you assemble yourself, made of Baltic Birch.
If I need to ask this in another forum, let me know.

Thanks,
Matthew

[tony.latham]

Hi Everyone,

I was just looking a the kit available from https://www.birchcampers.com
I have looked through the forums and don't see any threads on this kit yet.
Does anyone have experience with these? They are CNC generated kits that you assemble yourself, made of Baltic Birch.
If I need to ask this in another forum, let me know.

Thanks,
Matthew

I have no knowledge of them. But in looking at their design, two issues jump at me.

The first is ventilation. The windows don't seem to open and if they do, they're small. None of the photos show a ceiling vent fan and the curvature more or less precludes one. I bought a teardrop in 2004 and one reason I sold it and built my first was so I could have a ceiling fan. I won't own a teardrop without one.

Secondly is the door placement. I think their door is too far forward. I think door location in a teardrop is critical. Walk away from your computer for a moment and go lay on your bed. Now sit up and swing your legs off as if you’re getting up–but sit there for a moment. Note that this is the same place that you sat on the edge of the bed before you laid down. Your pelvis will be about 30 - 33” from the headboard. This is where the doors need to be–right next to where your hips rest when laying down and where you normally sit on your bed.

I think the Wyoming Woody Plans come with CNC files. I've got (free) CNC files on my website. There's probably a full-sheet capable CNC machine in your area that you could take the files to.

Just my thoughts...

Tony

[Paintsalot]

I have no knowledge of them. But in looking at their design, two issues jump at me.

The first is ventilation.

Secondly is the door placement.

Tony

Thanks Tony. Good points here- and nice to know some files are available. I am in the Deep South in Memphis, Tennessee, and it's awfully hot and humid in summer. So ventilation or A/C are critical. I'm about to join a shared co-op woodworking shop next week that has a full size CNC. They have Baltic Birch available there as well.
I currently have an important art exhibit of my work up at a local art museum in Memphis and put the TD build on the back burner for a while. I was the one posting about a fold down Nomad or "gypsy" trailer before...

Do you think I would need an air conditioner, or would a ceiling fan be adequate? I won't be camping in mid-summer, because it's usually too hot to paint out. I'm a landscape painter and I paint on location.... HTTP://matthewleestudio.com if anyone wants to see some of my work. The TD will be a means for me to do more trips and sleep comfortably. I've been tent camping til now or sometimes staying in airbnbs.

Cheers,
Matthew

[tony.latham]

Do you think I would need an air conditioner, or would a ceiling fan be adequate?

I don't camp down there, so I'm the wrong person to ask.



It's not needed in the Rockies...

Tony

[Paintsalot]

Do you think I would need an air conditioner, or would a ceiling fan be adequate?

I don't camp down there, so I'm the wrong person to ask.

It's not needed in the Rockies...

Tony

I'll be flying to Colorado Springs this Spring, my wife has a workshop, I'll be painting... I've painted in RMNP before, loved it. (That's Rocky Mountain National Park for those outside USA.)

Normally heat at night is bearable in South with good ventilation and just sleeping with a sheet on. A fan blowing on you, not just pulling air out would be best, or both. But mid-summer the heat index is high and tent camping is not recommended by me at least. I've never been in a TD before.

[Paintsalot]

The https://www.birchcampers.com site says on their FAQ page that a build of their birch camper is possible in 40 hours. That caught my attention, since I often hear it can take 6months or more on a typical build.

[saywhatthat]

s308904457185330777_p2_i3_w160.jpeg (7.39 KiB) Viewed 2384 times

40'' trailer that HF dose not sale .discontinued The ungodly maintenance will probably be rotted it out in just a few years A high price to pay for $300 us in material. There a reason they post 40hrt. please take another look at and and go over it . Just a piece of plywood with a wood Skeleton on the outside. look at all the other things you're going to have to buy please take another look . you could dam near have a built rot box for what you have in to it . You will need a local source of plywood, ideally Baltic Birch, in 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4". This is not usually found in big-box stores, but is generally availab. . No hardware is included, price it out please look it over. $ 3700 for this. bet you could many that sell you for under $400 at your door

[Tom&Shelly]

Do you think I would need an air conditioner, or would a ceiling fan be adequate? I won't be camping in mid-summer, because it's usually too hot to paint out. I'm a landscape painter and I paint on location.... HTTP://matthewleestudio.com if anyone wants to see some of my work. The TD will be a means for me to do more trips and sleep comfortably. I've been tent camping til now or sometimes staying in airbnbs.

Cheers,
Matthew

Lot of it is what you are acclimated to, and the particular weather. Heading from dry New Mexico through the mid-west last July, we used our air conditioning. Sometimes used it in the Northeast for the rest of the Summer, but not always. (Rough guess--maybe half the time.) Sometimes it was good to run the AC and close the side windows when in heavy rain.

Heading to Memphis or points South (been to the deep South in the past, during all seasons, though never camping) I'd want AC from probably April until at least October or November.

Having AC increases your options, but keep in mind it requires shore power since the amount of battery power required would be unreasonable. Of course, an AC unit is heavy and takes up space.

Tent camped at Rocky a few times in the Summer, and wouldn't think of needing AC there. If we ever take our teardrop there, if anything we might use the heater. (Had a bottle of water freeze solid just south of there in my Jeep in late June one year.)

Personally, if I lived in Memphis, I'd want AC in the tear. Then I could camp through the Summer, as well as less predictable weather on the shoulders. But again, a lot of it is acclimation and personal preference.

Tom

PS--Really like your work. I'm a sucker for landscapes.