Say Hey!

[alabubba]

Until a couple of days ago, I didn't even know that there was such a thing as a teardrop trailer. I saw one on a show on the weather channel, and was immediately drawn into learning more about the concept. There is a lot to learn, but also a lot to like!

About me...I'm 55 and "eligible" for retirement, however still face a few more years of working. I've got a lovely wife and 3 sons. My sons have a business installing, finishing and refinishing hardwood floors. So, other than maybe some welding gear, if I wanted to make my own trailer (very likely) there would be very little additional tooling needed to start a teardrop project.

I'll probably lurk a lot, learn a lot, and post very little for awhile. But I'm sure that as my thoughts get refined and my planning begins, I'll be very thankful to be able to dialog with this community.

Thanks!

[luneywan]

Howdy alabubba,

With 3 sons you should have your tear done in record time.

You don't need to buy welding gear though. Lotsa trailers out there. Or you can always buy a bolt-together.

Of course if you "have" to weld it, you get to go to the hardware store .

Welcome, Pip

[depatty]

Hello and welcome from a fellow Alabamian!

I've just about finished up a TTT (tiny travel trailer) of my own design and am starting to plan and gather stuff together to build a teardrop of some type or another. So many to choose from and so little time...

Good luck with your design and build! Lots of good info, plans and friendly folks hereabouts.

Later,
Dave

[alabubba]

You don't need to buy welding gear though. Lotsa trailers out there. Or you can always buy a bolt-together.

Of course if you "have" to weld it, you get to go to the hardware store

Yes, you nailed it. Actually, there have been so many times I've wanted a welder, but done without.

This is a perfect reason to go for it!

[JunkMan]

Alabubba,

What part of north Alabama are you in? My son is getting transferred to Huntsville in Feb, and wants to build a TD.

[alabubba]

I work in Huntsville, but live in Hartselle, just south of Decatur. When will your son be heading this way?

[sid]

Welcome alabubba,

We're just north of you in Smyrna, TN. We had a gathering at Guntersville Lake last year. Get er done and we'll try it again. There are quite a few teardropers in your area.

Mark

[JunkMan]

I work in Huntsville, but live in Hartselle, just south of Decatur. When will your son be heading this way?

He'll be there in Feb, getting stationed at Redstone Arsenal. He's been in Japan for the last 3 years, and can't wait to get back to woodworking.

I'm somewhat familiar with Hartsell, I lived in Huntsville for a couple of years back in the early 80's.

My folks live in Hendersonville, Tn., so I'll have a couple of reasons to head down that way soon.

[alabubba]

Well I'm going to be watching for things like the Guntersville gathering, stuff near here where I might be able to go a see a few TDs up close. It just seems wise to me to see as many as I can in a reasonable time before I start building, just so that my concept of "what is possible" has been expanded.

[Miriam C.]

To the playground Alabubba. Sounds like you have a few of great resources right from the beginning. Picking a style might be the hardest part. Enjoy the site and Keep the bubble oil level.

[Mike C.]

Hey alabubba,

Welcome to the forum. Hope you find what you are looking for and good luck with your build. When you figure out what you want to build, be sure and post lots of pictures.


See you around.

[alabubba]

When you figure out what you want to build, be sure and post lots of pictures.

Will do. There are so many great ideas to be found right here; this forum is a tremendous resource. My next order of business is to finish up a couple of unfinished projects around the house, then it will be teardrop time! If all goes well, I'll start to build in the spring.

I think my biggest challenge will be to keep the weight down. I've currently got the following criteria in mind:

Queen-size sleeping area (this looks like it will drive a 10' lenth, with the width being 60" plus final wall thickness on each side.

Insulated top and floor - and possibly sides, but I need to think more about whether sidewall insulation will be worth it or not.

Theme for build #1 will likely be "The Barbecue Shack" so I'm thinking of stripping the sides using oak, hickory and mesquite, and carrying those woods into the interior surfaces and cabinetry. This will also have some effect on the way that the chuck wagon area and the forward deck of the trailer is laid out and equipped.

One nice thing about my boys being in the hardwood floor business is that we have the specialized equipment for sanding parquet floors, so any stripping and/or marquetry will be able to be quickly and easily sanded to be perfectly flat and smooth before finish is applied. So I want to take advantage of that in this build.

Still lots of details to work out, but there's no rush!

It's really hard to choose a profile, there are so many good ones.