Optimum teardrop features

[Mark Mckeeman]

I’ve been reading the pages on this site with great interest, reviewing the designs and features etc. Not having used a teardrop myself I would like to survey the community to fine-tune my own design criteria based on others real world experience. I realize that many designs are based on the 4X8 material size limitation but if you were not limited by available material size limitations what layout would you use?

My questions are to all those people who have used a teardrop.

1- What is the ideal platform size for a teardrop?
2- What is the preferred interior maximum height?
3- What maximum weight limit should be maintained?
4- What is the preferred tire/wheel size and suspension type?
5- What features are must have items?
6- What are the top 3 luxury add ons?

Thanks in advance for your input. Mark

[mikeschn]

I’ve been reading the pages on this site with great interest, reviewing the designs and features etc. Not having used a teardrop myself I would like to survey the community to fine-tune my own design criteria based on others real world experience. I realize that many designs are based on the 4X8 material size limitation but if you were not limited by available material size limitations what layout would you use?

My questions are to all those people who have used a teardrop.

1- What is the ideal platform size for a teardrop?
2- What is the preferred interior maximum height?
3- What maximum weight limit should be maintained?
4- What is the preferred tire/wheel size and suspension type?
5- What features are must have items?
6- What are the top 3 luxury add ons?

Thanks in advance for your input. Mark

Hey Mark,

Some very good questions... these are just my opinions, having built both a 4x8 and a 6x10.

The ideal size is one that allows you and your partner to sleep in comfort. For us, that is a near queen sized bed.

The prefered interior height? Depends on what you are going to do in there. If you are just going to sleep, 4' is fine. If you are going to sit at a table, a few extra inches would be helpful.

Maximum weight? Depends on what you plan on towing it with for the next 20 years. I built my 6x10 on the basis that I would tow it with my Jimmy. Well, gas prices went up, my company relocated me so my drive to work was 3 times as far as it used to be. I had no choice but to retire the Jimmy and get a Jetta Diesel. The next teardrop, which will be pulled by the Jetta will be under 800# and have a tongue weight of about 100#.

Tire and wheel size, not that important to me... I would go with 12" wheels if the price was right. With a good axle, and if you keep the bearings packed right, you should not have a problem. If the price of all wheels were the same, I would probably go with about a 13 or 14" wheel. They tend to look pretty good with the optimum sized teardrop.

Must have features? Depends on where you plan on camping, and if you are camping rustic or not.
First of all I would say these are the basics
Stove
Cooler
Water Jug
12v battery for lights

These on the other hand are options which you may or may not want
Fantastic Fan (roof vent)
Air conditioner
Forced air furnace
Solar Panel
water tank with sink and faucet
thermoelectric cooler
3 way refrigerator
Electrowarmth mattress warmer

And of those, my favorite 3 items are
1) Fantastic Fan
2) Forced Air Furnace
3) Air conditoner

And my final word of wisdom for you...
Do not build a 4x8 teardrop. It's just too small!!!

Mike...

P.S. Did I miss any important options?

[denverd0n]

I think it's pretty clear from Mike's posting that the short answer to every one of your questions is, "it depends." All these things depend entirely on what YOU want and how YOU plan to use your teardrop. So, my answers would differ from Mike's, and Mike's would differ from your's, and so on.

Tell us what you want to get out of a teardrop, how you plan to use it, what you want to tow it with, and over what kind of terrain, and then we can offer some opinions about things you might want to consider when coming up with your own answers for each of these questions.

[campadk]

I'd agree with Mike on the 4x8 being just to small. I've seen some fairly new 4x8 tears for sale and wonder if the owner found it was just too small and wanted something larger. We have a 4x10 which is just comfortable. As a 4x8 it would be cramped for sure.

I'd go with the larger wheels (15" for example) with offset (we have the duralux suspension). Rides and follows the tow vehicle nicely. Could use spare from your tow vehicle also. To me the offset wheels give it a more classic look also and let the trailer ride at a more reasonable height.

Our tear has a max height of 5ft 2" with an interior cabin height of 35" from the top of the mattress to max ceiling. This seems to be a good height for sitting up (I am 6ft tall) and not having to worry about ducking.

Our tear is 750lbs dry. Loaded it was about 1050lbs (ie about 300lbs in gear etc) for reference in case your tow vehicle is limited to 1000lbs max.

A 4ft wide tear is nice for towing. No need for side mirrors. Many like the 5ft width though which does give you more in the galley and more elbow room in the cabin. My wife and I find the 4ft width fine/cozy.

Features? Well that all depends on how you use your tear. Seems everyone is different. We do like the underbunk storage which is great for clothes etc, and keeps the mattress toastie. Galley design is important! Think this one out well, or make it modular so you can change it if you so desire later. Two doors is a definate (with windows/screens), front storage box is great too for camp chairs, propane tank, tarp, ropes etc. Least on MY list is a spare tire, sink or built in cooler. Don't forget a good ventilator design for those hot nights! Might want room for the larger form marine battery if you camp for longer periods between charges (ie 5+ nights). I'm not for putting on racks of any sorts on the tear due to the weight and not being able to open the galley with bikes/canoe on top of the tear. Removable water jug is a plus too. For rainy days, add a portable DVD and in cabin home theatre :-)

My thoughts anyways...

Cheers

[Chip]

When My girlfriend and I were starting to design a tear we mad up a 4x6ft box and climed in,,for us it was a bit too cozy,,after cutting down a large trailer it came up to 53 1/2"wide by 6'-3" long inside,,its sort of in between a standard and a queen mattrace..the standard works for us..as far as equipment,,the coffee pot is a (got to have it) must,,,everything else we can pile on is a plus,,,I opted for room for an a/c in my galley so the cooler went to the truck bed,,

one thing though if ya stray away from 4' wide you sort of get into the ozone layer,,nothing is standard and is either too short or too long and there is waste material from the leftovers,,if you can I definately would opt for the wider cabin and sacrifice some of the galley in an 8 footer,, or go to a 4-5 wide and a 9 or so ft long unit. it takes a little more work and materials but in the long run I feel it will be worth it,,less ya one of the wee people

chip

[beverlyt]

Hi Mark!
Well, I guess it is different for everyone.
Bob and I don't find the 8' length to be a problem...that we're happy with. It's the 4' wide that's a little iffy. It is a bit TOO cozy for us....
On the other hand, I went outside today, hooked up the trailer all by myself , towed the trailer..all this by a gal that has a hard time hammering a nail straight.
If it were any bigger... I just wouldn't be comfortable handling the trailer by myself. So to me, feeling a little too cozy is worth it.

TWO DOORS!!! I would be on the brink of panic without two doors in a 4' wide space.

The height is fine too... we don't feel boxed in by any means with that either.

Bev

[Guest]

Hey Mark,
The most important feature IMHO is the outdoor galley.
I couldn't get into to fixing a decent meal for my kids, while camping, stuck inside of a small kitchen. Open the hatch and let the festivities begin, out in the great and wonderous outdoors! I am planning on having interchangle appliances in the galley, to suit what the power situation is.
As far as what's the most impotrant appliance... It's got to be the barbeque!
Start drawing things up and refine from there. Pencil and paper work pretty good for me. (I'm not up to speed, drawing with a mouse)
My first design, with everything I wanted was 15' long! (My daughter thought I was drawing a bus!) I've got it down to 9 1/2' in length now.

Welcome and Have Fun!

[Mark Mckeeman]

OK folks, thanks for the input. All other comments welcome.

Since I prefer the look of a classic tear with external fenders and large radius front those are the designs I'll focus on. Also I would use a tear the same way I currently use our Boler, as a tent. I already have all the portable cooking stuff so built in appliances are out.
With your comments and my personal preferences to guide me these are the required elements.

Width greater than 4 feet probably not wider than five feet, length approx 9 feet.

Height minimum four feet, but I would add a dropped foot well and split cushion arrangement for seating and under floor storage. Rainy days would be passed by reading so I wouldn't need stereo but a portable radio is always an asset.

Ideal weight 7-800 lbs but would prefer to keep the rig under 1000 pounds loaded so I could pull with any of my current vehicles.

Wheels 13 or 14 inch with radial tires for smooth ride and ground clearance. Possibly use the same wheel as the tow vehicle so one spare tire only.

Defiantly two doors with integral screened windows for a roomy feeling and safety, quick exit.

A good quality roof vent. Possibly with integral fan.

A tongue storage box for battery with interior reading lights and galley overhead light.

The galley would be set up to hold 5gal water jug, camp stove and cooler possibly gravity feed water to a basin sink for food prep. The drain could be routed to a collapsible water jug for gray water. (Required for some camping areas)

Luxury features that could be added:

Built in headboard with storage for small items, i.e. toiletries. glasses, magazines, place to set the morning coffee cup etc.

115 V household hookup with voltage converter for lights and on board battery charger. That way you just plug in when your home to charge things up for next time. Also you could run a thermostatically controlled ceramic heater on cold nights.

So what have I missed? Any other comments?

Thanks, Mark

[Grant]

Hey there, Mark!

Sounds to me like you've got a pretty good handle on what is going to work for you! But just for S&G, I thought I'd let you know what we've (the two of us - Lisa & I) come up with after 20 years of teardroppin':

Q - What is the ideal platform size for a teardrop?
A - 4.5' x 9' overall bodywise

Q- What is the preferred interior maximum height?
A - 42-43" floor-to-ceiling at the crown. I'm 6'4" with a bad back and haven't had any problems with this height all these years.

Q - What maximum weight limit should be maintained?
A - 1,000# or less is my goal

Q - What is the preferred tire/wheel size and suspension type?
A - We'll be running 15" wheels/tires on this one, but I haven't used anything smaller than 14" (on a standard size TD) for over 18 years. I also use Dexter Torflex rubber torsion axles exclusively.

Q - What features are must have items?
A - Two doors (if you have a signifigant other, or regular guests - one otherwise), really good ventalation, a COMFORTABLE mattress/cushion, adaquate stowage for clothes and galley gear, insulated walls & roof, and a very attractive profile and stance (appropriate to the tow vehicle) (gotta like what ya see when you're meandering back from the restroom - go ahead, call it vanity ;-} ;-} ...!).

Q - What are the top 3 luxury add ons?
A - Interior seating with dropped footwell & table, powered ventalation, and 12v 'fridge with golf-cart battery power supply & solar/tow-vehicle/shore-power recharge capability.

This is what will be OUR personal trailer - eventually - and suits our mild teardrop touring needs. As stated by others and yourself, YOUR needs (and others') will be different, so design to suit.

Now, MY needs (personal, individual, me-only stuff) are quite different, and would require three more teardrops to satisfy:
* a 4'x8' (or 3.5'x7') solo mad-dash 2-3-day weekender escape pod
* a 4.5'x8' off-road Benroy-type to go with my 4x4 adventures (currently in the works, BTW)
* and a 3'x5' semi-fold-out for behind my motorcycle (also currently in the works)

Too many teardrops, you say? Starting to sound like some other folks here who can't make up their minds? Hardly the case! You can never have too many teardrops (hey, it's always nice to share, ya know?), and since I make a semi-living building teardrops, I CAN have my cake and eat it too ... someday! ;-} ;-} ;-} ;-}

CHEERS!

Grant

[mikeschn]

* a 4'x8' (or 3.5'x7') solo mad-dash 2-3-day weekender escape pod
* a 4.5'x8' off-road Benroy-type to go with my 4x4 adventures (currently in the works, BTW)
* and a 3'x5' semi-fold-out for behind my motorcycle (also currently in the works)

Too many teardrops, you say? Starting to sound like some other folks here who can't make up their minds? Hardly the case! You can never have too many teardrops (hey, it's always nice to share, ya know?), and since I make a semi-living building teardrops, I CAN have my cake and eat it too ... someday! ;-} ;-} ;-} ;-}

CHEERS!

Grant

I like that term... "Solo mad dash" teardrop. I think everyone should have one of those in addition to the main teardrop! Do you think I can go 85 MPH with that behind my Jetta?

You mean I'm not the only one who can't make up his mind? Although, now that you mention it, people who built small ones are building bigger ones, and people that built bigger ones are now building smaller ones. Go figure!!!

Mike...

[ALAN GEDDES]

This is my second tear and it is 4 x 4 x 10. My next and final tear if I pull with something other than my 69 Beetle will be at least 6 inches wider and taller and will probably have air due to NC temperatures. My sugestion is to build your first galley as a removeable item so you can modify as you go along. After you use it a half dozen times you will know what works for you. Alan

[Grant]

"Do you think I can go 85 MPH with that behind my Jetta?"

Sure! As long as you can get away with it! I've pulled a '47 Modernistic behind my '98 Saturn SL1 at 85 mph for hours on end down I-5 here in CA - had to, to keep from getting run over!

CHEERS!

Grant

[mikeschn]

" I've pulled a '47 Modernistic behind my '98 Saturn SL1 at 85 mph for hours on end down I-5 here in CA - had to, to keep from getting run over!
Grant

We have that problem here on I-75 in the morning rushhour. I never could figure out why people are in such a "rush" to get to work, but there they are, average speed 85 to 90 mph. And heaven forbid if there is an opening in the fast lane. They'll blow by you doing at least 110 mph.

Mike...