why build a teardrop in the first place?

[H-Balm]

I have a VW Beetle.

I like round, curvy things.

[stevem50]

in these times of money not growing on trees, i built one to take my wife on the coolest honeymoon ever. they are the perfect getaway vehicle, light, easy to tow, can be as basic or as well equipped as you want to build em'. best part about them is no two are alike. I've always had goofy stuff, car and bike wise, so when it came time to go away, building this wooden tent seemed natural.

the biggest problem with them is when you talk to other people who have one, or see another one, you get crazy ideas for how to modify yours

[rowerwet]

I love small wooden boats, I paddle and row for fun as well as build my own boats. I discovered TDs on a website for a boatbuilder who also had built his own TD. Now I need a place to stay a few nights a week since I work far from home and the place I had is gone. Right now I am trying to find a TSC with the trailer I want, and I will be building ASAP a sleeping only TD, no kitchen for now. Maybe next summer I will add the rear hatch and kitchen so my wife and I can take trips together once our youngest is old enough to leave at my parents.

[happy phantom]

I live in a condo building with two underground (smallish) parking spaces. Being mostly a city dweller with not much need for home improvement/maintenance purposes, I don't need or want a large vehicle capable of towing much of anything-but I do love camping! My back doesn't like sleeping on the ground anymore, and my car has a tow rating of only 1,000 pounds. 'Nuff said.

[mechmagcn]

Why build a teardrop??????
Why Not!

[stevem50]

you hit it on the head slowcowboy, built it on the cheap, got all the stuff i want to live comfortably, and i can go where ever i want still gettin' pretty good gas mileage. and yep, since junior helped me build it, he expects to get one as soon as he has his drivers license. he cant get enough of em'. he spends almost as much time on this and the t.j. forum as i do,
real cool thing about these is i don't worry about who he is gonna run into at a meet or on the forums, everybody seems on the level and wanting to do more good than bad, and thats about all i can ask for in this world

[sagebrush]

Because I can! Will

[sagebrush]

Because I can! Will

[pete42]

How could one see a teardrop for the first time and not want one? I didnt build, I bought. But the reasons are the same as a few of yours. I wanted to move to a smaller camper, something I could handle on my own. We were in a 25 ft tt and one of my daughters was on full life support. She wasnt going camping anymore. My husband could take camping or leave it. My other daughter and I still LOVE camping. She is handicapped as well, but is still able to enjoy camping.
I drove her to NC (from Maryland) to see a teardrop (after alot of research). We both fell in love! We can handle it by ourselves, its CUTE, its fun, its all we need (way better than tents for us). We bought it and she gets mad if I even LOOK at other campers now. The RV show in Baltimore was horrible this year. Daughter kept saying, "If the teardrop knew you were looking at other campers, it would be mad and cry"!

a sad and happy story sorry to hear about one daughter glad you can spend time with the other one on camping trips.
may God bless you and yours.
pete

[Dusty82]

Having only just started, I can only say that the reason I'm building over buying is because I know what's going into the trailer (quality of labor and materials) and I'm getting exactly what I want.

[pete42]

Slowcowboy wrote:
"and for the older folks its very easy on one to hitch up and maintain and still provide a easy way to camp and travel with out the huge rv pains."

How about one who loves everything about the teardrop trailer
BUT since I'm handicapped getting into and out of it is something I can not do, I've tried.

One reason I hang around the teardrop side of this whole site is I'm amazed at the fine workmanship you people do and I like look at all the pictures.

pete

[bobhenry]

My building has been to utilize 50 +/- square feet as an ongoing lab experiment. Chubby was a cheap build (<$900.00) lot of parts on hand lots left over from an extensive home remodel and a lot of yard sale and goodwill finds. Having an inexpensive little trailer with as many of the comforts of home as possible has been my goal. Many of which are yet to be realized. ( both 120v and 12 v pumps for on board water are still lying in the garage , yet to be installed) The air cylinders for a pneumatic hatch lift are hanging in my storage barn yet to be installed as well.

Finding tiny space saving camping items has been another goal. The 32 cup coffee makera.k.a. "redneck hot water heater" make washing up and KP duty so much more enjoyable while taking up a very small foot print.
Ingrid was a great find, a soccer ball sized orb that encompasses 6 plates 6 saucers 6 bowls a serving tray with 6 drinking glasses in 2 nice size mixing bowls was also a great find. Building in small drawer units for flatware storage.

The flip out "u" shaped kitchen for a truely great little "kitchen" dutch oven tables to further expand the cooking capabilities. A 10 x 10 pop up gazebo shelters for the "living room" the little 4x4 pop ups for the potty room.

In short curiosity was my bigest motivation

[Wimperdink]

Many of which are yet to be realized.

( both 120v and 12 v pumps for on board water are still lying in the garage , yet to be installed)

Which is why a build is rarely ever *finished*.

And think mini water tower. No pumps needed. (just wondering what can be repurposed to accomplish that. )

[Siouxgirl2]

For me, I am a Mom. My husband works out of the State 3/4 of the year and certainly during camping season. We have a large 30' travel trailer that he likes to take when he is home and he lives in it some out of state. He needs his large truck to take it.

Myself, I don't like taking the large truck and dealing with a 30' trailer for just myself and my daughter. I was taking her tent camping a few years back at the age of 4 y/o and we got halfway there as she started throwing up. I was sitting a a few hours from home in a Walmart parking lot buying medicine and pepto-bismol and cleaning a throw-up bucket trying to decide what to do... go home? Find a motel? or proceed to camp? We were closer to the campsite and I decided to go to camp. We ended up getting there at midnight due to the delays. I was setting up camp by myself with a sick little girl and wished that I had a place to put her in for the night and let her sleep until morning in the Walmart parking lot. I couldn't do that with a tent.

I have two issues... a husband that would NEVER understand why I don't want to pull his truck and a big RV with just her and I and wouldn't ever let me spend our money upfront on a trailer of my own and to try to do so would have been futile. He does, however, value resourcefulness.

Thus, I decided that I would build my own. It would be done as my budget allowed without a big initial cost. I also don't want to spend the amount of money and time it would take to use it for just us.

Building would be a learning project for me and it would give my daughter and I something to do together. She would always have that memory of Mom building her a trailer that we could use for just us and take some pride in it as she "helped" build it. She loves Tinkerbell and I this is a tinkering project for me. That is how we came up with our "Tinker Inn." We call her "Tink" for short.

My husband can only complain a little about the mess and I believe he is a little bit pleased on how I am figuring it out (at least I hope so). He still tells me to just use his truck and the big trailer when I get anxious to get it done but that isn't what I want so I keep plugging away. It takes me longer because it is a stretch for me but I'm getting there and proud of the progress. I really hope we can get it sealed in by this summer but we'll see.

That... is my story and I'm sticking to it. Now I'm off of here to get my girl to school.

Loyal

[bobhenry]

Many of which are yet to be realized.

( both 120v and 12 v pumps for on board water are still lying in the garage , yet to be installed)

Which is why a build is rarely ever *finished*.

And think mini water tower. No pumps needed. (just wondering what can be repurposed to accomplish that. )

Gravity tanks are nothing new and I had considered and am still considering it for the chuckwagon.



By the way it's getting there. It WILL be ready for the Crossroads of America gathering. Gonna pull it behind "Barn to be wild" in tandum. Should be interesting.