Manhours to build a teardrop

[stevem50]

done in 20 days of evenings and weekends around work schedule, sealed-wired-finished interior. since its first outing, i've added shelves here a light there and changed stuff... but 3 weeks from zero to campable

that does not include the month of obsessive planning and research on this and other sites

[OuttaHand]

As of right now, I have 224.5 hours in ours.

Build log here (with running total and description of time spent). . .
http://webpages.charter.net/outtahand/littletow/index.htm

The time should be FAIRLY accurate. I didn't use a time clock, but I tried to write it down every other day or so.

The trailer is basically done. I have a bunch of little things to do to it. I can easily spend another 20 hours on it. But it is very usable at this point. In fact, we've camped in it three times now.

So somewhere around 200 to 250 hours is probably a fair number, depending upon the level of intricacy and detail you plan. Another factor, naturally, is your speed of work. Some people work at things at a very leisurely pace with lots of breaks. Others go at it and don't stop for anything. Over the course of a trailer build, that difference could easily be 10 hours or more.

Another factor is whether you're going to work on it in 1 - 2 hour increments, or 8 - 10 hour increments. If you just spend a couple hours a night on it, you can easily spend 15 minutes per night just gathering tools and figuring out where you left off. That can add up to lots of extra hours overall. If you put in 8 - 10 hour days on it, you have a lot less of that wasted time.

[S. Heisley]

It depends on the person:

- Whether they already have skills or are unskilled.
- Whether they have and are familiar with lots of tools or only have the basics.
- Whether they slap it together quick or take their time and try to do their best.
- Whether they are interested in the build journey, the end result, or just getting it to the point that they can use it.
- Even the products used to make the trailer can mandate how much time it takes.

So, the answer to your question is probably going to vary greatly. What's important is what you want, think, and do for yourself because you're the one who has to be happy with it.

[Wolfgang92025]

I wanted to know. So I keep track for my own benefit.
Total about 700 hours over about a 17 month period.
This does not include time spend thinking on how to solve problems.
But my camper is bigger than most at 12' long, 5' tall and about 5 1/2' wide.

[Chabeau]

After a whiile you just stop keeping track. I sure makes the time go by fast.

[Lgboro]

I am well into a build with cedar strip interior and have no idea how many hours. With my asthma etc. my count would be of little use anyway. However many hours the tear is turning out to be what I envisioned and then some. I have change my plan several times including scraping a 1/2 built tear to build a lighter one with cedar frame and interior.

In the end I don't think the many hours will matter if you build what you want.

[Shug]

Kinda had in mind what I wanted to build, until I priced up the parts and came close to a grand. That was going to be with a self built trailer.
(estimate based on buying new braked coupler, 500kg braked suspension, jockey wheel, stabilisers, insulation, plywood, planed squared timber, lights and electrics, paint and all nails/screws/bolts/glue. Doesnt include cabinet wood or any interior or kitchen stuff, or aluminium skin or or or )
Second hand braked trailers dont seem to come cheap. Needs to be braked as the towing vehicle only weighs 970kg (though courtesy of ditching the 1.6 engine for a 2.2 on sidedraught carbs I dont imagine power will be an issue )

Perhaps I should be asking how much money, rather than time for comparison!

[rmclarke]

The most time consuming part of building without a plan is working your way out of the corners you paint yourself into.

What Steve said...I started keeping track of my hours when I started, but after a few of those 'painted into corner' predicaments, I just let it go

[Danny]

As many as it takes, no more,no less.. Of course there are hours when we just sit in the garage with the teardrop,drinking coffee,listening to music...See, We are nuts!!

[doug hodder]

As posted, there are lots of variables. For me...I figure, I start building after camping season ends...usually late Sept. and will take it out, completely finished/outfitted, not just camp-able, for camping the start of the new season, like June 1. I'm not a big fan of the "teardrops aren't ever finished" thing....the reason they aren't finished is because you didn't finish it.

The number of hours doesn't seem to matter, just as long as I'm happy with the end result. The journey to the finishing point is what's fun for me. A corner cut here or there to save time or money may or may not be the way to go if you're unhappy with the results. You're own personal "change orders" can be a killer on time and budget. The spring "Christening" of a new trailer is just the best!

I work some evenings and all weekends, sometimes late into the night. Since each one is such a different critter, and unless you have a complete set of plans and no extra ideas, it's impossible to tell. In my opinion...details make it special, and details can take time. Just my 2 cents. Doug

[2bits]

It's definitely subjective in many respects. I planned for two months and built pretty steady for a year and a half on nights and weekends to get it campable then another 6 mo to get it "Finished" to the level that any normal person would consider it finished. The stuff left to do would be considered "upgrade" or add-on type stuff. All depends on how detailed you want to build, and 10 other factors LOL...