(Almost) Ready to Build!

[kellylaverna]

Dilemma: Finding a fuel efficient car to buy after graduation that's comfortable for camping. Enter the light-weight teardrop! I've just started browsing the forum to figure out what size/model is best for me. Whatever it is, it will have to have roof-rack for my climbing gear. I hope to start building out of my parent's garage this February. Since I've never really built anything, I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions! There is so much great information on the site. Thanks (to everyone?) for putting this together.

I'm a senior in engineering at the University of Maryland. I'll be moving out to Henderson, NV for a job in May. I'm going to be moving every year for the next three years and whenever possible, I'm camped out at a climbing area. I'm thinking a teardrop trailer is a perfect fit for my lifestyle.



Here's me climbing last fall in Great Falls, VA:

[parnold]

Welcome to the fun! If you're looking for a fuel efficient vehicle, a teardrop is a must (unless you enjoy sleeping on rocks as well as climbing them, you could always use a tent).

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Welcome! Always nice to see another young face on the forum! Theres a lot of reading to do around here, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

I'm building my second teardrop in my parents garage right now. I think my Mom enjoys having me hang around their house more than usual.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!




oh, as far as the car is concerned... think Subaru

[bc toys]

if you are starting in Feb and moving in May thats 3 mths not much time to get a lot of work done. but when you get to Nv look up LVDOS and come out and join the fun of camping and cooking there are lots of places to climb here in Nv

[Catherine+twins]

Hi, Kelly

I have a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring, a nice compact wagon (just a bit longer than a Honda Fit, about the same size as a Toyota Matrix) that gets about 32 mpg in mixed driving. We averaged about 37 mpg last summer when we drove to South Dakota for our family reunion (NOT towing a trailer). A teardrop was already in my mind when I was shopping, so I drove the salesmen at the various dealerships crazy asking, "How much can I tow with it?" The usual answer was, "You can't tow with this!" but the owners manuals generally gave "true" answers. (700 without trailer brakes, 1200 with.) That's in quotes because the USA towing ratings are generally much lower for the same car than you would find in Canada or Europe. Apparently for 2012 many compact cars are rated for ZERO towing here in the USA, but can still tow in Canada and Europe. Some here attribute it to changing gear ratios to increase economy, but every compact car engine/transmission in the country wasn't re-designed overnight. It's a lawyer thing, not an engineering thing!

So the easy solution is to buy a late model car and have your towing limits in print. But if you want a new car (and can afford it right out of school), you can make it work (etrailer.com/fitguide). Some will warn that if you have an accident towing your insurance may refuse to pay some or all if your car is not rated to tow, or if you damage your engine or transmission you will void your warranty on a new car. You need to weigh the risks.

Next, you should consider building on the light side. Overbuilding is often discussed here, and you will often read of someone wishing he had build lighter, but rarely do we wish we had built heavier. Roly Nelson is the champion of the light-weight woody, look for his builds if you want to go traditional. There is also the new foamie section for the newest lightweight, hopefully inexpensive build style.

So welcome to the addiction. And have fun!



Catherine

[kellylaverna]

Looking through the build journals, I do see a real time crunch. I'll have to seriously weight the pros and cons of building vs. buying for my teardrop (I'm pretty obsessed!).

If I end up building - I'm going to go super light weight! Lightest possible trailer and no heavy power systems or kitchen appliances. Thanks again to everyone for the feedback.

[Larry C]

Welcome...
I share your light weight build thinking. Check out the Ultralight design, see the links below.

My build in progress is based on this design. If you built the basic 4x8 non insulated design, and put it on a Harbor freight 1195# trailer with some of the steel left out, you could build cheaply, fast and light weight.

By using just shelves and bulkheads instead of cabinets, could save more time and weight.

Also, consider a small pick-up instead of a small car as a TV. I was looking for a small fuel efficient car myself, but ended up with a 4 cyl 5 sp extended cab PU, and I am glad I did. A small PU may fit your life style better. Even a 2 WD pickup is better suited to getting to your climbing locations than many cars. Also, towing a teardrop is less of an issue than with a small car.

What ever you decide, keep us up to date.

Larry C



http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=7275
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=7565

[Roly Nelson]

Hi Kelly, Roly here. Welcome to the forum, the perfect place for all of your questions about building, or buying a teardrop trailer. I see you want to build very light weight, and I felt the same way, prior to my first TD build. My little 4x8 woody tips the scales at about 450 lbs and has 30,000 miles on it and is still going strong. I do have another that is only 6 ft long and it weighs around 250 lbs. If you want my input regarding light-weight construction, feel free to PM me and I'll try to help.

When your TD is completed, you must come to Calif and climb El Capitan in Yosemite Nat'l Park. It's only a couple of thousand feet high, and absolutely straight UP! I've watched folks climb it and sleep on the face on their way to the top. Keep up the energy, and get cracking on that TD.
Roly ~~

[packerz4]

buy a honda element then you can camp/live in your car! especially with an ursa minor pop top!

http://www.hondarv.com/?WhatWasDone1

[Oldragbaggers]

Welcome Kelly. I think a teardrop is a PERFECT fit for your active lifestyle, and will save you money when traveling for your job as well.

I will be looking forward to seeing what you build! (And where you take it.)