Hello from Oregon. New to Teardrops & building my own

[daleroller]

Hello Everybody. I saw my first teardrop trailer about a year ago at the Oregon State Fair and instantly fell in love. I have been looking around at Craigslist ads for a TDT but always had to put my cash into paying more bills. Earlier this week I saw an ad on craigslist for a carpenter looking for a lawyer to barter with. I happen to be a lawyer looking for a carpenter that can build my "Mobile Man Cave". Today a deal was struck and my teardrop should be ready in a couple of months.
I really like the classic benroy design and wanted something light enough to be pulled behind my BMW convertible. I want to do something simple since this is the first time either of us has built a Teardrop Trailer. I also need it to be fairly inexpensive, like around $800 for everything.
I am thinking that the plans for the 4X8 harbor Freight Trailer would work well for me. The plans were free on this site and I know where I can get the 4x8 trailer. http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear22.htm
I just wish I could go one foot wider, but I am not sure about where one can buy a trailer.
I would like something that is fairly durable. It get's pretty rainy here in Oregon and I am concerned that if it is all wood that it would start to leak at some point. We talked about putting an aluminum shell on it, but I do not like the silver look, I like wood grain. I think of the teadrop as a little portable cabin. I am wondering if we could cover the wood exterior with a flexible vinyl flooring material that has a woodgrain pattern printed on it. I think that it wood be very durable since floors are are to harh treatment; being walked on all day and cleaned with harsh chemicals. It would also be easier to work with than aluminum.

Does anybody have a suggestion on what are the best plans to use for a 4X8 teardrop? We want to start construction next week.

[Trapper John]

Hi DR, and welcome from a fellow newbie and Oregonian!

Like yourself, I am taken with the beauty of wooden teardrops and thinking about building a 5x8 Woody myself. So far, and from reviewing the forums, here are two plan sources that I am presently considering:

http://www.bigwoodyteardropcampers.com/ ... templates/

and

http://www.desertteardrops.com/window.html

I am sure there are other good sources and some of the veterans on this site may suggest a few that we will both be able to explore.

As for the trailer, I have read on other posts that Northern Tool and Equipment (NT) has a welded 5x8 frame (store only). I have yet to check that out locally (Portland) but am presently thinking of finding someone to build me a custom trailer as I want brakes as well as a 19" min. axle clearance for my back country expeditions.

I have the same concerns about our rain forests relative to flex,fatigue, and leak issues. The answer may involve using a veneer bonded to standard plywood or marine grade sides, but as I said I am a newbie and plan on seeking advice elsewhere on the site regarding this entire subject.

In any case, I hope you have a lot of fun with the project. I am going to get started soon and perhaps we can share thoughts and progress reports as "neighbors."

Good Luck!

[mezmo]

Hi daleroller,

Welcome to this great forum! Look around and you should find most
of the answers you need.

It is quite common to build a 5wide on the 4wide chassis. That just involves
cantilevering the body 6in on each side - but may involve wheel wells in the
body itself, depending on the design. Just make the floor/base strong enough
to carry the sides - check through the build journals and you should run
through several such builds to give you ideas. If everything is glued together
well enough you'll achieve the 'torsion box' effect.

One of the two big exterior factors is water-tightness and the other is UV
light degradation of the exterior covering. You need to be sure the vinyl floor
covering you mention can withstand UV damage and is watertight. If it is the
strip vinyl flooring that looks like wood, I'd be skeptical of both it's water-tightness
and UV resistance since it is an interior product, just check both factors out on it.
Sheet vinyl might be more water proof [but is it UV safe?] - you must pay close attention
to any seams and the joining of all the sides and roof and the base/floor, to ensure
those joints are water tight as well.

And any wood that is exposed to any form of water needs sealing against that of some nature
or provision for breath-ability - allowing it to be able to dry out completely when/if
it gets wet.

The most effective non aluminum coverings seem to be epoxy and fiberglass cloth
[akin to wooden/plywood boat construction finishing] and the old style 'canvas' embedded
in paint or glue and then painted with an exterior UV safe paint. Attention to detail and
application method is of course needed for longevity and durability of any exterior. There
is even a bit of discussion at the moment on the big thread in the Foamie Section of
doing faux wood graining as the canvas and paint covering's final coat.

Check out the Foamie section for thrifty construction possibilities too.

The main thing is to just enjoy the whole process - don't worry about perfection.
An honest best effort will give you the results you need and a nice feeling of
accomplishment once all the work is done, and even before that by just reaching
the "campable" stage.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[daleroller]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have been doing alot of research and have talked it over with my carpenter and we both think that the best design is the Generic Benroy. I like the shape, the plans are detailed and and free, and mounting it on a 5' wide harbor Freight Trailer is no problem. I am thinking maybe putting aluminym on the top only and just varnishing the side. I really like the natural look of wood.
I wouls still like to use that vinyl flooring stuff as a skin. Is there something I could coat it with to make it UV resistant?

[Trapper John]

I may have found a solution for every wannabe-woody builder at: http://viridianwood.com/products/veneers. Although these folks state that the are using an MDR substrate, they also note that they will work with any other substrate. I have an email out and will talk with them directly tomorrow.

It seems to me that by using cdx or even marine grade plywood as a substrate, one could wind up with a truly beautiful interior and exterior - although it will probably cost more than many may wish to spend. (I will report back on that tomorrow.) For a retired guy like me who may have more extra cash than he does brains, the incremental cost may be worth it. This is because I want to wind up with a woody that my grandkids will fight over owning after I croak, LOL.

While I am at it, let me note that after hours of pouring over the forums I find myself in information overload. My first task is to find out what trailer assumptions the guys who make the plan/template kits have made. The next is to decide when I should venture away from the Newbie page and begin posting in the "Big Kids'" forums. I think that will be after I answer my own questions raised above.

[Vedette]

Hello from B.C. and welcome to the Forum.
Good choice to go 5' wide.
We are building a "Non Traditional 5' wide , but camped next to a 4' wide this past weekend. What a difference that extra foot makes.
I went torsion bar axle with ours.
I am a car builder by trade, thus the non traditional design for my teardrop??? But, it took me longer to draft the trailer part of my chassis than it did to actually build it.
If you can find a metal fabricator/welder and have a plan. Just some square tube and a square and you can have a chassis in under two hours work.
This will be a lot more chassis than a Harbour Freight chassis for not much more money.
And Torsion Axles dierectly from Dexter are cheap! These people are wonderful to deal with also.
Good Luck and Good Roads
Brian & Sandi