Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **hsautter** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:09 pm

I am Hank Sautter
I live in AZ and have decided that having a Teardrop trailer would be fun and a lot better than a tent!
We expect to spend time with the family camping in various places around the South West.

I have been reading the forum for a while now and have actually started building.
Just registered the trailer this week so I can use it to get the wood required to complete the project.
I have not finalized the plans yet so for now I have a 5x10 trailer frame and will start the next phase soon.

I decided to build a frame from scratch since I felt it would be stronger than other options available and it would be larger.
( need room for grand children) So far so good and I am pleased with the results so far.

by **Vedette** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:18 pm

Nice Chassis!
And welcome to the Forum.

by **Oldragbaggers** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 7:35 am

Very nice frame. You're so lucky you have the ability/skill to make your own. That's the first big hurdle taken care of.
Welcome to the forum. We'll be looking forward to watching your build!!

by **hsautter** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:11 am

Yes the frame was a big hurdle! Welding was the big unknown since I did not have the equipment or that much experience.
However this turned out to be easier than expected and I had help from my son-in-law who welds a lot were he works.
Basically I bought the steel from a local supply company and the axle was ordered from Dexter through a local company.
Then some careful measuring and cutting and assembly. Overall it was not that hard.

I got the welding equipment from Harbor Freight and that was sufficient for this small job. Just have to be careful of the duty cycle.
I got the wire feed welder first and later got a small arc welder. I actually like the arc welder more than the wire feed.
Easy to move around and works well for a small welder. I did practice by building a small table for my saw before starting the big project.

A 4 1/2 inch angle grinder is the other essential equipment. I used it to cut the steel and smooth the joints.
I also purchased the side mounting brackets from Dexter so attaching the axle was easy and no holes in the frame so it is stronger.