Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello everyone, I've been lurking for a while but just joined to ask opinions on my pop up design.

I like tent camping but my teenage daughters don't like sleeping in bear country (most of Alaska) separated by only a thin sheet of nylon between them and the wild so I thought an aluminum-sided teardrop with a screen-sided section of pop up roof may be a decent compromise. On the (rare) warm evening I can keep the top up and the mosquitos out. When my daughters take it out they can batton down the top to keep a psycological barrior between them and the local wildlife. I think I looked at most of the pop up threads on this forum and I didn't see anything like my proposed design. It is simple enough, in addition to the usual galley kitchen in the rear a similar hatch system and huricane hinge is used to make a popup facing the tow vehicle.

I envision something that is about 5' by 10' that is a little over 5 ft tall when closed for road travel. I kept the height down to make it easier to load bikes and/or kayaks on the trailer roof. Oh, by the way, why don't I see many teardrop designs with roof racks?

I look forward to your comments and ideas, Jeff

I really like the profile of your TD! I too have wondered about the roof racks and how to install them properly.

Jeff:

With the exception of your popup, I think you are planning on a somewhat standard teardrop that's 5' x 10'.

About your door location. If you look at most teardrop doors, they are located just forward of the fenders. That puts your hips at the door. To exit, you sit up and swivel.

The biggest challenge that I see with your popup is going to be keeping out the water both when it's up and when it's down. And after it's rained and it's time to put the top down. A secondary challenge is cabin's strength without the normal spars. I'm not saying these issues can't be overcome, they just need to be addressed in the planning stage.

Teardrop camping is a great part of our life for my wife and I. But two people in a teardrop can add too much heat and vapor. We had a factory built teardrop that had two screen windows and a small computer fan. It wasn't enough ventilation except when the chill was on. Our DIY has a Fantastic fan and it makes a big difference on warm Idaho nights or nappy afternoons. So if you go with your popup––and your drawing may preclude a standard fan opening––make sure you plan-in some type of active (electric) ventilation system.

Tony

For the Roof racks I thought using square aluminum tubing inside the walls that tied into the trailer frame. That way the load on the roof racks would be carried by the trailer frame and not the shell of the teardrop. I also assumed that the load on the racks would have to be removed before opening up the galley or the popup.

I'm not too worried about keeping the water out while closed. I thought that a good gasket along with hatch locks (from the boating world) would keep the water out even at highway speeds. Keeping it dry while the popup is open is a bit harder. I was thinking of a combination of overhang and aluminum channel acting like little gutters. I thought of attaching the fabric sides of the popup with industrial velcro. That way if the fabric gets wet I can just remove the fabric from the camper shell and store the wet fabric away from the bedding and other things I'd like to keep dry.

The roof of my design is going to take some serious thought since it is weak in both the galley side and the popup side. I envisioned a welded frame of square aluminum tubing forming the sleleton of the roof and also serving as the frame of both the galley opening and the popup opening. To get the strength in both the galley roof and the popup roof I thought that laminated frames along the long axis of the trailer would give the necessary strength. These could be made of very lightweight wood and spaced 12 inches apart to give the necessary strength and rigidity. I thought I could put a fan in the popup roof for the times when it is too wet to open the popup.

Thanks for the comment about the door position. I guess if the door is further back it would be easier to get in and out. I moved my door forward because I love sleeping with my head next to the screen (either door or window). I also tried to slope the front wall of the teardrop to be comfortable to lean against while sitting up inside. This way you'd look right out the open door while sitting up. But, with what you've pointed out maybe I should move the door further back and put a window where I currently have the door to meet my ventilation desires.

Please keep the ideas coming! Jeff

Here's how I put racks on my foamie toy hauler. I cut some 1x3 aluminum box channel to make brackets for gutter mount Yakima racks. The foam walls have wood structure to carry the weight down to the frame.

Mounting a channel on the side is a great idea! That way you can use off-the-shelf brackets to attach the roof rack. I had been thinking of a sleeve that would slide into the square tubing that supports the wall but your idea seems much simpler. I hope you don't mind if I borrow it.

I had Yakima racks on an old Chevette. They were so bomb proof I think I could have picked the car up off the ground by hooking the Yakima racks to a crane. I like the many accessories that firmly attach the bikes, cradle kayaks and other toys.

Thanks, Jeff

I made provisions for my roofrack by using 90x19mm frame either side of the door with 140x19 blocks glued and s rewed to then so i have plenty to fix into

Here is a teardrop with a smaller screen pop up. just really big enough so you can stand and watch the bears rummage through your camp sight.

I really like the way this one is built.

http://theblondecoyote.com/2013/01/27/upcoming-on-the-blonde-coyote/