Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I joined this group about a year ago (Apr 07) with hopes of starting some kind of build, but alas...life happened (you know, finances, family stuff, etc) and some things just have to get put on the back burner ......but I'm determined to do something!! So, I got this old pop-up frame from this guy for next to nothing because, well, that's what it was....next to nothing:






The thing sat in my back yard since last September
I've been working at it for the last two months and I finished the frame tonight:




The torsion axle is rated at 1500# but I want to try and build as light as I can what with gas prices, well, you know.....

Here's what I'm thinking....there's stuff in these pics that may or may not make the final cut, but this is the basic shape and idea:







There are sooo many good ideas on this forum, I find it hard to make final decisions about everything right away, so I've decided to begin something and sort of see what develops I'm hoping I can make some moderate progress this summer so I won't have to go back in 'hiding' for a year.

Best regards,
Richard

Nice job on the frame! It looks new! So what size is your trailer going to be?

rmclarke wrote:I joined this group about a year ago (Apr 07) with hopes of starting some kind of build, but alas...life happened (you know, finances, family stuff, etc) and some things just have to get put on the back burner ......but I'm determined to do something!! So, I got this old pop-up frame from this guy for next to nothing because, well, that's what it was....next to nothing:


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There are sooo many good ideas on this forum, I find it hard to make final decisions about everything right away, so I've decided to begin something and sort of see what develops I'm hoping I can make some moderate progress this summer so I won't have to go back in 'hiding' for a year.

Best regards,
Richard

I really like the flip out lift up cabinets and flip down counter. It provides a lot of galley in a very small package. The pass thru is true genuious as well. I know we love our set up.

TPMcGinty wrote: So what size is your trailer going to be?

My first inclination is to build it between the wheels which I think would be simpler and allow me to build it faster (I want to camp in it sometime before this decade is out): it is 54" between the wheels so I figured I could probably claim at least 51" of that after the 1" sandwich walls are put up (1/8 ply inside and out) however I'm sketching up a 5' wide design also. I'm not real crazy about the bed above the wheels idea though. I'd have to raise the profile which I don't care for much. I keep going back to my plan keeping it small, light, inexpensive and easy to tow and go. I like the challenge of trying to reclaim and pack as much usability into a smaller space as possible.

Decisions, decisions...


The actual floor will be 8 feet; the angles on the front and back will make it 9' 4" overall in length. The small version would be about 4' 5" high.

Richard

Great mod on the trailer! I like the design too. 54 inches is the size of a normal "full" bed so it won't be too tight. Sit to pull out table inside is a good idea too.

I got the floor frame finished this weekend. I had some left over marine epoxy from my boat build, so that's what I'm using to hold it together...with cabosil mixed in, epoxy becomes a very strong glue.



The frame sits pretty low to the ground and I want a dropped floor, so I raised the bed platform up just a bit which will give me about 11 inches in the dropped area.





My three and a half year old grandson is keeping watch over the project and of course, he wants to know when I'll be finished

Best regards,
Richard

Great job on the frame, and your design looks good, too.

I messed around with building my fenders this weekend. I built a jig out of an old piece of plywood to hold the wood pieces while I stitched them together then tabbed it together with small dabs of epoxy glue. When it dries, I can remove the plastic ties and sheetrock screws and then finish making the seams, then, of course, lots of sanding and fairing




I also got my footwell pieces cut out (but not put together yet) and I cut the 1/2 inch ply pieces for the bed area but they're not glued down yet; I've still got to figure out where my trailer wiring will go and waterproof the bottom first.



Richard

Richard that looks great!

I did a Small Grasshopper at 48" wide by 96"long by 45" high ( it may become 48" - inside 42" ).

The pictures are in my album.




Pat

Thank you all for the kind comments and support

I'm really excited about this project and I've spent a lot of time planning so it feels really good to actually start building here. I sure would like to have it ready to camp before summers out, but I doubt that's going to happen.

We'll probably tent camp this summer (hopefully for the last time) so I'm planning to buy the foam mattress for the trailer and try it out.

Best regards,
Richard

ps.....I need to find a name for it, has anyone called their trailer a "SunHopper" ? I kind of like that name, because the Sunspot and the Grasshopper were both the inspiration for my build.

you can name it whatever you want:

sunhopper

grasspot ( might give the impression your a pot-head)



hopperspot

hoppersun

sungrass

can't wait to watch your build! have fun!

Well, a bit more progress. Trailer wiring is done except for the front clearance lights (I don't have them yet, but I've got wiring run to where they will be located). Floor is done, just need to give it another coat of spar var, then I'll bolt it down to the trailer.





Hope to start the walls this weekend

Richard...I'm really impresed with your work so far!!!! That is really looking nice!!! Ya know...taking your time...getting good materials...and doing the little extras sure ain't a sin around here!!! You've got a lot of potential going on...Best wishes and keep on making sawdust!!!

Very nice! You will really enjoy showing your finished trailer off!

Well, I started a two week vacation on the 4th of July...(we were going to go camping on the Washington coast for a week) but on Sunday my wife injured her knee (xrays, crutches and all....they were concerned it was a fracture) We found out today it wasn't a fracture after all, but her knee is still swollen and we had to cancel our reservations at the last minute anyway ....
So, instead of going camping, I've been playing 'manservant' for my darling wife AND I worked on the 'SunHopper' some more
I was able to get both side frames done today (the walls are just temporarily braced just so I could get a picture or two





I picked up some 1/8 inch mahogany door skins from HomeD and tomorrow I'm planning on doing the interior walls and some of the insulation.....

Best regards,

Richard