I absolutely welcome questions, comments, etc. I certainly don't think for a moment I know everything about this stuff, so if you see something I'm missing, or misunderstanding or just plain old screwing up, feel free to chime in!
So first off, our thinking and design considerations...
We both still work, have one kiddo at home and another off at college. Most of our vacation are time at the beach in a condo or house with at least the four of us, and sometimes some family members. So our teardrop will mostly be for weekend escapes for us lovebirds, lake trips with friends and hopefully some extended road trips (we did Route 66 from mid-Missouri to Kingman, AZ a few years ago, and now we're hooked even more). We love to travel with no plans, reservations, etc, so being able to stop most anywhere and have everything we need with little or no setup time was a key reason we wanted a camper. We've started referring to the camper as "Rough Draft" because this is our first time trying such a project, and we figure if we turn our liking it, we'll build an improved one based on our experiences with this one. Then the kids will probably get to fight over who gets this one. Although our daughter the traveller already wants one of her own NOW, so maybe our boy will get it.
So why a home-built teardrop?
1. We have a convertible Mustang as our primary road trip vehicle, so limits our camper options to something small and lightweight. Since starting down this road we've added a Jeep Wrangler as well.
2. Since we're new to this, we didn't want to sink a lot of money into a factory camper.
3. I love building things.
4. We love the look.
OK, so what kind of teardrop? After looking at LOTS of designs and doodling around myself a good bit, the 5x8 Benroy seems our best option at this point. Why?
1. Simple outline. No crazy curves to replicate, plywood scarfing, etc.
2. Time-tested. Why reinvent the wheel when you can learn and build off other folks' successes and failures?
3. More floor space for a given length. The lack of inward curves at the bottom, both front and rear, means more floorspace. Maximizing floorspace is important since we're sticking to an 8 foot length. I'm 6'2" myself, and we want a queen mattress, which also means we need a 5 foot inside width.
So, a 5x8 Benroy is the plan. What about the details? Short version: fast build, sturdy and good looking, keep cash outlay to an acceptable level.
1. We're using a Northern Tool Ironton 5x8 trailer. I got it via amazon cheaper than via their website. You can see it or get it http://amzn.to/2q6Z7ur. It's a good, solid kit. I had zero problems putting it together. You can learn about titling and tagging it Kentucky at http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=66690.
2. While we really like the look of custom doors, we're using prefab doors. Why? Mostly due to speed/ease of building. Some say it costs too much to use prefab doors, but once you buy hinges, opening trim, door trim, latchsets, windows and weather stripping, I really doubt DIY doors saves much money. Since we're going simple and want to get on the road, prefab it is. We're going with these http://amzn.to/2qxOFNj unless something else pops up.
3. We're going with stain and clear for the sides. We really like that look (LOVE the Wisconsin Woody), so that's the main reason. I know many have concerns with how often it will need to be redone, but since we're not full-timing it and I'm able to store it in the garage when it's parked, I'm not too concerned with how it will weather.
4. We're going with a 3/4" pine plywood floor, with exterior paint on the bottom, and 3/4" oak for the sidewalls. Neither will be insulated, because...
a. We've survived just fine in tents that aren't insulated.
b. 3/4" oak walls are more forgiving to bumps and bangs than thinner wood-skinned building methods. I do have a 10 year old son, who is usually in destruct mode.
c. Even if we do need heat or A/C in this thing, it is so tiny that the smallest units will run us out.
5. The roof will be the usual spars with 1/4" plywood, covered in aluminum. I WILL insulate the roof, for noise and heat reasons. Most places we go are shady, but when it isn't, I imagine an uninsulated aluminum roof will warm up pretty fast. And rain on a metal roof is a nice sound, but only up to a certain point. The ceiling material will also be 1/4" ply, maybe some sort of bead board just to dress it up a tad.
6. As mentioned above, I'm fairly tall, and we like our room, so we're going with a queen size mattress. We'll start with an air mattress until we can test drive some better foam ones.
7. For the galley, it will be fairly simple, with the focus on organization and usability. I'm no cabinet building, so any doors/drawers will be simple and clean as well.
8. No running water for the sink. The vast majority of the time we'll be in campgrounds, so we can set up a camp sink like this http://amzn.to/2q9OAwv or a camp kitchen like http://amzn.to/2q701ae. This means one less thing to break and/or leak, and also more elbow room during meal prep.
9. Hurricane hinge. Enough said.
10. It WILL have shore power and battery power so we can have lights and fans wherever we are. I work at home doing I.T. work, so there are times I work on the road, so there's another reason I'll need power. I MIGHT install a small TV, but more than likely I'll just add a tuner thing to one of our laptops. Camping isn't made for TV watching, but it's handy to have in case of weather or other emergencies.
11. Either a tongue rack or a box. I'm not sure yet. Whether we're pulling it with the Mustang or Jeep, I figure the cooler will probably be in the vehicle. It will stay cooler and away from raccoons, bugs, etc. So I'll probably go with a box for easier storage of shore power cord, wheel chocks, etc etc.
12. Although we're trying to stay on a budget with Rough Draft, I'll probably still get some sort of old-school tail lights. You just can't go ALL ordinary.
I'm also considering adding a third tail light up at the hinge level. Kind of too modern looking, but I've now been behind a couple of tears on the road, and noticed the regular tail lights weren't very visible when you're close to them (like in street traffic, not the interstate).13. Fantastic fan. Once again, enough said.
14. I said Benroy-ish in the title because although it will be based on the generic Benroy plan, We'll no doubt tweak the cabinets, possibly the profile radius, etc.
15. I may add a roof rack. I don't like messing with the clean lines of the design, but we have a canoe and our son has a kayak. I have a feeling at least 1 to 3 more kayaks are coming. The Mustang certainly can't carry any of these. Although the Jeep can, it's awfully tall to be wrestling boats to the top of it, and if I have the soft top or NO top on it, then I have to buy a external cage thing to carry them, which is both expensive and annoying.
Gear we'll have with us. We've camped for a long time, so we already have 99% of this stuff. This doesn't have much to do with the build, other than I have to figure out how to fit it all in. And thought it might be helpful to those who are total newbies to camping.
1. Tools. Always gotta have tools. Metric and SAE sockets and wrenches, hammer, pliers, multiple screwdrivers, you name it. I always have tools on board, so no new expense or effort for this one.
2. Potty (we have this one http://amzn.to/2r5BsaV) and potty tent (we have this one http://amzn.to/2ppUrjT). Sometimes the bathhouse is just too far away, especially for the ladies, especially in the middle of the night!
3. Coleman instant canopy. This one is great http://amzn.to/2pE3uKl.
4. Coleman instant tent when the kids or other hitchhikers go with us. We've had this one for years and it's been fantastic. http://amzn.to/2q77o1s The wife and I can literally unpack it, set it up and have it staked down in 10 or 15 minutes tops. We took it to a lake trip with about 6 other couples. We were the last to arrive and the first to have camp set up. The next year all of them had an instant tent as well. This particular model is great because you can put up the divider inside and have two rooms big enough for queen size air mattresses, or just use the back as a bedroom and the front as a screen room.
5. The legendary Coleman two-burner stove. Ours is propane. I just prefer propane over the liquid fuel since it is a bit less finicky to deal with.
6. A couple of propane lanterns, random flashlights, headlamps, batteries.
7. Our chow box/chuck box. I don't know if I'm going to incorporate it into the teardrop galley or just keep it for tent camping. It's a metal box about 24"x18"x12". The front folds down and has a paper towel holder. It has a bunch of cubby holes and a utensil drawer. Very handy, and critter proof. I can't find anything like it online. Cabela's used to sell one almost identical to ours. We got ours when Service Merchandise went out of business. So yeah, it's been a long time.
8. The usual camp chairs, hammock, RV rug.
9. Campfire stuff. Hatchet, hotdog/marshmallow holders, dutch oven, grill grate.
10. A couple of tarps. One for under the tent, another one for "just in case", extra shade, etc.
11. Paracord for clothes line, and clothes pins.
12. Extension cord, power strip, water hose.
13. A bucket. For washing up, putting out the campfire, etc.
14. An extra hub (maybe two) for the trailer axle. You don't want to try to find a trailer hub in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Because you won't. Or you'll have to sell a kidney to pay for it.
15. A spare tire. For pete's sake don't drag your trailer around without a spare. I live near a popular lake and I can't believe how often I see boat trailers sitting on the side of the road or in a parking lot unattended, while the owners are who knows where looking for a spare tire.
Costs and time spent (I'll update this as I go). I expect no outlay for tools except MAYBE some clamps.
Total money spent so far: $593.21
Total time spent so far: 4.5
1. Trailer
$489.99 (there was a free shipping special)
$50.47 title, registration and plate
$0 spare tire. Already had one from my utility trailer
2.5 hours to build
2. Plywood for floor
$52.75
2.0 hours to saw to size and drill clearance holes for frame bolts
3. Paint for bottom
4. Plywood for sides
5. Roof spars
6. Roof interior plywood
7. Roof insulation
8. Roof exterior plywoood
9. Roof aluminum
10. Aluminum roof trim
11. Hurricane hinge
12. Gas struts for galley hatch
13. Hatch latches
14. Doors
15. Wiring
16. Interior ighting
17. Power sockets
18. Tail lights
19. License plate frame and light
20. "Porch" light
21. Tongue jack
22. Tongue box
23. Battery
24. Galley hardware
25. Plywood for shelving, etc.
26. Quarter round etc for interior trimming
27. Weather stripping for hatch
28. Mattress
29. Leveling jacks
30. Stain for sides
31. Clear for sides
32. Marker lights
33. Caulk
34. Glue
Seems like a lot of "stuff" to haul. Things like those wash basin tables will be particularly challenging to stow (remember the beauty of a TD is having a bed and food prep areas ready to go at a moments notice, with little need for setup, so you want to keep the mattress area free of cargo).
