Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

What method of build will give the lightest all up weight when finished on an 8x5 chassis ? Do you think .

PMF covered foam. No contest.

Rob said it All !!! We’ve tried everything else !!!

Saw one here years ago that was Coreplas, Looks like plastic card board, and one from South Africa that was chopper glassed heavy duty cardboard, He indicated he would never do that again as sanding off the glass points was too much work, it did show him standing on it.

If you are looking to minimize the overall weight of the camper, start with the floor. On a foamie, the floor can be the heaviest part, next to the trailer itself.

I used the Northern Tool 5 x 8 trailer. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612541_200612541 My first camper had 2 x 4s going between the cross members to give 3/4 inch plywood support. This was a very heavy floor but it didn't sag when I walked on it. I was over 250 pounds so I needed something sturdy, especially if I went camping with a guest.

If you're planing on oversizing the camper by making the floor go out over the wheels, then the floor will be even heavier and will need more support.

The Pico Light using the foam and PMF http://tnttt.com/Design_Library/The%20Pico-Light.htm

The trailer design alone saves a lot of weight.

relevant floor thread
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=73175

WOW I have been reading up on all your builds to get ideals now you all have got me THINKING heaps going to take a lot of planing ; as go in all the remote places camping and fishing see all the best scenery . So I need something that is tough but it has to be super UltraLite as my Daihatsu Terios with 1.3 L engine can't put too much weight . Thanks a lot for all the info

PS. Dirt roads corrugations 6 inches deep and potholes a foot deep and rocks all over the place .

Postal_Dave wrote:If you are looking to minimize the overall weight of the camper, start with the floor. On a foamie, the floor can be the heaviest part, next to the trailer itself.

I used the Northern Tool 5 x 8 trailer. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612541_200612541 My first camper had 2 x 4s going between the cross members to give 3/4 inch plywood support. This was a very heavy floor but it didn't sag when I walked on it. I was over 250 pounds so I needed something sturdy, especially if I went camping with a guest.

If you're planing on oversizing the camper by making the floor go out over the wheels, then the floor will be even heavier and will need more support.

Yes we can buy those same chassis here in Australia for $1000 to $1200 Australia dollars

Yes we can. They might not be exactly the same but check out http://www.easytrailer.com.au/
I built mine on the 8ft x 5ft

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rjgimp wrote:PMF covered foam. No contest.

I am really sold on this foam ideas as it keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter and it's light as as .

Having been at this for years , it’s the best thing we found … Light , Thrifty , STURDY , Quiet, and surprisingly easy to make … and done right , pretty maintenance free ( save a good wash up every now and then ) …
Consider Foam is the lightest element which you can use a LOT of , and the metal Trailer/wheels itself will be the heaviest part … You can even weigh your materials as you assemble it and come to a target weight more easily .

Look at what Angib wrote here: http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=60392

My take on this is that it is not the type of build but rather the builder and how s/he builds.

Note: We believe Andrew (Angib) has passed away as we have had no contact nor have we been able to contact him months/years. None the less, his data and comments live on and continue to give us valuable information.

PS. If you are a "light" builder, a foamie (PMF) would give you the lightest build, but we had one foamie weigh in at about 1600 pounds!
So, first and foremost, it's the builder and how s/he builds.