Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm going to begin a trailer soon and am curious to know just what I'm getting into. I teach and will be able to dedicate hours per day. I'm more interested in how long, timewise.

This is a hard question to answer. It took me about a month to get mostly finished. I would guess about 150 hours. Then I finished the cabinets, another 20 hours. A few years later, I still do finishing things and change things every year.

The question of the year... Is a TD ever "Finished"?

...ahhh grashoppahhhh, such loaded question you ask ...wattcha buildin', what kinda skins, what build technique...got any experience, what level of fit and finish, how good are ya...what kinda toolage ya got and how good are ya with 'em, what kinda shop space, enthusiastic wife/support troops available, beer allowance, bandage allowance...and more than I can think of will affect build times...I've seen folks with all different levels of the above and it took them a few weeks to several years...if you buckle down, go about things in a reasonable and organized manner(fat chance ...huh) and have a little luck(yeah!!!) then you SHOULD be able to have a campable unit in 3 to 6 mos(or 3 to 6 yrs) it all depends on you...just remember, your on TearDrop time so enjoy it...IT'S FUN
madjack

I started my current build on 6-24-07.
If I added up actual hours worked on it, my best guestimation would be they'd only add up to about a month's worth of hours.
The main thing NOT to do is say, "It'll be done by..."
I have paid the price for that statement... Let me tell you!!!

Well this last build I actually did keep track of my hours.

Me 457 hours
Helper 21 hours
________________
478 hours

Before



After



http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c106/ ... ?start=all

Happy Trails

Len

I just bumped 2 years on 4/17 and it's still a work in progress.



Don't get hung up on complete. Campable is a much more comfortable target. If you are building on some type of pre built frame you can be campable in 4 weekends. Thats is to say at least 48 solid working hours providing you have all supplies on hand. shopping trips will chew the hell out of build time so try and get it all in as few trips as possible. My teardrop "Chubby" will never be "DONE".
I am a piddler, changing this and bolting on that, but it is a big boy toy and I truely enjoy playing with my toy. Future projects include on board water storage tanks , a new tongue ( current hf tongue flexes a litt to much for my likeing) Swing away spare/table combo, pneumatic hatch lifts and on and on. Yet it must remains campable (she says so) and we take off for the weekend . Yes it has rough edges. I will start another very shortly and I will not feel the need to be "campable" so it can be built complete without getting in that hurry hurry mode.

I'm not one to say "It's never finished". I only have the two trailers below built, but once I get it to a stage I am comfortable with, I'm find that I'm finished, except for maintenance. I seem to average about 100 hours a month of physical work when building a trailer. Teardrop was about 6 months, and the gypsy trailer was about 4 months. I have people ask me if I am a carpenter and I used to say no, but now after thinking about it, the answer is still no, I am a tiny trailer builder. Countless hours are consumed with thinking about, dreaming about, and scheming about little trailers, little house boats, and little houses. This isn't a hobby, it is an addiction.

Depends on if you are talking about building, like in the garage and with some tools or chatting up the board. Somewhere about 500 hours give or take a 100 but mine isn't fancy and I had to go real slow........

Sense,

I have ample woodworking experience, a reasonable compliment of toolage that I know how to use, no wife, no kids, a girlfriend that works full time, lives 40 miles away and is very tolerant of my taking time for projects. Beer fundage is unlimited, within my capacity to drink 'em. I'll have oodles of time this summer to build. As for bandages, I'm going without. I figure it'll cut down on my need to budget for wood-stain.

I am planning on a two-phase build. Phase 1 will consist of making a shell similar to the lil-caj inn, including building up the frame from scratch. Take her camping, see what I like/want. Phaze 2 will consist of detail work...completing cabinets, installing music, shelves, etc in the cabin.

I think I've developed a reasonable sense of balance between function and art. Yes, I do want this thing to look good, but ultimately, it's about using it. A scuff here and there, a drip/run in the epoxy etc are not desireable, but will be tolerated if it will keep it from being a 1000+ hour build.

Gratzi!

The frame for my new TD is arriving in a few hours.

Wanna' race?

CD

How much time ya gonna spot me?