Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

mikeschn wrote:I think you'll be much more comfortable at 5' (That's a queen sized bed). Sounds like your wife has the right idea!
Mike...

I love it when statements like that are made. How do you know? As an example. My wife would rather have a 4' wide mattress. It means that we would have to sleep closer together. But then again.............

My 4-footer is great...I stuck with the 4X8 platform primarily so that it would be easy and quick to build. The project came together really well and turned out fairly light too. That width is also just about perfect behind my P/T Cruiser, tucks in real nice. The GenBen design has almost everything I need and not much that I don't need...(other than a wider mattress).
Like everyone else I think about my "next build" and would like to go wider...but then that makes me think about building taller and adding a bathroom/shower ...yada,yada,yada...pretty soon I have a full-size TTT and all the extra weight that goes with it and I would need a new hauler!
Steve's Puffin still intrigues me though. I still have nights where I dream about building one of those this spring but then I take a cold shower and the feeling goes away

I have built a Four Footer ( for quick trips )and in progress of building a 6' TTT( for extended stays ).










Pat

We have a 4'x8', it is little but works for us. With the 4' wide, a question to always ask is what kind of bed do you sleep in at home? If it is a double & you're not crowded and you like being cozy then a 4' should work. As I said it works for us. The builder just has to decide if that works for them.

Numbers look a lot differant in here than in general conversation. I'm not starting yet because I just cant decide. There are too many things to consider yet.

I'm flip flopping still about 4', 5', or just buying a wazat. The scales are not tilting in any favor just yet. All have their advantages and disadvantages....

If it is just you Four Foot will work. If it is you and another then maybe Five Footer would be more the size or even a Six Footer if you have a Hummer too slipstream behind.



It is a hard to make up your mind. Look and try out both before you make up your mind.




Pat

Of course you could split the difference and build at 4 1/2' wide.
I do believe that is the width that Doug Hodder likes to make his. That way you can get a completely full mattress in.

Or does that make the choice harder by adding another choice?

I built 4' wide 10' long. I was concidering 5' wide but a friend of mine that is a cabinet maker told me that it would be easier to start with 4 wide and not cost so much. I did learn alot on the build. Weight and style is also a factor. I am using a sports car to pull it. Im glad to have the trailer and had a blast last summer, and looking forward to more fun this summer. I may build a 5' in the future jus cuz it would give me a great excuse to buy a truck

95% of the time I go by myself, and I have had both 4' and 5'. Both with 1 person have more than enough sleeping room.

In my 5'er I have 2, 30" mattresses and leave one at home when I'm by myself. The extra deck area is real nice for laying things out on, cloths, shoes, suitcase etc. You don't have to do everything on the bedding.

Happy Trails

Len

Okay, I'll throw in my 2 1/2 ¢...

I am slightly claustrophobic, so back in 2000, when Craig & Cary built our 1st teardrop, they made it 5' wide with 2 doors, sunroof and front windows, which made all the difference for me (translation: You wouldn't have gotten me in one any other way).

When they began building teardrops for a business, they offered a 4' model. I remember having to spend some time sitting in a 4' demo unit with one of my kids (they were sleeping in it for the night). In addition to being 4' wide, it had only 1 door and no front windows. I couldn't handle being in it for very long. Even when the guys had a 4' demo with 2 doors and front windows, I was not at ease. I need a 5' for my "psychological" comfort zone.

They no longer offer the 4' models because, quite frankly, people wanted 5' ones. Most vehicles can easily tow a 5' one. For ours, weight wasn't a big issue as there wasn't much difference between a 4' and a 5' and both were lightweight.

It really comes down to what makes you happy/comfortable. Weight might also be a consideration, depending on how you construct it and what you add to it.

My recommendation would be to get to a gathering or see if there are any forum members in your area who will let you come take a tour of their teardrop. Then you can check out both 4' & 5' teardrops. Just sitting in the enclosed cabin can help you have a perspective that looking at or lying on a bed in an open room cannot.

Good luck!

Betsey

Make a card board mock up and crawl in it. We were thinking 4 footer untill I bashed together some old refridgerater boxes. We are going to build a 5 wide.

Just a thought

DrCrash wrote:Make a card board mock up and crawl in it. We were thinking 4 footer untill I bashed together some old refridgerater boxes. We are going to build a 5 wide.

Just a thought

Ah yes ! The teardrops and tiny travel traileds CAD program.

Cardboard Aided Design

I'm trying to build a 4 footer as my wife is only 4'10" and I'm only 5'8".I'm building it in my daughters garage so I don't have a lot of room , or time. We'll use it for a trip to Boise as soon as I can get it road worthy and tagged. When we get back home I'll take on the job of finishing the gally. I chose a 4 footer because it'll be my first project and it'll be easier and cheaper to build. I'm learning as I go and the next one will probably be larger, maybe a 4.5 X 10, or a 5X10. We don't go camping that much so( heck we haven't been camping in more than 20 years ) so maybe this will get us back into the swing of things?
I've got some pictures of the tear but I don't know how to post them.

Lay a piece of plywood down on the floor, put a couple vertical at the edges and the two of you laydown in it for 15 minutes, then do the same thing but make the floor 5 foot.

Then you can decide from experience

John

well I put down a deposit on a wazat. They made me an offer I couldnt refuse. They are 5' wide. This ends my mental debate. I still have the trailer I put together intending to build so maybe i'll take my time and build a 4' just for practice.