Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Sawyer** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:12 pm

Well 2 1/2 months and $1500 later, I'm almost done... "Teardroptimus Prime" still needs new wheels/tires/fenders and wood trim around the whole lower perimeter to hide any last traces of Harbor Freight-ness. I also need to finish the whole interior with Tongue Oil Varnish, and build my drawers for the galley (the big drawer opening will have a slide out stove, I just need to find the right one)...

The frame was fully welded for extra stiffness and durability, with box steel added to tongue (seems to be the major weak spot on these bolt together trailers). I didn't use any plans, just improvising the whole time, which was good and bad, but I sure learned a lot!

This td is made of mostly recycled and re-used materials. The only things I bought new were the 1800# capacity HF trailer (discounted to $220), the 3/4" Okoume Marine grade ply for the floor, the Tigerlite (35lbs for a full 3/4" sheet) sides, the aluminum for the roof, the vent, and the bed (5" high density foam). All of the other wood was scrap from other woodworking projects (I'm a carpenter by trade, so there's rarely a shortage of scrap material), and just about everything else was scavenged from a local RV supply warehouse whose (almost) entire stock has been removed from wrecked or retired motorhomes/coaches/campers/etc. If you live close to the Eugene area, you MUST pm me for their address and number, they have absolutely ridiculous deals on just about anything you'd need!!! I had a very small budget and short timeline for this build, and I couldn't have done it without these guys...

Check my Album for Pictures of the build, and if you don't get the name "Teardroptimus Prime," you must have never played with transformers as a kid (or had kids who played with them). Look here for reference- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Prime

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/karmacop8/teardrop/DSCF0493.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/karmacop8/teardrop/DSCF0285.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

by **Classic Finn** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:20 pm

Wow

2 1/2 Months? What can I say..

Beautifully Done :applause:

Get ready for the lines of folks wanting tours.. very nice :thumbsup:

Post a lot of camping pics for us

Classic Finn

by **hiker chick** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:00 pm

Extremely impressive -- your teardrop and timeline!

Love the slideout cooler tray.

Have fun!

:thumbsup:

by **S. Heisley** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:07 pm

Very nice! That was a clever idea, putting the slideout on the side.
Put a board over top of it and you've got yourself a side table!

It looks like you've created a quality product for a small price and in a short time! Congratulations! :applause:

by **Gage** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:19 pm

Well done. I enjoy seeing the younger set using their head and applying new ideas. It shows individuality. The way you have your doors, you could easily add canvas and wala, a privacy room. Again, well done. :applause:

by **fireaunt** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:47 pm

That is just great!! :thumbsup:

Well done.

Marilyn

by **Rev** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:55 pm

looks really good :thumbsup:

by **KDOG** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:44 pm

Flip up doors! Genius! I hereby warn you that idea may be co-opted by other members including myself.....

by **angib** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 6:31 pm

I like those gull-wing doors. Are the corners above head height? I'm ducking as I write this, worried about smacking my head on the corners.

A variation of the solution used by lots of old motorbike restorers over here, to avoid poking the end of the handlebars in their eye, would be to cut a slit in four old tennis balls and push them onto the corners.

Andrew

by **Duane King** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:03 pm

Those gull-wing doors are a fabulous idea. If you had side curtains you would have an instant privacy tent. That is great. The slide out cooler is very innovative, I will have to copy that on my next trailer. How is the galley lid being held up? Looks like braces in the middle?

I'm bringing out the quartet to applaud your success. . .

:applause:

by **RedRocker** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:13 pm

Add a pusher motor in the galley and you've got yourself an ultralite!

by **Creamcracker** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:33 pm

Yep,..that looks a different way to keep the galley door open.
Philip

by **KDOG** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:35 pm

I was just thinking that if you put a row of snaps somewhere on the underside of the doors you could snap a screen room right to the door.

Dude, you are definetly going to see a move to that style of door now that you've shown that....