VRV Flyer Teardrop and DIY Build Thread

1Louder

Explorer
Here's a quick intro to our new trailer. I was going to wait to purchase one but a good deal came up and I decided to take advantage of it. I recently sold my Turtleback trailer. Great trailer, no complaints, we are building a new home and selling that trailer helped pay some bills.

I have spent the last 4 years in tents for all of my overlanding adventures. I do a lot of winter camping and decided sleeping indoors might be nice. I plan on returning to Baja this winter and the last time the winter winds were crazy.

So without further adieu here's my new VRV Flyer.

All aluminum frame, queen bed, Max air vent, torsion axle, large doors and windows. Lots of storage. Around 1000lbs. I opted for the 45 degree down axle for additional clearance.

I also think it is a DIYers dream platform. Purchase something that is well made and then decide what you want to add to it. Factory options include a tent for the back, different axle heights, electric brakes, AC/Heat Rooftop unit, and jeep style fenders.

For more info check out: https://toyhaulersbyvrv.com/adventure-teardrops/


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The obligatory just picked up gas station pic.

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Interior view. There are 4 led lights (split 2 and 2) Backup lights serve a porch lighting and there is a porch light by the side entry. A add-on tent for the rear is available. I am going to use what I already have and modify as required. Sorry that the mattress isn't setup properly. Queen size bed. I am installing a magnetic screen for the back so I can leave the backdoor open and keep the bugs out.

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Side entry. Jeep fenders will be available/installed soon for additional clearance.


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The electrical system is housed inside towards the front cabinetry underneath the bed. Trailer is solar ready with a SAE plug port. You need to have your own controller. Comes with a 75ah AGM battery. Total interior height is 56.5". 36" from top of mattress to the ceiling. With stock tires and stock axle with roof vent only (no shore power AC unit) this should fit in standard garages. They way I have modified it - it won't fit. That's ok for us though because our new house has 9' doors.

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Couch mode and dog inspection

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Bed mode. It's nice to have a place to throw random gear underneath the bed. (Photo courtesy of campersandgear.com)

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Storage drawer with removable table top. (Photo courtesy of campersandgear.com)

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On the trail near Box Canyon Florence, AZ

First Round Of Modifications

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Larger Tires - Add additional clearance and meant for off-road

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Tongue Box and Lock-n-Roll Hitch. I need to install new 7 pin wiring since I extended the tongue. It's on the todo list.

If anyone is in AZ and wants to take a look just let me know. See you on the trail!

Future Mods
- Solar panel on the roof
- Design and build a basic roof rack for the spare tire and misc gear
- Install a straight awning to cover the side door and include a add-a-room tent
- Slide out kitchen
- Install Jeep Style Fenders
- Install solar controller
- Add some rear corner protection for more challenging trail use
- Possibly install an inverter there is plenty of room in the electrical area for a 2nd battery and other accessories.
- Possibly install a shore power charger (I have a portable CTEK but built in would be nice)
- Possibly add a water tank
 
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1Louder

Explorer
keep us posted on the mod's, like what I see.

You bet. I tend to go pretty crazy with these things and make changes quickly. My only limitation currently is we are "homeless" in a temporary rental while our house is being completed. 99% of my tools, etc are in storage. One friend came to my aid to help with the current modifications. I CANNOT wait to move in and get the new garage setup....

Manufactured in AR. You could always pay the factory a visit.
 

Septu

Explorer
Love the rig. Looks like you have decent interior room if you're soloing it (single bed, foot room, small table, etc), but also have an easy to setup double/queen? bed. The other aspect I really like is the storage room. I had a Little Guy teardop for a while, and while it was a very nice unit... without the front box that the PO had added, everything would have had to go in the jeep other than my clothes. Or you put your dirty tarps, chairs, etc on your bedding... This unit looks like it has a lot of storage under the bed to prevent that.
 

1Louder

Explorer
Love the rig. Looks like you have decent interior room if you're soloing it (single bed, foot room, small table, etc), but also have an easy to setup double/queen? bed. The other aspect I really like is the storage room. I had a Little Guy teardop for a while, and while it was a very nice unit... without the front box that the PO had added, everything would have had to go in the jeep other than my clothes. Or you put your dirty tarps, chairs, etc on your bedding... This unit looks like it has a lot of storage under the bed to prevent that.

Totally why I went this route. I am 6' 5" tall. I wanted something with a bit extra room. I also wanted something that did not require me to remove/move/shift/etc items in order to allow me to crawl in and go to bed. Converting from twin to queen is easy. You just flip the extra piece of wood over and set up your bed. Also, if you know there are going to be 2 folks just leave with the queen bed setup. There are a lot of great traditional teardrop trailers out there. I just felt cramped in them. Forward to aft is totally open under the passenger side bed. You have access from the back and side door. Pretty sure my OZTent RV-5 will fit inside on the floor but haven't tested that yet.
 

kzam

Observer
Great find! I haven't heard of this company but that's a really well designed layout.

I look forward to seeing what you add to it.
 

1Louder

Explorer
Great find! I haven't heard of this company but that's a really well designed layout.

I look forward to seeing what you add to it.

They are known for their Toy Hauler line and are growing in the off-road/overlanding market. VRV has been designing since 2008 and building in-house since 2015. I discovered them by chance but very happy with my purchase.
 
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1Louder

Explorer
On my first official camping trip with the trailer. I packed a silly amount of gear to see what would fit. This trailer has a ton of storage. I put an OZ Tent RV-5 inside along with 4 FrontRunner boxes, 2 chairs, a few other miscellaneous tubs and whatever else I could think of and there was plenty of room. Best of all other than the RV-5 tent I could have set the brake and crawled in to go to sleep without moving anything.

While in camp I installed a solar controller. Easy modification and I like having this inside the trailer. With carpeted walls a little Velcro kept the access door open and the controller mounted to the wall.

This is now used in conjunction with my Renogy 100 watt solar suitcase. A lot of my gear is multi-purpose. Meaning if I don't bring the trailer I like to be able to pack the gear for vehicle only trips.

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Controller is made by Go Power

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Not too bad of a camping spot on the Mogollon Rim

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Trailer view
 
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1Louder

Explorer
Another quick DIY project in the books.

I wanted to put a screen in for the back door. Magnetic door screens are pretty popular so I ordered one from Amazon. The height is much taller than the actual opening of the trailer but I think I could easily fix this. The screen is also a bit wider but they way I installed it I think it will work find. Custom sizes are available if I decide to go that route.

On warm days this should provide plenty of ventilation.

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I just need to trim the bottom down and then put the bottom magnetic strip back in. Then I need to add a small strip of metal other than aluminum on the trailer for to get the bottom to "stick." I guess my bed making skills are poor.
 

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