My Teardrop Trailer + RTT

[Steve F]

I built this a few years ago now and my kids are all getting bigger so it was time to make some more room and build up

I decided to add roof rails so I could mount a RTT on it along with the the enclosed room underneath it and a 2.5m x 2.0m awning with full flyscreen. Basically take the trailer from sleeping 2 + my 2year old to all 5 of us.

Me and my wife in the trailer, my 14 year old son up top in the TD and my two girls (12 and 2) in the enclosed room below the RTT fold out.

Anyway, today I finished making the roof bars. I debated how to do them but went with some angle (500mm long) to spread the load on the wall/roof and two cross bars.

So the pics as it stands now.

The rooftop tent will fold out the other side.

Cheers
Steve

 

[grimbo]

Good to see this is still around. Don't think I ever saw completed pics of it. Got any ov the interior?

 

[Steve F]

Here you go, the interior has changed a little and is a bit more finished, the wheel arches are carpeted, curtains in, just little thing like that.

Last Easter

Cheers
Steve

 

[Hilldweller]

Really cool.

 

[JPK]

Nice! I'm having a tear drop built with a RTT to accomodate my family of four.

JPK

 

[wagoneercraig]

Here you go, the interior has changed a little and is a bit more finished, the wheel arches are carpeted, curtains in, just little thing like that.

Last Easter

Cheers
Steve

Love it Great rig

 

[Titanpat57]

:victory:Nice job Steve F....the flames in the rear galley ROCK!! :victory:

Pat

 

[DKB2GO]

I built this a few years ago now and my kids are all getting bigger so it was time to make some more room and build up

I decided to add roof rails so I could mount a RTT on it along with the the enclosed room underneath it and a 2.5m x 2.0m awning with full flyscreen. Basically take the trailer from sleeping 2 + my 2year old to all 5 of us.

Me and my wife in the trailer, my 14 year old son up top in the TD and my two girls (12 and 2) in the enclosed room below the RTT fold out.

Anyway, today I finished making the roof bars. I debated how to do them but went with some angle (500mm long) to spread the load on the wall/roof and two cross bars.

The rooftop tent will fold out the other side.

Cheers
Steve

This is great. Love that you're "expanding" it to suit your needs yet staying with the spirit of the TD. What do you see being your typical range or duration of a trip with it, given you are packing food and gear for five?

David

 

[Steve F]

Range and duration should be pretty much unlimited. Last September we did a 2000km trip with 4 of us, my two eldest kids and a mate of mine. We had the TD for me and the luggage and a tent for the kids and my mate brought a swag along. The RTT would add a lot more room and would mean no additional tent or swag. My jeep also has a rack on it that I've made specifically for the RTT when we don't take the TD or I can stick a basket on it when we do and need more room. Realistically though I can fill the camper to the roof if need be as long as most of that stuff can come out, so tables and chairs etc, stroller all those big things bulky things. On most trips the Jeep stays pretty empty so we can just setup camp and go explore without having to unpack the XJ.

The TD also has a 100AH battery and a solar panel to plug into it. All the lighting is LED and if I dont run the stereo and DVD player too long, say one movie a day, the battery will stay charged if the weather is clear. The XJ also has a dual battery setup so the fridge stays in there running off the second battery.

Food wise I have a 50lt fridge in the XJ and a lot of storage in tubs that go in the draws in the back of the TD along with more in the cupboards above. So far I've not had to use the bench in the back for storage but that's an option.

Here's a pic of the tow vehicle, it doesn't have the rack on here and the shocks are now Bilstein 5150 for a better ride. It also has all the usual goodies as well as a 120lt fuel tank to up the miles between fill ups Means on those long offroad trips I dont need to take Jerry cans with me.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve F]

Mounted the tent today and pulled it out just to check stability and to check it out. On the weekend I'll set it all up with tent, annex, awning etc.

The tent also has the covered entrance over the ladder but I didn't bother with that either. I'm very pleased with the outcome and I can still lift the tongue easily enough so it hasn't added too much weight up front.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Zelix]

Man that looks awesome. I like how you have tons of sleeping room. Great job!

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Steve, nice work all around, but I'm very jealous of your 120 L tank on the XJ!
We've had some discussions in the Jeep forum, and there aren't a lot of options on this side of the ocean for larger after market tanks...

 

[Steve F]

Steve, nice work all around, but I'm very jealous of your 120 L tank on the XJ!
We've had some discussions in the Jeep forum, and there aren't a lot of options on this side of the ocean for larger after market tanks...

The best bit was I picked it up used for $250AUD

Cheers
Steve

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Now you're just gloating! :violent-smiley-031:

 

[Steve F]

Got given a little present today, damaged stock so needs some aluminium channel around it I can deal with that.

Just need to make a frame up for it to attach to the roof of the camper behind the RTT. Oh and get a bigger solar regulator as well.

Cheers
Steve