Offroad Teardrops at Overland Expo 2013?

[John E Davies]

I have received an email from Moby1 saying that they will have "several models" of teardrops on display, and from Adventure Trailers that they will NOT have a teardrop, but that they were aware that several owners would be there so I could talk to them.

Do any of you who own a _commercially built_ offroad teardrop plan on attending this year? I was there in 2012 and I recall seeing only one Adventure Trailers OR TD. I was disappointed.

My wife and I are pretty keen on the new Moby1 XTR in all its glory. A moderately specced unit with rack and awning, water, galley and DC power, expedition box and a few other options, but NO furnace, A/C or solar would cost us north of $25K, which makes us hesitate, to say the least, but I am in no position now to build my own. .... I am hoping this one will be at Mormon Lake in May:



Three more pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.551545124858399.131788.117644758248440&type=3

That trailer is pretty much fully loaded and overkill for our needs, but it sure is cooool.

Comments on OE 2013 are most welcome.....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[gadcustoms]

Here is what I built myself that I am in the process of getting into production, I built this as a prototype to see what type of response I would get. I am going to try to make it to the expo for a little more exposure and to get a little more feedback on my build.

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

www.aspenXtrails.com

We plan on attending, but not as a vendor. Taking some classes, but will be staying the Tear Drop. You can research our builds in the portal, under Old Sarge build, skersfans shuttle pod. Or follow the current build in this thread. We have more standard features, some that you mentioned and for less money. And a integrated steel frame no other manufacturer offers.

 

[adventureduo]

We should be there again displaying the SoCal Teardrop Krawler 459. We'll be debuting some of their latest options and providing honest feedback about how we like the trailer after 2 years of use.

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

Gabe,

Looking forward to seeing you guys again, have you heard if Cowboy is bringing his. I am working on a new fiberglass unit, similar to the ones I buil 25 years ago, just smaller. Glass guy says it can be done with a single mold. Would use fiber glass for kitchen and inner wall linning. Water tight deal. Not sure I want to dump all that money into it, but may have a model of what we are talking about there. Plan on camping with the FJ crowd.

Bob

www.aspenXtrails.com
951 692 0958

 

[Yulli]

I'm new with the teardrops.

I've only looked into SoCal, Moby1, and one other but forgot who.

If you're going to be at the Expo, try to take lots of pics and maybe show features of each brand of trailer if you could. Only if you want to. I'd love to see what else all out there or what people have done to their own trailer from whatever brand they went with.

I'm in the market for the Moby1. I'll probably be doing the XTR but not the new model that showed in your first post. I'll probably splurge though and add the water, sink/stove, water heater, and other stuff.

 

[STREGA]

I was there with my brothers So-Cal Krawler, camped right next to the vendor area with the FJ Cruiser guys. I remember seeing at least a half dozen other offroad TD's in the camping areas.

I don't know why the AT guys don't bring a TD to the Expo or why So-Cal doesn't attend either. My brothers Krawler was purchased because I saw the original AT teardrop prototype at the first Expo and I know of at least 1 AT teardrop that was sold after it was seen at the 2nd Expo. I'am sure there has been many more that were sold because they were seen at the Expo.

I stopped by the Moby1 shop mid Febuary and saw the XTR teardrop that's in the posted pic, someone is getting a very nice trailer. Ashley mentioned he was considering going to the Expo this year, I encouraged him to do so.

I will be going to the Expo again this year but I won't have the teardrop this time.

 

[John E Davies]

I was there with my brothers So-Cal Krawler, camped right next to the vendor area with the FJ Cruiser guys. I remember seeing at least a half dozen other offroad TD's in the camping areas.

Hmm - did those trailers arrive later?. My wife and I were there the first day and departed Friday morning. We went out into the back forty and didn't see any teardrops, or we just missed you guys somehow...... The teardrop we saw was indeed parked next to that gang of Sportsmobiles close to the vendors area and food building. But it was alone when we went by. Is this you? I can't tell a So-Cal Krawler from an AT Offroad Teardrop, since they have the same shell.

http://www.spokanister.net/images_web/Family_Web/UT_AZ_Overland_Expo_2012/UT%20AZ%20trip-2012_05_18-0993.jpg

We will only be there on Saturday - we have to fly down and get a rental car, then get away by late afternoon for the return flight out of Phoenix. We will look harder for those small trailers!

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[STREGA]

...... The teardrop we saw was indeed parked next to that gang of Sportsmobiles close to the vendors area and food building. But it was alone when we went by. Is this you? I can't tell a So-Cal Krawler from an AT Offroad Teardrop, since they have the same shell....

Yes that was me. I saw 2 AT teardrops there, Since So-Cal makes the cabin for AT it is hard to tell them apart, I think the AT's sit a little taller than the So-Cal's due to the suspension they use.

 

[elcoyote]

I saw 2 AT teardrops there, Since So-Cal makes the cabin for AT it is hard to tell them apart, I think the AT's sit a little taller than the So-Cal's due to the suspension they use.

You are correct.

 

[John E Davies]

I received an email from Mario at Adventure Trailers. He told me that there would be at least a couple of AT teardrop trailers at OE 2013. I hope he won't mind if I quote a couple of lines:

"One is recently built, completed in February for a return client who owned a Chaser trailer previously. He requested a modified chassis and vertical forward cabin much like the Moby. He had considered a Moby and ultimately decided to on AT instead.

The other Teardrop is about a year old and in heavy use by a pro-photographer. It is more standardized than the one previously mentioned."

Cool.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[John E Davies]

This is unrelated to trailers, but I just read that Charlie Boorman will be attending this year. He is listed as an "exhibitor" on the Overland Expo page, and he also mentions it here:

http://www.facebook.com/CharleyBoormanPage

I would like to shake his hand and buy a tee shirt. Now I need to go watch Long Way Round once more.....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[mvbeggs]

That wasn't ours, here's a couple of pics I took yesterday. I'm extremely happy with the build....

From signature line:
SCT 4510 Krawler in progress-OME, Rancho 9000, 33" BFG KM2 on ATX Mojave's, duel amg batteries, 2 x 15 gal. watertanks, this and that

Hijack ALERT!

What size AGM's and where are you putting them? I'm in the process of relocating the battery on my teardrop. Just curious in case SoCal has a better way of skinning the cat.

 

[mvbeggs]

Battery Relocation

From behind the left side drawers of the kitchen galley to the front nose box. I'll be adding two Sears DieHard Marine Group Size 31M Platinum batteries there with the controller.

So you'll have 2 group 31's in the nose box or are you installing 1 behind the galley drawers and 1 in the nose box?

I know that unsolicited advice is about as welcome as a turd in the punch bowl, but..... I'd be a little careful if you're planning on putting 2 group 31's in the nose box. On my new teardrop, I had a 4D battery (~125 lbs) in the front nose box area. Tongue weight was pretty heavy. (400 lbs heavy) I'm guessing your 2 group 31's are similar in weight to one 4D battery. Currently, I'm relocating the battery to under the trailer, and behind the axle, to help reduce the tongue weight.

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

The off road community seems to like tongue weight. I have seen several tear drops and expedition trailers that are near to impossible to move when disconnected and setting on good old mother earth. There truly is no need for the amount of some of them. Other than by design. Most seem to have a battery box, water tanks, and storage on the tongue. When building you must remember that when you leave the house the trailer will most likely be full, IE water, propane, groceries and other goodies. As the week or weeks go, less is in the trailer and where that less was is what causes the trailer to tow differently. Keeping everything low, by design and by packing makes the trailer more stable. Counter balancing is the answer. If you look at the latest Moby, you see a gigantic packing area in the front, and the spare tire in the rear, counter weight. If you look at an Aspen Xpedition trailer, it will appear to be tongue heavy, but can be lifted easily and held with one hand, but you can stand on the rear, jump up and down and the front will not come up. Most of this is controlled by the location of the axle, knowing where your main weight will be and how the trailer weight will change with it disappearing.

I would agree that two batteries in the front on the tongue, would seem too much, but it really boils down to, where Gabe figured the center of gravity, placing the axle to counter the weight. Gabe has been building tear drops longer than any of us. If he thinks it is the right place, my guess is that he is pretty spot on.

Bob

www.aspenXtrails.com
951 692 0958