Small teardrop build

[jakblue0]

This is a my build thread. I have been doing research for months and have found many small trailers to pull behind my jeep but all way over priced or not fully what I want so I picked to build my own. I work in auto body so I'm going to use some of this knowledge to hopefully get me along. The cabinets will be my challenge so I decided to build the cab area first and then to build my trailer to match it just in case I change it while building. My goal and design is inspired from three trailers I really like Singatour, Runaway and the Panther trailers. Just like all of them mine will be pretty square so I can maximize spaxe usage. At the front I have a small curve for air while moving down the road and looks. The whole roof is sloped back by a inch so water will run off. It will have one door and one window with three cargo doors in the back instead of one big hatch door. There will be a big cargo door for the counter top, sink, stove top, and cabinets. Another for storage and another door for the pull out 12 volt fridge. It's framed in 3/4 sanded ply and 2x2 with the outside being skinned in rv fiberglass sheets and the inside will be paneled like in a large rv. I will add pics here as my build progresses! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


This is the bottom of the floor framed out it will be insulated with a metal skid place attached.


Framing out the walls.

 

[jakblue0]

More pictures to come soon! Any suggestions will help!

 

[silvrzuki77]

Looks to be a good start, i take it you are going to cut the cabinet doors out later? I dont know if you have one but pick up a kreg pocket drill
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p169/kreg-jigreg-r3/
Makes life way easier building everything!

 

[jakblue0]

Great suggestion! I think I'm going to buy one after work today. Yes I'm cutting out the doors next, I wanted to do it after so I could make sure my sizes wouldn't be to big and so I dry fit some things first. My plain is to cut them out and the router down the edge so doors sit flush and I found flush latches on eBay so they won't pop open while being bumped around.

 

[silvrzuki77]

If you check out my original teardrop build UAV TD. I used flushed mounted RV door handles. Also depending on trim take into account the thickness of each trim piece when doing your routing. It was suggested to me and Im glad I listened add a second door. Not sure if you have kids or anything but it made life better having access from both sides!

 

[jakblue0]

No kids right now lol I was thinking about adding another door on that side but it's just me so I picked s big window for more air flow and light, I googled rv flush mount and found what I think your taking about, I really like them! Think I might order this pair for the cabinet doors!




Also did some more framing on the cabinets, I'm going to split them in half so there will be some for the back kitchen and for the inside, not too deep but should hold what I need.

 

[jakblue0]

I finished off the cabinets design and drilled holes to cut out the doors with the jig saw!

What should I use as siding? I was thinking about using rv fiberglass siding or fiberglassing the edges and seems then spraying it with some auto paint.

 

[silvrzuki77]

So lucky I still have this link on my phone lol
http://www.themetalcompany.com/node/11
Rv siding you can buy in rolls.

 

[jakblue0]

Awaome! Thank you so much! I was looking your teardrop build and that's great!

 

[workingonit71]

This is a my build thread. I have been doing research for months and have found many small trailers to pull behind my jeep but all way over priced or not fully what I want so I picked to build my own. I work in auto body so I'm going to use some of this knowledge to hopefully get me along. The cabinets will be my challenge so I decided to build the cab area first and then to build my trailer to match it just in case I change it while building. My goal and design is inspired from three trailers I really like Singatour, Runaway and the Panther trailers. Just like all of them mine will be pretty square so I can maximize spaxe usage. At the front I have a small curve for air while moving down the road and looks. The whole roof is sloped back by a inch so water will run off. It will have one door and one window with three cargo doors in the back instead of one big hatch door. There will be a big cargo door for the counter top, sink, stove top, and cabinets. Another for storage and another door for the pull out 12 volt fridge. It's framed in 3/4 sanded ply and 2x2 with the outside being skinned in rv fiberglass sheets and the inside will be paneled like in a large rv. I will add pics here as my build progresses! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

View attachment 252991

View attachment 253000

Similar profile, similar rear galley area. Except that I didn't follow thru with my original plan to compartmentalize the rear, and settled on a vertical hatch (plywood 49.25x48). I used the same plywood, but I joined them with Simpson Strongtie steel connectors, and glued every joint with Loctite PL Premium polyurethane adhesive. I only used one spar, but not to support the roof, but to brace the sloping nose from possibly bowing-in at highway speeds (unneeded, in afterthought). Remember, 3/4" plywood weighs a lot...I thought I could build under 1k lbs, but ended up at 1775 lbs (since reduced to 1518 lbs, travel weight)

 

[jakblue0]

It is very similar, I like the look of yours, I was going to do a single hatch door instead of compartments but my parents gave me a 40 foot pull behind that a tree feel on. So I'm using all the windows and cargo doors for that for parts!

 

[workingonit71]

Can't beat that! Sourcing windows and doors seems to be an ordeal. I just used my cut-out plywood for the doors, the hatch was easy, and I agonized over window selection for two years before I went with my first choice. There might be more parts in it that you can re-use. Or sell to other to finance your build.

 

[jakblue0]

That's my goal! I think that my build should come in under 1k!