Teardrop Dilemma

[46flattie]

Hey guys, looking for opinions....I have been looking for a used teardrop camper, either an off-road, or one I can convert into an off-road. Due to prices, have also been considering building my own. Then I came across a 1947 Kit Kamper that has been restored w/a few convenience modifications (roof fan, a few outlets, inverter, modern windows in the doors)....would it be a crime to molest something like this? OR are these things kind of like a Jeep where its generally expected that people are going to make modifications to suit their needs/desires?

Thanks, I look forward to your opinions!

 

[MattF350]

Id say...thats up to you. If I may...check out tnttt.com if you want teardrop trailer ideas. Idd say, if you want offroad, probably best to build yourself. The newer ones barely look like they can handle campgrounds, let alone backwoods.

 

[jonb8]

I was in the same spot as you a few years ago, ended up building my own. Glad I did now,

 

[Teardropper]

Rebuilding a '47 Kit will probably take as much effort as a new build. Or close to it. Build what you want from the ground up.

 

[ratled]

There is always something like this https://www.leaddogmotorsports.com/extreme-off-road

Nicely equipped starting at about $8k

 

[MattF350]

From the link above...offroad in 5x9 is available for $10k

 

[ratled]

From the link above...offroad in 5x9 is available for $10k

And from the link above the 4x8 is $7,995 for the offroad.

Also since the OP is MI Hiker sells these too at their IN location

 

[vintageracer]

Cut it UP!

Make it your own and ENJOY the teardrop!

 

[46flattie]

Thanks for all your replies and the links. And I agree with MattF350...we looked a popular manufactured teardrop that has an "outback" model...not real impressed, especially for the $. I'm sure there are others out there that are probably built very well.

 

[jmnielsen]

I built my own. Its a work in progress, but I've only got $1800 in it so far...

 

[Bayou Boy]

I built my own. Its a work in progress, but I've only got $1800 in it so far...

Where's your build thread?! That back hatch swinging to the side is cool.

 

[46flattie]

I built my own. Its a work in progress, but I've only got $1800 in it so far...

Looks nice....sometimes work in progress is a good way to go, you can use it a little and then finish features after you gain more insight on how you use it.

 

[Jmanscotch]

The Hiker units are very nice and great bang for your buck when stacked up against ANY comparable unit on the market. We were a day away from putting a deposit down on one.

The reason we didn't was two major reasons. The first is they had a year wait (here in the Denver, CO shop) and we didn't want to miss another whole season. The second was due to pricing. Even as affordable as they are for what you're getting, by the time we spec'd out what we wanted we were at twice the cost of what we could build one ourselves for. So we bought a 5x8 cargo trailer instead and should be able to build it, with all the features we want, for less than $5,000 (instead of $10,000 for the Hiker customized).

With that said, if you are capable of DIYing and enjoy the process, consider doing your own. If you're not, they really are a great option.

 

[46flattie]

That's likely my plan (building one)...I'm a DIY'er, very rarely hire anybody to do anything. Time is the biggest factor, so finding one to convert/buy is a compromise...self-employed=24/7/365

 

[jmnielsen]

Where's your build thread?! That back hatch swinging to the side is cool.

I don't have one, I'll post one later today if I have some time.

Looks nice....sometimes work in progress is a good way to go, you can use it a little and then finish features after you gain more insight on how you use it.

That's exactly what I've been doing. The more we use it the more we see what we like and dislike and things we want to change.