A couple of years ago (Sept of 2019) I embarked on a project to build a teardrop camper. My plan was to build something simple, classy and affordable. I involved the help of my dad in this venture knowing that he would be the partner I needed to make this project a success. While it has had its ups and downs over the past few years, I have to say that I have enjoyed the journey so far (for the most part).
The short video below was taken soon after my overall design was complete and we had found a trailer to start the project with.
Like everyone else, we decided to document our trailer build; especially since we were taking a different approach than most designs I had seen, and we were building the trailer from the inside out. We had some very lofty goals and expectations some of which slowly eroded as we got further into construction.
The next image shows a picture of my original inspiration. I loved the look of this trailer; very slick, low profile, nicely rounded, simple and classy.
The first thing I did was do a lot of research. Come to find out, there is an enormous underground, teardrop camper community; along with sites that are doing what I am doing – chronicling the event. But also, there are a lot of teardrop enthusiasts, websites of part suppliers, and lots of helpful information.
So, I began to sketch and draw different designs. I gathered lots of pictures and ideas. Below are some of my original sketches showing the profile, cutaway and the galley. I have to say the outcome product is coming very close to my original designs.
I will admit that this is a Covid born project. Covid started Dec 12, 2019, and by the end of Dec the world was quickly being shut down. I was living with my parents as I had taken a short-term job away from my home in Dallas. I would do a three-hour drive home each weekend but had really not much to do during the weekday evenings. So, I started researching the scheme to build a camper and came across a plethora of information. I then started doing some illustrations (see illustrations below), developing deeper ideas and pricing out campers and camper parts.
As you can see from the sketches above to the illustrations below, I was wavering on my profile shape. I really liked the rounded typical teardrop shape but began to question my ability to construct the curved shapes and still make it look good. So, I started changing the design a bit and thought it might be best to flatten the back and ease up on all the curves. My side kick in this endeavor really wanted to pursue the rounded shape so in the end we settled on a curved structure but there are days I regret that decision.
With those decisions made, we were off and running. I started looking for a 5 x 10 ft trailer base and finally found on thru the help of a family friend. He negotiated a $700 purchase, and we were now off to the races.
I will present more information about the base of the trailer in the next post.
So, my goal with this particular series of posts is to not only tell you about how we built this trailer but also the story behind the build. The fun parts, the not so fun parts, the successes and the struggles. This has been quite a journey so far. And while as of today (5/18/2023) we are still working on it; we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting close. I am very much looking forward to giving the trailer a spin and already have a location in mind for its maiden trip.
By the way, the reason I stated this project was a Covid baby was because the epidemic really spurred me on to have something to consume my time at the house, with my parents, in the evenings. But more importantly it was a project that dad and I could do together, which has been very special.
