Teardrop Trailer

Hi Chuck,

Cold weather is finally gone! Spring is on the way and I'm more than ready for it. I have several Yakoos to build which are almost complete but plan to do a lot of fishing and traveling this year.

I just built a Teardrop camping trailer. I'll put a rack on top to carry one of the small boats. It's not quite finished, ran out of paint as you can see and still have to pick up some hardward. This is going to be nice and I will have a nice place to rest rather than to fuss with a tent and sleep on the ground! The roof vent is also a little skylight with a bug screen inside, same on the windows.

Teardrops have a lot of history and became very popular out west right after WW II. Search Google for tons of info.

I made mine cheap to go fishing at thelake and places requiring long distance travel. The little table inside slids in and out. I mounted it on my utility trailer and it's easily removed so I can haul lumber, plywood or other stuff as well. All I have to do is unbolt it and stick the jacks under it. The wife is getting into it so I've got to deck it up a bit. It's light and I can roll it around the yard by hand. The rear hatch open up into the kitchenette. I won't be doing a lot of elaborate cooking so I left it open and did away with the cabinets to save time and labor and to create more space for other junk. If I'm in a campground I can plug in to outside power for lighting, heat, etc. This one is my own design, and made cheap! I'll add niceties later on like factory windows, door locks etc. Will send a good pic when it's completed and with a boat on top. I can park this thing just about anywhere and get nice camping spots that others pass up cause they can't get their big ass camper in! Trying to figure out where to put the spare wheel now. It will be handy for messabouts too!

Quality Truckstops are a safe place to stay when you are on the road, get a shower for 5 or 6 bucks, and have other convenieces as well, good meals, etc. Rest Areas will all night security are nice too for a place to stop. Beat the hell out of paying for a motel. Wife's got to have it easy! I'll be installing a small a/c unit in later and also a tiny microwave! My poor man's Airstream! He,he! Campgrounds are nice if you are going to stay a while!

There is a huge advantage to mounting a TD on a utiity trailer. One...is that in most states you can haul "anything" you want on a utility trailer, and the registration cost is far less that for something you might have to register as an RV with all kinds of fees taxes, etc. My trailer cost 6 buck a year! Can't beat dat!

My lighting is battery powered flouresanat lights I got on clearance at Home Depot. Got 3 lights for 6.95..the replacement bulb alone is 5.95! So I got 2 packages and have 3 more if I need them. One goes in the kitchenette and all are mounted with velcro strips so I can change the batteries, keep them from taking a lot of pounding on the road, and easily move them if I have to. It also saves on wiring, fixtures, switches, etc. and stuff for RV's can get very expensive!

I have plans for several others but had this one built before the plans came! Oh Well! Dat's me! I start cutting and hope for the best as with the boats. Li'l Bear Tagalongs owned by Grant Whippy has the best price on the "hurricane" waterproof hatch hinge at 40.00 ppd, and also has some xcellent door handles and windows too! Plan to get them when I can afford them. He's great to work with!

Commercially made TD's start just under 4 grand, and go up! You ought to know me by now. I ain't going to pay dat kinda price for nothin! I have less than 500 bucks in mine including the trailer with the new spare wheel I got at Walmart! One sheet of plywood for the floor, one for each side and that ain't much. I covered it with 1/4" luan. If you decide to build one I have info on where to get fenders, etc if you need them..I'll change mine later to a rounded classic style and other stuff too.

Tales and Trails is another site you need to check out! Archives of many TD's from the 1920's to present. Desertteardrops.com is another good source of info. Anyway I got tons of stuff on them and pics from about 35 different ones.

The shelves and cabinets are nice if you plan to stay for a week or better but not for weekend trips, so I left mine open for cooler, dining canopy, etc., and did away with a lot of unecessary material, building and time. Very little paint except on the outside and under the hatch. Paneling inside, paneling and vinyl in the kitchenette! Just tacked the paneling in with my electric staple gun and the inside was done! I figure the more you can cover without having to fool with a bunch of paint is a plus! Also have a nice 10x10x46.5 inch storage box at the very back inside the kitchenette for food and all sorts of stuff, fishing rods, flyrod, rifle, lantern, one burner propane stove, etc. I did put some little overhead cabinets in that are handy. You can see them in the pic.

Most folks are gearing their TD's around the 50's era! Loved that part of my life! The wife has bought a bunch of old Coca Cola stuff! Cushions, signs, bottle opener, etc.

The TD will broaden my horizons and make life a lot simpler when enroute, at messabouts or similar gatherings. I think the boat and TD will go together nicely! Got my mattress from knoxfoam.com. They are great for boat cushions and can cut anything anysize you want. TIP...Grade B is the best to get for campers, boat cushions, mattresses or whatever your needs for foam. They also will make the custom covers for your mattress. I'll get mine later. I was able to change my order from a 4" to a 6" thick mattress before they turned in my order. Much better for us older folks and for the wife too. The 6" was recommended way over the 4 or 5" not only by Charity at Knox Foam but by our doctors as well. 4" is ok if you are young and spry which I ain't! I'm very excited about the TD cause I can get into places I never could before and don't have to worry about being out by dark!

I'll just stay all damn weekend now! Well, got to go do some hole filling and get ready to paint. I'm using Sherwin William Polyurethan Porch and Deck enamel. They said it was very tough paint so I'm gonna give it a try. Latex ain't gonna get it, because of constant exposure it will be subjected too. The dining canopy makes it nice and also offers a lot of protection from the elements. Got a really nice little folding picnic table yesterday for 20.00 at Family Dollar, and a couple fo 10'x10' white dining canopies for 15.00 each! What a bargain! Well I'm off to the shop.

Thanks...Richard Frye