HOTFR8
Banned
Even in the coldest weather you will need to do that. I know from experience.
Teardrop trailer build
- Thread starter Syberia
- Start date
Even in the coldest weather you will need to do that. I know from experience.
Finished up a few odds and ends...
Made a trim piece out of a piece of 3" roof flashing for the bottom of the trailer. Painted with Rustoleum metallic silver.
Caulked the joint between the wall panels and the trailer frame. It didn't stick out far enough to use trim. It looks a bit like *** in this shot but I went back and cleaned it up as best I could once it started to dry and some of it could be removed without smearing it everywhere.
Put handles on the hatch
And installed racks on each side to use as clothes hangers.
And with that, I think we can call this project complete
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Made a trim piece out of a piece of 3" roof flashing for the bottom of the trailer. Painted with Rustoleum metallic silver.
Caulked the joint between the wall panels and the trailer frame. It didn't stick out far enough to use trim. It looks a bit like *** in this shot but I went back and cleaned it up as best I could once it started to dry and some of it could be removed without smearing it everywhere.
Put handles on the hatch
And installed racks on each side to use as clothes hangers.
And with that, I think we can call this project complete
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
beakie
Well-known member
great thread and work
happy camping!
happy camping!
HOTFR8
Banned
Looking very impressive now.
John15511
Member
Great build. Happy camping.
nmantas
Well-known member
Only 80lb from the HF limit of 1720....hopefully it was a very conservative rating. In any event, for liability purposes its massively better to be under that rating than over.
Very nice job and I hope you guys enjoy it for many years.
You may want to double check the bearings on those trailers, (speaking from experience) they're not assembled for critical use. You may even want to carry a completed hub in addition to a spare tire.
Enjoy camping, we love it
You may want to double check the bearings on those trailers, (speaking from experience) they're not assembled for critical use. You may even want to carry a completed hub in addition to a spare tire.
Enjoy camping, we love it
Where would I get a spare hub/bearings? You're not the only one to tell me they're **** in these trailers (though I have the small HF enclosed trailer that I've overloaded the **** out of and pulled behind my motorcycle with no issues after a few years).
I might even just replace the bearings once for peace of mind and be done with it, if quality replacements exist.
Spare tire is on my shortlist of things I still need to get.
I might even just replace the bearings once for peace of mind and be done with it, if quality replacements exist.
Spare tire is on my shortlist of things I still need to get.
Yes, they are **** but it's held up fine for my limited abuse. It did turn pink once I started storing it outside. I have the folding model and use it to haul bulking items, furniture, quad, mulch etc.
I've overloaded it twice with topsoil and 3" rock. It pushed the fender bolts into the tire. I would recommend flipping the fender bolt to put the threads up rather than toward the tire or redesign the connector,-- trim the extra threads off or something to protect the tire in case of massive bounce or an overload situation.
Even with all the abuse it hasn't failed. All I did was pack the bears with good synthetic high temp grease but I don't use it much on the HWY, especially with a heavy load.
Hope this helps:
https://www.etrailer.com/question-142432.html
I've overloaded it twice with topsoil and 3" rock. It pushed the fender bolts into the tire. I would recommend flipping the fender bolt to put the threads up rather than toward the tire or redesign the connector,-- trim the extra threads off or something to protect the tire in case of massive bounce or an overload situation.
Even with all the abuse it hasn't failed. All I did was pack the bears with good synthetic high temp grease but I don't use it much on the HWY, especially with a heavy load.
Hope this helps:
https://www.etrailer.com/question-142432.html
Rewind97
Well-known member
Any idea of the weight? Be interesting to know.
There a trailer supply joint that will have those hubs on Indiana just west of Washington. In the very first industrial complex you come to on the south side of the road.
Looking like you're ready for a trial run, where you going?
Looking like you're ready for a trial run, where you going?
So I read online that Dexter brand 1" hubs will fit the Harbor Freight axles, use standard-sized bearings, and are generally higher quality. I might just end up replacing mine when I get back from the trip. I'll at least keep an eye on them and see if anything feels hotter than usual.
Rewind97
Well-known member
Hope you have a great trip!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
volksnick
Well-known member
I had read that the bearings come with a grease-like material in them and that they should be cleaned an packed before use. It's like a cosmoline type stuff used to keep them from rusting during shipping. Maybe just cleaning and repacking will suffice, but it's always good to have spares. Places like Northern or Tractor Supply often have quick kits or preloaded hubs and bearings that you can store easily for replacements. If your axle requires special bearing sizes and you plan on going long distances, maybe plan for an axle swap down the road for bearing sizes that you can find at most big box stores.
twarren
Well-known member
And??
twarren.....
twarren.....
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
And??
twarren.....
Click on the text, it brings you to a Youtube video.
383 240z
Well-known member
Tear Drop trailers
Who has one? Who wants one? Anybody start building one? Who actually finished? Where you happy? Did you buy plans, or did you wing it?
I'm seriously considering one. They were a dream of mine when I was younger. Now that I'm single again, they are more useable. After tent camping all last week a mattress sounds real nice. Thoughts from the owners/builders out there?
Who has one? Who wants one? Anybody start building one? Who actually finished? Where you happy? Did you buy plans, or did you wing it?
I'm seriously considering one. They were a dream of mine when I was younger. Now that I'm single again, they are more useable. After tent camping all last week a mattress sounds real nice. Thoughts from the owners/builders out there?
58Yeoman
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
Funny that you brought this up. We were hitting the garage sales today, and a guy had a really nice 5x10 to tow behind his jeep. He said they started at ~$7500 and went up with options. I figured that he had between 10 and 12 thousand in his. We really liked it, but I don't think that we would use it enough to justify the cost.
TCTeardrop.com
Funny that you brought this up. We were hitting the garage sales today, and a guy had a really nice 5x10 to tow behind his jeep. He said they started at ~$7500 and went up with options. I figured that he had between 10 and 12 thousand in his. We really liked it, but I don't think that we would use it enough to justify the cost.
TCTeardrop.com
Re: Tear Drop trailers
There was a well-documented build here, although its images fell victim to the photobucket problem.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346797
There's a good forum for them at http://www.tnttt.com
I looked into building an ultra-lightweight one, but then decided I needed something that could sleep 4.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63776&sid=f157a3cdbbfa072cce7d9c1ae5c440f1
There was a well-documented build here, although its images fell victim to the photobucket problem.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346797
There's a good forum for them at http://www.tnttt.com
I looked into building an ultra-lightweight one, but then decided I needed something that could sleep 4.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63776&sid=f157a3cdbbfa072cce7d9c1ae5c440f1
rjacobs
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
Every time I look at tear drops and see how much they cost and how little you get, I am underwhelmed.
You can get a smaller(under 20') bumper pull thats light weight AND has a toilet and a shower... for about the same price as a tear drop.
Every time I look at tear drops and see how much they cost and how little you get, I am underwhelmed.
You can get a smaller(under 20') bumper pull thats light weight AND has a toilet and a shower... for about the same price as a tear drop.
MushCreek
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
I keep visiting the idea of building one. Maybe someday...
I keep visiting the idea of building one. Maybe someday...
Heavy Metal Doctor
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
They only really appealing advantages to a teardrop is having a real bed to sleep on, more out of the weather, and the possibility of heated / cooled space AND small enough to tow behind just about any vehicle, even ones for which the smallest pop-up or hard-side camper would be too heavy. So, with that in mind, and the fact that I already have a large travel trailer with all the comforts of home, my wife and I have kicked around the idea of buying a teardrop so we can hook it up to our little commuter car and do quick weekend trips out. We want one, just can't justify the expense of ready-made (like a Little Guy brand) and I don't have time to build one 'till some other priorities are behind me.
They only really appealing advantages to a teardrop is having a real bed to sleep on, more out of the weather, and the possibility of heated / cooled space AND small enough to tow behind just about any vehicle, even ones for which the smallest pop-up or hard-side camper would be too heavy. So, with that in mind, and the fact that I already have a large travel trailer with all the comforts of home, my wife and I have kicked around the idea of buying a teardrop so we can hook it up to our little commuter car and do quick weekend trips out. We want one, just can't justify the expense of ready-made (like a Little Guy brand) and I don't have time to build one 'till some other priorities are behind me.
Woody610nb
Banned
Re: Tear Drop trailers
Here is a pretty nice kit from CLC;
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/recreational-vehicles/clc-teardrop-trailer.html
Here is a pretty nice kit from CLC;
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/recreational-vehicles/clc-teardrop-trailer.html
Randy in Maine
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
Lightweight travel trailers are really popular out there as you don't need a $50K tow vehicle to pull them around. Also look into the fiberglass ones from Scamp, Casita and Oliver. Very popular about everywhere.
A guy down the street from me built his own from plans over a winter and it came out very well. My suggestion would be to start with well built trailer frame. I think he used one from AlumiLite.
Lightweight travel trailers are really popular out there as you don't need a $50K tow vehicle to pull them around. Also look into the fiberglass ones from Scamp, Casita and Oliver. Very popular about everywhere.
A guy down the street from me built his own from plans over a winter and it came out very well. My suggestion would be to start with well built trailer frame. I think he used one from AlumiLite.
MushCreek
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
We would have to have something pretty light to tow behind our RAV4. A small teardrop would be fine for a few days at a time.
We would have to have something pretty light to tow behind our RAV4. A small teardrop would be fine for a few days at a time.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
If you want to blow some dough, there' always this:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/FREE...VQrnACh1XtgG9EAYYAyABEgI3p_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I saw one at The Glen last fall and almost snarfed my beer when the guy told me how much it was. He seemed to think it was a really good deal...
Tommy
If you want to blow some dough, there' always this:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/FREE...VQrnACh1XtgG9EAYYAyABEgI3p_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I saw one at The Glen last fall and almost snarfed my beer when the guy told me how much it was. He seemed to think it was a really good deal...
Tommy
Last edited:
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
Know an old individual that has a T@B and uses the hell out of it. No issues she encountered yet.
Know an old individual that has a T@B and uses the hell out of it. No issues she encountered yet.
Re: Tear Drop trailers
These guys are local to my area.....last I heard they had a waiting list:
http://www.tcteardrops.com
These guys are also in Wisconsin buy well know in the tear drop biz
http://tinycamper.com/teardropmodels.htm
These guys are local to my area.....last I heard they had a waiting list:
http://www.tcteardrops.com
These guys are also in Wisconsin buy well know in the tear drop biz
http://tinycamper.com/teardropmodels.htm
58Yeoman
Well-known member
Re: Tear Drop trailers
TCteardrops web site says that they are taking orders now for delivery in Oct. of 2018.
TCteardrops web site says that they are taking orders now for delivery in Oct. of 2018.