Teardrop Camper with poor man’s fiberglass (PMF) 

Lol - I’ll remove and reinstall the roll!

joeyaus1 - I really thought about the choices on how to cover it. I decided on PMF just bc of cost and it seemed forgivable.

LOL

Apparently a very talented film maker and genius editor collaborated and now he/they with a big future ahead of him! Lol Nice job kid. Keep it up. You do good work!

Drifting Gator thanks! Good luck if you are building one. Feel free to ask any questions if you get stuck along the way.

a very small camper van - sorry, on the trips I’ve used the heater, I’ve always been hooked to shore power so I haven’t worried too much about the battery usage.

a very small camper van - here is the heater link. www.amazon.com/Windshield-Defogger-Defroster-3-Outlet-Demister/dp/B07VT5N8ZZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=portable+car+heater&qid=1570826071&sr=8-3

I didn’t keep a strict accounting. When I did a back of the envelope tally it was about $2200. Prob forgot a few items.

joe woodchuck - I used 2 gallons. I used Titebond 2 bc all of the videos I saw on PMF said to use Titebond 2. It has held up very well so far.

chipcross1 I had the same question and saw others using Titebond ii. I think either one is a good choice. Maybe the Titebond iii is a newer version.

@@markrandall1456 Maybe ive come into the poor mans fiberglass world rather late, with the result being when i started to look at Titebond there were already three versions.

The doors were from Vintage Technologies. I don’t remember where the lights were from. As I recall, they are called “porch lights” and I found lots of different vendors online. My design was always flexing to the most economical choices - I never got too picky on a particular brand as I wanted to keep costs down.

Sure is! I’ve taken it from Delaware to Florida twice. It’s also been to the Carolinas and up to Pennsylvania Amish Country. Headed to the finger lakes in NY this weekend. Cheers!

Mark Yurkiw - yes, there is an overlapping seam. I glued the walls on first and they overlapped the roof a couple of inches. Once dry, I put on the roof and it overlapped the walls about the same. I figured it improved making it watertight that way.

michael tichonuk Thanks Michael. Do you have a teardrop?

@@chipcross1 no sir, not yet! Checking others fabrication and design ideas, such as yourself. So many great ideas and craftsmen! Sleeping in a tent as often as we go camping i would like to upgrade. Having mechanical and building skills i tend to over complicate a project...why i enjoyed your presentation so much. Simple ( not to be confused with easy) .

falcon7350 - I certainly see the competing views on the subject. I really like having the extra window as it makes it much less claustrophobic inside. I know it’s a weak spot for water penetration which is why I went overboard with butyl tape and flex seal paint. I’m not much of a winter camper - fall, yes. Winter, no. But why do you say I couldn’t go winter camping?

It was pretty inexpensive. I got the canvas from Big Duck Canvas (be sure when calculating the amount you need to account for shrinkage - you need to wash and dry before putting it on the camper and it shrinks like 10-15% as I recall). If memory serves, canvas, 2 bottles of Titebond and paint was about $150.

My back of the envelope tally was somewhere between $2k-$2,500. I tended to go with the flow and flex my design based on parts on sale, etc.

Thanks!

bigjoe357 thanks! I didn’t keep a strict accounting. My original back of the envelope number was about $2200 but I know I didn’t capture everything (like all projects, there were lots of trips to the Home Depot to grab this and that). There were some tools I bought as well that I’m not including. Certainly with everything it was under $3,000.

James Ferrell thanks! I wanted to give it a little style but wanted to keep the weight down and also something that would hold up bouncing down the road. It’s worked well.

It was black undercoating paint. I haven’t noticed any problem and it’s been more than a couple of years.

I came up with the plans myself. Based mainly on videos I saw on the internet. I didn’t retain them. Best of luck!

Marzan - thanks! Good luck with your build. I watched a ton of RU-vid videos to come up w ideas and strategies for my build. She’s made it up and down the east coast and I’m heading out for another adventure to FL next month.

Just hope yours isn't a 4 cylinder

Daryl Stokes - I cant find a link for my original order. I found this one which I believe is the same model. www.amazon.com/Windshield-Defogger-Defroster-3-Outlet-Demister/dp/B07VT5N8ZZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=portable+car+heater&qid=1570826071&sr=8-3 As far as working on a bigger camper, it prob all depends on how well insulated it is. This thing gives off a trickle of heat but it’s enough to keep the temp up. I’m going camping this weekend and it’s supposed to get down close to freezing so I’ll try to remember to give you an update. Also, don’t forget to leave a window cracked or the ceiling vent cracked for some fresh air.

Thanks!

Matooley O'Brien As best as I could figure, I spent about $2200 altogether. I did my best to look for sales on things like the trailer and windows. The skylight was an eBay find.

Jacob Kamphaus - The video was an afterthought to the build. I didn’t keep great records on costs and bought materials piecemeal. The cost I came up with is an estimate (though I think it’s pretty close). Sorry I don’t have more info on that.

Jacob Kamphaus PS - part of the reason I was able to keep the cost down was that I wasn’t married to any particular material - I debated building my own doors and went through lots of possible prebuilts before I found the ones I used. The copper backsplash for example was done because it turned out to be inexpensive, light and easy to install. I went through several ideas before selecting it. My biggest splurge was the stove sink combo (there were some cheaper options but I really wanted good BTUs for cooking).

I built a similar trailer and the cost was about the same. I used PMF as well. For anyoneconsidering PMF you should practice on a piece of scrap. Make sure someone is available to help you when the canvas is applied to the body. It can be awkward to handle. The Titebond product really works! Thanks for the video! :-)

Mark Randall - would love to see pics. And yes, it would have been nice to have help w the PMF though I did it myself in my case. I just prepared as much as possible so I could work efficiently.

www.teardroptrailerparts.com/

I haven’t had it weighed but based on the materials, I think it’s around 1000-1200 lbs. there is 140 on the tongue - I did check that.

My best memory/guess is that they were around $340 each. This is the website: www.teardroptrailerparts.com/ I debated building my own doors but from comments I heard from others on other videos I watched before building, I decided that the cost of hinges, insert windows, latches, seals, etc made them not that much more cost-wise and the almost sure promise that a homemade door would leak or cause problems was what went into my decision.

Michael Ryan Thanks! I’m really happy after the first year of use and several short and long trips. Everything has held up.

malcolm nicholls - thanks. I am certainly not an expert. I did check the bearings based on some comments I saw while doing my build and I did think they looked a little light - especially for taking the trailer on a long distance. Thanks for watching my video.

Carl T - thanks Carl. I tried to keep things organized! I just repainted the outside ahead of a reunion w my Navy squadron. It has a whole new look:

I was hoping to pin a photo to my reply but not sure how to do that...

James Richardson -Thank you!

J Burn - I can try to give a better idea with a few pics. Give me a couple of days.

Ty Jack thanks! I got the doors from teardroptrailerparts.com Good luck if you are building your own! Cheers, Rick

Coffee Greg - Thanks!

I had bought some weather stripping on Amazon (I don’t know the exact brand.) the first one wasn’t think enough so I replaced it with a thinker one. self adhesive. on the bottom edge, I used like a 1 1/2 inch flat rubber strip that overhangs the very bottom edge and prevents water from going down the outside and then slipping in. That strip isn’t on the video - I found that was an issue w water later. it works great. The galley isn’t locked - they are just rubber straps - almost like you see on some coolers these days. they pull down and latch onto a post on the bottom of the camper. I’ve never camped anywhere that I was worried about people messing w my camper.

David Morley - Thanks!! Good luck with your build!

I keep busy with building projects around the house. But none that I’ve documented for RU-vid. Cheers.

@@chipcross1 , make more money and maybe start at home projects. ( just saying ). Because you're good at stuff.

Andy - I kinda got lucky with the bendable plywood. There is a small store in Delaware that sells only plywood (no dimensional lumber, etc) of all makes and types and they had it. Here is a link to their website. www.russellplywood.com/index.php

Thank you! I really enjoyed the challenge of building my teardrop. I watched sooo many hours of RU-vid videos to get various design ideas and just tried to think through each area before building. I plan to do another video in the near future because I did make a couple of minor modifications after several trips where I found minor issues. Hopefully it helps others who are thinking about their own builds.

www.teardroptrailerparts.com/doors.html I used 26x32 and 1 1/4” thick. I paid $339 each at the time. Thanks for your comments!

Thanks Odin!

Thanks Tina!

Jim J - Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. You can’t please everyone.

M Langford thanks! You mean you built a teardrop? I found it a great experience and I’ve liked the adventures I’ve already had in it.

I didn’t weigh it on a scale, but based on the weight of the various materials, I estimate between 1200-1400 lbs (empty).

Thanks! I got the doors from teardroptrailerparts.com

Thanks the link to teardroptrailerparts (I previously purchased a PD4045 power center from them). I'm trying to decide whether to buy doors from Vintage Tech. (your link) or Challenger Door www.challengerdoor.com/teardrop-trailer-doors/. Challenger only builds teardrop doors to order which provides an opportunity to customize the door(s) height and width and the colors of the inside and outside door skins. They may also cost less than similar doors from Vintage Tech.

Greg Flores I’ve never had it weighed but based on roughly adding up the weight of the parts,I think it’s a little over 1000 lbs. I did weigh the tongue weight which is 130 lbs.

chipcross1 Thanks, it looks really lite.

michael nieman thank you! Best of luck on your build. I’m taking her to VA this weekend on just her second trip for 2020 and then SC next month.

Aucturuss Jagaard - I love my camper but I don’t know that I want to live in it for more than 3 or 4 nights in a row. 😆

I got them here: www.teardroptrailerparts.com/

@@chipcross1 awesome, thanks!

sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I tinkered w the seal. I found different weather strip seals on Amazon until I found one that works. self adhesive.

I watched a lot of RU-vid videos and then took time to design it myself. But - as I was building I was somewhat flexible so I could take advantage of parts on sale, etc. The main video that was my inspiration is noted in the notes to my video - it was a woman out of Arizona (I think). The main difference for me was that I used premade doors - something she recommends in hindsight.

PS Good luck w your build!

Thanks. the cast iron paper towel holder wasn’t my idea, I picked it up somewhere on the internet, but I always get compliments and it’s super cheap.

Richard Tharrett - they are 2 separate systems. The panel is just the 12v system. The 120 outlet is essentially just an extension cord that has to plug in to shore power. Everything else is running off of the 12v system which can be charged by a shore power hookup as well. I’m going to look for the websites where I got most of the info for wiring the 12v system. If I can find them, I’ll paste a link in here.

I couldn't find the exact site I was thinking of, however, the following is a chat group on teardrops and there is this section on electrical. There are several issues, you want to think about, like wire gauge, master fuse, master shut off, etc. www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=30

Still looks great. I repainted (right over the original paint scheme) with a new design last year and figured it just added more water tight protection.

Thank you

Good question - I didn’t keep record of it. If you look on Google, you can find resources on how to pick size and placement to make it work. It’s going to depend a lot on the weight of your rear hatch and where you place them as to which weight you get. The old measure twice / cut once adage is important. More like measure three times, diagram it again and then sleep on it before ordering.

@@chipcross1 Mine is similar in structure. The calculations I'm finding is saying 36" long but yours doesn't seem to be that long. I'm guessing around 20" just wondering

@@todddewitt6731 You are in luck. I was able to find the order info - it was 26”, 100 lbs props. I ordered them from siraweb.com - $26.99 each and brackets were $2.99 each.

@@chipcross1 thanks a million. Out of curiosity how long is your door from hinge to bottom

Perfect Robb - thanks! I don’t have a list. 99% of what I got as accessories (lights, fan, switches, doors, etc) were from Amazon. There are lots of choices there. I tended to buy a few weeks ahead of any stage after early planning and looking at what was out there. The trailer was from Northern Freight. There is a DIY teardrop trailer page on FB where there are hundreds of people who have built similar and happy to give additional tips. Oh - the moonroof was a used side window. The only thing to remember if you use a side window is to cover the weep holes or water will get in at those holes.

@@chipcross1 Great thanks!

Thanks!

I built it for myself. 😊

Jim Vaughn - this is it. So far it has worked great for this application. If it was any more space and/or less insulated, I don’t think it would do much. www.amazon.com/Windshield-Defogger-Defroster-3-Outlet-Demister/dp/B07VT5N8ZZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=portable+car+heater&qid=1570826071&sr=8-3

L84 JK - I ordered it online from Big Duck Canvas. I got 13 yards (39 ft) of 10 oz 72” wide natural canvas. I cut it in half (ie 19.5 ft) and washed, dried and ironed each half. There is some significant shrinkage but you want to shrink it before applying it (at least based on the research I did) and you want to iron it so it goes on smoother as the skin. This is all based on a 5x8 camper that is 4 ft tall. The cost was very good compared to just buying canvas paint tarps at Home Depot, the quality and consistency was much better and there were no seam lines to deal with (that you get with paint tarps). Hope that helps.

Concealed Chaos - I bought the doors from a company called Vintage Technologies. Here's a link to their website: www.teardroptrailerparts.com/pricing.html However, at the time, the company was selling them on Ebay for a few dollars cheaper so I bought it through their Ebay page. It doesn't look like they are available (these ones anyway) on Ebay anymore, only through their company website. The skylight is actually a fixed side window I found used on EBay. It didn’t have the inside frame/trim piece so I screwed it into the roof through the outside frame using butyl tape and then flex seal paint to ensure no leaks. It has held up very well through several rain storms while camping. I definitely suggest buying pre-made doors over building your own. Good luck on your build!!

Concealed Chaos PS - I double checked on eBay. Mine were 26x32 and 1 1/4” thick. It doesn’t look like the exact model is available (I liked it bc it was mostly glass vs a small window built in). I paid $339 each for mine.

@@chipcross1 Thank you so much for your quick and well worded response! I appreciate it greatly! You have been a Mentor to my build!

Decker Prairie Woodworks - it was a 5x8 steel trailer. I just went back and checked the invoice and then linked to them. It says it is no longer available. They do appear to sell an aluminum 5x8 trailer that has a capacity of 1700 pounds. The big choice is whether to go w a 5x8 or 4x8. I wanted a queen mattress for inside and the extra width in the kitchen. The bonus of the 4x8 is that the plywood sheets match the trailer which would prob make construction easier (but leaves you with probably a full size mattress). Best of luck in your build. I’m headed out camping again in a couple of weeks (campgrounds finally reopened here this month).

Decker Prairie Woodworks - PS - if you want to see the actual trailer (although not avail) - it was model #37552

I lightly sanded between coats. Frankly it isn’t smooth like aluminum or fiberglass. I did wash and then iron the canvas before gluing it to the camper. I used my large kitchen table with blankets spread on it as the surface (to avoid damaging the table).

PS - the canvas will shrink when you wash and dry it-like 10%. Take that into account when ordering canvas.

Preston Covell - I used 2 gallons of Titebond II. One coat on the wood that I then used to stick the canvas on. Once it dried, I put a second good coating of titebond onto the surface of the canvas. Again, once it dried I did 2 coats of paint. I did NOT separately prime (tho the exterior paint was the paint/primer that is most common these days. BTW - wear rubber gloves while applying to make your cleanup a lot easier. It has held up very well in several rain storms this first season (tho the camper is stored in my garage when not on trips). No signs of any penetration, bubbling, delaminating, etc.

chipcross1 so you waited for it to dry before putting the coat on the outside. I was under the impression people did both when the under side was still wet. What canvas did you use?

Preston Covell - I bought my canvas online from Big Duck Canvas. I bought 10oz weight. 6ft by 39ft. I washed it and dried it and it shrank somewhat (I think almost 15%). I think if you don’t wash it and allow to shrink, it will have problems later when it gets wet while being applied and then shrinks as it is drying on the camper - yikes. I chose to go with online vs buying tarps from Home Depot because I the tarps sometimes have seams running through them and I’m not sure the weight is consistent. Also, I think they were running some sort of sale so the price was roughly equivalent to buying tarps. And yes, I allowed it to dry between each coat of titebond and paint.

LOL - I hadn't noticed that before. When I watch on my laptop, it's pretty clear it is a squirrel. Not too many monkeys in Amish country.

marty scheidecker - thanks!

MrKeving1 thanks!

Zachary - If you mean when I applied the canvas skin to the plywood, I first put the sides on with a small overlap on the top (maybe 1 1/2 inches). Once that was secured in place, I put the top canvas on and overlapped it onto the sides (again, maybe 1 1/2 inches). It probably isn't the most aesthetically pleasing way to do it but I wanted the top to overlap the sides as the final step with the thought that it would prevent water penetration. In the end, with all of the titebond and paint, I'm not sure it would have made a difference which side overlapped the other but I figured better safe than sorry. Of course, the galley hood was done separately and just wrapped around the edges a little. Again, probably not the most aesthetically pleasing but once I put rubber seals around the galley hood, it covered that up. Lastly, one of my design flaws was that the sides of the camper stuck out slightly from the base of the trailer. I ended up having to rout out around the wheel fenders to make everything have sufficient clearance. I was worried about that area especially because of water kicking up from the tires. I used a couple of coats of flex seal paint in that area and it seems to have held up very well.

Thanks

Tawny Schlienz I didn’t keep a strict accounting. Under $3k. My philosophy on this and home improvement projects is to it get committed to a particular part/appliance/etc. adapt based on values I can find.

Tawny Schlienz I didn’t keep a strict accounting. Under $3k. My philosophy on this and home improvement projects is to it get committed to a particular part/appliance/etc. adapt based on values I can find.

@@chipcross1 that's really not all that bad considering how much factory made teardrops go for these days. Thank you for getting back to me. Greatly appreciated. Safe travels wherever you go.

Ken A - I hadn’t thought too much about a car sunroof tho it seems like a natural fit. I’m happy still w the window I mounted and was keeping things on a little bit of a budget. I’ve heard of the bearing buddy. I hadn’t priced it out and so far it hasn’t been too much of a hassle in terms of the two wheels here. The 12v has really worked like a champ. There were several options involving propane but it kinda scared me in a confined space. This is mounted to avoid any fire hazard and gives enough heat to make it cozy. The roof and floor are both insulated which prob helps keep the warmth inside. Are you building one yourself?

@@chipcross1 I just recently started watching the diy builds.Have been thinking of selling my house and buying land.Thinking of going homesteading.A camper set up like this would make an awesome temporary shelter till my new place was ready to move into.Going mainly solar with propane camping stove and 12v cooler/fridge. That I could hook both up to solar battery or my truck's electrical to help charge the battery when needed.At least that's my idea so far.

Ken A - wow, impressive plan. You’ll need to think about shower and toilet for any extended period. My longest trip w the camper has been 6 nights and I was staying at camping grounds along my trip (DE to FL). Also, plan on putting some sort of pop up tent or other large awning over one entrance for when the weather isn’t cooperating and you are getting in and out (or just want a place to sit outside the camper). Best of luck.

@@chipcross1 One of those little portable compost toilets.Tucked away in a storage spot would work for that.A road shower on the luggage rack up top on the opposite side from the roll out roof awning.Should do the trick for a shower.I seen both ideas on the off road camper trailers videos.The sun can heat the water up and you can have a warm shower at the end of the day.Check out the Primal Outdoors channel for how his trailer is set up.

Jocko Ward my best estimate is between 1000-1200 lbs. there’s about 150 lbs on the tongue.

@@chipcross1 Thanks. I'm building a variant.

Jocko Ward - best of luck in your build. I’m headed out this week for my first camping trip of the year - finally with campgrounds open here again!

@@chipcross1 Have fun!

Fabian Roman it’s a Dometic sink/stove drop in. I didn’t want to go too cheap on the stove and I decided better to do the combo and save some space in what is a tight galley. I think I paid about $275 for it. The stove works great - I boil water for my French press coffee and I have a small-ish rectangular cast iron skillet that I can lay across both burners as well as a couple of other cast iron pieces. I can use them to cook over a fire as well so I figured that was the way to go.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!