I can not put into words how much I envy your ability to fabricate things! If you want the room back in your basement I'd be more than happy to help feel up the room so I could build my own TJ Teardrop camper!
A TJ sized camper
- Thread starter whitrzac
- Start date
I can not put into words how much I envy your ability to fabricate things! If you want the room back in your basement I'd be more than happy to help feel up the room so I could build my own TJ Teardrop camper!
I might consider letting go of the prototype teardrop shell; I don't have any further plans for it and it is taking up space here
ErikOffroad
TJ Enthusiast
I mainly just camped in a tent growing up and have never really wanted a travel trailer till now. The issue now is that my wife’s idea of camping is courtyard Marriott at minimum. So we recently started looking at campers. We found this one that we liked made by this company Luna. I really love the design but we would only be able to tow it with are jl because of the weight.
So we started looking at other campers, that’s when I found this tear drop kit from clc boats. What makes it appealing is the fact that they designed it light enough to be towed by a Mini Cooper . This is good for me because that means I would be able to tow it with all my vehicles including my fiesta st.
My pipe dream though would be a school bus toy hauler rv though
So we started looking at other campers, that’s when I found this tear drop kit from clc boats. What makes it appealing is the fact that they designed it light enough to be towed by a Mini Cooper . This is good for me because that means I would be able to tow it with all my vehicles including my fiesta st.
My pipe dream though would be a school bus toy hauler rv though
Doctor Bone Smash
TJ Enthusiast
I live in the heart of RV manufacturing in Elkhart County Indiana...I spent some time working in the support industries for it (built slideout tracks, hydraulic and electric leveling jacks and later ran a chemical plant that made the glues that are used in the laminating process for the walls and floors, etc.). I’m usually very wary of any camper because they are just matchsticks tacked together more or less. I drive past these guys every day and really like how they look though. The ground clearance seems better than most and the overall size seems manageable.
https://www.braxtoncreek.com/model/bushwhacker-teardrop
https://www.braxtoncreek.com/model/bushwhacker-teardrop
One thing to remember with the kit from CLC boats is the upkeep on an all timber teardrop. If you look at RV's as a whole, the main problems are water ingress and the damage it does as a result.
Theres also nothing wrong with a wooden framed camper as long as the wood is kept either enclosed in a protective outer shell (like the Bushwaker in the message above) or if you do decide on a all timber camper you need to look after it like a wooden boat and treat it as a labour of love.
Theres a heap of teardrop manufacturers in the USA and some really nice models being produced.
Theres also nothing wrong with a wooden framed camper as long as the wood is kept either enclosed in a protective outer shell (like the Bushwaker in the message above) or if you do decide on a all timber camper you need to look after it like a wooden boat and treat it as a labour of love.
Theres a heap of teardrop manufacturers in the USA and some really nice models being produced.
ErikOffroad
TJ Enthusiast
There’s no exposed wood. It’s all wrapped in fiberglass. It’s clear. That’s what gives it structure .
I've got my kids this weekend, I'll send you a message about it later this week! It was for the longer trailer from dinoot trailer correct?
The Dinoot Extended tub is 6'6" long. I didn't think that was really long enough for a camper, so I used extension panels to extend the tub another 11.5". The teardrop is for that longer length tub, although it could be modified to fit a 6'6" tub without extensions.
The extensions are visible in both of these photos:
Seeing as I'm 6'5" to begin with the idea of running extensions to max it longer seems like a great idea!
Would you be willing to part with this lid and canvas tent?
Is that on the regular extended Dinoot?That is a very cool setup that would replace the need for a roof top tent on a trailer like that. With a custom mattress that would be great. I am surprised Dinoot doesn’t license those pieces from you.
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The yellow trailer is also 11.5" longer then the Dinoot Extended. I made it that long because I intended to use it as a platform for developing the lid and cabin components and I wanted it to be long enough to sleep in.Would you be willing to part with this lid and canvas tent?
View attachment 160300
That is a very cool setup that would replace the need for a roof top tent on a trailer like that. With a custom mattress that would be great. I am surprised Dinoot doesn’t license those pieces from you.
If I let that lid go I'd just have to make another one because I use the same lid and canvas with this configuration:
Everything is designed so the lid and canvas works with or without the larger cabin, it's easily to change the configuration.
I use the lid all the time hauling stuff in the trailer, in fact my daughter called me just yesterday and asked if I would help her move in two weeks so the trailer (with the larger cabin) will soon be loaded up with stuff from her apartment.
The lid and canvas alone is a convenient configuration for camping even without the larger cabin pictured above. These are two concept images I did when I was planning the lid and canvas project...
And with storage under the bed:
The lid is made from only two fiberglass parts - rounded corners and straight pieces with curves to match, plus plywood to fill in the middle. Dinoot did talk to me about licensing the two pieces that are used to make the lid (pictured below), but they wanted me to make some changes to the design so it didn't go any further than that initial discussion.
I made a crank adapter for my battery operated impact. It makes going up and don’t fast and easy
Those concepts are very cool.
Is this company selling the pieces you use to make the lid?
https://trailtopcampers.com/
As far as I can tell they are not but if you find out they are, let me know.
About two years ago they licensed the design of two of the parts from me, made production molds and made some test parts. They made a proof-of-concept trailer with the parts and then built the web site. The last I heard they were finalizing the web site and pricing, that was last summer and I haven't heard anything since. I emailed them last September to get an update and never heard back.
This is the proof-of-concept they built:
I don't mention them because as far as I know they aren't selling anything. Bet let me know if you contact them and get a response.
That’s a cool little trailer.
What does the underside of that lid look like on the yellow tent trailer? Did you build a wooden frame for support?
Yes, there's some wood framing inside, you can see it in this photo:
Even though the skin is only 1/4" plywood, it's very strong. Plenty strong enough for a roof top tent and two people.
Also, when the pop-up canvas is stowed it folds against the inside of the lid so the canvas doesn't interfere with any cargo that might be in the trailer.
I am surprised the fiberglass front is strong enough to support the hinges. Did you have to add extra framing in the front of the trailer?
There's a wood flange around the inside of the lid, similar to how the flange on the inside of the TJ hardtop sits on the top of the tub, this flange also sits on the tub. The flange and hinge detail can be seen in these photos below; these were taken when the lid was under construction so the outer skin isn't in place yet nor is the weatherstrip that goes on the bottom of the flange to seal the lid to the tub. The entire assembly is plenty strong.
The fiberglass parts make assembling a lid like this pretty easy, once the fiberglass sides/ends/corners are assembled together it's a straightforward job to put the flange and other framing in place.
And once finished, you can't see where the curves of the fiberglass end and the 14" plywood skin begins, and all the curves match the curves of the TJ tub very nicely.
BTW the hinges for the lid are "lift off" types, similar to TJ door hinges, so the lid can be removed very easily when the trailer needs to be reconfigured for a different use. For example, if I'm about to carry something that won't fit under the lid (or inside the larger cabin), I can slide the lid off and have an open trailer, or put the tonneau cover on.
