DIY Teardrop Camper - Complete Build Breakdown
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- In this video, I am going to break-down how my family and I made our homemade teardrop trailer from start to finish.
Below are links to some of the materials we used in the build and please let me know if you have any questions!
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PRODUCTS & MATERIALS USED
Trailer plans: mechanicalelem...
A lot of the aluminum pieces we got from: www.onlinemeta...
Bolts and hardware we got local or from: www.boltdepot.com
Sapele Plywood: www.macbeath.com/
Exterior finish - West System 105 Epoxy Resin with 207 Special Clear Hardener: www.westsystem...
Axles: www.etrailer.c...
Interior wipe-on polyurethane: amzn.to/422bwhV
Solar power system: www.victronene...
Solar Panels: amzn.to/3L5vLEt
Solar power system adapter cables: amzn.to/3oDWoJ3
amzn.to/41G6tUz
Door Windows: amzn.to/3mWzQmw
Light switch for main cabin: amzn.to/3NamJZz
Dimmer light switch: amzn.to/40DG5cn
Roof vent and fan: amzn.to/3ncU9Mi
Tail lights: amzn.to/40GvVbh
weather-stripping: amzn.to/41Xrh9B
Marine grade electrical wires: amzn.to/4210auC
Trailer wheel lock: amzn.to/3mXTxKJ
Storage box for trailer tongue: amzn.to/40GKvzs
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I'm not sponsored for any of these things, just sharing in case anyone is interested.
FTC disclaimer: some links above may be affiliate links which means I receive a small commission. it is no cost to you to use the links, it is totally free.
Additional disclaimer: I am not a professional woodworker and these videos are made for entertainment purposes. Woodworking has inherent risks and hazards and the content here is not meant to replace information found in official tool manuals and guides. Please educate yourself on best practices and safety measures before operating power and / or hand tools.
Beautiful! I am blown away by this! The wood and diamond plate is classic. ❤
Thanks! I'm so so happy with how it all came together :)
Beautiful build and excellent information, many thanks.
Hi Elena great job on your and your husband and dad’s teardrop also video presentation.
I am almost done with my teardrop here in keizer Oregon.
I thought you might also use sapele for your counter top. Really beautiful. Your camper definitely was built well.
I built mine mostly out of similar construction such as 1/2 plywood for floor. Painted too with marine paint and laid it over a plastic underlayment from an RV supplier. I used a lot of Alaska yellow cedar and 2 inches insulation floor snd ceiling snd 1 inch for floor. My frame is 2x4 channeled aluminum $1000 plus $700 for someone to weld it,
14:38
Thank you, we’re happy with how it came out. We might end up bringing some sapele into the kitchen area, we’re still undecided.
Congrats on your camper build, it’s such a fun project!
Thanks Sister - you presented it so well!
You are so welcome!
Wow, truly amazing...and the trailer is great too!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your experience building something that beutiful
Of course, glad you enjoyed it
Wow that turned out amazing. Bravo.
Thank you! 😊
Gotta love the team work..
So rad!
Thanks!
Ok i started watching a few videos not even an hour ago and you had like 4.98k subs and now it says 5.1k. so when you hot 5 million i can be like "I been here since 4k"😂
Felicidades, gran trabajo, me desperto la curiosidad de adaptarlo para el uso en Baja Norte, excelente video que favorece el contenido en la red... Bravo¡¡¡ Saludos desde Tijuana Mexico.
Elena I commented on other video of yours too. Just to say your right cost more then you think. I am a shopper so I think even with top notch material I was under $7k.
I was able to get 5x12 & 5x10 sheets of aluminum for $80-90 a sheet at Coastal Aluminum in Portland Oregon.
Aluminum will keep you dry. Knowing this I should have put a sheet underneath too. I was able to bring home four sheets in my Subaru forester. The guys at coastal rolled all four sheets up for me .
I would try however to paint or anodize before hand and to cover completely to avoid scratches. You should take a peek at wandertears and watch how fast they put it together on their time lapse video they make it look so simple.
I bet if you build another it will go a lot faster and cheaper. Mine is 3 days from being done after a long year. I would build with Alaskan yellow cedar or other cedar because it is light weight and rot and bug resistant. Focus more on a design with 2 inches of polyiso insulation for floor and ceiling. Layer 1/2 sub floor 2x4 frame 2 inch polyiso and 3/8 ply
Last I borrowed ideas from vistabule bean trailer Trail’ R, aero teardrops and Camp- Inn
You could do a cool amalgamation of things you might like.
It’s been a pain but think of the great take aways of the struggle. Gives you confidence in other areas of your life and it really does build character and puts the world in so many different perspectives.. glad you guys took on the challenge!
Thanks, appreciate the encouragement! Definitely a challenge but so worth it in the end and we all learned a lot :)
I started building a Teardrop trailer in 2014 after buying my 2013 Nissan Xterra pro 4X and try to sleep 2 people in it and it was very uncomfortable, So we had a very strong Jet sky trailer, and started building on it, using only 3/4" plywood, No metal frame, we did the traditional egg shape and after 2 years we decided tear down the rear gally and added an extension to the trailer and built a 1/2 bathroom W/C & Shower, this time adding 1/2" square tubing and the roof of the bathroom wouldn't lift up to accommodate a 6' person i finished it a year later it has A/C 1- 25 watt solar panel which is enough for a 12 volt marine battery for the fantastic fan, outside and inside lighting usb chargers, on demand water heater, and I used the same registration for the jet sky trailer and never had a problem, but since I bought my Class C Rv in 2019, It's just been sitting.
Awesome video and build .
Thanks!
Excellent.
Very nice job
Love the video and the channel! Great work!
Thanks 😊
Well done even with random parts it looks so professional, my build does not look so perfect though
Thank you :) yours looks great and I'm especially impressed if you did it solo
I love it
In Spain these vehicles are highly regulated, it is impossible for one to build and register them. You can't even modify the cars. It is a pleasure to learn to see how it is built.
How strict are the vehicle modifications there in Spain?
Yet another reason folks flock to my us of a.
Drag anything you want down the road.
*horrid, shrieking eagle*
Wow That's crazy, in one way or another, it's good we live In the Good US of A, I modified the rear of my Rv to accommodate a larger tool box from on end to the other so I can carry my Winch, more house batteries for the solar panels, Tools an OBA, compressor Recovery Gear and Lots more.
good job
Elena, you guys did a wonderful job! It turned out well and very inspiring. Keep us posted on your trips. Also, Im in CA, do you have a list or a check list of items you need to bring to the DMV? In addition, what specific forms did you have to fill out? Ive read a bunch of online DIY'ers dealing with teardrop registration in CA and it seems all over the place with ever changing rules.
Thanks! We only applied about 3 months ago so likely rules haven’t changed.
If you register, like we did, under the CA Specially Constructed Vehicle application process you will need to print and fill out 1.) Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) 2.) Statement of Construction (REG 5036) 3.) permanent trailer identification form (REG 4017) and bring receipts for the major build materials
We made sure our camper fit all the build requirements, made an appointment at the DMV, showed up with the completed forms, and the registration process went relatively smoothly. They’ll do a walk around inspection but it’s not too intense.
Awesome!!! Thank you, my wife and I are building our 5 x 8, hopefully everything goes as smoothly as yours.
Do you have a link for the window (curved) in front?
We made the front window ourselves out of poly carbonate. We welded the frame for it, then cut the poly carbonate to fit the frame, and then made a custom metal trim to screw down over it.
Incredible detail, and love the trailer! Where did you pick up the front window from? That’s incredible!
Thank you! We made the front window ourselves. We welded the frame for it, then cut a piece of poly carbonate to fit the frame, and then made a custom metal trim to screw down over it.
@@elenamakes That's awesome! Any recommendations for the place you got the poly carbonate from? I remember you saying it was UV protecting.
We got ours from tapplastics.com
@@elenamakes Much thanks! Happy camping. =]
Elena, hello again, your trailer is 5x8 right? You said that you used a queen bed, what was the final measurements of your sleeping area? Im thinking 5 x 6 for sleeping? Which means that you left around 2 ft for your galley? Im finalizing my plans and figuring out if we will be sleeping sideways or on our backs lol, everything depends on length of the sleeping area.
Hello, we altered the trailer plans a bit to accommodate the queen sized mattress, so the end result was a tad wider and longer than the 5ft x 8ft (closer to 5.5ft x 9ft). We left about 7ft of length for our sleeping area, to fit the queen mattress with some buffer, and about 2ft for our galley.
@@elenamakesawesome, thanks, I was wracking my brain trying to figure it out lol
What did you use for a seal for the front curved window ? Where did you purchase to polycarbonate plastic and what was the cost
When attaching the window to the metal trailer frame, we included thin layer of neoprene sandwiched in between the polycarbonate and the metal frame. After laying down the plywood sheets (with a cutout for the window) over top the frame, we created a metal trim that overlapped over the window and the wood and screwed it down into the wood, putting down a thick bead of silicone in between the two. We were generous with silicone throughout the whole process to keep it from leaking, including putting a bit of silicone down on any drill holes before driving a screw in.
I can't remember the exact cost but we got the polycarbonate plastic from tapplastics.com
Hope that helps!
Hi. I like your trailer build. I have a question: how did you attach and seal the polycarbonate front window to the trailer opening?
Thanks! Installing the windows was a little bit complex and it required some trial and error before we got it how we wanted it.
Ultimately, what we ended up doing was welding a metal frame for the window that was attached to the sides by some metal crossbars. Then, my dad pre-drilled holes in the polycarbonate along the edge where he would secure it to the metal window frame. Next, he cold bent the polycarbonate to the front and used ratcheting straps to slowly bend it as he went around screwing self-drilling metal screws in through the poly carbonate and into the metal. There was also a thin layer of neoprene sandwiched in between the polycarbonate and the metal frame. Lastly, he created a metal trim that overlapped over the window and the wood and screwed it down into the wood, putting down a bead of silicone in between the two.
We were generous with silicone throughout this whole process to keep it from leaking, including putting a bit of silicone down on any drill holes before driving a screw in.
One other thing to note: we checked the polycarbonate manufacturer’s info for how tight of a radius we could cold bend the polycarbonate and luckily the radius of the front of our trailer was within their constraints.
@@elenamakes Thanks for that. I'm guessing the polycarbonate wasn't flexible enough to just use a window seal, sort of like a car window?
Reason I'm asking, is that I'm thinking of doing something similar, and am trying to find a way that works without a trial and error phase.
@@bretchampoux We were definitely working at the limit of it's flexibility. We tried just a rubber seal and it started peeling up. Perhaps there is a way you could do it without issues but the metal trim screwed over the window ended up being the best solution for us.
How much !!!!
Sorry friend, she ain't for sale
Too much talking!
too much complaining.
U could have bought one for what it cost to build 😂
where's the fun in that?
@@elenamakes yea ur right thank you 😊
This is quality,well made,not just a bunch of screws into end grain of plywood though.