Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Oh there's so much fun, excitement and a sense of accomplishment in using something you have built with your own two little hands.
This one was mine, made out of 4x8 sheets of plywood, screws, and glue. Strong. I thought.
Coming back to Eielson from Livengood once, down Highway # 2, a pickup truck pulled alongside, blew his horn. As I looked over at the driver pointed towards the sky with his finger {not middle-okay} and he was shouting something. Me, not being very good at reading lips, or understanding anything other than hand gestures of the middle finger, well, I pulled over.
As I emerged from my 1970 chevy pickup, the driver who flagged me also pulled over. We met on the shoulder, and he said, HEY MAN, YOUR CAMPER ROOF BLEW OFF! LOL. <uncontrollable >
I was stunned because I thought that I'd thought my project out very well. NOT.
I never thought of putting flashing on the leading edge, where the wind hits the front. It's on there when this pic was taken though, I learned a valuable lesson.
Anybody planning on building a camper should check into a Kreg ***. It's a wood joinery tool. I can see where that tool would sure come in handy. If you don't know what it is, google it.
I am a Kreg finatic, I have 2 of them.
On the subject of weird/strange campers....a couple years ago I bought a fold down camper. The top tent part and the interior were gone, only the "box" remained. Didn't know what I was going to do with it but for $50 I couldn't pass it up.
I ended up buying a tent that fit on top of the trailer. I cut out the floor of the tent and fastened tent to trailer and built interior bed, table, cabinets, etc. When in transit I just collapsed tent and secured top with a tarp. Used it for a few years. Now I'm going to restore a 1977 motor home and I am going to build a tear drop. Project #47 out of 210.
I am thinking I'd like to build a teardrop camper.
However I feel like I can build one on my own for about half the cost.
I am on a tight budget, as I'm a student... so I am wondering if you all think I would be better off building my own? I kind of like that idea, as I could customize it to make it my own.
Did you take this project on? if so post some pictures
I am thinking I'd like to build a teardrop camper.
I purchased some plans for one... here is a link to it. It looks nice and simple, but attractive. It is a convertible top with a screen which should be nice. I sort of wish it had a fan, but I think I might could engineer one.
I like it, although I'm not a Florida Gators fan. However I think I could sand off the gator logo the guy painted on it and paint the orange color blue to match the rest of the trailer.
The price for this camper is 1700 bucks, but I wonder if I could get it for 1500.
However I feel like I can build one on my own for about half the cost.
I don't think I've ever undertaken a project of this scale. I think I can get my father to help me build one, or use the tools my friend has. My question is, do you think this project will be too great an undertaking for me? Do you think I could complete it in about a week or two? I was thinking I would like to use a nicer kind of plywood like birch instead of oak, and I'm worried that would drive up the cost.
I am on a tight budget, as I'm a student... so I am wondering if you all think I would be better off building my own? I kind of like that idea, as I could customize it to make it my own.
If you have any woodworking skills, took shop in high school, own a saber saw, and some hand tools you can do it. Watch a lot of you tube videos and forget about buying plans. You can build something very basic, all wood, one door, one window, tail gate and lights for $1000 or less. I did.
VERY satisfying to build and use. If you build an all wood teardrop and seal it well, it won't leak, but will require indoor storage and revarnishing annually. The varnish is about $40.
With many cities banning RVs on city streets I wouldn't bother being caught sleeping in a teardrop in a city street. Hence I would just "stealth RV' sleeping in a mattress in my 2005 Grand Caravan SXT.
And brand new tear drops cost too much for what you get. Plus no heat or A/C.
I hope you watch this sweet video, here's this nice woman showing off the teardrop trailer her brother built. It's a great little video:
That's a beautiful little trailer, I suspect that workmanship is well beyond the abilities of the average person. There are some serious woodworking tools involved in that project.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
