Sunday, September 30, 2012

Teardrop Camper Build Part 1

Last weekend I started a new project called a teardrop camper.  Teardrop campers are basically beds on wheels usually with a hatch in the back that houses a galley for cooking and entertaining.  These campers are very small and are great for hauling to offroad locations behind a Jeep.  First task was to purchase and prep a 4x8 utility trailer.  After a couple days of looking I found this one on Craigslist:


After a few hours of grinding rusty bolts off and a touch of paint I made it to here:


I proceeded to cut the rails off, then started on the wood.  I built a floor and undercoated it with roofing tar to seal it.  Then came the walls.  These are each 1 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, so the height is 4' and length is 8'.

Not a bad day's work.  Next I built the ceiling with the roof 'joists' also called spars in the teardrop community, and installed it.  I managed to find a couple of windows from a camper that was being parted out, once again Craigslist to the rescue.


After cutting out the ceiling for the roof vent I then started building the galley wall and inside cabinets.


And here's a view of the backside of the wall showing the galley.


Next comes the roof and a little coaxing with straps.

And that ends the first 2 weekends of my teardrop camper build.  Hopefully I can get good weather again next weekend when I finish what's left of the framing and then teach myself how to use fiberglass for sealing the whole mess.  Check back next week for the continuing saga that is my teardrop camper.  I can tell the anticipation is palpable.