Our Teardrop
We used to tent camp a few times a year. I'm the cook, and I set up, and I pack and unpack, so going camping was a chore. It would take several hours to get everything together, pack the truck, and get going. Then when we arrived, I got to set up everything and fix the meal. When it was time to go, guess who got to do all the work, immediately after fixing breakfast.
OK, I didn't have to wash the dishes
My family (read wife) wanted to travel as we camped, so we'd drive all day, camp at night, leave the next morning, drive all day, and repeat. I spent the entire time in camp setting up and tearing down.
I got tired of this, and started looking for plans to build a "chuck box" to hold everything so that I wouldn't have to pack/unpack each trip, just move the box in and out of the truck. I came across what I though was the perfect setup, and as I was looking at it I realized it was the back of a trailer - a teardrop. I did more research and decided that if I could build a chuck box, I could build a teardrop.
It was a larger project than I first imagined, but not really that difficult to complete. The first iteration was very basic, and this year I'm upgrading the interior. Next year I plan on refinishing the exterior.
We're very pleased with our teardrop. It's a big step up from tent camping.
- We have a nice mattress (3" deep cell foam)
- heated blanket
- sunroof
- walls that are much more resistant to water and wind
- the cooking area is always ready to go in a few seconds
- convenient places to store things
- the trailer is very lightweight - about a thousand pounds - it tows very well
It's not a travel trailer however, there's no toilet, shower, or inside kitchen. You can't stand up inside, the bed is narrower than a double by 6", and it only sleeps 2 (plus the dog).
But we don't want a travel trailer, we love our teardrop!
 As first built (2004) |
 Galley Upgrade (2005) |
 Interior Upgrade (2005) |
 Building a Swamp Cooler (2005) |
 Trip to Champoeg (2004) |
