Expedition Teardrop Trailer Build- Mable The Trailer

[smdsprs]

This is a build thread about my home-made teardrop trailer I've named Mable. I will be going from start to finish on the build process and the evolution of the trailer as I have used it. It made its first trip in August of 2014 and already has about 12,500 Miles under its tires after trips to Yellowstone, Yosemite, and a big trip across the West to Alaska and Back this spring.

 

[dweebs0r]

Looks awesome. Cant wait to read the build details.

 

[smdsprs]

I drew up the plans after reading about other teardrop builds. The main highlights are that it is 4x8, wood on a steel frame, has a back hatch for cooking, and interior storage for clothes and gear. Overall weight is less than 1500lbs totally loaded.

 

[b63215b]

Interested to see the process as my next trailer will likely be a teardrop. Thanks

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[toymaster]

Sounds like you can share not only the build but a few stories if its use. Hope your not like me in that I do not usually bother with documenting my adventures, least not in the detail that makes a good read.

 

[smdsprs]

Step One: Everything needs a solid base so I started off building the trailer frame and base with my buddies. I used one of the harbor freight 2000lb trailers. For the price, they can't be beat and I wasn't planning on keeping the axle off of it so it worked out really well for me. Any ladder frame trailer with a suitable axle would work really well for this though.

On top of the steel trailer frame, I put a sheet of 3/4 PT plywood, a ladder frame of 2x4s with 2 layers of 3/4in solid insulating foam filling the areas in between the boards. This was all topped off with a layer of 1/4 cabinet grade plywood that would become the floor of the trailer. The bottom side of the PT plywood and the trailer frame were covered in 2 coats of truck bed liner to keep water off, and help prevent stone chips from happening.

 

[smdsprs]

Once the base and the floor were finished, it was time to move on to the walls. This step took some time because I wanted all my cuts to be as clean and accurate as possible and the curved lines make consistency pretty tough. I used a nail and a string to trace the 2 foot radius on all of the corners of the outer panels and cut it all with a jig saw.

The structure of my wall is made up of an outer 3/4 inch sheet of plywood with a frame of 3/4 inch firing strips glued/screwed inside of it. The gaps were filled with 3/4 inch insulating foam and this was all sandwiched by 1/4 inch plywood for the interior.

The left wall and the right wall are connected by 2x2 studs, so my firring strips and interior plywood had to have a cutout for my 2x2 studs to fit in and tie the 2 walls together. (This will all make sense later)


Adding the firring strips to the trailer walls.


Finished wall panel.

 

[smdsprs]

Raising the walls: Once the walls were made up, it was time to put them on the trailer. I kept the corners I cut off the plywood to help out with this part. The way the wall and floor panel were made, I had a really large contact surface between the 2 pieces and I was able to screw and glue the panels in 2 different directions. This made for a really strong joint and made me a lot more comfortable with my design.

 

[smdsprs]

Once the walls were up I put in the rear bulkhead. This wall is pretty critical because it determines the length of the bed and the depth of the kitchenette. It also helps to stabilize the trailer and keep the walls on a right angle. On the inside of the trailer there will be a cabinet and on the outside of the trailer there will be a countertop and storage for water, a cooler, a stove, and the camp kitchen supplies.

 

[smdsprs]

Now that the walls and bulkhead were established it was time to start filling it all in. First came the interior shelves which were later covered with sliding doors, then I moved on to the curved ceiling panel that would line the interior. The shelves are behind sliding doors and were made to hold a week's worth of clothes and shoes for 2 people, a first aid kit, and a few other smaller items we keep indoors. I later added a 12V plug on each side for phone charging, and a 120V plug that can be used wherever there is shore power.

View attachment 303994
Roughed out shelves

View attachment 303995
Late-night ceiling install

View attachment 303996
Sliding doors

 

[smdsprs]

Continuing on with the interior, I had to cut out a hole for the Fan-tastic Fan and I trimmed all of the corners with quarter-round and oak strips.

View attachment 303997

View attachment 303999

 

[tgreening]

Newest pic linkys no workee.

 

[mtnhigh]

Looks like a good build!! Looking forward to the rest of the details!

 

[smdsprs]

Let's try those posts again with pics this time-

Now that the walls and bulkhead were established it was time to start filling it all in. First came the interior shelves which were later covered with sliding doors, then I moved on to the curved ceiling panel that would line the interior. The shelves are behind sliding doors and were made to hold a week's worth of clothes and shoes for 2 people, a first aid kit, and a few other smaller items we keep indoors. I later added a 12V plug on each side for phone charging, and a 120V plug that can be used wherever there is shore power. The bulkhead is 1.5 inch plywood that I kreg jigged into the wall panels and floor. It makes the body of the trailer stiffen up a lot.

 

[smdsprs]

Continuing on with the interior, I had to cut out a hole for the Fan-tastic Fan and I trimmed all of the corners with quarter-round and oak strips. All of the interior walls are 1/4 inch plywood laid over firring strips or 2x2. The doors to the shelf are 1x4 inch and I used c-channel aluminum to make door slides for the sliding panels. You can see the 2x2 spars that hold the walls together pretty well in the second picture. I also used a lot of Sikaflex glue to help keep everything water tight and also held together. The glue holds stronger than the wood grain I was using so I felt pretty confident my joints were not coming apart.