mikemaker Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 I sold the old beater Shasta trailer, I want to downsize a bit and get a hold of a Teardrop like Normspeed has and tow it behind the P15, if anyone has any leads on an old beater teardrop on the cheap, let me know. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Mike, don't think cheap and teardrop trailer are ever found int he same sentence. They are a desireable item for sure...lots of luck in finding one..someday maybe one of them will be on my list also. I have seen anumber of nice ones out there..seen a few that were home built from plans that are available rather fiar price...you may wish to check them out... Quote
Young Ed Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Me wonders if Tim might be an april fool?? Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Not on the teardrop...everyone I have seen in used original condition has been very high priced IMHO and the new ones that are for sale on our local camper/trailer lot is just too new looking in appearance..as in modern...and the plans I have here are very nice, bill of goods, tools needed, source of material listed by part number etc etc...lets you make it to appear just as done back inthe 40's Quote
Young Ed Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Tim I meant that Mike may not have actually sold his trailer. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Hey..Mike wouldn't do that...WOULD HE???? Hey you not raising cudzu on that front wall...or are you....... Quote
mikemaker Posted April 2, 2007 Author Report Posted April 2, 2007 I did sell it, and I'm looking for something a bit smaller. When I said "on the cheap" I did not mean 50 bucks. Stuff like this turns up. Although this one is a bit too big. This just sold on the ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vintage-Teardrop-camper-trailer_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50063QQitemZ120102133806QQrdZ1 Quote
teardrop puller Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 I built my teardrop and love it. If you can do a car, you can build a nice trailer I am sure. I used the Kuffel Creek plans. Mike e-mail me if you are interested. mexicantear@gmail.com kai Quote
David Maxwell Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 ...that sell's kits and lets you use his fully equipped shop to build them. I spoke with him at length once and he is a really nice and helful guy. He'll provide lots of help for free if you buy the parts from him. I think he'll even do the same if you buy a "beater" somewhere and buy replacement parts from him. Since you're not far from Burbank, that might be worth looking into. Good luck! David Quote
randroid Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Gents, One of the ways I put myself through college was tricking vans and building campers. We'd buy a bare trailer frame (we generally got them with axles and electric brakes) and took it from there. I was a grunt and not a boss so I did what it took to build the beasts, but it has long been my opinion that campers and motorhomes are (were?) built by illegal aliens fed speed and paid piece-work (at least it the 70's) and their construction is basic if not always simple. The parts that aren't obvious have already been worked out for you by the folks who manufacture and sell water pumps and heaters and stoves, so if you run up against a problem all you need to do is ask them. New teardrops don't need to look "new"; they were built with a steel frame and wrapped in plywood, usually 1\4". The wood was varnished and bent along the frame, and with today's technology a much better job could be done for less than the equivelent dollars. When we think of a classic teardrop today we envision an aluminum skin, but those were fairly rare back in the 30's because until the Grand Coulee Dam was built on the Columbia River there wasn't enough electricity available for much in the way of masss production, and what there was produced was generally bought by the military for aircraft. I recall seeing a teardrop when I was but a lad that had a galvanized finish on thin steel, but I'd like some feedback about this from you members who own teardrops. Hell, I was wrong about three P-15 radiators so batting 1.000 has already been lost to me. The big thing you want to consider in designing anything you're going to drag behind you with a car is balance of weight. The second thing, at least to me, is efficiency of design in that you'll want to sit up in it and perhaps have a meal at a table before you go to bed. I'm going way too deep into this, but if any of you are interested in more details I'll be happy to oblidge. I plan to eventually build my own teardrop to drag behind me, although that isn't on the menu until I do the roller painting. I once designed a VW Bug to be a fully self-contain motorhome for one person so I know that a homemade teardrop is more than feasable and can made to look "period". Comments? -Randy Quote
Young Ed Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 Mike and Tim I guess we see now who really was the april fool HAHA Quote
Brad Lustig Posted April 2, 2007 Report Posted April 2, 2007 You beat me to it, Kai. I think I pulled you over from the teardrop forum a while back. Anyway, I have the Kuffel Creek plans. Way too many other hobbies so I don't think I'll be building a teardrop anytime soon. Originals are hard to find and the frames and plywood underneath are usually toast. People are building their own for around $1000 (pretty basic) and decently equipped for around $2k last I checked. The slightly larger one is closer to $3-4k to build http://www.kuffelcreek.com/ Quote
Rodger S-11 Posted April 4, 2007 Report Posted April 4, 2007 Mike That ole flat-head has enough tomato sauce to pull an vintage Air Stream if you want an up-grade RV trailer. No one sez you must have an three axled rolling palace. Rodger & Gabby COS Quote
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