Campers who have fallen in love with the style and coziness of the teardrop camper may have a hard time finding one to own. They may find it difficult to locate a vintage trailer and may not want to deal with the expense of a custom camper. In these cases, there is another option: build your own. All you need are the skills, materials and plans to build a teardrop camper.
Building a Teardrop Camper - A Few Tips
One thing to keep in mind when you consider taking on a building project like this is that is isn't for beginners. If you are not handy with tools and have no idea how to interpret building plans, you should consult someone with the needed expertise to help you or find an existing teardrop camper instead of building one.
You will need a used trailer to mount your camper on. Make sure this trailer is in good shape and that it is legal to take on the road. You don't want to go through all the work of building a teardrop trailer only to find that it can't leave your garage. With a little research, you can find a good deal on a new trailer. This will eliminate any possible issues right from the start.
Don't skimp on safety. Wear the proper safety equipment, use the correct tools and have a safe work area. Cutting corners results in injuries that can easily be avoided with common sense.
Finding Plans to Build a Teardrop Camper
Now comes the challenge: finding the plans you need to build your teardrop trailer. There are a few places online where you can locate teardrop trailer plans. Some simply offer free scans of old plans that can be used as reference as you build your camper. Others are more in-depth and, as can be expected, are not free.
Here are a few places to look for teardrop camper plans:
- Kuffel Creek has plans for eight-foot and ten-foot teardrop campers. You can also see how nicely they are finished inside. Plans can be downloaded to your computer for $59.95.
- Gizmo Plans has plans for a eight-foot teardrop camper for $14.99. The builder states that the completed camper cost is around $600 and includes plans to build the camper as well as the trailer.
Additional Resources
In addition to finding a set of plans, you may also find it beneficial to review how-to articles and examples of projects that other people have completed.
Tiny Tears, for example, offers scans of various how-to articles on building teardrop trailers. All of these will give you insight on the building process as well as inspire ideas of your own. All scans are in PDF format so you will need Adobe Acrobat to view them.
Buyer Beware
Before purchasing your own plans to build a teardrop camper, make sure you know exactly what you are getting for the money. Also, be careful of scams that are prolific on the Internet. Even though most plans are reasonable priced, it is still upsetting to find your hard earned cash has been ripped off by a con artist.
Read through your plans thoroughly before you begin your project to be sure you have all the necessary materials and tools and to be sure you understand all the steps in building your camper. Then have fun! You're sure to get much satisfaction from a cozy camper that you built yourself.
