eBay

Let me ask you some questions before you read on; are you looking to build a teardrop camper that you will be able pass down to your children and grandchildren? If the answer is "yes," then you need to consider which set of plans will provide a water tight platform upon which to build. Are retail campers skinned in aluminum (or a composite) or plywood? You can certainly add water resistance to any design, but how much work will it take to ensure exposure to the elements won't take its toll over time. I have built my design on the principle that any water leakage is bad and will shorten the life of the camper. Will the materials used to make the design water tight cost more than other designs? Maybe, but if your time has value you only want to do the job once and tearing down a camper to fix a rotted subfloor or sidewall will not be fun.

These plans are as detailed as you can find and vastly superior to the other plans on eBay. I have looked at other plans and they lack specifics and in some cases the description doesn't come close to matching the pictures (or more likely black and white drawings). I am a graduate engineer with over thirty years of industrial experience and have taken the time to get things right. I have put in over one year in developing this information. By agreeing to pay this small fee, I am providing you a license to all the information for your personal use to build your personal camper. I provide the files as a Drop Box download, on CD, or both; all for the same low price. This is not a printed book, but you can use the files I send to print it yourself.

There are thirteen sections covering all aspects of building your custom teardrop camper with almost 200 pages and over 200 color photographs. You will receive the plans, which include for each section a materials list, a tools list, and step by step instructions. Also included is a list of the items I purchased and the supplier I used for each item. What makes these plans so special is that I am including the computer aided design (CAD) files and the link to download the CAD software for free. With this file, you will be able to make detailed measurements and make any changes to the design you desire...and see if it works before spending money on your build. I am also throwing in another set of CAD files showing you how to layout your wood cuts so you minimize waste. Now with separate drafting files in PDF (and xps) format showing the dimensions of almost all components and wood cut layouts without the need to open any CAD files!

You can see just how big the inside is by looking at the photographs. Not only is the mattress shown 80" long, there is still space between the end of the bed and the closet. Yes, an actual closet inside the camper as well as 6 overhead cabinets that you won't bang your head or feet on when you get out of bed.

Introduction
In searching for a Teardrop Camper, I found that they are expensive and small. The typical Teardrop Camper is based on a 4’x8’ trailer and 4’x8’ plywood. What that means is you end up with a small sleeping area and very little cabin height. Being tall, I found that size to be claustrophobic. Also, the lack of headroom restricted the amount of interior cabinet space and mattress size. That just wasn’t acceptable. So, I searched for plans to build my own Teardrop Camper.

I found several plans listed on line and ended up buying a set of plans which would provide for a 5’x10’ trailer but was still based on readily available 4’x8’ plywood (i.e., only a 4’ high cabin). So, I set out to design a spacious Teardrop Camper that would use a 5’x10’ trailer and a 5’ high cabin. I was able to readily find 5’x10’x3/4” plywood for the camper sidewalls, which also works nicely with the 5’x5’x18mm, 6mm, and 3mm Baltic Birch plywood used for the interior cabinetry and paneling.

I also found other plans to be lacking in specifics, pictures, or both. So, as I designed and built my own Teardrop Camper I made sure to document the work with pictures and list the actual tools, materials, and processes used. I also went to the extent of laying out the plans for the Teardrop Camper using a free computer aided design (CAD) program. These plans include the electronic files so you can see the dimensions and placement of all components. I have also provided files that show the layout of cuts on the wood used so you can minimize waste. As with all CAD drawings, there is likely to be small differences between what is called “as drawn” and “as built.” So, as you build your camper, measure and re-measure what dimensions you actually need. In the end, you will have all the information you need to build a Teardrop Camper just like I did or modify it to meet your needs.

Chapter Sections (Click here to visit www.bigteardrop.com to see the table of contents)

Trailer Construction (Phase 1)