Looking to build a camper

**Dizza** · 20th May 2013, 11:15 AM

I have always been a big fan of camping out of a four wheel drive. I love the prospect of pulling up to a camp sight, rolling out a swag and cooking over a fire.
There are a few disadvantages to this though....

1. You cant really do it all that comfortably in the winter
2. It means that you need to fit all of your equipment in the car (an interesting challenge in a Disco 1)

3. The girlfriend is never as keen on it as I am (she has been caravanning with her family her whole life)

So i began thinking about alternatives. And came up with a couple ideas.

1. Pick up a second hand camper
2. Get a cheap caravan (had one available at the time)
3. Build something

Now naturally neither option 1 or 2 are really feasible for taking off road however option 3 got me thinking. After a quick bit of research i found an interesting concept. A teardrop camper.

A teardrop camper is like a very compact caravan (you sleep indoors - Happy girlfriend

) with an outdoor cooking space.
Building it myself means i can build it as big as i want, with whatever features i want and match it to my Disco in width, clearance and height.

The most attractive advantage of a teardrop camper is probably the weight. If built carefully they usually come in at well below 500kg (usually closer to 350) Which means its a little more likely to follow my disco to those great little camp sites off the beaten track.

So i relearned bits of sketchup for the 10th time

and threw this together. Just looking for any advice or suggestions. Obviously it isn't finished but having some more eyes give it a once over will be helpful.

richard4u2 · 20th May 2013, 01:01 PM

looks good, solid insulated walls and roof , air con , heater , should be happy girl friend happy camping

**steveG** · 20th May 2013, 01:49 PM

Looks good.
Make sure you consider ventilation - or it will get unbearably stuffy inside.

Steve

**POD** · 20th May 2013, 02:00 PM

The teardrop style campers look great, I think they are a good lightweight option but the little awning over the cooking area leaves a bit to be desired. Great if rain only ever fell vertically and you don't mind eating on your bed. Sooner or later you will want a bigger covered area with side protection. There are some great portable awnings on the market which would make a practical addition.
If you do any outback touring, you will need to do something about the box on the drawbar to prevent stones bouncing off it straight back at the car. Many a back window has been broken in this way and that is why some form of stone deflector is standard on an off-road trailer.

**Dizza** · 20th May 2013, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by steveG

Looks good.
Make sure you consider ventilation - or it will get unbearably stuffy inside.

Steve

Yep, electric roof fan and opening windows on both side will be in the final design.

The teardrop style campers look great, I think they are a good lightweight option but the little awning over the cooking area leaves a bit to be desired. Great if rain only ever fell vertically and you don't mind eating on your bed. Sooner or later you will want a bigger covered area with side protection. There are some great portable awnings on the market which would make a practical addition.
If you do any outback touring, you will need to do something about the box on the drawbar to prevent stones bouncing off it straight back at the car. Many a back window has been broken in this way and that is why some form of stone deflector is standard on an off-road trailer.

The plan is to have a canvas awning made up to go with it and have it clip on to the back and sides. Kinda like a C shape with the camper in the middle and the canvas covering a metre or so to the rear and sides. Not sure how it would be pulled off but that's the plan

And i hadn't thought of a stone guard, thanks heaps, will add that for sure.

**Ranga** · 20th May 2013, 02:43 PM

Reminds me of the Tvan.

Tvan : Track Trailer

**Dizza** · 20th May 2013, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Ranga

Reminds me of the Tvan.

Tvan : Track Trailer

Its a similar concept, The Tvan includes living space off the rear in the form of a tent as I understand it too.
And they are worth an absolute fortune

edit: and after a quick bit of research it appears that their lightest model weighs 890kg. Im hoping for 400kg

**Tank** · 20th May 2013, 02:49 PM

Try to make your eating and cooking areas bug-proof, there is nothing worse than flys all over your food and face while eating, and the missus wouldn't complain.
Would also suggest you make the drawbar shorter, I see a lot of long draw bar C/T's tearing into the tops of eco-drains and getting hung up, which usually results in chopping up the track with spinning the wheels to get the trailer over. NPWS have started issuing "Not Suitable for Trailers" notices on many tracks because of this damage, these notices usually precede total ban.
Your back door set-up will require very good sealing from dust, the rear seems to attract more than it's fair share of dust.
May I also suggest to build 2 long shallow sliding draws between chassis and body for heavy items, like recovery gear and tools, either pull out the back or sides, good luck, Regards Frank.

**Dizza** · 20th May 2013, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Tank

Try to make you eating and cooking areas bug-proof, there is nothing worse than flys all over your food and face while eating.
Would also suggest you make the drawbar shorter, i see a lot of long bar C/T's tearing into the tops of eco-drains and getting hung, which usually results in chopping up the track. NPWS have started issuing "Not Suitable for Trailers" notices on many tracks because of this damage, these notices usually precede total ban.
Your back door set-up will require very good sealing from dust, the rear seems to attract more than it's fair share of dust.
May I also suggest to build 2 long shallow sliding draws between chassis and body for heavy items, like recovery gear and tools, either pull out the back or sides, good luck, Regards Frank.

The draw bar will definitely be shorter than it is in those images, im having the local trailer manufacturer fab the chassis so i plan on leaving things like draw bar length up to them (they know better than me)
The rear hatch sits inside the outer walls against proper rubber seals when closed. It should be sufficient for keeping the dust out though i could be wrong

I had considered that and included a pair of long draws in the original design however i omitted them from this design in the interest of reducing the trailer's profile a little. I plan on storing most of the '4x4' related equipment in the Disco and the camping stuff (clothes, food etc.) in the trailer. Is there any major disadvantage to this?

**Chops** · 20th May 2013, 04:34 PM

I love the look of the little teardrop campers, have seen a couple of new ones for sale, very nicely done they were compared to the originals.
Suspension of course would need to be raised and beefed up, and I'm not sure of the best way to deal with the canopy/fly mesh.
For just the two of you, you shouldn't really need much space in the way of storage for clothes etc. So you could make a small cupboard off the back of the pantry box for clothes and shoes that would be accessed from inside.
Just need room for a fridge, battery and gas bottle, although you might want to keep the fridge in the car, it'll come in handy when your doing your day trips etc.

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