Teardrop Camper Layout Design

[motas]

Hey all,

My partner has decided that a Jeep and a swag just aren't cutting it anymore for camping trips. We had a good run, but looks like I need provide a little more luxury now. Looking at our options it seems a teardrop camper meets our needs best. It gives us the ability to tow it with either the Subaru or the Jeep, and I like the lack of setting up compared to a canvas style trailer.

Being a ridiculously fussy engineer though, I haven't been able to find a teardrop camper available that I particularly like (especially for a somewhat reasonable cost). Majority of the campers have the kitchen in the hatch at the rear, with side entry to the bed, or vice versa a pull out kitchen to the side, and entry to the bed through the back. The hatch at the back gives good coverage from adverse weather, but to get the same coverage on the side for cooking or getting into bed requires setting up an awning like this one. This kind of goes against my no setup policy.

So my idea is, why not put a slide out kitchen and a fridge drawer under the bed where the drawers are on the Track Trailer in the picture, and have storage under the front of the bed where the slide out kitchen currently is. I'd also add a canvas wall (or a solid wall with sliding door) at the foot of the bed to keep cooking mess and smells away from the bed. Here's what I've come up with so far:


The black box on the left is a 30L drawer fridge. The silver box on the right is a 500x1200mm slide out kitchen. The bed is also full queen size. There are still side entry doors for quick entry without opening the rear hatch, and for ventilation in summer, as well as access to the under bed storage area. The rear hatch will have drop down canvas sides for long stays in bad weather, and potentially a shower head as well. In front of the body on the A frame will be a storage area for spare tyre, fuel, etc.

I haven't been able to find any campers with this configuration though, so I am wondering whether an example exists, and if not why no one else has built one like this, is there a drawback I am missing? Would also love to hear any other opinions/ideas/criticisms from people with more camper experience!

Cheers,
Tom.

 

[john61ct]

A kitchen in a drawer needs setting up.

At a site with a table, haul the chuckbox out, but otherwise you now need counter space or a portable table.

If you have a side opening rear or barn doors maybe can rig a "pretty instant" kitchen for the morning cuppa, but pretty challenging rube goldberg for full dinner, and you've lost the "instant awning"?

A tiny minimalist rig IMO does not need both side entrances and rear, so if you really want the rear one might as well do side slideouts?

One idea I had, but more for the rear of a tall rig, a hitch-mounted fold-down "telescoping banquet table" at least 6' long with a gap for the utility cooking area between the table and the vertical raising hatch/awning.

Likely very heavy though but I like that to the rear bring the wheels rearward.

 

[motas]

A kitchen in a drawer needs setting up.

At a site with a table, haul the chuckbox out, but otherwise you now need counter space or a portable table.

If you have a side opening rear or barn doors maybe can rig a "pretty instant" kitchen for the morning cuppa, but pretty challenging rube goldberg for full dinner, and you've lost the "instant awning"?

A tiny minimalist rig IMO does not need both side entrances and rear, so if you really want the rear one might as well do side slideouts?

One idea I had, but more for the rear of a tall rig, a hitch-mounted fold-down "telescoping banquet table" at least 6' long with a gap for the utility cooking area between the table and the vertical raising hatch/awning.

Likely very heavy though but I like that to the rear bring the wheels rearward.

I'm thinking a kitchen similar to this, which literally just needs sliding out and provides some counter space as well. I tend to rarely use campsite tables (if there even is one) as I always end up running back and forth to the fridge, so having a removable chuckbox isn't something I would really use.

Absolutely correct on the side entry. They are primarily there for ventilation and accessing the storage space. Using an off the shelf door makes construction a lot easier than making a window and a drawer. Being able to crawl straight into bed without opening even the rear hatch is just a side benefit to that. The other benefit is I don't need to think about being able to open the hatch from inside the camper, as you can always get out the side. This is mainly useful in very cold weather (which we don't have much of in Australia) where the rear hatch closed would keep the inside a bit warmer.

Track Trailers have this cool fold down floor off the back, it can be flipped down or just go up with the hatch. I always thought adding a caravan style table to it would be fairly easy.

I'm okay with having a bit of setup time for the more luxury items like a table or a shower, but my general rule is sleeping and cooking should be fast and undercover. For example a quick lunch break in the rain, or pulling into a campsite at 1am after a hard day, I don't want to deal with unrolling and rolling up wet canvas.

 

[Louisd75]

Hey all,

My partner has decided that a Jeep and a swag just aren't cutting it anymore for camping trips. We had a good run, but looks like I need provide a little more luxury now. Looking at our options it seems a teardrop camper meets our needs best. It gives us the ability to tow it with either the Subaru or the Jeep, and I like the lack of setting up compared to a canvas style trailer.

Being a ridiculously fussy engineer though, I haven't been able to find a teardrop camper available that I particularly like (especially for a somewhat reasonable cost). Majority of the campers have the kitchen in the hatch at the rear, with side entry to the bed, or vice versa a pull out kitchen to the side, and entry to the bed through the back. The hatch at the back gives good coverage from adverse weather, but to get the same coverage on the side for cooking or getting into bed requires setting up an awning like this one. This kind of goes against my no setup policy.

So my idea is, why not put a slide out kitchen and a fridge drawer under the bed where the drawers are on the Track Trailer in the picture, and have storage under the front of the bed where the slide out kitchen currently is. I'd also add a canvas wall (or a solid wall with sliding door) at the foot of the bed to keep cooking mess and smells away from the bed. Here's what I've come up with so far:

View attachment 557185
The black box on the left is a 30L drawer fridge. The silver box on the right is a 500x1200mm slide out kitchen. The bed is also full queen size. There are still side entry doors for quick entry without opening the rear hatch, and for ventilation in summer, as well as access to the under bed storage area. The rear hatch will have drop down canvas sides for long stays in bad weather, and potentially a shower head as well. In front of the body on the A frame will be a storage area for spare tyre, fuel, etc.

I haven't been able to find any campers with this configuration though, so I am wondering whether an example exists, and if not why no one else has built one like this, is there a drawback I am missing? Would also love to hear any other opinions/ideas/criticisms from people with more camper experience!

Cheers,
Tom.

The design of the Mission Overland trailer is probably the closest off the shelf solution to what you're describing, though it's not exactly what you're looking for. They do some things that might give you some good ideas and they're worth checking out.

Some things to keep in mind that I've learned from experience with my trailer (you can see the picture and a link to building it in my signature line below). A quick summary of my trailer is that it's a traditional teardrop in that the bed access is through the side and the galley is a separate section in the back (it's non traditional in that there are bunk beds for the kids and the forward end curves the opposite direction as normal)

- We have an awning mounted on each side of the trailer but don't always set them up. A lot depends on the weather, campsite location and the position of the sun. Awnings are very effective at helping to cool the trailer off on sunny days and they double your sheltered area on rainy days. All told, setting both awnings up and staking them down takes less than 10 minutes.

- It's not uncommon, in colder weather, for me to cook outside while the family warms up in the trailer. They still have the option of getting in/out without having to climb over where I'm cooking. I would not recommend a design where the entry doubles as the galley. I have seen many designs that incorporate a pass-through between the galley and cabin to allow passing small things, like coffee or cocoa to someone in the trailer.

- The forward doors as you have drawn looks to be very awkward to get into/out of. Most traditional teardrop and small camper designs have the side doors positioned so that you sit down on the bed, pull your knees up and then pivot into the trailer. Ideally, the doors are placed so that you don't have to do much scooting around on the bed. Note that there's usually a compromise there since the perfect door position doesn't always get along with the ideal axle and wheel position. The door appears to be lower to allow access to the storage area underneath. I would recommend a separate door for the storage area or an access hatch in the floor. I put my storage compartment under the bed and only have to lift one cushion up to get to it.

Something else that I've learned from building is that there are lots of ideas that I've seen others incorporate that just wouldn't work very well for my situation. It's not that their way is wrong, it's just not the right solution for me. It's very difficult to come up with your perfect trailer on the first shot as you're going to have to make compromises due to size, shape, how you're using it, who is using it, etc. I love my trailer but I also realize that this is likely only version 1.0. Every trip that I've taken with the trailer has resulted in some sort of change and modification, though I think I'm zeroing in on as good as this trailer will get.

 

[The Artisan]

What if you lifted the back hatch and it became a roof with a rain head integrated for a shower. Then you had a separate door on one side and your slide out kitchen was on the other side. Use pop out windows on each side for ventilation.
Kevin.

 

[motas]

The design of the Mission Overland trailer is probably the closest off the shelf solution to what you're describing, though it's not exactly what you're looking for. They do some things that might give you some good ideas and they're worth checking out.

Some things to keep in mind that I've learned from experience with my trailer (you can see the picture and a link to building it in my signature line below). A quick summary of my trailer is that it's a traditional teardrop in that the bed access is through the side and the galley is a separate section in the back (it's non traditional in that there are bunk beds for the kids and the forward end curves the opposite direction as normal)

- We have an awning mounted on each side of the trailer but don't always set them up. A lot depends on the weather, campsite location and the position of the sun. Awnings are very effective at helping to cool the trailer off on sunny days and they double your sheltered area on rainy days. All told, setting both awnings up and staking them down takes less than 10 minutes.

- It's not uncommon, in colder weather, for me to cook outside while the family warms up in the trailer. They still have the option of getting in/out without having to climb over where I'm cooking. I would not recommend a design where the entry doubles as the galley. I have seen many designs that incorporate a pass-through between the galley and cabin to allow passing small things, like coffee or cocoa to someone in the trailer.

- The forward doors as you have drawn looks to be very awkward to get into/out of. Most traditional teardrop and small camper designs have the side doors positioned so that you sit down on the bed, pull your knees up and then pivot into the trailer. Ideally, the doors are placed so that you don't have to do much scooting around on the bed. Note that there's usually a compromise there since the perfect door position doesn't always get along with the ideal axle and wheel position. The door appears to be lower to allow access to the storage area underneath. I would recommend a separate door for the storage area or an access hatch in the floor. I put my storage compartment under the bed and only have to lift one cushion up to get to it.

Something else that I've learned from building is that there are lots of ideas that I've seen others incorporate that just wouldn't work very well for my situation. It's not that their way is wrong, it's just not the right solution for me. It's very difficult to come up with your perfect trailer on the first shot as you're going to have to make compromises due to size, shape, how you're using it, who is using it, etc. I love my trailer but I also realize that this is likely only version 1.0. Every trip that I've taken with the trailer has resulted in some sort of change and modification, though I think I'm zeroing in on as good as this trailer will get.

Thanks I'll check at yours and the Mission trailers.

Weather here tends to be rainy and moderately cold in winter, and HOT in summer (105F yesterday). Thankfully this means we don't have to deal with things like water freezing and our insulation requirements aren't bad, but it is nice to have shade and cover from rain. We also don't have any kids so that reduces sleeping and storage requirements quiet a bit. Although that is another good reason to keep the side access doors.

I was thinking I didn't like the front doors too. They are drawn as off the shelf doors, but I am thinking I might have to custom make some larger doors which fit around the wheels, or separate storage and entry doors. The wheel arches support the bed, so they shouldn't interfere with door placement. I can probably get some galley style doors to access storage.

Editing the design later on is something that makes me unsure of the best construction method. I'd ideally like to mold the body in one piece, but it means I can't change any aspect of the body later on, I'd have to modify the mold, redo it and sell the old one.

What if you lifted the back hatch and it became a roof with a rain head integrated for a shower. Then you had a separate door on one side and your slide out kitchen was on the other side. Use pop out windows on each side for ventilation.
Kevin.

I think that's pretty much what I was thinking. You mean that the kitchen and the door are both at the back underneath the hatch?

Cheers!

 

[motas]

Okay, updated body design with separate entry and storage doors at the front. I've also added the canvas wall which keeps the sleeping area enclosed from the kitchen/outside. There's two mesh windows which can be opened for extra ventilation on really hot nights.

This could be replaced with a solid wall and a door, which would be neat but the cost/benefit compared to canvas probably isn't there. Ideally I'd mold it in as part of the body, but then it will be impossible to get the bed base in. I could possible mold the bed base in, but then it would be impossible to install the kitchen and fridge.

This can be replaced with a solid wall and door, I just have to make the bed base in three parts which fit through the side door cut out. Better and cheaper .

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Why noy buy a 12' Scamper?

 

[motas]

Why noy buy a 12' Scamper?

Have you got a link? I'm in Australia so chances are they aren't available here, but importing something wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Have you got a link? I'm in Australia so chances are they aren't available here, but importing something wouldn't be out of the question.

Sorry, didn't realize that you were in Australia. Here is the link:

Scamp 13 Fiberglass Lightweight Travel Trailer Camper - Standard Layout 1 Big Bed - Scamp Trailers

If you like the idea of a small, light weight travel trailer camper without the inconvenient setup, then the Scamp 13” is the perfect lite travel trailer for you. Standard Layout 1.

www.scamptrailers.com

 

[motas]

Sorry, didn't realize that you were in Australia. Here is the link:

Scamp 13 Fiberglass Lightweight Travel Trailer Camper - Standard Layout 1 Big Bed - Scamp Trailers

If you like the idea of a small, light weight travel trailer camper without the inconvenient setup, then the Scamp 13” is the perfect lite travel trailer for you. Standard Layout 1.

www.scamptrailers.com

Ah I did find them but wasn't sure if that was the one you meant.

They're a fair bit larger than the one I've drawn. The body length on mine is only 2700mm (9'). I'm guessing they're also much higher and wider, and don't look very robust for off road use.

 

[Louisd75]

What are your storage plans? For example, we travel with our clothes and personal stuff in duffel bags. In transit we put the duffels on the bed between the wheels. In camp we place the duffels on shelves above our knees. The shelf keeps them out of the way but but easily accessible. We have additional, less accessible storage for things that we don't use that often such as extra bedding. We also run a couple of shelves for books, hats, water bottles, stuffed animals, etc. The majority of our storage is against the aft bulkhead between the sleeping compartment and galley. Shelves are extremely easy to access from the inside. Storage under the mattress is possible but it's more work to access from the inside.

How much interior height do you have between the mattress and ceiling? I've currently got about 42" (106cm) between the mattress and overhead. I'm just under 6' tall (180cm) and don't have an issue sitting up or kneeling inside, though if I kneel then I also need to duck a little. It's possible to go lower, but going lower means that it's more work getting dressed and you're not going to be comfortably lounging in the trailer.

 

[motas]

What are your storage plans? For example, we travel with our clothes and personal stuff in duffel bags. In transit we put the duffels on the bed between the wheels. In camp we place the duffels on shelves above our knees. The shelf keeps them out of the way but but easily accessible. We have additional, less accessible storage for things that we don't use that often such as extra bedding. We also run a couple of shelves for books, hats, water bottles, stuffed animals, etc. The majority of our storage is against the aft bulkhead between the sleeping compartment and galley. Shelves are extremely easy to access from the inside. Storage under the mattress is possible but it's more work to access from the inside.

How much interior height do you have between the mattress and ceiling? I've currently got about 42" (106cm) between the mattress and overhead. I'm just under 6' tall (180cm) and don't have an issue sitting up or kneeling inside, though if I kneel then I also need to duck a little. It's possible to go lower, but going lower means that it's more work getting dressed and you're not going to be comfortably lounging in the trailer.

Storage is something I'm probably lacking a little. I'm thinking all the bulky stuff will go in a storage tub on the A frame (battery, LPG, fuel, chairs etc) and the main internal storage is under the front of the bed which would fit a duffel bag each well. I'm also thinking small shelving would fit well on both sides of the bulkhead near the kitchen, the kitchen side for a pantry and kitchen utensils, and the bed side for smaller items like shoes, books, water bottle etc. I'm also considering extending it a little and putting a wardrobe at the front of the bed, similar to this Bruder camper. I'm not sure it's 100% necessary though as we aren't doing long term trips, but for the sake of an extra 300mm of length it is probably worth it. I could also put a roof rack on the top, and probably will integrate mounts for it even if just ends up for bikes and things.

Interior height at the moment is 1056mm with a 100mm mattress, I can adjust that easily in the model but it sounds like I guessed well!

 

[Buddha.]

Sorry, didn't realize that you were in Australia. Here is the link:

Scamp 13 Fiberglass Lightweight Travel Trailer Camper - Standard Layout 1 Big Bed - Scamp Trailers

If you like the idea of a small, light weight travel trailer camper without the inconvenient setup, then the Scamp 13” is the perfect lite travel trailer for you. Standard Layout 1.

www.scamptrailers.com

My grandpa had one of those he’d tow with his early ‘90s diesel Jetta. I’d like to fix an old one up but they hold their value like crazy.

 

[The Artisan]

Okay, updated body design with separate entry and storage doors at the front. I've also added the canvas wall which keeps the sleeping area enclosed from the kitchen/outside. There's two mesh windows which can be opened for extra ventilation on really hot nights.

This could be replaced with a solid wall and a door, which would be neat but the cost/benefit compared to canvas probably isn't there. Ideally I'd mold it in as part of the body, but then it will be impossible to get the bed base in. I could possible mold the bed base in, but then it would be impossible to install the kitchen and fridge.

This can be replaced with a solid wall and door, I just have to make the bed base in three parts which fit through the side door cut out. Better and cheaper .
View attachment 557198
View attachment 557206

Yes something along those lines but maybe kitchen slides out then cooking sink and prep lift up so it is at waist height
Kevin