William Landivar made a teardrop camper as a hobby project – a really big teardrop camper.
This mahogany and oak masterpiece is 15 feet long, 7 feet wide, and weighs in at 1,700 pounds with a 185 pound tongue weight, a lot bigger than many other traditional teardrop camper designs.
Mine has that classic teardrop shape from the ’40s and ’50s, but it’s a lot bigger. The older ones are nothing like this one. It’s big enough for a family to sleep and watch movies in it.
He named his creation the Aero Madera, Spanish for Flying Wood, because of its sleek lines and aerodynamic structure.
William Landivar next to his Aero Madera.
William used only the highest grade of materials in his build:
- custom built square tube frame with galvanized steel belly pan
- mahogany and oak with marine epoxy used throughout
- hardware is stainless steel, bronze, brass and chrome
- hand-formed polished aluminum trim
- epoxy and marine varnish finish
- fused, dedicated circuits with fridge and freezer
- stainless Wedgewood 2 burner gas stove
- stainless steel sink with pressurized water
- poly 13 gallon freshwater and greywater tanks
- leather and carpeted interior
- DVD & CD player with 4 speaker Dolby surround sound
Inside you’ll find leather and carpet, with rich bronze accents and inlaid paneling.
William said he was drawn to creating a teardrop instead of a larger camper because,
I wanted to come up with a project that would be great in this economy. With teardrops, you don’t need a big truck to haul the trailer.
All told, he took a year to complete the project. The cost? An estimated $25,000.
The beautiful Aero Madera.
Bronze porthole window.
Brass gussets on the ceiling. Ribs are from African Mahogony – no kidding!
Quartz clock over the entrance.
The sink is made from hammered stainless steel.
Ceiling of the back galley.
Bigger shot of the galley.
Front of the cabin.
In the field – it’s a whopper.
What a beauty!
Just today we found an add on Craigslist for – you guessed it – the Aero Madera. SOLD
Price? Only $16,900!
You might want to check out the listing and make an offer yourself. Williams says,
It’s like a piano on wheels. A lot of hard work and craftsmanship went into building it. It’s really something that can be passed down.
Source: Press-Banner, Sierra Trailer Restoration, and Craigslist
Hi Ed,
This might be a lot of work, but it has been done before, here’s a post you might find useful: http://www.doityourselfrv.com/diy-camper-trailer-budget/
Someone wants to give me a 1994 coleman pop up camper that the roof collapsed on…should i attempt to make something out of it???