There is nothing new about a homemade teardrop or small standy trailer. They have been built from a variety of materials such as old airline parts, plywood, pallets, and even classic cars.
However, the mercury foam teardrop trailer by Instructables user Rowerwet just might take the cake for creativity. He also shows his entire step-by-step process online.
The 6-foot wide trailer, named “Foamie”, is aerodynamic and stands up to the elements. Rowerwet is an experienced boatbuilder and has made boats and kayaks out of plywood and foam.
In order to camp with his family, he made his foam camper a bit larger than a normal teardrop trailer, but the principles still apply.
Rowerwet used two free pop-up trailers that had been ruined by the elements. He stripped the trailers down to their frame and saved a few parts such as a sink, faucet, power center, stove, and awning rails.
He installed a 1/2 inch plywood floor and then began to shape out the walls from foam panels. Each panel was joined together with duct tape, Gorilla Glue, and bamboo skewers.
The trailer roof is supported with wood spars made from 1×3 inch pine boards. Rowerwet shaped the door openings with a 55-gallon drum and cut them right out of the foam panel with a knife.
The doors are made with plywood and contain inexpensive Wiley windows. These windows don’t require seals to work and can be left open a crack during storms for ventilation. Porthole windows were also cut out of the trailer and covered with Coroplast plastic sheeting.
For the camper’s skin, Rowerwet used poor man’s fiberglass. This technique uses drop cloth canvas and glue to create a lightweight, waterproof and inexpensive cover for both foam and plywood.
The canvas is wrapped around the foam frame and glued down with Titebond. It’s then painted with exterior paint for a fiberglass-like finish.
Rowerwet’s “Foamie” camper also has a galley hatch for the kitchen. He used two of the draw hatches from the free pop-up campers and installed plywood plates near the bottom of the hatches and a plywood roof.
The galley is held up with two struts made from aluminum pipe and swivel casters. The galley has a simple shelf for preparing food and storage for propane tanks, spare tires, and a barbecue.
The camper is strong enough to not only hold the family’s camping bed and a galley kitchen but the roof stores a few kayaks as well. Rowerwet and his family use a side tent, an EZ-Up canopy, and a shower tent to extend their outdoor area.
Showering is done with a Zodi camping shower and the good old Reliance Luggable Loo is used for a simple toilet.
