Building a teardrop trailer as your first foray into DIY RV projects is doable, but can still be intimidating. Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, Maryland makes it easier with build-your-own ultra lightweight teardrop trailer kits.
Chesapeake Light Craft owner, John C. Harris, is a fan of not only small boats, but also small cars, campers, and houses. He wanted to design an ultra lightweight camping trailer that he could tow behind a Mini Cooper. With over 25 years of experience building lightweight boats, he decided to use the same structural design and techniques to build a little teardrop.
Each of the trailer kit pieces are computer cut from marine-grade plywood panels.
The 5×8 foot teardrop trailer is elegant and sleek and made from computer-cut marine plywood panels bent into a simple mold.
The seams are reinforced with epoxy and fiberglass tape. The teardrop is then flipped over, the mold removed, and the shell is sheathed on the exterior with a tough coating of fiberglass.
Doors and hatches are then cut on marks engraved by the computer cutter. The frame is then sanded and the galley is installed last before attaching it to the trailer.
The teardrop kit can be installed on various types of five-foot wide trailers.
The trailer can fit a 60×80 inch air mattress and sleeps two people. The teardrop has large doors on each side and a 15 inch square hatch on the roof for ventilation.
A large galley occupies the locker in the rear of the trailer. The galley space can be customized, but the original design by staff designer Dillon Majoros includes a smart shelving unit that drops in as a separate module.
The finished shell exterior is sealed with a tough coating of fiberglass.
The teardrop also has room for a 12-volt electrical system to run lights, fans, a stereo, and charging plugs for devices. The roof has been reinforced for the installation of roof racks to carry kayaks or bikes. An optional lockable storage box, sized to fit a 48-quart cooler, mounts forward of the camper on the trailer tongue.
This pre-cut galley module can be ordered as a kit option.
The teardrop trailer kit will include a detailed instruction manual and a how-to video.
Get a closer look in this video:
The base kit is available from their website here and starts at $2199. The galley module and storage box are optional additions.
Photos by Chesapeake Light Craft
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