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We have finished all the major parts of our build. We were very impressed with the kit design and implementation. We were new to the stitch and glue concept but really enjoyed how easily things went together! (by my documentation, we have 247 hours into the project so far, CLC was right on with the estimate!)
We still have to put on the galley hatch latch, install the roof vent, and install the 12V system. Also we have some fenders to stick over the wheels.
We are building our own galley unit (probably not until the winter) and our own box to go on the tongue, with a solar panel mounted on the top of it.
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s teardrops!
UPDATE! I’m finally calling our teardrop finished! We got the wiring all in yesterday so we have working lights, roof fan, phone chargers, and voltmeter/ammeter. 270 logged hours total, including all the electrical work and designing/building the box for the solar panel mount. We are going to camp with it a few times this fall and then decide on a design for our own galley module, and we will also look into some kind of option for a headliner at some point.
Really enjoyed this project and we are stoked by the results!
Jake
Placing the solar panel on top of the tongue box is a smart and attractive solution. I hope you don’t mind if I copy your idea.
Yes, this is the folding harbor freight 4×8 trailer. We cut the length about 10″ shorter and welded it together since we didn’t need it to fold. I wanted this trailer so that we would have bigger wheels, but in hindsight it also puts the galley “countertop” up pretty high. It wont be really comfortable for cooking in.
did you buy the 1195-lb capacity trailer or the more expensive, 1740lb capacity trailer? do you have the tear drop sitting on something to elevate it above the height of the fenders?
i was hoping to switch out the wheels also but yea, the galley would be way to high…
amazing work- would love to see more in-progress pictures if you have them!
I think we got the 1195-lb trailer. We did two things with the fenders. First we used the runners that came with the teardrop kit, which raised the teardrop almost level with the fenders (about 1/4 lower I think). Secondly, we took the fenders off the trailer, removed the bracket it was on, and screwed the fenders right into the bottom of the teardrop so there is no gap.
Here are some in progress photos… We took a lot at the beginning when we were excited then didn’t take so many later on.
hey jake,
since I can’t start the actual teardrop for awhile while I await shipping- can you give me some details on how you built that tongue box? what is the dimensions? is it wood construction?
also, what size solar panel is that? 50w?
curious if you had any issues with the Harbor freight axle being so far forward from the re as r of the trailer. the manual had some pretty stringent recommendations for distance of axle to rear for proper weight distribution
Sorry for the slow response.
I don’t have the dimensions on hand for the box, but we made it out of 1/2″ plywood (not the fancy stuff, just home depot plywood) to fit in the space. It was kind of fun to design because there was the angle of declination for the solar panel as well as the angle of the sides which we attempted to have mirror the angle of the trailer tongue underneath it. We cut it out very carefully with all the angles and then used wood glue and pin nails to put it together. I think we used old door hinges for the hinge.
Solar panel is 100W. Its overkill I think, but it was only $30 more than doing 50W, and I like the comfort of knowing I’ll never lose power to the fan in the summer. Also I can charge laptops and stuff if I need to.
As far as the axle, we spent a lot of time thinking about it. We considered moving the axle, but in the end decided to leave it where it was. We did some measurements to make sure we would still be able to turn the car sharply and there were no problems. We figured that the trailer is operating as Harbor Freight designed it to. So far there have been no problems. It pulls really nice and is super easy to back up.
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