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Check out and dig deep into the CLC teardrop camper Facebook group. Years ago I saw a post where a camper has been built out of some sort of foam sheets, covered with epoxy and glass, of course. I don’t remember the details, though.
Hi Claus,
that sounds good!
If you like to talk on the telephone, e-mail me at my (spam) e-mail address dasjo[at]web.de with your number and times of convenience. I’ll call you back then. Please post here if you want to do so, so I remember to check that e-mail inbox.
Otherwise, at my inspection, the windows, or lack of certificate for the windows, were no problem at all. The certification seems to be important for DIY camper vans, where people sit within the “hazardous zone” in case of a crash, but not for trailers. I saw that requirement written on the TÜV Nord website, but concluded for myself, that this page was more about DIY camper vans, and not about trailers.
I did not consider registering the trailer as a “Anhänger geschlossener Kasten” (enclosed box trailer), so I can’t help with that specific direction.
Best regards, Johannes
Here’s our almost finished camper. The 2m long awning (Markise) sits within the footprint of the camper, and was also accepted and registered by the TÜV Nord inspector.
I cut an aluminum pipe to the length of the extended rod and installed the springs rod-down. Had to cut recesses into the galley hatch stiffener, but that’s not a real issue. One has to carefully sand smooth the cutting edges (and, at best, add some protective plastic film) of the pipe so it does not damage the cylinder’s paint and wall… So when opening the hatch, the cylinder automatically slides into locking position. One has to push it up when closing the hatch again. Works pretty well.
I’d opt for the fillet. You will never see it again once you’ve completed the camper. Don’t do the strap thing. Once you cut out your galley hatch, it might change its shape unfavourably because of the stored tension you applied earlier. The mold should give the shell its shape, not a ‘secondary’ element inside.
Yes, here! I dislike spooning out, too, as the cleanup is always a nightmare. But never got comfortable with the pastry bags, so it’s no use…
BR, Johannes
Hi, are we looking at the short front side of the panel? At the front the angle is smaller than 90° so this does not necessarily look wrong to me. BR; Johannes
The 2000mm version. I have yet to install it. One more thing I did not consider until like yesterday: I think the awning has to extend to the side beyond the wheel house of the camper to allow the fit of the tent. And that’s not allowed according to our local regulations. Also avoiding a collision with the galley hatch will play a major role. It’s all solvable, with some mechanism, but maybe just not straight forward. I guess the 1250mm version with a wind breaker is an easier fit. I’ll post again when I’m there – hopefully in late June / early July.
BR, Johannes
Hi aregehr, welcome to the community!
I have absolutely no woodworking skills, even after structurally completing three CLC projects including the teardrop camper. I say structurally because none has crossed the finish line so far, means painting and outfitting are yet to be done. You can see my efforts on Instagram: @jmb_builds.
I think there’s no need for serious woodworking skills as long as you can be patient when actually working on the wood. I can’t, that’s why I made many of the stupid possible mistakes. Working on the wood means using a rasp for trimming parts before installation. Or sanding the whole thing. There are some parts that should have their edges rounded off, which can be done with a router, or with coarse sandpaper and patience. Patience is key.
Studying the manual over and over again helps building confidence. The forum is great help, and when there are some uncertainties, mailing or calling CLC helps a lot.
BR, Johannes
Totally see the desired headroom, I’m 6’3″. Bought an ARB awning + tent I’d also like to have at 7ft clearance. I could not find fitting L-brackets yet, so I’ll probably order some custom ones from the local steelwork companies, or make some from fiberglass myself. Thinking of a hinged version to keep the height low when driving, but I still have to figure out the best way to do it.
BR, Johannes
8″ seem to be standard, I have those, too. Considered the 11″ once, but dropped those because of the raise of the center of gravity (and resulting negative impact on towing safety) when having a payload on my small and light trailer. I have no breaks on the trailer, and the hitch is unstabilized, so the trailer has to be safety-optimized per arrangement.
There might be another safety aspect regarding the height. Let’s say you put the max. payload on the roof racks. When you have to make an emergency break, you’ll have much higher forces at the camper shell when you have 11″ instead of 8″ (due to 38% more leverage) – one might want to check with CLC if that’s within the calculated margins.
Another thought: any height restrictions to be expected where you’re going? In Europe, we sometimes have 2.1m / 7ft at parking lots and side roads, to keep oversize vehicles out.
BR, Johannes
Hi,
I’m pretty sure these are mostly custom automotive decals. You can see Waterlust apply their decal on Youtube, “Building a Teardrop Camper – Episode 12” at approx. 8min. Plastic decals between wood and fiberglass would certainly be a bad thing. I’m thinking about a “countries travelled” decal (I live in Europe) for the hatch, where I would gradually add those countries we’ve been to, but somehow the camper isn’t finished yet…
BR, Johannes
Hey, they have a website: https://www.turtleshelldesign.com
