Teardrop Camper

Product Description

This elegant little teardrop caravan has a sculptural design built upon stitch-and-glue boatbuilding techniques. It provides a surprisingly luxurious internal space in a compact exterior and can be towed behind a small car.

Teardrop campers have existed since the 1930s and are named after their streamlined shape. As cars are becoming smaller, there is a growing appreciation for these compact and efficient campers. As a fan of small boats and small cars, designer John C. Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft couldn't resist the concept of a stitch-and-glue teardrop camper kit. ‘Think of it as a big step up from a tent in terms of comfort and utility. But it's so compact and light that I could tow it behind my Mini Cooper’.

It's a lot more elegant than the common ‘tinned ham’ teardrop designs. Drawn around a 1.5 × 2 m (5′ × 6′ 8″) air mattress, this little camper is small on the outside but surprisingly roomy on the inside. Two adults up to 6′ 6″ (198 cm) can stretch out in great luxury. Large doors on both sides and a 380 mm (15″) square hatch on the roof provide easy access and copious ventilation. There's room for a 12-volt electrical system to run lights, fans, a stereo and charging plugs for devices.

The doors have locking latches that clamp the doors tight against gaskets to prevent leaks. They can be locked from the inside or outside.

A large galley occupies the locker in the rear of the trailer. While this space could be customised in many different ways, there is a separate galley module available as an option that provides a convenient drop-in shelving unit.

One great advantage over a tent when travelling is that you won't have to spend time pitching a tent in the rain: just park, climb in and go to sleep. Likewise, you can just drive off in the morning.

Sheldon Kerr, a professional mountain guide, towed her completed prototype teardrop camper from Vermont to her home in Colorado, reporting that even after the long drive ‘it was still so much fun that we slept in the camper on the street in front of the house’. There were no leaks during the rainy road trip and the doors and hatch stayed tight and leak-free.

My dad and I finished mine about 10 days ago and I think I've spent 5 out of the last 7 nights bunked in it. It's like having a treehouse on wheels.

Sheldon Kerr

The roof has been reinforced for carrying kayaks or bicycles on a roof-rack (not included in the kit). The rack towers are high enough to allow the roof hatch to open at least partially when the roof rack is loaded. An optional lockable storage box, sized to fit a 45 litre cooler, mounts forward of the camper on the trailer tongue.

While a trailer isn't included in the kit package, one of the key features of the design is that it can fitted on nearly any trailer, including an old boat trailer or the cheapest and most basic flatbed trailer.

The CLC Teardrop Camper is designed as a major upgrade from tent-camping. Rather than counting all the things that a big caravan offers that are missing in a teardrop trailer, note all of the conveniences you're gaining over a tent: excellent on-the-road gear storage; the ability to be out of the weather and asleep in minutes; no fooling around with ground sheets and tent pegs and a convenient cooking setup.

Dimensions and weight

The shell itself measures 2.45 m (96¼″) long, 1.67 m (65⅞″) wide and 1.14 m (44⅞″) tall. The actual height off the ground will vary a lot depending on your trailer choice, but expect between 1.57–1.72 m (62″–68″).

The interior floor measures 1.5 × 2 m (5′ × 6′ 8″). Headroom is about 1.12 m (44″): that's loads of headroom for people up to about 6′ 5″ (195 cm). Hanging out inside on a rainy day is a lot more comfortable than in the typical tent!

The Teardrop Camper weighs about 115 kg fully outfitted and accessorised. The basic shell and galley weigh about 80 kg. Trailer weight will vary wildly; the total weight will probably be about 230–270 kg with typical outfitting.

Ventilation

There are many options for ventilation. Mushroom vents can be installed on each corner; these can be opened while stationary for passive cross-ventilation, even in the rain. A large roof hatch can be installed, perhaps with an integral 12-volt fan, which will exhaust a lot of air. Additional fans can be fitted inside the camper for air circulation. It's hard to arrange for much more ventilation than that.

One option for really hot and wet weather is to carry an inexpensive pop-up tent with screened sides. This could be set up over the Teardrop Camper in minutes, allowing you to sleep with the big side doors open and access the galley out of the rain.

Both prototypes were given a foam-backed liner inside to eliminate the annoyance of interior condensation. It looks nice, too.

Construction

Construction of the CLC Teardrop will be familiar to anyone who's built a stitch-and-glue kayak or small boat. Starting from a kit, computer-cut marine plywood panels are bent into a simple slot-together female mould (included with the kit) and assembled with temporary wire stitches. The seams are reinforced with epoxy and fibreglass tape. Then the streamlined, sculptural shell is flipped over, removed from the mould and sheathed in tough fibreglass on the outside for strength and durability.

All surfaces inside and out are sealed with epoxy; this will make the camper absolutely waterproof and give it longevity to rival any fibreglass or aluminium body. Built as directed and given reasonable care, the camper will outlive you. The doors and hatches are cut out following the marks engraved by the computer cutter. Then the shell is sanded, finished and fitted out.

Every step of building the teardrop camper has been documented with carefully staged and lit photos and video, to create an extensively-detailed start-to-finish instruction manual and how-to video.

The kit is suitable for first-time builders, but builders working from plans should have built a stitch-and-glue boat or two first.

The Teardrop Camper kit will be shipped on a pallet. For added protection the parts will be left tabbed into their plywood sheets by the CNC machine. To build the teardrop camper, you'll need a clear space at least 2.5 × 3 m (8′ × 10′); twice that size would be better.

It will take about 250 hours to build the teardrop camper. Basic assembly goes very quickly and most builders will have the shell complete after a few weeks of evenings and weekends. Coating, sanding and finishing are straightforward but moderately time-consuming. How long it will take to fit out depends on your choices for the galley, electrical system, internal liner and so on: some builders will keep it really simple, others will tailor it to their needs. That's part of the fun of doing it yourself!

Kit contents

The base kit includes everything you need to build the basic camper:

• Pre-cut wooden panels with pre-cut joints, pre-drilled tie holes and panel location marks
• Solid wood parts
• Slot-together plywood mould
• Cyanoacrylate glue (industrial superglue) and accelerator for rapid assembly
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Copper ties and various fasteners
• Woven glass fabric
• Woven glass tape
• Marine acrylic windows
• Door and galley hatch hinges
• Gasket material for doors and galley hatch
• Hatch lift pistons and hardware
• Door and galley hatch latch assemblies
• Bezel for roof hatch
• Standard fit-kit for trailers
• Comprehensive building manual
• Free technical support from a competent builder

The trailer itself is not included in the base kit. You can get your trailer from us or elsewhere.

Also sold separately are the roof hatch (many styles will fit), the mushroom vents, galley cabinet module, electrical system, interior liner, roof racks and tongue storage box. You can order these items together with the base kit, or add them later as desired – or fabricate or source them yourself.

While you'll be supplied with plenty of epoxy to coat and seal the Teardrop Camper, the necessary final finish – varnish and/or paint – is sold separately.

Storage box

This 212-litre storage box kit is constructed from the same wood as the Teardrop Camper and bolts onto the trailer tongue in front of the camper. It's a good place to carry a cool-box or any other gear. It's self-draining and comes with a sturdy hasp so you can padlock it.

The storage box kit includes:

• Pre-cut wooden panels
• Woven glass fabric
• Hasp
• Hinges
• All required fasteners for hasp, hinges and trailer mounting

Epoxy is not included because most builders will have enough left over from the Teardrop Camper to complete the storage box as well.

Galley module

The galley module is an assembly of shelves and compartments that may be added to the Teardrop Camper's galley. The galley module kit is built separately on the bench and bolted in at or near completion of the Teardrop Camper. Epoxied together from marine plywood, the galley module is as strong and durable as the rest of the Teardrop Camper.

The galley module has compartments for a 12-volt battery, an electrical panel and a pair of stereo speakers (none of which are included).

The face piece is made from dark red Sapele marine plywood, to contrast elegantly with the lighter Okoume plywood.

The galley module kit includes:

• Pre-cut wooden panels
• Hinges
• Corner brackets
• Cabinet latch
• All required fasteners for the battery compartment hatch and mounting to the Teardrop Camper

Epoxy is not included because most builders will have enough left over from the Teardrop Camper to complete the galley module as well. It doesn't use much more than a litre.

Integrated Cargo Carrier kit

The Integrated Cargo Carrier is a bolt-on module for the Teardrop Camper that fits beneath the camper shell on the flatbed trailer, raising it by nine inches to provide 23 cubic feet of storage space. A centreline compartment runs the full length of the camper and is accessed through a lockable rear door below the galley. To either side of it are sliding drawers with removable dividers for organising your provisions and cooking supplies. The drawers are open at the back, so they can also be used to store oversized gear, the full length of the side compartment. Lockable doors below the camper's side doors give access to the side compartments.

The cargo carrier is designed to fit harmoniously with the camper, so you'll only know it's a separate unit because you built it. It is built from the same marine plywood, epoxy and fibreglass as the teardrop camper shell and is waterproof at 70mph in the rain.

This is a complete kit with epoxy and fibreglass. It can be built together with the camper or added to a complete camper at a later date.

The cargo carrier kit includes:

• Pre-cut plywood panels
• Door hinges, latches and handles
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Woven glass fabric
• Comprehensive building manual

Interior headliner

Adding this interior liner to your Teardrop Camper is a quick and easy way to make it even more comfortable and smart-looking. The liner prevents condensation inside the cabin and reduces noise entering from outside.

Our Teardrop Camper interior liner kit is CNC-cut from 18 mm MiniCel foam. This is a very high-quality (and fairly expensive) foam that doesn't absorb water. The texture is similar to that of Alcantara, the synthetic suede-like material often used for the seats and headliners of sports cars.

Powered roof vent kit

This rooftop ventilation hatch will keep the Teardrop Camper comfortably cool in all but the most torrid heat. It has an integrated 12-volt fan with three forward speeds and two reverse speeds.

It has a white screen and collar, clear fan blades and a translucent tinted lid that lets in plenty of natural light without turning the cabin into a greenhouse. It is robustly manufactured and fits an aperture measuring 350 × 350 mm (14″ × 14″).

This vent kit also includes the CNC-cut plywood parts that are required to fit it to the Teardrop Camper's hatch bezel.

Mushroom vent set

This set includes four mushroom vents for leak-proof ventilation of your Teardrop Camper. We recommend fitting these vents in the four corners of the camper for cross-ventilation. They can be opened even in the rain.

Flatbed trailer

This unbraked flatbed trailer has been designed specifically for our Teardrop Camper. It has 10″ (254 mm) wheels on a galvanised steel chassis, with all the necessary road lights and reflectors mounted. It has rubber suspension, galvanised mudguards and a jockey wheel.

It comes with the necessary IVA certificate (VOSA). The unladen weight is approximately 130 kg and maximum gross weight is 500 kg. There will be some basic assembly to do when it is delivered. This trailer is made to order, so please contact us to check the current lead time.

Wood-only

This option contains only the building manual and pre-cut wooden parts for the Teardrop Camper. This option is for those wanting to obtain the other materials from other sources. It includes:

• Pre-cut wooden panels with pre-cut joints, pre-drilled tie holes and panel location marks
• Solid wood parts
• Slot-together plywood mould
• Door and galley hatch hinges
• Bezel for roof hatch
• Standard bunks for trailer integration
• Comprehensive building manual
• Free technical support from a competent builder

Door outfitting and hardware package

This is a complete package of door (and window) hardware and required fasteners for those building the Teardrop Camper from plans. Kit builders receive all of these items in the base kit. It includes:

• Actuating rod
• Door handles (interior and exterior)
• Fairleads
• Acrylic windows
• Marine grade sealant
• Screws, nuts and washers

Hatch outfitting and hardware package

This is a complete package of galley hatch hardware and required fasteners for those building the Teardrop Camper from plans. Kit builders receive all of these items in the base kit. It includes:

• Foam gasket
• Rubber gasket
• Gas springs
• Brackets for gas springs
• Large hatch hasp
• Screws, nuts and washers

Plans and manual

These plans are for builders who want to build the teardrop camper from scratch. The plans are not needed if you are building from a kit because all the wooden panels in the kit are pre-cut.

The plans contain full size templates for all the wooden panels in the camper, including the optional galley module and storage box. They come with 40 pages of supplemental instructions for plans builders.

The plans are available as a package including the comprehensive building manual. The plans are also available without the manual, for builders who have already bought the manual for pre-build study. You will need a copy of the manual to build the teardrop camper from plans.

Study manual

The construction manual for the teardrop camper is also available separately, either printed or as a PDF download, for builders who want to study the process before taking up their tools.

The manual has 392 pages and is lavishly illustrated with more than 1000 drawings and colour photos. It includes a materials list, tool list and step-by-step construction details from start to finish.

This does not contain the plans of the panels with the cutting instructions so it is not possible to build the camper from scratch using only this.

PDF study plans

These study plans are intended to give you an overview of the construction of the Teardrop Camper. They are in PDF format that can be viewed using Adobe Reader. There are six pages and they measure 279 × 216 mm (11″ × 8½″). They can be printed for carrying around.

After credit card authorisation the plans will be sent to the email address put on the order form.

Integrated Cargo Carrier plans and PDF manual

This option consists of full-size printed plans for the Integrated Cargo Carrier and a download of the instruction manual in PDF format. The plans include full-size templates for every part, with dimensions in both metric and imperial units. These plans are not needed if you are building from a kit.

If you prefer a printed copy of the manual, you'll need to add the Integrated Cargo Carrier study manual to your basket as well.

Integrated Cargo Carrier study manual

The construction manual for the Integrated Cargo Carrier, printed in full colour and spiral bound. This option is for builders who want to study the process before buying the kit or for plans builders who prefer a printed manual over the PDF download supplied with the plans. The manual includes a materials list and tool list as well as detailed step-by-step building instructions.