Basecamp Adventure Trailer - Re-make of My Award-winning Project "Teardrop Camper"

In 2020, three generations of my family got together to build a decent "teardrop" trailer. We made an instructable @ https://www.instructables.com/Teardrop-Camper-Homemade-With-Plywood/ . It won a very nice price on the Instructables contest.

After couple of years using it, some clear realisations came to mind (hence the re-build):

1) Our old rig, although looking nice, had limited uses in terms of storage & customizability.

2) WE ARE PACK RATS. Loads of stuff to move around: bikes, inflatable kayak, blankets, sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, kitchen gear, travel fridge, etc. etc.

3) For a group of 5, we really need a box-on-wheels for stuff, not a tiny home.

4) In my country people rarely actively travel with a full camper trailer. Much more often it is moved once a year and stays at a fixed location.

5) Minimal weight for a trailer - still a chore to tow long distances. Plus, an instant 2x increase in fuel consumption

6) Need to easily tow/relocate for longer distances (2K+ kms.)

7) The same old challenge - 5 bikes! On the rooftop!

8) It's more of the sun than water protection needed in the summer.

9) Not really using this in winter nor planning to. -30C sound like a bad day for overnight camping with the kiddos.

10) Climbable & usable roof had to stay. It's cool to have.

11) We needed a larger roof tent on a budget :) Glam roof tents cost 1-5K€ here, which is insane for some stitched cloth. Rooftop tents also got skeptical reviews (only looks cool) on Youtube.

12) I'd like my camping site setup to be like a pile of Lego bricks, so I can build anything I want on-site according to situational needs.

13) All stuff must go inside and be well secured during transit.

14) With kids constantly moving around, campsite has to have as few zip lines, breakable zippers, etc. as possible.

15) With kids - stuff should be more break-proof.

16) I wanted most of the stuff off the ground / off the humidity / futher away from ants (food stuffs, etc.)

17) I wanted a lockable secure container for those days we're off-site biking, etc.

18) Considered a collapsable tent trailer - little to no cargo space.

19) Previous rig - hot inside at night, need to keep it open - looses half of it's usefullness. The fan (the most silent I could find) still way too loud at night.

20) A lovely, lovely queen size full foam mattress from IKEA that fits into a tent!

21) In our previous build - one space for cargo stuff, food & sleeping - was not so practical.

22) Most of the time is spent outside unless it rains, and still... . Thus, the "inside" sleeping area is not that critical.

23) The new build had to be more MODULAR! Ability to create custom setups from cargo trailer + top tent + 3x3 tent + extra top canvas.

24) Hammock fixing points @ trailer to require 1 tree instead of 2 at the campsite ;)

25) Establishing and breaking camp speed was also important.

26) Needed the ability to have a full kitchen while camped, but also be able to use it on quick stops without unloading the whole shebang.

27) The old rig needed some usability upgrades, mainly - a stepping platform on the front triangle and some soft hand grips (metal gets very cold).

28) Thought about an open-able cargo rack side + rooftop extensions for larger tent!

29) Discussed 4 functional internal sections:

a) pull-out kitchen

b) fridge

c) foodstuffs boxes / right side

e) cargo storage area / left side

f) extra cargo fixing points

30) For the future I might add a solar panel, a converter and battery on the front of the rig.

Supplies

Circular saw, hammer, wood screws, jigsaw, metal cutter.

Most of the materials were re-used from the previous rig: water resistant plywood, etc.

Step 1: Cutting the Old Rig in Half :)

My previous build had doors, a window, electricity and full wooden cladding inside. Stuff used to move quite a bit while in transit.

Such decadence for someone with decent barbarian ancestry!

So, away it went. Wooden cladding went first, then the wiring, then the 1 cm of insulation.

Used a scrollsaw to cut all around the rig, with metal scroll saw to cut through the metal sheet in front.

It was all weird, scary, also fun, to try to cut the few last supports without the roof landing on my head.

Step 2: Stepping Platform

What really annoyed me on the rig - there was no stepping platform to get up or when getting down from the roof tent.

So, I've measured and cut one from water resistant plywood.

Added anti-slip adhesive strips on it.

Added some pool noodle types on the ladder. Metal can get very cold at times. Hope this helps.

Step 3: Kitchen Countertop With Storage (Removable)

One thing I like about teardrops is a small, yet functional kitchen.

Thus, I tried to build a new kitchen countertop, that would be stored inside during transit and fully set-up while in camp.

Used some leftover water resitant plywood for the top, and thin glued pine boards for the sides.

Foodstuffs go below, a retractable small countertop is used for the gas stove.

My wife was very suspicious on how/where/why do I know how to build furniture and drawers :D

The kitchen box is connected to the trailer by two teeth-like metal plates. These are used in the furniture industry to connect parts of furniture, i.e. two separate parts of a sofa, etc. Holds the whole thing very nicely.

I've also screwed 4 short boards together to act as an extra support/leg for the end part.

Step 4: The New Door

The new door is as simple as it can get. I've re-used the cut part of the side of the trailer to make a rectangle. Same water resistant plywood.

Got some decent door hinges from the local DIY store.

Added a thin wooden strip around the perimeter of the doors for better water insulation. Added expanding foam strips. These are also used for windows, quite available and cheap.

As the bolts were sticking out from the first sheet of plywood, I've added a wooden spacer and a second layer (previous rig's countertop ;) ).

Added metal locking mechanisms. These are standard trailer locks and readily available for purchase @ trailer parts stores.

The handle is a regular furniture handle from the DIY store.

Added two chains on the sides to hold a nice 90 degrees angle. These are easily unchained, so the countertop goes fully down and there is a much easier access to the cargo & stuff.

The new side door also acts as an extra countertop. I can stop for a short time at some roadside spot, lower this one countertop and place a gas stove. No need to remove the gas tank either.

Step 5: Internal Areas and Loading It Up

I've decided to make a partition inside, just to have some organization of cargo.

The lightest stuff goes into the back. Trailer safety insists there are no heavy loads at the back.

The wooden structure you see is a frame of a child bed we no longer used ;) . So the mattress does not get dirty/wet rolling on the floor.

Added a few crossbeams to fix things to & prevent excessive cargo movements while in transit.

What I absolutely love is the queen size full foam IKEA mattress. Fits our tent perfectly and a great thing to sleep on.

What's inside: a 3mx3m solid tent, an inflatable kayak, a mattress, 4 tents, extra canvas and canvas poles, gas tank and gas stove, kitchen loaded with food stuffs, water bottles, electrical cord extender, some lightweight plastic shelves, insulation pads, bedding.

Added 4 shelves, yet removed them later on. Not that usable after all.

Added a bunch of hooks and stuff to tie cargo to. Regular DIY store stuff.

Step 6: Extendable Roof Top

So, to make things more spicey, I've decided to make and extendable roof top.

Took us quite a bit of thinking and trips to a DIY store. My wife insists I should get a named parking spot at the DIY store for with all the business I bring to them lately ;)

Two vertical and one horizontal stick made a decent support structure.

Furniture metal plates help to hold the extension in place.

Built some decent "shoes" for the vertical supports

Added a bunch of hooks all around the rig as fixing points.

A 4 person's tent fits perfectly on top while extended.

A 3-person tent fits when the rig is it's default mode (non-extended).

The roof rack has one side removable, held together by bolts.

Step 7: The Adventure Trailer in the Wild

A few camp photos and the full setup.

The camping site - a gorgeous place to visit - Verbelnieki @ Liepaja, Latvia (northern Europe). You basically sleep in the sand dunes on the shore of the Baltic sea.

30 mins to set-up basics (a roof then and stove)

~3 hours to set up the whole camp without hurry. About the same to properly break up and load up.

Step 8: Camping Vacation Checklist

To avoid forgetting stuff at home, we've assembled a checklist for:

• Things to do before departure
• Car & trailer preaparations
• Beach stuff
• Food, equipment
• Personal things & hygiene
• Entertainment
• Campsite
• Additional

The S/C/L markings have their own purpose - Found & collected / Checked / Loaded Up. This simple 3 step process reduces bad experiences (like inflatable mattresses with holes in them) when prepping the campsite.

The full checklist is attached.

Step 9: Final Thoughts and Obligatory Cat Tax

Some work and struggle to build camping trailers, some simply enjoy life as it comes ;)

Final thoughts:

• I'm very happy with the updated build.
• Pulls like a charm, much better fuel efficiency compared to the old one.
• Once the camping stuff is loaded, we can load up and move away in 1-2 hours. Basically, we only need to grab food, travel fridge, and go through a checklist.
• The rig is very sturdy and surprisingly waterproof.
• The rig is now like a set of Lego bricks - build whatever you want based on the needs.
• I will most likely wrap most stuff in large trash bags inside the trailer for the winter to protect againsts humidity, mold, and mice.
• Yes, that trailer is a Geocaching Travel Bug ;) Shout out to fellow geocachers!