Step by Step DIY Instruction Guide
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Step 3 - The Walls
Now let’s start making this look like a teardrop trailer shall we ? If you bought the life size template, now’s the time to trace it out and cut your 3/4 inch plywood sheets. If you bought our kit or just the walls, great. We will install those soon. But first we need to install the main support for the front of the trailer. (See picture below )
The 2 x 4 and the 2 x 2 are 46 ½ inches (or 581/2 for 5x8 ) and the 2 x 4 in the middle is 18”. ( Make sure you use a 1/8 drill bit to make a pilot hole With all cuts going into walls and 2 x 2 or they will split ) Screw these 3 pieces together, and centre it on the front of the trailer. Once you install the t-bar ( side ways H ) you can now begin installing your walls. You should have a lip at the base of your trailer, so that the walls can fit.
Step 4 - The Interior Roof
Every 2 ft install a 2 x 2, also known as a rib flush with the top of the walls. The last rib is important. This is where the inside wall meets flush with the Rib and it is also the beginning for the rear galley door. There is an extra rib To line up with the last rib for additional reinforcement. If you have our kit now is the time to get the precut 461/2 inch wide 1/8 inch thick STD hardboard (or 581/2 for 5x8- you will need 2 sheets). If you're building the 5 x 8 kit you will notice we use white aluminum instead. Take your time, and be patient.the hardboard is very flexible and somewhat fragile. You don't want to break it. Aluminum is flexible and sturdy.
Step 5 - Wiring your trailer
If you purchased one of our kits then you should be all set when it comes to wiring your teardrop trailer. Our wiring kit comes with all the wiring for your interior lighting and one 12V female plug for an Inverter plug in. Fuse panel, Fuses, Wire stripper / Crimper, 2 lights, ( one for the cabin and the other for the back hatch,Ring terminals, female quick connects and of course One roll of electrical tape. Before you start wiring your teardrop trailer, you have to decide if you want to use AC or DC power.
All of our trailers are built to be off the grid. So the first thing you need to do, Is to go get a Marine Battery. Place your Battery at the front of the teardrop trailer, At this point you will need to decide what to place your battery in. Personally I like the Kobalt checker plate trailer tounge box. It can be found at Lowes for approx $260.00
Place your new 3/4 inch walls into the lip tightly and snug against the t - bars. Screw them in Place, also along the bottom where the 2 x 4’s are. Now you are ready for the next step. The ribs and the roof...
Slide it into the trailer. Remember it's a tight fit. Get underneath it and push it up against the roof until you hit the ribs. Make sure the hardboard is flush from the bottom of the the floor to the top of the last rib. If you did it properly, it should look like the picture on the right. Secure the ceiling at the top with 3/4 inch wood screws and at the bottom by the floor. Then take a bead of white caulking from top to bottom to seal the floor with the walls and roof. On the top of the roof, you can also caulk all the areas that the hardboard touches the ribs, making for a solid seal. Next, wiring your trailer...
Note: If you plan on installing a vent, you may want to consider measuring it in now. Our trailers do not require a vent, as the kitchen opens into the bedroom, offering panoramic views and additional ventilation for the teardrop trailer. Also note: It is now time to decide if you want a woody or aluminum side walls. If you want aluminum walls, nows the time to take down the wood walls and trace onto your aluminum sheets.
If you did'nt buy one of our kits that includes the trailer tounge or didn't buy a kit at all, you have the option to build your own or put whatever you want at the front.
Sky is the limit when it comes to design, and there are plenty of design ideas throughout the internet to inspire you. The Kobalt tounge is a little pricey but it looks great and comes with keys to lock it up.
Now for the wiring. Starting at the battery. Connect one end of your 14 Gauge primary red power wire to the fuse panel and the other to the positive side of the battery. Then take your 14 Gauge primary black ground wire from the battery to either the lights or the 12 volt female plugin. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, you may want to take a quick visit to youtube and watch a couple videos on wiring your fuse panel to your battery (or check out the video above) . It's pretty easy, but if you cross your wires, you'll end up going through a bunch of fuses. You will also need to drill holes through your ribs to get from the front of the trailer to the back. Also, if you're going to put a light on your rear galley door, make sure you leave enough wire to feed into the ribs after building the rear door.