buy, build or sell, we are here to help!
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buy, build or sell, we are here to help! |
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If you are looking for a different way to travel, check out http://www.trikesaustralia.com |
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the mate, Stef |
To start with I had found an original Cub advertisement and photos of original vans on the net. The original Cub was sold as a kit in USA and supposedly could be assembled in 2 days, but we started with no plans to work with, just the photos and the idea. Wood was chosen rather than metal for construction. It was at this time I was chatting to a good friend who has excellent woodworking skills and tools and he volunteered to help me build – not sure if he now regrets that offer. |
I strongly recommend this website www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear00.htm as it provides many different designs to choose from as well as hints on how to draw ellipses which is what both ends are, they are not circles. That said, we did not work to any plan but rather did a lot of thinking and measuring at each stage. Construction took about 14 months as family and other commitments allowed.
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is it still alive? |
The chassis was built first using 50 X 50 X 4 millimetre square steel tubing for the main rails and 50 X 25 X 2mm for cross rails. Steel angle was used along the sides to give a firm attachment point for the body. The sides were cut from 10 mm plywood; two sheets were joined to obtain the required body length of 3400 mm and were stood on the chassis. The floor is 6mm plywood pop riveted to the chassis – no strength required as the mattress spreads the load. Meranti cut to 25 X 25mm was used extensively to frame the cupboards and give the ply something to screw to with heavier framing fitted around the door openings. |
my wallet's here somewhere |
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The ply sides straightened out and gained strength as the kitchen and front wardrobe were built and screwed to them. Originally I did not intend to fit brakes but they are cheap enough to buy now and offer a little bit of help in the braking department when towed behind the Chev. Period light switches and cupboard hinges and catches were found to be available new and were installed to keep with the period look which is only spoilt by the fridge which I could not hide. As a bit of a joke I purchased one of those cheap coolers from Repco and pulled it apart to obtain the workings, these were built into an insulated cabinet for the storage of my bourbon and Coke; now that is a unique feature. |
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Oops! forgot something |
Mistakes were made and corrected along the way but I am very happy with the final result – it certainly gets some looks on the road. Stopping for petrol can be a mistake as you inevitably end up sidelined into a conversation about the teardrop. Our first camp out proved the design to be comfortable and practical however an annex would be useful. Waterproofing was great with no leaks into the bedroom at all and only a small dribble into the kitchen during a major storm. |
that's the man |
Your new teardrop will be treated as a new vehicle when you go to register it. A
call to your local Motor Registry BEFORE you start building can save you a lot
of headaches. You will need to prove ownership so take lots of photos and keep
all your receipts. You will also need a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), a
tyre placard and probably a roadworthy inspection. The teardrop will need to
comply with current Australian Design Rules. I recommend reading of the document
‘Building Small Trailers’ that can be found on the Internet.
Oh! And you need a bottle of Bourbon or your favourite drop to help you through the thinking phases... Ken
Teardrop Kitchen |
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Teardrop Details |
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Teardrop Build |
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Ken Herne's teardrop, built in Canberra, ACT 2007 Email
Ken
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This site has borrowed images from
tear-droppers around the world. |
Building Our 1940’s Style Teardrop Caravan
