It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you first begin looking into teardrop camper plans. It is even more intimidating if you don’t have any construction experience. If you are new, take a breath, it’s a lot easier than you think.
Teardrop camper plans often look more difficult than they really are, and you don’t need to know how to do everything right away.
You only need to understand the next step and that just takes a little research. There are a lot of good resources ready to help you, and we would like to help you get started on with your very own set of teardrop camper plans.
Harbor Freight Utility Trailer Kits
Before delving into these teardrop camper plans, you should know that many of them use Harbor Freight Utility Trailer kits. Some people like them and some people don’t. The build quality can vary and they aren’t the thickest frames on the market.
However, they are cheap, easy to put together, and generally good enough for most teardrop trailer projects. They are secured together by bolts, but it is highly recommended that you also weld the pieces together to improve their strength.
As an alternative to Harbor Freight trailers, you could follow what Michael Foster from the YouTube channel Camp and Camera did and purchase a custom-built frame from a trailer shop. It cost him roughly the same as the Harbor Freight was going to cost. However, his was stronger and contained features that he wanted. It might be worth checking out the possibility.
Okay, now that the preliminaries are out of the way; here are the DIY Teardrop Camper Build Plans.
Free Teardrop Trailer Camper Plans
1. The Wanderer 8/10
2. Pico-Light
3. Ultralight Chassis
4. Grumman 2 XL Teardrop
5. The Widget
6. The Compact
The Wanderer 8/10
As stated in the documentation, “The Wanderer design is intended as the largest trailer body that can safely be mounted on a Harbor Freight 4×8.” There are two basic blueprints to the Wanderer, and there are three variations to each blueprint. The first is 8-feet long, and the second is 10-feet long.
8-Feet Long Layouts
- Layout A: The 54” dinette can be reduced to 48” if you would rather have more storage. With this layout, it is possible to fit a porta-potty into the additional storage space.
- Layout B: You can choose between a bed on one side and a dinette on the other, or you can have two beds. Unfortunately, one of the wheel boxes is located at the foot of the doorway. You can still make your way through. It will just be a bit awkward.
- Layout C: You get two beds, but there isn’t a lot of sleeping space. If both of the sleeping individuals are tall, their feet/legs might intersect at the corner of the camper.
10-Feet Long Layouts
- Layout A: This layout is nearly identical to the 8-feet Layout A. It is just a bit bigger, and the closet can be swapped out for a tiny room for the toilet. The small room is also only 5’4” tall, so this will not work for anyone that is claustrophobic.
- Layout B: There is a 4’6” wide double bed and a dinette
- Layout C: Same as the Layout C of the 8-feet Layout C. It’s just bigger.
Download The Wanderer Teardrop Camper Plans
Pico-Light
Instead of going as large as possible, the Pico-Light is on the other end of the spectrum. The intent of this 280lb design was to create a tiny and lightweight teardrop that any vehicle, including motorcycles, could tow. Of course, this comes with sacrifices.
Most notably, the self-supporting frame will need extra care during construction. Lightweight trailers are inherently less durable than their heavier counterparts, and this is lighter than pretty much every trailer out there. You should take the extra step of using epoxy to secure all of the joints, but a high-quality glue is a reluctantly acceptable substitute.
The Pico-Light’s small dimensions cannot hold all of the amenities of the other units on this list. There are no lockers, there is no hatch, and there isn’t an outside galley. That isn’t to say that there isn’t any storage because you do have a large shelf perched over the foot of your bed.
Also, there is enough interior space to store a kitchen box, so you aren’t sentenced to a camping experience without a kitchen. It just won’t be as convenient as some of the other teardrop campers.
Download Pico-Light Teardrop Camper Plans
Ultralight Chassis
Similar to the Pico-light, this set of teardrop camper plans will help you to construct a lightweight teardrop trailer surrounded by a self-supporting frame that is set on top of an A-frame chassis. There are four sets of plans that essentially build two types of units:
- 4-feet wide and welded
- 4-feet wide and bolted
- 5-feet wide and welded
- 5-feet wide and bolted
If the Ultralight Chassis interests you, I would highly recommend that you choose one of the two welding options over the bolted options. The improved stability and durability of the unit will be worth it. If you don’t feel confident in performing this work yourself, it is very inexpensive to have a professional welder do this part of the work for you. It requires very little welding.
Download Ultralight Chassis Teardrop Camper Plans
Grumman 2 XL Teardrop
It’s big and it’s beautiful. The aluminum sidings and the diamond-plated steel base pair together to create something truly eye-catching. It isn’t all looks though. The features contained, relative to other some other DIY teardrop trailer designs, can be considered luxurious.
Lots of Storage
There is storage everywhere you look and some places that you might not: front, back, corners, and even in its own basement that can be accessed from both the inside and outside. Some of this storage includes a hanging closet and a laundry hamper located at the corners, and there is a lot of clothing storage at the front exterior of the camper.
Impressive Exterior Galley
If you pop outside to the back of the teardrop trailer, you will see a wonderful gallery with a sink, cupboards, cabinets, speakers, power for 110v, 12v, and USB, and a slide-out Yeti Tundra 65 cooler.
The Interior
Two slide-out surfaces that can be used as workstations, a 12v RV with a radio/CD/DVD/ player, and a compartment below the TV that is easily accessible but is also hidden and locked.
Such a feature-packed unit will increase both the cost and the build time of this design. Additionally, while it has been updated every year since its inception, this version of the Grumman 2 has not been tested by the owner.
Unforeseen problems might arise.
We will also include links to plans for the original Grumman 2s just in case you would prefer to build a tested, simpler, and smaller version that has received real-world testing.
Download Grumman 2 XL Teardrop Camper Plans
- Grumman 2 XL: Fantastic Featured, Untested (Described Above)
- Grumman 2: 5×10 Plans
- Grumman 2: 5×8 Plans
The Widget
This is a simple but functional design. It can comfortably sleep 2 people with room to spare. With that extra room, several conveniences were put into place to make it quite livable, if only in the short term. The Widget holds dedicated spaces for a cooler, a stove, a moveable locker, and a table. There is room for a toilet too. However, things could get awkward with a second person since there is no privacy within this unit.
The dinette table is situated between the two beds. Those bed spaces are dual-purposed; the second purpose being used as the dinette seating. Overall, it’s a comfortable layout.
Download The Widget Teardrop Camper Plans
- Chassis Design
- Chassis (UK version)
- Construction
- General Views
- Geometry Definition
- HF Trailer
- Parts Nesting
- Toilet Arrangements
The Compact
Sure, it’s a bit blocky, but it’s hard to argue against the spaciousness of a tall ceiling. What it lacks in the gentle slopes of your typical teardrop design it makes up for in a practical layout.
Raised Roof
Additionally, a cleverly designed foldable raisable roof increases the already tall ceiling. The roof rises at the front end of the trailer and propped open by the unfolding walls and a window at the front/tall end. If the window is left folded, it creates an opening for additional airflow into the cabin.
Inside Kitchen
The compact features a nice kitchen space. A dual-burner stove, a functional sink, and a decent amount of storage underneath those appliances. There is almost no counter space, but the dinette table is close and sufficient.
Porta-Potty Closet
There is a storage closet for the porta-potty, and there is a decently comfortable width to the space; relative to other comparable trailers. It shouldn’t be mistaken for a separate teardrop camper bathroom. A human will not be able to close the closet door without some impressive contortion.
Alternative Floor Plans
- Alternative 1: If you want more open space in the center of the unit, there is an alternative floor plan that narrows the beds by 2” each and shrinks the porta-potty closet.
- Alternative 2: If you don’t mind a wider unit, you can increase the open floor space without sacrificing width of the beds and porta-potty closet. In fact, the porta-potty space gets a 2” upgrade.
Download The Compact Teardrop Camper Plans
- Alternative Floor Plans
- Body Assembly
- Chassis
- Floor
- Front Panel
- Inner Roof
- Internals
- Lifting Roof
- Rear Panel
- Side Panel
