Mate, brilliant build and turned out awesome. A few questions and thoughts: 1. Why did you choose a wooden frame for the cabin vs say using RHS or square steel tube? I am debating this point right now and interested in your views and experience. 2. Double ply walls - understand you needed the structural integrity, but did you consider a laminated or hollow core approach using thinner ply on the outer (8-12mm), then borders/bracing for the insulation layer, then another thinner play or faced laminate on the inner layer? Not saying you did it wrong, but I saw a lot of wastage and effort in cutting out your inner ply. 3. Did you consider the aluminium composite sheeting rather than plywood for the walls? 4. I love the shelfing layout - I will likely steal your ideas :) 5. How did you get front - rear balance? This has to be one of the best camper build videos out there, really good you focussed on how you built it and not showing off what you built.
This thing looks gorgeous and super practical! I see you went with a totally different approach than the common fibreglass design. You've summarized a whole build into a short video where others would have made a whole series out of. Having said that, if there was a detailed series on how to build this, I probably would have watched it! Great job and hope you have many great adventures with the trailer!
Thanks heaps. Yes, i used 4x8, But i had to extend them... i added another four inches to the top, and maybe 1 foot to the rear. I just glued the extended sections on, and then added that second layer of plywood underneath to hold it all together.
great job Elvis, I plan on building a slide on camper for my 6 X 4 trailer, wanting to go prospecting 2 or 3 days at a time. I am in Melbourne, Happy travel's. Shayne.
After I included all the extras (stabiliser legs, roof racks, solar panel, brake system, toolbox etc... (and mind you I haven't used the lightest materials either), it's around 900kg. It's on a little heavier side, but it's rock solid... very strong. If I build one in the future, I' probably try use composite panels or something like that.
What an amazing build!! The details and finish work really made the square drop. Simplicity was also a major feature that so many other manufacturers fail to accomplish or see as a necessity. Again, I’m really impressed, thanks for taking the time to show the building ideas. This is Alan, greetings from Riverside in Southern California.
Hi Elvis, Great Job, I am about to head in the same direction with a square drop build and found great information about products and build ideas, Many Thanks
Great job mate, very good design, ideas and execution... I was thinking the weight would be going up as you kept layering all that ply but your under 750kg total... wow 👌🏻 $5k for what you have is awesome... what was the actual total weight with the toolbox, legs, awning etc but no personal possessions?
Thanks. I haven't measured the total weight since adding toolbox/legs/awning. I still have to take it to the weight bridge to do that... Maybe another 100kg
Your narration video would have been so much better " Without " the awful bloody music that's Louder than you are ..... Great way to ruin the audio 👎👎👎
Very practical, relatively light build. You give up some weight with a good, steel chassis. They make lighter, aluminum chassis. For me, that little extra weight was not significant, because it's still very small and light behind my pickup. I know it's back there. It definitely affects my gas mileage and acceleration, but it's still small enough that I can keep up with traffic and not be resigned to the slow lane and/or be a traffic hazard on mountain highways. If I were building my own, it'd be a square-drop where the back door is the entire back wall, and it's hinged at the top AND the bottom, so it can work as a ramp or weather protection, as needed. Just have it latch good and tight with side latches, and use a hinge pin (or pins) to decide which way it'll open. Run the pin through the top hinge, it's a back porch. Pull the pin and run it through the bottom hinge, and it's a ramp. Make it the absolute smallest toy hauler that's practical. I don't have any toys, but I would like that option. But all the toy-haulers out there are man-height. But I really like the highway and off-road performance of a good teardrop or square-drop mini-camper, and I think there's middle ground, there, for somebody with smaller toys, like 80-cc dirt bikes or snowdog snow machines. Nothing high-powered, but still mechanized, to extend your range from base camp. Toys you can take with, without making a production out of it.
Amazing build and info. I'd like to do something similar and live in Vic , this is so relevant to me. I have an old 1970 coleman poptop I'm thinking of converting as it's not enjoyable setting up and packing down. You've given me a lot of inspiration. Thank you!
Grandeeee!!!!! Bravissimo Plus, the total cost is 5k AUD which is less than 3k EUR for a caravan that worths at least 10k EUR! Great, congrats for the design and mostly for the very accurate handacrafting! Ciao
This video is an amazingly inspiring gift to many people. Congratulations and thank you, Elvis! 👏 Sorry to ask, but could you summarize the approximate quantities/lengths for materials in a list? If not, maybe somebody else that is just building it? 😅 If there is some European builder here, which replacement material (brands, names, measurements) did you use?
Good question. I'm not sure, as I just use portable small gas bottle. I don't actually have any gas fittings permenently in the trailer. So it's not different than just carrying portable gas bottle in the boot of the car. Of course anyone handling any gas appliances have to approach it with grea caution. But all the appliances and fittings that I use are from proper major reputable stores.
Hello my friend. Absolutely. I left space in there for an upright/bar/compressor fridge. Planning to setup inverter with some solar and finally put a proper fridge in there this year.
I'm using an old camper frame to avoid having to get a state inspection for a VIN... I avoid all contact with government whenever possible and practical as it is filled with incompetent rubes...
Hi Magnus, Here is few websites. I bought from the first one ajpm.com.au/products/statewide-tear-drop-camper-door/?gclid=CjwKCAiAudD_BRBXEiwAudakX4Cgu34PeeFTWbF5YtoUtmEQ7Wy9y5esFcEpdnhBLCC2CYQOX4gtExoCzFwQAvD_BwE dunnandwatson.com.au/product-category/doors-windows/ www.diycaravans.com.au/shop/atrv-dc-teardrop-door/
Hello! Could you make a video explaining the support systems (water and power). how many batteries did you use? Can you share the blueprints that you did? Thanks!
That's a great idea. I'm currently in the process of upgrading some of the electric systems... for example installing solar panel, water pump etc. I also want to re-build the toolbox and install a draw fridge there. So once I complete that I can do a video explaining full electrics. I only use one battery for now. I have installed 160W solar panel kit, and in the full sun, it charges my battery very quickly. Having a water pressure pump is a must, as I didn't like using the manual pump tap... it was annoying and not enough water flow. A cheap ebay pump (8l per minute flow rate) was under $50 AUD, and it was very simple to install, and works really well.
Thanks... Stabiliser legs come handy when the camping site surface is uneven sideways too - which I often encountered... Also it prevents trailer jiggling when you are tossing in bed at night... or doing anything else ;)
Only just found your videos. Looking to build something very similar. Is great seeing your learning from your build and the details you go into. Thanks heaps
Good day to you! I am a grandpa rider on HONDA motorcycle from Japan. Enjoying camping ,touring and upload video. Your mini camper video is so nice! Awesome! Full supported ! Have a nice day my friend!
I can't believe that comes in under 750kg. All that heavy gauge steel, layers of thick plywood, 60kg of water, ... They are often built with much lighter steel frame and composite foam/polycarbonate panels to get in under that weight and have enough left over for all your camping kit.
Sweet build man you really thought of everything. Always love learning simple stuff I should know but wouldn't think of like overlapping the top metal with the bottom to obviously keep water out. A lot of attention to detail and great use of the space you got, I like the hand made paper towel holder.
Wow Elvis, I have seen heaps of these DIY Squaredrop, / Teardrop campers, and I have to say this is one the BEST I've seen, - great job mate, I am slowly in the process of making mine, but I don't think I will have the patience or knowhow, to do anything like yours, it is a very nice rig indeed, and your commentry and explanation of the build was very informative, and quite helpful, - I am also from Melbourne Victoria, so this fact gives me great inspiration to get mine finished. Thank you
Tare weight is around 920kg. Fully loaded really depends on how much gear you put in. But for me it usually consists of food, fridge, few camping chairs and water tank filled up. I don't know exact but it would be no more than 1100 kg.
Very nice. Good job. It would be nice if you could put the links in the description of the parts and where did you purchase it, or the specks so we can find them in the US. Thanks for sharing
Couple of questions , what is your balls weight , do you find it light as having warer tank and kitchen at back or evenly balanced , also how did you go getting ur spare out when u had the flat , just seems like it could be tight to get under . Once again brilliant build .
I can't remember exact tow ball weight, but when the trailer is all loaded (water, kitchen etc), there is still more weight on the front (as it's supposed to be). I can just lift it a little if I pull hard with my arms. I reckon maybe 80kg. Yes I had to pull out spare when i had the incident with original bad axle and hubs... one wheel was all the day down (rubber gone). ANd i had no problem reaching for spare. Remember you also have the stabiliser legs so you can always lift the trailer more if you need more room. So no issues at all.
Just a local colorbond dealer. Yes, I gave them the dimensions I want and they cut it for me, and even did the 45 degree and 90 degree folds for me. The only thing is the sheets come in certain widths only, and I can't remember what that was... (could be 1.2m) but because of that restriction I had to do one join across middle of the roof. The side was not an issue because the height of the panel is under 1.2, and I used black checkered aluminium for the lower section. Your other option is to go with composite aluminium, or camper aluminium cladding sheets. I think those can be cut to bigger sizes, but they are thicker, hence heavier. I think 3mm, and not sure if they have in 2mm.
Hey mate.. thanks for the video, it has been a great help with firming up my plans for my trailer rebuild. I have a question on the colorbond. Where did you get sheets > 1.2m wide from? also in Melbourne!
Yes because there is the door on the other side. I never really felt like I need an extra window. But it is slightly heavy... 920kg, very strong but a bit heavier than if i used composite panels.
My apologies, but I don't really have any. I only used couple of sketches to draw out overall dimensions, and then built based on that. The blueprint is what I showed in this video, see: 3:51, 5:01m 8:08
Hey Elvis, lovely build, looks like it rolled out of a factory. Can I ask where you sourced the 1.2mm aluminium checkerplate? And the .7mm cladding? (I'm in Sydney) Also, you clearly went with a very solid build. Do you believe all the layers were necessary? If I'm understanding the layers you have .7mm aluminium, 18mm ext. ply, 15mm int. ply then 3mm melamine. Did you consider something like high density polystyrene instead of ply for the insulating layer. I must say when I was watching I assumed you must have been in the cold areas of Europe :) Would there be anything you'd change or modify from what you've done? Oops, one more thing - where did you get the j-mould?
Thank you very much. Please check the descritipn - I just updated the description of this video with links to where I purchased some of the materials. .7mm cladding is just from a local colorbond supplier. In terms of build structure, I think I could have most likely used less layers. I probably used too many in some places. For starters I would change 15mm layer with just using timber battons inbetween insulation. I would probably look for lighter regular ply instread of marine ply, because i layered everything from outside with aluminium anyway so it doesn't have to be weatherproof timber. I did look at poystyrene, and things like styromax, but the the build cost would go up in thousands. But if you are happy to spend more, that's probably best option - lightweight and strong. So to sum it up, if i did this again, and money was no object, i would go with Styropanels from STyromax. Otherwise I would probably used lighter ply, and less doubling up on the inside. I would also consider third option of steel frame, with just 3mm composite aluminium on the outside + insulation + 3mm melamime for inside. But I would need to do proper technical analysis to compare the final total weight using this last approach... without it i'm not sure if it would be the lightest solution.
@Chilled Beans I've looked at the Styromax panels. They're awesome and they also manufacture and CNC cut to your design - but it works out around $200 sqm so could get pretty pricey. Your last suggestion is close to what I was considering. 3mm outer skin (aluminium/foam) then a 20mm medium density styrofoam insulation layer and a 3mm inner layer of ply, melamine or maybe even another aluminium/foam layer. Bonded together it would be very strong and should be light. Internal ply or steel ribs (like ribs in a boat) would make it very stiff and strong and should be very light. I'm currently debating whether to get a pre-built trailer or build one from scratch. Advantages and disadvantages to both but I'm leaning towards building one - can then be exactly what I want. Once again, very cool build, it certainly doesn't look 'home made'. Thanks also for the additional information. I couldn't find the checker-plate at Uptons but there's bound to be a supplier in Sydney somewhere.
@@kakman1958 I don't know if Uptons sells checkered plates online... I used to go there in person, and pick those plates. THey 100% sell them but you may need to look for some in Syd. I spoke to another DIY camper expert on youtube and he wasn't sure if you would save a lot in weight with steel frame design. I figured once I'm ready to do it, i'd purchase some sample materials (steel rods/sample composite panel etc) and measure weight per square m. Then compare it to doing same thing with ply. I think without building full trailers using each method, it's hard to know for sure which is lighter. Steel is also more work... welding and drilling holes etc. Also you need to work out how close to place cross members to prevent outer panel caving in. If i could offer some more learnings from my project - do'nt put fridge in the rear kitchen galley. Because we found out during out camping trips that you want to have as much useable space at the back for working. I modified mine to have stove under the openable lid. So we have entire bench space available. Having fridge in there just cramps everything too much (unless you make really big trailer). I found the best option is to build slide-out door on the toolbox, and put a fridge in there. You can even connect to a battery for power if need be. I would also not use colorbond again... i'd want to use more of a shiny look aluminium panels or something like that. All the best with your build. Feel free to message me direct if you have any further questions... my details should be somewhere on my channel.
@@ChilledBeans Much appreciated. I found a good supplier of both aluminium panels and checkerplate today (Ullrichs). They have a 3mm in 1200x2400 or you can get 4mm in 3000x1500 which would be ideal for building entire sides and roof in a single sheet. It's remarkably stiff and the matt white aluminium finish looks sensational. I think it would look great and be super easy to clean if I had it both inside and outside. They also have lots of extrusions etc - my head was spinning with ideas when Ieft :)
hello, good morning.. it's really beautiful 😍 we want to make one like yours.. the theme of the black hinge on the door, where can you get it? Could you make a list of where to buy the details of the caravan? Thanks a million, you already have one more subscriber 🤗🥰
Hi. Thank you. Please check out the description of this video, it includes links to all the different special materials, including the centaflex hinge.
This is really good self build explanation. So helpful and informative without waffling on to much. All the key points I've wanted to know about a self build. Even down to a little mini model example😆😆 The Man!! Thankyou, Thankyou
Thank you. And here I felt guilty that I'll cop the slack for not using feet and inches :). I guess you have to thank my eastern european upbringing...
NIce...I notice the "j" mould on the external corners but can you please tell me what joiner you used horizontally between upper Colorbond and black checker plate as transition? I.e what are they? Where from. Thanks
Hi. It's a flat version of j-mould. Some places call them j-trim as well. I bought it from the same shop that sells the corner j-mould (see the description). They are great little trim to use for transitioning flat sections.
@@ChilledBeans No worries. Couldn't find on their website. Thought it was something specific. I went to Capral in Adelaide and they said had nothing like it. Cheers
@@andrewbutler9553 Ah yes, I remember I couldn't find either online... but when I went to pickup the curved ones, I saw it on their shelves so I got it. Give them a call. Last time i was there they were also building their own caravans, so they use all that stock themselves. (Now if only they compensated me with some discount for promoting them for free )
I can give you my gut feel, but I don't have official engineering test results for this... My gut feel is that it would have absolutelly no problem carrying rooftop tent. I'm 200 lbs, and I walk in the middle of the roof and it doesn't move a bit. My roof is 18mm ply, sitting on top of inner ply walls, sitting on top of 30mm struts all glued up. Remember, the rooftop tent would be sitting on roof racks, which only apply weight on the side walls. That being said, I would suggest you weld some extra plates under the frame sides that would sit under your side walls - effectivelly making side walls sit on top of those plates. This is one thing i would do on mine if i wanted to be 100% sure about large amount of weight. Also you have to make sure your total weight with all the load (the roof top tent etc), doesn't exceed total trailer's registered legal capacity. You'll need to make sure your suspenssion is specked for that weight etc. Good luck
Mate, brilliant build and turned out awesome. A few questions and thoughts:
1. Why did you choose a wooden frame for the cabin vs say using RHS or square steel tube? I am debating this point right now and interested in your views and experience.
2. Double ply walls - understand you needed the structural integrity, but did you consider a laminated or hollow core approach using thinner ply on the outer (8-12mm), then borders/bracing for the insulation layer, then another thinner play or faced laminate on the inner layer? Not saying you did it wrong, but I saw a lot of wastage and effort in cutting out your inner ply.
3. Did you consider the aluminium composite sheeting rather than plywood for the walls?
4. I love the shelfing layout - I will likely steal your ideas :)
5. How did you get front - rear balance?
This has to be one of the best camper build videos out there, really good you focussed on how you built it and not showing off what you built.
This thing looks gorgeous and super practical! I see you went with a totally different approach than the common fibreglass design. You've summarized a whole build into a short video where others would have made a whole series out of. Having said that, if there was a detailed series on how to build this, I probably would have watched it! Great job and hope you have many great adventures with the trailer!
Man if you weren't showing build footage, I would have never believed it wasn't a factory camper. Amazing work!
Thank you kindly
Good job and this is the best video I have seen in TH-cam about all details many tanks from Algeria 🇩🇿
Wow, thank you so much my friend. I really appreciate your comments.
You are not a DIY builder. You are a professional builder without a company. Fantastic.
Thank you so much.
Nice job, but stop looking behind me it freaks me out.
Hahaha... sorry mate... i'm new to this tube video making thing... either that or i'm cross eyed.
Great video, very well explained, just one question I couldn't find the answer to - what was the final weight?
It's ~900kg,.
Thank you for sharing us your DIY Squaredrop Camper FULL BUILD Walkthrough ! From Washington DC.
That’s a nice finished product man. It looks factory built. Did you use 4x8 sheets of plywood for the sides?
Thanks heaps. Yes, i used 4x8, But i had to extend them... i added another four inches to the top, and maybe 1 foot to the rear. I just glued the extended sections on, and then added that second layer of plywood underneath to hold it all together.
great job Elvis, I plan on building a slide on camper for my 6 X 4 trailer, wanting to go prospecting 2 or 3 days at a time.
I am in Melbourne, Happy travel's. Shayne.
Nice job! Great summary. How did the Tare weight turn out?
After I included all the extras (stabiliser legs, roof racks, solar panel, brake system, toolbox etc... (and mind you I haven't used the lightest materials either), it's around 900kg. It's on a little heavier side, but it's rock solid... very strong. If I build one in the future, I' probably try use composite panels or something like that.
What an amazing build!! The details and finish work really made the square drop. Simplicity was also a major feature that so many other manufacturers fail to accomplish or see as a necessity.
Again, I’m really impressed, thanks for taking the time to show the building ideas.
This is Alan, greetings from Riverside in Southern California.
Hi Alan. Thank you so much for you awesome message.
Nice job man. What is the weight of it? It looks sturdy and indestructible but looks heavy with all that plywood.
Yes it's a little heavy. It was 720kg but i added few accessories since then (toolbox, awning, legs) and haven't measured since
Seriously well done! Easily one of the best I've ever seen.
Thanks so much
Hi Elvis,
Great Job, I am about to head in the same direction with a square drop build and found great information about products and build ideas,
Many Thanks
Thank you and good luck. Stay tuned, I'm planing to put together a video of all the mistakes (what not to do) and similar soon
one of the best diy teadrop videos i have watched on yt (belive me i have watched a lots of them) 👌👌
Mine is made with one inch square steel . Stainless panels . Aluminum frame . It will never rot or burn down . Only weighs 550lbs
That's fantastic. I wish I could weld aluminium.
Looks professional, Well Done. Lots of little hints. I’m in Melb also & considering such a project
Great job mate, very good design, ideas and execution... I was thinking the weight would be going up as you kept layering all that ply but your under 750kg total... wow 👌🏻 $5k for what you have is awesome... what was the actual total weight with the toolbox, legs, awning etc but no personal possessions?
Thanks. I haven't measured the total weight since adding toolbox/legs/awning. I still have to take it to the weight bridge to do that... Maybe another 100kg
Your narration video would have been so much better " Without " the awful bloody music that's Louder than you are ..... Great way to ruin the audio 👎👎👎
Very practical, relatively light build. You give up some weight with a good, steel chassis. They make lighter, aluminum chassis. For me, that little extra weight was not significant, because it's still very small and light behind my pickup. I know it's back there. It definitely affects my gas mileage and acceleration, but it's still small enough that I can keep up with traffic and not be resigned to the slow lane and/or be a traffic hazard on mountain highways.
If I were building my own, it'd be a square-drop where the back door is the entire back wall, and it's hinged at the top AND the bottom, so it can work as a ramp or weather protection, as needed. Just have it latch good and tight with side latches, and use a hinge pin (or pins) to decide which way it'll open. Run the pin through the top hinge, it's a back porch. Pull the pin and run it through the bottom hinge, and it's a ramp. Make it the absolute smallest toy hauler that's practical.
I don't have any toys, but I would like that option. But all the toy-haulers out there are man-height. But I really like the highway and off-road performance of a good teardrop or square-drop mini-camper, and I think there's middle ground, there, for somebody with smaller toys, like 80-cc dirt bikes or snowdog snow machines. Nothing high-powered, but still mechanized, to extend your range from base camp. Toys you can take with, without making a production out of it.
Amazing build and info. I'd like to do something similar and live in Vic , this is so relevant to me. I have an old 1970 coleman poptop I'm thinking of converting as it's not enjoyable setting up and packing down. You've given me a lot of inspiration. Thank you!
Hi mate amazing build , attemting to build one of these . Your video is my ispiration. Good luck
Grandeeee!!!!!
Bravissimo
Plus, the total cost is 5k AUD which is less than 3k EUR for a caravan that worths at least 10k EUR!
Great, congrats for the design and mostly for the very accurate handacrafting!
Ciao
Nice build, I am thinking of doing a similar project with my son. Cheers 🍻
This video is an amazingly inspiring gift to many people. Congratulations and thank you, Elvis! 👏
Sorry to ask, but could you summarize the approximate quantities/lengths for materials in a list? If not, maybe somebody else that is just building it? 😅
If there is some European builder here, which replacement material (brands, names, measurements) did you use?
What about a gas certificate as a camper in Victoria?
Good question. I'm not sure, as I just use portable small gas bottle. I don't actually have any gas fittings permenently in the trailer. So it's not different than just carrying portable gas bottle in the boot of the car. Of course anyone handling any gas appliances have to approach it with grea caution. But all the appliances and fittings that I use are from proper major reputable stores.
Just saw your collection of vids related to ur tear drop , great build mate , inspired to build similar . Thanks ,
It's a very nice video.
Now I'm making a camping trailer like you.
A transformative camping trailer
FROM JAPAN
Good job. The graphics make it look very professional!
Thank you.
Looks very cool.
Ever thought of putting a compressor fridge in instead of that esky ?.
Hello my friend. Absolutely. I left space in there for an upright/bar/compressor fridge. Planning to setup inverter with some solar and finally put a proper fridge in there this year.
Much better idea, great build that, a lot of very good idea's in there. I built a camper trailer too but not as complex as yours.
Nice video till you playing music over you talking or you talking over music. Sorry didn’t finish the video
Horrible choice of music
I'm using an old camper frame to avoid having to get a state inspection for a VIN...
I avoid all contact with government whenever possible and practical as it is filled with incompetent rubes...
Hi great video I’m building an alloy trailer at the moment and am looking for the same doors you used can you help thanks magnus
Hi Magnus,
Here is few websites. I bought from the first one
ajpm.com.au/products/statewide-tear-drop-camper-door/?gclid=CjwKCAiAudD_BRBXEiwAudakX4Cgu34PeeFTWbF5YtoUtmEQ7Wy9y5esFcEpdnhBLCC2CYQOX4gtExoCzFwQAvD_BwE
dunnandwatson.com.au/product-category/doors-windows/
www.diycaravans.com.au/shop/atrv-dc-teardrop-door/
Great video very informative! I'm sure it achieves all of your criteria. Cheers Steve
Great trailer. Australia love a fucking rule or two. Luckily we don’t get trailers authorised here. Not yet anyway
you just cant beat the outdoors can you , I just love watching this type of video to inspire me . by the way I love your name Elvis
Thank you.
Lighter but not safer. When a tree limb fall on it your going to wish it had a 2x4 frame.
Hello! Could you make a video explaining the support systems (water and power). how many batteries did you use? Can you share the blueprints that you did?
Thanks!
That's a great idea. I'm currently in the process of upgrading some of the electric systems... for example installing solar panel, water pump etc. I also want to re-build the toolbox and install a draw fridge there. So once I complete that I can do a video explaining full electrics. I only use one battery for now. I have installed 160W solar panel kit, and in the full sun, it charges my battery very quickly. Having a water pressure pump is a must, as I didn't like using the manual pump tap... it was annoying and not enough water flow. A cheap ebay pump (8l per minute flow rate) was under $50 AUD, and it was very simple to install, and works really well.
Thank you for your response👍🏼 congrats, awesome camper
Ausgezeichnet! You could make rear door open further so you could stand while cooking. Well done.
Done well . Would have had wheels set back more so you wouldn't need stabilizer and just level with just jockey wheel.
Thanks... Stabiliser legs come handy when the camping site surface is uneven sideways too - which I often encountered... Also it prevents trailer jiggling when you are tossing in bed at night... or doing anything else ;)
Only just found your videos. Looking to build something very similar. Is great seeing your learning from your build and the details you go into. Thanks heaps
time for a proper fridge, nice build
Thanks. Couldn't agree more.
Superb thanks
It's absolutely gorgeous! Looks like it rolled out of a factory, but built better.👍😎
Good day to you!
I am a grandpa rider on HONDA motorcycle from Japan.
Enjoying camping ,touring and upload video.
Your mini camper video is so nice!
Awesome!
Full supported !
Have a nice day my friend!
Thank you very much for your kind message. Greetings from Melbourne.
Shasta is my build name. Only mountain I've summitted
I can't believe that comes in under 750kg. All that heavy gauge steel, layers of thick plywood, 60kg of water, ... They are often built with much lighter steel frame and composite foam/polycarbonate panels to get in under that weight and have enough left over for all your camping kit.
You are right. I'm pretty sure i mentioned somewhere, at least in another video, and many comment responses that the tare weight is 920 kg.
Sweet build man you really thought of everything. Always love learning simple stuff I should know but wouldn't think of like overlapping the top metal with the bottom to obviously keep water out. A lot of attention to detail and great use of the space you got, I like the hand made paper towel holder.
Much appreciated.
Mate that thing is bloody excellent. You are very highly skilled. Hi from Brisbane!
Thank you so much.
Loved every minute of this build. Can you tell me where you purchased the flat trim? Thanks in advance
If you mean the one that joins the black checkered aluminium and white cladding, it's from here
www.onestopcaravanshop.com.au/
What a beautiful camper you have there. Great job building and putting it together. How much does it weigh?
920kg tare weight
Wow Elvis, I have seen heaps of these DIY Squaredrop, / Teardrop campers, and I have to say this is one the BEST I've seen, - great job mate, I am slowly in the process of making mine, but I don't think I will have the patience or knowhow, to do anything like yours, it is a very nice rig indeed, and your commentry and explanation of the build was very informative, and quite helpful, - I am also from Melbourne Victoria, so this fact gives me great inspiration to get mine finished.
Thank you
Brad I really appreciate your feedback. It's fantastic that you are building one too. I wish you all the best with the build.
That woodwork looks really very good. Better than a commercial trailer. Adds weight of course but it must make using it very enjoyable.
If you are looking to install a 12 V fridge to your trailer, please watch this video
th-cam.com/video/hUagXwROw-Y/w-d-xo.html
Just came across this video. Nice build, did a great job. I'm curious what the final weight was. Do you know that?
Thanks. 920kg tare
Great build and great video. I think you’ve inspired my next project
Looking very good! What is the weight fully loaded with camping equipment?
Tare weight is around 920kg.
Fully loaded really depends on how much gear you put in. But for me it usually consists of food, fridge, few camping chairs and water tank filled up. I don't know exact but it would be no more than 1100 kg.
This guy does NOT fuck around
Very nice. Good job. It would be nice if you could put the links in the description of the parts and where did you purchase it, or the specks so we can find them in the US. Thanks for sharing
Thanks. All the product links are in the video description.
Your accent trips me out some sounds like Australian, Russian and West Indian. Good job on the square drop
Hahaha, It trips me out too.
Amazing!
Beautiful job.
Well done. Thanks for sharing
One of the best teardrop builds I have seen. Great job. I wish you lived in the US, I would ask you to help me build one.
Thank you so much my friend
Looks fantastic, thanks for the detailed explanation.
Great Build ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well Explained Also. 🏴
Looks better build than anything on utube so far, iv seen cheaper and more expensive and this seems something in between.
Thank you so much.
What a beautiful well thought out camper. Congrats. I hope you are enjoying it.
Couple of questions , what is your balls weight , do you find it light as having warer tank and kitchen at back or evenly balanced , also how did you go getting ur spare out when u had the flat , just seems like it could be tight to get under . Once again brilliant build .
I can't remember exact tow ball weight, but when the trailer is all loaded (water, kitchen etc), there is still more weight on the front (as it's supposed to be). I can just lift it a little if I pull hard with my arms. I reckon maybe 80kg. Yes I had to pull out spare when i had the incident with original bad axle and hubs... one wheel was all the day down (rubber gone). ANd i had no problem reaching for spare. Remember you also have the stabiliser legs so you can always lift the trailer more if you need more room. So no issues at all.
Very impressive work and a beautiful build.
I am finishing a van conversion and I appreciate your thoughts and labor..Definitely a thumbs up 👍🏽
Thank you so much. Yes, it was lots of work, but it's very enjoyable and rewarding. Van conversion sounds awesome too. All the best with it.
Great video. I’m about to embark on this journey
Hey' any problems with the door leaking? Seeing similar ones that have leaking problems at the bottom
Haven't had any yet.
Chilled, Damn!!! That is BAD ASS!!! Well Done!!!
Thank you
Very nice build!
Witam
Super przyczepa perfekcyjnie wykonana 💪👊👍.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie ✌️.
Great build and great videos. Excellent work. Well done!
Much appreciated.
In OZ…… where did you purchase colorbond cladding from for exterior…. Can you purchase non standard sizes?
Just a local colorbond dealer. Yes, I gave them the dimensions I want and they cut it for me, and even did the 45 degree and 90 degree folds for me. The only thing is the sheets come in certain widths only, and I can't remember what that was... (could be 1.2m) but because of that restriction I had to do one join across middle of the roof. The side was not an issue because the height of the panel is under 1.2, and I used black checkered aluminium for the lower section. Your other option is to go with composite aluminium, or camper aluminium cladding sheets. I think those can be cut to bigger sizes, but they are thicker, hence heavier. I think 3mm, and not sure if they have in 2mm.
Thanks for reply.
Also, I like your numberplate surround with light…. Is that an online job or from a shop?
Hey mate.. thanks for the video, it has been a great help with firming up my plans for my trailer rebuild. I have a question on the colorbond. Where did you get sheets > 1.2m wide from? also in Melbourne!
Flash Roofing Supplies - Hoppers Crossing.
They haveall different thicknesses. I went for very thin to reduce weight...
@@ChilledBeans Thanks heaps!
Well done. That’s a good looking build.
Much appreciated
Only one window? It looks heavy. What’s the weight?
Yes because there is the door on the other side. I never really felt like I need an extra window. But it is slightly heavy... 920kg, very strong but a bit heavier than if i used composite panels.
Hi can you share your blueprints?
My apologies, but I don't really have any. I only used couple of sketches to draw out overall dimensions, and then built based on that. The blueprint is what I showed in this video, see: 3:51, 5:01m 8:08
Hey Elvis, lovely build, looks like it rolled out of a factory. Can I ask where you sourced the 1.2mm aluminium checkerplate? And the .7mm cladding? (I'm in Sydney) Also, you clearly went with a very solid build. Do you believe all the layers were necessary? If I'm understanding the layers you have .7mm aluminium, 18mm ext. ply, 15mm int. ply then 3mm melamine. Did you consider something like high density polystyrene instead of ply for the insulating layer. I must say when I was watching I assumed you must have been in the cold areas of Europe :) Would there be anything you'd change or modify from what you've done? Oops, one more thing - where did you get the j-mould?
Thank you very much.
Please check the descritipn - I just updated the description of this video with links to where I purchased some of the materials.
.7mm cladding is just from a local colorbond supplier.
In terms of build structure, I think I could have most likely used less layers. I probably used too many in some places. For starters I would change 15mm layer with just using timber battons inbetween insulation. I would probably look for lighter regular ply instread of marine ply, because i layered everything from outside with aluminium anyway so it doesn't have to be weatherproof timber.
I did look at poystyrene, and things like styromax, but the the build cost would go up in thousands. But if you are happy to spend more, that's probably best option - lightweight and strong. So to sum it up, if i did this again, and money was no object, i would go with Styropanels from STyromax. Otherwise I would probably used lighter ply, and less doubling up on the inside. I would also consider third option of steel frame, with just 3mm composite aluminium on the outside + insulation + 3mm melamime for inside. But I would need to do proper technical analysis to compare the final total weight using this last approach... without it i'm not sure if it would be the lightest solution.
@Chilled Beans I've looked at the Styromax panels. They're awesome and they also manufacture and CNC cut to your design - but it works out around $200 sqm so could get pretty pricey.
Your last suggestion is close to what I was considering. 3mm outer skin (aluminium/foam) then a 20mm medium density styrofoam insulation layer and a 3mm inner layer of ply, melamine or maybe even another aluminium/foam layer. Bonded together it would be very strong and should be light. Internal ply or steel ribs (like ribs in a boat) would make it very stiff and strong and should be very light. I'm currently debating whether to get a pre-built trailer or build one from scratch. Advantages and disadvantages to both but I'm leaning towards building one - can then be exactly what I want.
Once again, very cool build, it certainly doesn't look 'home made'. Thanks also for the additional information. I couldn't find the checker-plate at Uptons but there's bound to be a supplier in Sydney somewhere.
@@kakman1958 I don't know if Uptons sells checkered plates online... I used to go there in person, and pick those plates. THey 100% sell them but you may need to look for some in Syd. I spoke to another DIY camper expert on youtube and he wasn't sure if you would save a lot in weight with steel frame design. I figured once I'm ready to do it, i'd purchase some sample materials (steel rods/sample composite panel etc) and measure weight per square m. Then compare it to doing same thing with ply. I think without building full trailers using each method, it's hard to know for sure which is lighter. Steel is also more work... welding and drilling holes etc. Also you need to work out how close to place cross members to prevent outer panel caving in.
If i could offer some more learnings from my project - do'nt put fridge in the rear kitchen galley. Because we found out during out camping trips that you want to have as much useable space at the back for working. I modified mine to have stove under the openable lid. So we have entire bench space available. Having fridge in there just cramps everything too much (unless you make really big trailer). I found the best option is to build slide-out door on the toolbox, and put a fridge in there. You can even connect to a battery for power if need be.
I would also not use colorbond again... i'd want to use more of a shiny look aluminium panels or something like that.
All the best with your build. Feel free to message me direct if you have any further questions... my details should be somewhere on my channel.
@@ChilledBeans Much appreciated. I found a good supplier of both aluminium panels and checkerplate today (Ullrichs). They have a 3mm in 1200x2400 or you can get 4mm in 3000x1500 which would be ideal for building entire sides and roof in a single sheet. It's remarkably stiff and the matt white aluminium finish looks sensational. I think it would look great and be super easy to clean if I had it both inside and outside. They also have lots of extrusions etc - my head was spinning with ideas when Ieft :)
@@kakman1958 These guys look awesome. THey sell j-moulds too.
Mate! You're the king. Everything about this video was incredible. Congratulations
Thank you so much. Really appreciate your comments Jim.
Vicrtoria "the education state" well that explains it that you did such a great job in telling how you built your teardrop. Nice!
hello, good morning.. it's really beautiful 😍 we want to make one like yours.. the theme of the black hinge on the door, where can you get it? Could you make a list of where to buy the details of the caravan? Thanks a million, you already have one more subscriber 🤗🥰
Hi. Thank you. Please check out the description of this video, it includes links to all the different special materials, including the centaflex hinge.
@@ChilledBeans it's true 🙆🏻♂️ thank you very much
Hi mate. The install of the centaflex was really helpful! have you had any dust ingress at all?
Great build. Can you tell me how much the trailer weighs?
920kg tare weight
great work 👌🏼👍🏼😍
Aloha lads congratulations awesome job thank you for the how to do
Amazing i love it pay no rent
This is really good self build explanation. So helpful and informative without waffling on to much. All the key points I've wanted to know about a self build. Even down to a little mini model example😆😆
The Man!!
Thankyou, Thankyou
Thanks for your awesome feedback.
First video with a great explanation and using meters as a dimension standard 😅
Thank you. And here I felt guilty that I'll cop the slack for not using feet and inches :). I guess you have to thank my eastern european upbringing...
Very impressive! Thanks!
NIce...I notice the "j" mould on the external corners but can you please tell me what joiner you used horizontally between upper Colorbond and black checker plate as transition? I.e what are they? Where from. Thanks
Hi. It's a flat version of j-mould. Some places call them j-trim as well. I bought it from the same shop that sells the corner j-mould (see the description). They are great little trim to use for transitioning flat sections.
@@ChilledBeans No worries. Couldn't find on their website. Thought it was something specific. I went to Capral in Adelaide and they said had nothing like it. Cheers
@@andrewbutler9553 Ah yes, I remember I couldn't find either online... but when I went to pickup the curved ones, I saw it on their shelves so I got it. Give them a call. Last time i was there they were also building their own caravans, so they use all that stock themselves. (Now if only they compensated me with some discount for promoting them for free
)
Wow. Looks great 👍
What do you think the roof load would be? Could it hold a rooftop tent and a couple kids, say like 800lbs?
I can give you my gut feel, but I don't have official engineering test results for this... My gut feel is that it would have absolutelly no problem carrying rooftop tent. I'm 200 lbs, and I walk in the middle of the roof and it doesn't move a bit. My roof is 18mm ply, sitting on top of inner ply walls, sitting on top of 30mm struts all glued up. Remember, the rooftop tent would be sitting on roof racks, which only apply weight on the side walls. That being said, I would suggest you weld some extra plates under the frame sides that would sit under your side walls - effectivelly making side walls sit on top of those plates. This is one thing i would do on mine if i wanted to be 100% sure about large amount of weight. Also you have to make sure your total weight with all the load (the roof top tent etc), doesn't exceed total trailer's registered legal capacity. You'll need to make sure your suspenssion is specked for that weight etc. Good luck
@@ChilledBeans almost like a rabbet joint, sounds like a good idea, ty!
Brilliant video, thank you! The trailer looks awesome and not hand made. Have loads of fun with it, happy camping!
Thanks heaps for this - things to think about while we are doing our 'square drop mini camper build'
Very nice work Elvis. It's a very professional looking build.
what are the real measurements? The metric system will never catch on.
www.calculator.net/conversion-calculator.html