Teardrop camping trailer!!!
 

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Came up with this crazy idea a while ago and it looks like I just found a donor car to cut up :AAAAA: Let me know what yall think, I would appreciate any comments or tips you all can come up with.

I am going to try to use the stock suspension but have no idea of what to do with the diff. Any one got an idea???

Cant read what the pic says I will try to fix it later. here is a rundown of what it says:

In the back would be a galley, with a small propane stove, sink W/running water, and space for an ice chest. The red thing is a mattress. A couple of 12 volt batteries to power accessories like a dvd player, flat screen, stereo, pump for the sink, and whatever else I can stick in there.

saving space :rofl:

Do it do it do it do it.

and for the rear, correct me if i'm wrong (as im new to subaru's) but can't you open the diff and remove the gearing / or remove the axels? (i'm guessing you're not putting any power/brake to the rear wheels?)

things to consider-

-tint the windows (unless you're cool w/voyeurs) or get shades
-battery and mini generator up front?
-if you're doing a sink w/gas/propane you'll want it sealed from the passenger compartment and vented to the outside. check your local laws before mounting it there because they may have certain rules about the location of fuel on trailers
-retain stock DOT approved lighting and wheels, check the weight rating because brake systems may be neccessary.
-lose as much weight as you can (the trailer, not [I]you[/I]..er well, if you need to then...)
-DOCUMENT! registering a trailer requires lots of paper trail (ie title of salvage/decommission of motor, tranny, cost and receipts of frame components, the tongue especially)
-DOCUMENT X2 ! we want pictures and updates daily!! lol

that would be crazy lookin goin down the freeway

If I could get the brakes to work that would be sweet. If I can keep the weight down I may not need them. I would like it to come in around 800-1000lb
with a tung weight of 200lb or so. I don't even have a hitch on my wagon yet!!
gonna do some tricky "flip up license plate to reveal a hitch" thing.

Looks awesome. Cant wait to see this happen. Its got tinted windows also!

Gonna have to tint the wrx to match :biggrin1:

are you gonna put rotas on the rear? jk haha!

damn that is an AWESOME idea! Cant wait too see updates on this!

[QUOTE=ry's_shagnwagon;3083677]are you gonna put rotas on the rear? jk haha![/QUOTE]

why you want to donate some??? :biggrin1:

-tesh
-if you're doing a sink w/gas/propane you'll want it sealed from the passenger compartment and vented to the outside. check your local laws before mounting it there because they may have certain rules about the location of fuel on trailers

The plan with registration is to get a trailer from harbor freight for like $200 get that registered and use "enough" of that in the teardrop to pass dmv tests. or it will just be so awesome how could it not pass. :rofl:

the propane grill will just be like a small camp stove that will not be "permanent" and will not be in there when i take it to be registered.

Yes there will be a battery up front (or back if too much tongue weight) with a 110volt charger to plug in when needed. maybe a solar charger on top to help charge up on trips. Hopefully also draw a charge from tow vehicle while driving. Maybe some street glow neon lighting underneath!!! :joker:

ahhh sooo many ideas kicking around in my head right now.
first get it towable than get my tow vehicle ready to tow. Second get it registered. Third profit?

i cant wait to see the finished product this is gonna be so sweet!

gonna take a while, I will post lots of pics though.

man I feel like a post whore

stretch, poke, and dump it! hahaha =D im excited to see this aswell..

Haha leave it to you walker to come up with this :D

Hahaha, thats a brilliant idea!

Simpsons did it.
[IMG]http://www.glebserbin.com/photos/i-XtFHFQH/0/S/i-XtFHFQH-S.jpg[/IMG]

I've been playing with the idea myself as well. I figure if you need to you can do a trailer brake using the stock rear caliper/hub assembly by running a stainless steel line to an auxiliary port on the tow vehicle which would be actuated by a hydraulic hand-brake.

Is that going to be to much weight up front with the axle so far back?I had this prob when I built my bike trailer, had to move the axle forward

[QUOTE=golfsick;3084103]Is that going to be to much weight up front with the axle so far back?I had this prob when I built my bike trailer, had to move the axle forward[/QUOTE]

That is a huge concern of mine, I kinda won't know if it is going to be too much weight until I get the thing built (or mocked up anyway). After it is built than I can put the front on a scale and see if the axle needs to move forward. I am going to try to keep as much heavy stuff aft of the rear wheels as I can. Like batteries, fresh water tank (yes as the tank empties it will change the weight ratio) I do realize that trailers handle better with more weight forward of the rear axle.

If it winds up I have to move the axle, it will be a real ish to move the wheel openings. If that is the case I would be in for a lot more work. Lose the stock suspension bits and switch over to a regular trailer drop axle setup or perhaps a torsions style axle.

Remove the rear diff and just run the outer CV joint.
Or, use the rear diff to run a generator to charge a battery array.

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Just picked up the donor car to start building!!

The front end was lighter than I expected, even with the front horns and radiator support it was easy for two to pick up the front end. When we lifted it into the trailer we put some jack stands about 1.5 feet from the back wheel and it felt balanced front to back. Cant wait to start cutting!!!-anyone want to buy the radiator support and front horns with the firewall? CHEAP!!!

Do you need rear doors? I got a few extra

Dude I bought it from was parting it out and took them off. You can kinda see one in the back seat, or where the back seats would be. The other door is in the truck. Thanks for the offer though. Might need some glass if I break any hanging the doors.

Got that to lmk

just came back for the update - saw your trailer donor in the 'what did i buy this time' thread lol

can't wait to see it get closer! good idea for the harbor freight donor, but make sure when you transfer the registration that the gvwr of the hf trailer doesnt get exceeded by the gvwr of the donor shell on that trailer. if you're in/near elk grove (it's a cow town) call up the powersports / tractor supply places about just buying a trailer tounge - they can sell you something that all you'll have to do is weld/mount it to the unibody rails near the firewall...

Nice man! Big step closer :D

Still don't have a hitch on my wagon, gotta get that this week to see where the tongue is going to wind up. Anyone got suggestions as to where to cut the front part off? I want to try and save it for someone that needs that stuff. I don't need the firewall or anything up there. I will take some better pic later today when my cousin drops it off.

Are you gunna leave the front doors like they did in the pic in post 16?

[QUOTE=stupidchicken03;3098598]Are you gunna leave the front doors like they did in the pic in post 16?[/QUOTE]

Yes-I think I will keep all the doors. Gotta bolt a tongue on it and see how much it will weigh (at the tongue) and see if I need to loose doors to save weight (weld shut and cut the interior parts out) The fronts are bigger than the rears so I would like to use the front passenger as the entrance.

So your answer is I dont know yet. keeping front passenger fo sho others tbd

Also I am not sure the pic in post 16 is real or not, kinda looks shooped to me.
Gancherov says "Simpsons did it." Can you elaborate on that?

if you kept all the doors, would all 5 be functional (open/close)?

If I keep all five, yes they would be functional. Or weld the two drivers closed and make some shelving on the inside for stuff/place for pillows to lean on and hang feet out the passenger doors. I would like to use all the windows, with some sort of screen on the inside, to keep things cool in the summer.

It seems standard that the entry doors to trailers are on the passenger side, I guess so you are out of traffic when getting in on the side of a highway or something.

-side note, today I have been typing "doors" a lot, and I keep typing "dorrs" instead, fingers why u no listen to brain?

Here is a pic of the celica heading for sac, gonna get a fresh motor and tranny. Cousin David hauled the outback here and took the celica back.

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Here is the Outbacks new home for a while, now I need a tent of some sort to get out of the sun so I can start working.

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cant wait for more updates :)

Something like this might be a good solution to your braking issue. I would imagine you could use your original rear brakes with a [URL="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Titan-Trailer-Disc-Brakes-Actuator-Surge-Couplers-2-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3c9f76c9d3QQitemZ260373400019QQptZMotorsQ5fRVQ5fTrailerQ5fCamperQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories"]surge brake master cylinder[/URL] like this. Have you taken out the rear differential yet? Just checking progress. See ya.

new member in Sac?

[QUOTE=stupidchicken03;3102790]new member in Sac?[/QUOTE]


My cousin David!! Pictured above taking the celica to do a new motor and tranny!!! yay you joined!!

No progress yet, been busy at work. I have looked into surge brakes (easy conversion), a lot of people tell me they don't like them on light trailers. The outback has rear drums, I have been looking into electronic drum breaks to go there instead (I like to make things as complicated as possible) So I can manually control the trailer from the cab. Also I need to get longer parking brake cables so I can put the e-brake handle on the tongue. Also I need to GET TO WORK!!!!!

Did a little work today, yay! tore out the brake lines, fuel lines, and any thing left in the interior. Went to get the fuel out of the tank and discovered a nest of black widows. I think I will get some raid before going much further. This weekend I think I will break out the grinder and lighten the thing up!! :eyebrows:

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Simple wiring plan for the trailer. What do you yall think??

I would also like to draw a charge from the tow vehicle to charge up while the key is in the on position, and run the brake lights and turn signals.

Have you considered some type of solar panel for the roof to charge your battery(s) on the trailer?

[QUOTE=queeg9k;3106743]

I would also like to draw a charge from the tow vehicle to charge up while the key is in the on position, and run the brake lights and turn signals.[/QUOTE]

Would you be able to hook up the tail lights to a standard trailer harness?

So you could run the harness from your car and your car would power the break lights/turn signals/driving lights like a normal trailer?

The standard simple ones like this?
[IMG]http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/trailer-wiring-3.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=snyda;3107634]Have you considered some type of solar panel for the roof to charge your battery(s) on the trailer?[/QUOTE]

Too expensive to get a panel that would be big enough to charge the system in a timely manner i.e. under a day. Would be nice if I can find a way to do it on the cheap.

[QUOTE=stupidchicken03;3107648]Would you be able to hook up the tail lights to a standard trailer harness?

So you could run the harness from your car and your car would power the break lights/turn signals/driving lights like a normal trailer?

The standard simple ones like this?
[IMG]http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/trailer-wiring-3.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Yes run a harness from the car to run the break lights and turn signals another run to charge up the trailer while the tow vehicle is on. Using a nice thick cable :thumb: I would prefer to use a 7 pin connecter, so I can add stuff later with out having to re-wire the 3/4 pin.

Eventualy I would also like to put a ham radio antenna and a cb antenna all drilled through the roof of the trailer (so I can get a good radio ground plane) but they need a coax.

Yea deff would be a good idea to have more than just a 3 or 4 pin

[QUOTE=queeg9k;3107777]Too expensive to get a panel that would be big enough to charge the system in a timely manner i.e. under a day. Would be nice if I can find a way to do it on the cheap.

...Eventualy I would also like to put a ham radio antenna...[/QUOTE]

Keep an eye out for Harbor Freight coupons - esp around thanksgiving, they'll have 40-50% coupons well worth using on the big solar panels they sell, they're actually pretty decently priced and good output...

...and, you're a ham too! man, i've been reading more and more threads mentioning ham activity... i finally fired up my yaesu today after something like 6 years...

...and a thought for the wagon, go LED tails etc to conserve on power?

[QUOTE=tesh;3107858]Keep an eye out for Harbor Freight coupons - esp around thanksgiving, they'll have 40-50% coupons well worth using on the big solar panels they sell, they're actually pretty decently priced and good output...

...and, you're a ham too! man, i've been reading more and more threads mentioning ham activity... i finally fired up my yaesu today after something like 6 years...

...and a thought for the wagon, go LED tails etc to conserve on power?[/QUOTE]

I am just going to use the incandecent that is on the trailer already, when they are used the tow vehicle will be powering them so they should be fine.
+1 for harbor freight, did not think of them for solar!

This:
[url=http://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-12-volt-solar-panel-96418.html]15 Watt, 12 Volt Solar Panel[/url]

And also this:
[url=http://www.harborfreight.com/7-amp-solar-charge-regulator-96728.html]7 Amp Solar Charge Regulator[/url]

there is no way a 15 watt pv panel is going to charge up the batt. in one day. It would need to be 65-85 minimum. A 15 watt pv panel would certainly help but I think it would take at least 3 days in direct sunlight to charge up. 15 watts would help maintain the battery but would not be practical to charge it. 80 bucks is a good price for 15 watts though as it is usually about $6 per watt for pv panels.

Well my thought is, it will charge it while its parked and while you are driving to whever you are going, also when its just sitting there, would definatly help out alot.. Also you could buy 2-3 and it would be awesome.

I will definitely leave room for some photovoltaic panels in the future. I will probably wire for them anyway so I don't have to rip stuff apart to do it later. I don't think I will be able to afford to do it on the initial build. In the future I would love to have some where in the neighborhood of 100-150 watts so I would not have to camp near a 110volt source.

Yeah that would be cool. Once I get back on my feet I wanna make one of these eventually, except with a bugeye wagon = D

Did a little more work yesterday before darts. Pulled out the carbon filter thing, a bunch of misc interior stuff, the roof rack, all the exhaust heat shields and some other stuff I don't know what it is. Tried to go after the drive shaft but man them bolts are seized, sprayed them all down with some Silikroil and will try again today. If that does not work I will try some heat after I get the gas tank out.

Not much progress but at least it is some.

What are you going to do sleeping compartment-wise? Ie. how accommodations for how many people/beds or just a way to transport gear?

I think he's planning to sleep himself in it?

[QUOTE=ApexAssassin;3117412]What are you going to do sleeping compartment-wise? Ie. how accommodations for how many people/beds or just a way to transport gear?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=stupidchicken03;3117417]I think he's planning to sleep himself in it?[/QUOTE]

Yup that is the plan. It should sleep 2 comfortably and under the back hatch will be a small galley. The galley will have a small sink with running water. Hot water if I can afford an "on demand" propane heater. A small 2 burner propane stove with a 5# propane tank. It will be wired up with a stereo and a small DVD player and screen. It will also be wired up with 110 outlets so I can plug into shore power to charge the 12volt system and to run any other 110 appliances I want. Like charging a laptop or something. While I am wiring I will probably run wires for PV panels to add later.


Did some work yesterday! Getting the fuel tank out of a subie is a real $*%&^!!! You basically have to take everything off the diff to get it out. Man the diff support is heavy!! I will have to come up with something lighter. Or just loose the diff all together, I am not sure what holds the wheels on though. Is it the axles clipped inside the diff or something else? The tank is almost out it is just hanging my fuel lines and some wires. A smart person would have drained it first!

Any updates??

Sorry, no updates. I have been busy training for a bike race.

How was the bike race?

and bump for updates! lol, I finally got a trailer hitch, so I'm 1/16th of the way there!!

Bike race was good- That one was just for practice for the one coming up next weekend- The single speed cyclocross world championships. My friend and I are doing it on a tandem.

Not much for updates- The tank is out and alot of other stuff has been stripped. Rain is not going to help much seeming as it is outside and I dont have a garage.

any updates since 11-11-11?? lol

I have been bad. No work has been done since 11-11-11. It has been cold and wet, it is outside so meh. Once this storm passes I am going to start cutting, my friend is lending me his welder indefinitely until I finish. I have been collecting things for the interior though. Found a small sink that should work, an Alpine deck, a propane stove, and some other odds and ends.

I may need to call in the troops to help for a big fabrication day once this storm passes. To kinda kick me into gear to get working on it.

Oh also I placed second in the bike race, so that means I am ranked second in the world for single speed cyclocross tandem racing. (the team in first had gears though, our protest was denied)

annn den....

anything?

Getting a plasma cutter and a mig welder for this weekend. Time to start cutting and welding! Pictures to follow.

Any updates? Looks like a awesome plan

Help.

What'd you do?

Still need to figure out how to use the rear suspension minus the diff. What actually holds the wheels on? Can I just pull the axles and loose the diff or does the axle hold the wheels on?

Also just lost my helper so now I am working by myself.

Assuming you are using a GD wagon shell like yours? The rear hub is held on by the trailing arms, lateral links, and strut/spring combo. The axle just goes through the hub and spins the bearing to which the wheel is attached. It should be totally ok to remove the axles and diff, however I would keep them handy as replacement parts.

The axle nut and outer cv joint needs to stay in the knuckle. This keeps the wheel and hub from falling off the car. You can get rid of the axle bar and the inner cv joint. For the diff you can just get rid of it to make space for something else or just to save weight.

^ he's right, you do need the outer joint to keep the bearing in place.

LMAO Okay, let me try this again.

you can get rid of the diff. no need

remove the outer cups and shoot the axle nut to hold it all in.

holds the bearing in.

[QUOTE=cueballsi;3274977]can u get rid of the diff and out in axle shafts... like only the part into the bearing somehow.... reduce weight![/QUOTE]

I have no idea what this says. Anyone else?

This is awesome! Can't wait for updates. And in regards to the diff and axles, you can remove them, just keep the part that actually slides through the hub and use the axle nut like you normally would. This will keep the hubs/bearings together, but you can get rid of the rest of the axle. :)

Thanks,
Rick

Tell me you're still working on this! I'd hope someday I'll get the chance to make one Haha

remove rear half shafts. as one stated before, your strut is supported by knuckle, lat links, and trailing arm. the half shafts line up with the splines in the wheel hub/bearing and transfer the power to the wheels. so, its ok to remove rear diff and shafts. its as if you have a FWD car and made a tear drop trailer. FWD's have the same setup as you are trying to accomplish. in the rear, driveline wise, they only have wheels. LOL. at least with older cars, thats how they were. obviously if you dont have power to rear wheels, you dont need a diff. the wheels will turn at their own rate when not coupled together, enough of me. how about an update!!!

[QUOTE=02RS25;3372278]remove rear half shafts. as one stated before, your strut is supported by knuckle, lat links, and trailing arm. the half shafts line up with the splines in the wheel hub/bearing and transfer the power to the wheels. so, its ok to remove rear diff and shafts. its as if you have a FWD car and made a tear drop trailer. FWD's have the same setup as you are trying to accomplish. in the rear, driveline wise, they only have wheels. LOL. at least with older cars, thats how they were. obviously if you dont have power to rear wheels, you dont need a diff. the wheels will turn at their own rate when not coupled together, enough of me. how about an update!!![/QUOTE]

re-read the last page, you need to leave the outer CV bolted thourgh the knuckle to keep the wheel bearing together. FWD cars would just have that spindle as part of the knuckle instead of part of the CV assembly.

As for updates, i'm pretty sure the project is dead in the water due to the massive tongue weight this setup would have. The shell of the car without the motor and front end will be ~1000 lbs?, and with the rear axle so far behind the center of gravity most of that weight will be on the trailer tongue. And that's not even loaded up.

[QUOTE=Gancherov;3372283]re-read the last page, you need to leave the outer CV bolted thourgh the knuckle to keep the wheel bearing together. FWD cars would just have that spindle as part of the knuckle instead of part of the CV assembly.

As for updates, i'm pretty sure the project is dead in the water due to the massive tongue weight this setup would have. The shell of the car without the motor and front end will be ~1000 lbs?, and with the rear axle so far behind the center of gravity most of that weight will be on the trailer tongue. And that's not even loaded up.[/QUOTE]

ah gotcha. thanks for the info. i took apart my knuckle and wheel bearing once. i must have either missed that part or not really payed attention. LOL.

the tongue weight makes sense too. if it were me buuilding this and i came to this hiccup, i would try shifting the weight a little. run stiffer springs and relocate the weight to the rear? IMO, i cant really see anyting up front eighing down the trailer. theres no engine, no tranny, no shafts, no dash. itd think it was the rear that would have all the dead weight

I think the motor/tranny in a wrx wagon is only like 600-700lbs total including drive shafts, then front suspension/wheels would be another 200 lbs, the body in front of the windshield would only weigh a few hundred pounds lets say 300. So that's only 1000-1500lbs max that you've removed from a car that weighs 3200 stock.

The impreza with a 5mt is only rated for towing 1000lbs, which as you can see is what the empty chassis is going to weigh, leaving little to no room for loading it up.

Welp. Due to my lack of work on the project it has been scrapped. Sold the shell to a metal recycler for next to nothing. I live on the east coast now :( Money and time down the hole. I keep telling myself I would have made more progress if I had a garage. I will try it again. I think it would be a fun toy. Who knows I might pick up another shell out here now that I have a garage and some space to work at home. sadface.jpeg

Sorry to hear man, just got caught up on this thread now. Know the if-I-only-had-a-garage feels all too well :/

Hmmmmm Back in the bay and I have space now....