(Part 3) Top products from r/TeardropTrailers

I searched for hours trying to find other examples of people putting front racks on their trailers and didn’t come up with anything useful for me, so I’m just putting this out there to help other people who might be looking to add a rack one day.

When I bought my teardrop trailer it came with the connections to hook-up a ClimateRight A/C unit, but didn’t have a rack to store it on or transport it. I tried a few things:

1. The trailer manufacturer wanted $200 for a rack and they were in another state, so I had to pay high shipping costs.
   
   
2. Local fabricators wanted $200+ to custom make a rack
   
   
3. Most commercial “trailer tongue racks” were smaller, triangle shaped designs without the capacity I needed, specifically to carry my generator, ClimateRight AC unit, and ideally a gas can outside of the trailer.
   
   
4. I looked at a few “hitch racks” and actually bought one like this cheaper Highland model. The problem is they were very wide, cutting in to my turning radius, and they were structurally weak without the “hitch” beam running down the center, which I would have had to remove to mount it to my trailer frame.
   
   In addition, I really didn’t want to have to drill holes in the trailer frame as I don’t have the tools for drilling in heavy duty steel.
   
   My solution was this- Titan Universal ATV Rear Back Cargo Basket, $79 with free prime shipping at Amazon.
   
   It came with mounting bars that are designed to clamp an existing rack on the back of an ATV, and the 22” x 39” size were almost perfect for holding my Westinghouse Generator (last years design of this model), AC unit, and a 5 gallon gas can.
   
   The only thing I needed to do was go purchase longer bolts for the bracket from my local hardware store (I used ACE instead of a big box so I could buy single bolts instead of large packs, cost me $2.50 total) and in about 30 minutes I had a steel rack clamped down to my trailer tight. Unlike the “hitch” style racks, the ATV rack had a full tubular steel frame that is rigid and strong and required no additional supports or drilling- I simply used the existing mounting holes and brackets to clamp it to the frame.
   
   Of everything I tried this is by far the simplest and best option out there.

1. This looks like way overkill to me. It's designed to heat up an entire room, some 800 - 1400 ft^3. A teardrop is going to be way less than 200 ft^3. More like 90 for an interior than is 6'x5'x3'. Remember also that you are a heater. A human body at rest generates about 250 BTUs / hr. So how much heating do you need? Take the 6,000 BTU heater you linked, which is able to heat a 10x12x8 room. The volume of the teardrop is 0.075 as much as the room, so you'll need roughly 0.075 as much heat. If we accept 6,000 BTUs as necessary for the room, then the teardrop will require about 450 BTUs. But remember that your body generates 250 at rest. And if there's two of you in the teardrop, you're generating about 500 BTUs of heat, which exceeds the capabilities of the heater! So you really just need a little heat boost to take the edge off the cold before you get in the trailer (say in the evenings), and your own body heat should keep things cozy the rest of the night.
   
   
2. This is a natural gas heater. Will you be carrying NG?
   
   Consider a very small electric heater. You shouldn't need to use it a lot, and a very small amount of electricity should go a long way here. Couple it with a marine battery and it should last you for days, if you don't leave it on when it's not needed.
   
   Edit: It strikes me that a decent electric blanket would be an awesome solution. It's exactly the right size, puts out a good amount of heat for that amount of space, and they come in both AC and DC varieties. Just turn it on half an hour before you plan to go to bed, and I bet your trailer will be toasty warm by the time you're ready for it.
   
   Edit 2: For example, this Queen sized electric blanket produces about 560 BTUs/hr, takes about 15 minutes to warm up, and has an auto shutoff feature.

Here is a discussion on tntt, several people seem to like it, but there are some concerns about added weight. They talk about pros and cons of a couple different products.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=65559&start=15

After much deliberation and research I choose boat paint. It does not hide imperfections they way liner will, but I am really happy with the results (durable, waterproof, looks good).

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-206999-Marine-Topside-1-Quart/dp/B000BZTJT2/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_200_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SPC07SGY5Y37MAC979BG

Good luck

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> 1) What are the must have /favorite features in your trailers? From what I have seen options on the gallery are a bit divided. I want to make sure I consider all the options when I plan it out.

I thought I NEEDED to have a built in stove but looking back I'd much rather have a place to store/use a standard 2 burner propane stove.

Also I like the built in sink options in theory, but most are just too small to be worth it. I'd much rather have a space for a 5 gallon jug to sit on it's side with a closeable spout like this: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Water-Carrier-5-Gallon-Blue/dp/B00168PI4S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464199433&sr=8-2&keywords=5+gallon+jug

The star master! Super cheap quality but really beautiful: http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Games-Star-Projector-Light/dp/B004Q6TZQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410755395&sr=8-1&keywords=star+master

I have experience installing exactly 1 pair of struts on a hatch.

From what I remember, I stood on a scale and then weighed myself holding the door up. I found a pair of struts to hold this weight, plus maybe 10 extra pounds. I came pretty close to a perfect match for lift weight. (i had a fairly heavy wooden hatch) I did find that when it got close to freezing outside, the hatch wouldn't stay up.

Mounting was a huge pain in the @ss. It was alot of trial and error on my part. There is math/geometry to measure and almost perfectly align them. I can't remember what resources I used now, but it's definitely not rocket science. You can do it if you brainstorm for awhile.

Here are links to the hardware I used. Just cheap generic-ish auto struts and mounting hardware.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y3H1AQE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004713BR2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BRF38Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

photo of heavy @ss wooden hatch on my former heavy teardrop which I sold https://photos.app.goo.gl/q7uk3x6TkcQ4pZT82

When does this moisture show up? Does it have to rain or is it just due to humidity?

My Internet guess is fairly new construction and no venting.
At least crack a window (I used passive side vents. https://imgur.com/Cif4DHQ you can see one side in this pic.)

Also during the damp, misty, foggy months I use an air dryer. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-DryWave-Moisture-Environments/dp/B000BTAQIG

I also mounted my "cabin" portion to my frame via little plastic pucks, screwed. That lifts the wood off the metal a titch so any moisture can drain or dry out rather than wick into the wood.

You should grab a drink and a cigar and go out and just sit and think like a raindrop and mentally go over and over how you sealed it, how you layered stuff and thinking like a rain drop see how you would get inside to have a pool party in the far back corner.

I’d love that book for a coffee table reader but it’s a bit pricey, $24.30 on Amazon.

I use a climateright 2500 model. It's 120volt so I must be plugged in. HVAC is doeable on 12/24 volt but you gotta have a hell of a lot of battery...in my case a prohibitive amount. What I did do today however was install a 12v fan. I modified the base to hide the wiring, it looks great! Caframo Ultimate 12V Cabin Fan, Small, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00144A5HE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_4Z1yUHyqsvcoi

I used one of these for extra light in my trailer. Easy to install, durable and still watertight after 3+ years.

A camp oven, pizza stones to put inside to hold heat, and a pan for it.

It does.... quite a bit. That's what pushed me over to cheap cover in the end. Picked up. Camco 45761 8'-10' ULTRAGuard Pop-Up Camper Cover (46"H x 87"W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IZKDZS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w3FVDbAGHR3AM

The smallest little buddy heater would probably be sufficient:

little buddy

Here is the fuse mount and here is the fuse I use for my battery. Goes right on the + terminal.

If it were my trailer I'd buy a battery box and move the battery to the tongue.

That means running a bunch of heavy wire from the tongue to the back (I would use 10ga minimum since it's DC and you get a bunch of voltage loss on long runs with DC.)

Or you could build an enclosure around the battery and put a vent in the outside wall.

You'll have to make it so you can open the enclosure for maintenance.

It's weird that they would mount the battery there, you might want to point it out to the manufacturers.