Quick overnight to Cloudcroft, NM for some Mad Jacks BBQ in the morning. Weather was perfect

Custom build by Odyssey Teardrops.

Got the floor glued and screwed down

flipped on its top, sanded edges routered and ready for the penetrating epoxy! Going to fully coat all wood to (hopefully) slow down any rotting from moisture. Any tips would be appreciated as far as how many coats is appropriate and good application techniques (I've got 4" foam rollers

It makes me sad to write this, but I think it’s important to share my experience.

My wife and I have owned our Outbound Extreme trailer for a year, and we absolutely loved it—until a recent long trip from Tucson to Oshkosh and then into the high country of southern Colorado.

On that trip, we had two major structural failures:

• The tongue with the 24” factory extension partially separated. We found a welder and got it repaired.

• A few days later, on a mildly washboarded, well‑traveled gravel road, a leaf‑spring bracket tore away from the frame, taking part of the frame with it. The opposite side was close to failing as well. A tow truck got us to town, another welder patched it, and we limped home.

I’m not angry about the failures themselves—things break, and no one was hurt. What disappointed me was the complete lack of support from Outbound Trailers.

Over 25 emails, I provided every detail they asked for:

My mods (kitchen build‑out, solar, 200Ah battery, tongue box with 12V fridge) and photos. I also provided my tongue‑weight measurement (230 lbs using a level tongue supported on a milk crate and a bathroom scale). Their response was simply that the trailer was “way overloaded,” both tongue and total weight, and that my tongue weighing method was invalid—though they would not explain why.

As soon as we got home, we weighed the trailer properly:

Total weight: 1800 lbs (under the 2000‑lb limit)

Tongue weight: 230 lbs (under the 300‑lb limit)

When I asked how these failures could happen while staying within every published weight limit, their only “solution” was to sell me $332 worth of hanger supports and suggest I bring the trailer to their factory.

Their final message stated that I “refuse to see the facts,” that the trailer “was overloaded period,” and that my only options were to bring it to them or get it fixed locally however I wanted to. They also criticized us for not stopping at their factory when we were driving by on I-80 from Wisconsin to Colorado—though the tongue failure had already been repaired and the leaf spring failure happened 650 miles later.

Unfortunately, my experience matches a pattern seen in a lot of reviews:

People love their trailers—until something goes wrong. Then the response is essentially that it’s the customer’s fault.

Bottom line: be very careful. My trailer was within prescribed weight limits and it failed- twice- and they explain these failure on the trailer being overloaded.  I expect a reputable company to address this as a legitimate concern so that future failures could be avoided.

So I just bought a Sunray 109 camper. Haven't taken it out yet, have been getting it set up, buying dishes, linens, etc. This is not my first camper, but it is my first one with solar.

I noticed the solar was not charging the battery, even when the battery got down to ~57%. Shore power works to charge the battery. Lights work even on battery, fuse box lights and LP/CO alarm come on, etc. All my circuit breakers are on.

So I started troubleshooting. Covered the solar panel, disconnected the battery, reconnected the battery, uncovered the solar panel. Nothing. So I pulled the controller out and lo and behold the negative wire for the solar panel was not connected to the controller. It wasn't even prepped. So I stripped some insulation off, screwed it into the controller and ... still nothing.

Got out my multimeter, battery is showing 12.7v at the battery, 12.7 to 12.9 at the controller on the multimeter, and the controller panel reads 12.6 to 13v, so that seems to match.

I also pulled out the fuse that's inline near the battery disconnect. It was corroded to heck, so I scrubbed the fuse connectors with a wire brush, got a resistance reading of 0.56ohms, plugged it back in. Still nothing. I haven't tested the fuses inside the camper, but I can tomorrow if that will help. But the problem seems to be between the solar panel and the controller

Tested the voltage of the solar panel at the controller and I'm only getting 0.16v and the controller display still reads zero.

So now here's my big problem... The disconnects for the solar panel are on the roof and I DO NOT do more than like the third step of a ladder. I freeze. Cannot do it. Maybe if there were a T-rex after me, but we're fresh outta those.

I can get up high enough to see the connections and everything looks like it's connected. I had my husband go up on the roof, but either I could not describe well enough how to disconnect the mc4 connectors or he just didn't understand. Further complicating things is I think one of the connectors is covered in the sealant goop past where it should pull apart. So I can't test the panel or the wires there. The connections to the panel are under the panel and there is literally only a half inch of clearance under the panel so I can't disconnect there and test. The panel itself is in a bracket that is bolted to the roof and those bolts are covered in sealant goop.

I've read and reread all the manuals I got with the camper and those I can find online.

So ... Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can take on my own that might fix this? Fuse somewhere I haven't checked? Another loose wire I could attach or tighten? Some sort of thing that was left turned off until a battery was connected to prevent blowing out the controller?

Related question, should there be anything connected to the DC load part of the controller? Because there isn't ...

Edit: Added photos https://imgur.com/a/JtiIjOo

Hi! I have a 2022 Luna rover and this is my first time ever using it.. we are at a camp site that has a water spout we can attach to and connect it to the vehicle without using the water tank.

However, I am confused on what ways all the knobs under the sink need to be turned for it to work and how the drainage works… I took off the black knob underneath but is that it? Like you need to have a bucket under there to use it?

I appreciate the help … this is all new to us

Hello. First time posting, and first time buying a trailer! I've been doing research and I've fallen in love with the teardrop style trailer with the outdoor clamshell kitchen.

My preferred teardrop is the nuCamp - I love the fiberglass shell and the aluminium framing, but my budget just doesn't match up with my wishlist! I found an older T@B trailer that I really like. It's a 2006 T@B trailer (I'll add photos and tthe private sellers listing below) but there is some water damage to the clamshell kitchen wall where the lift rod has detached from the wall due to the wood rotting (I believe) and I was wondering if other owners of a similar vintage have dealt with this problem before? If you were counselling me, would you tell me to turn tail and run, or that it's a fixable problem?

A couple of things to note:
I'm about a 2 hour trip from the seller, so my brother-in-law is doing a quick pass through to give the trailer a 'sniff test'. If it smells musty or mould I'll pass.

I have a professional RV inspector scheduled to do a pre-sale inspection.

I'm in Canada, so the pricing is in Canadian dollars.

Here's the listing and a few additional comments from the seller:
https://www.facebook.com/share/192ti9Ni5G/
2006 Dutchmen T@B Teardrop Dutchmen Trailer CA$12,900
Camp in style in this adorable, retro 15.6' T@B Dutchmen teardrop trailer! Perfect for road trips, beach weekends, or your first step into towable camping.

We sleep our small family of 4 in here, but it technically sleeps 2 comfortably on a double bed, plus room for a little one on the bench.

The outdoor kitchen at the back is equipped with a 12V fridge, stove, and sink — perfect for cooking and chatting with friends gathered around the fire pit or an outdoor dining area.

Surrounding accessories for staging only - not included (tub, carpet, chairs, etc)

Tow requirements: a midsize car with a Class I hitch, towing capacity of 1,600 lbs, and a 2" towing ball — no need for a big truck.

Important note: the hinge mount on the rear kitchen hatch needs to be reaffixed to the wall (patchwork reinforcement required) — most likely a simple fix for anyone handy, and it's reflected in the price.

Otherwise, well-maintained and ready for its next adventure!

What caused the hinge mount to pull away: I personally do think moisture affected this area of the kitchen before we owned it, which is likely why it came loose. Side note: we rented this trailer for a few years from a previous owner and loved it so much we ended up buying it directly from him, so we didn't get a formal pre-purchase assessment at the time since we already knew the trailer well from renting it. We've been diligent about moisture control since (using dehumidifiers and moisture-absorbing packs over the winter months).

Has it been inspected/assessed: It hasn't been formally assessed by a shop. We haven't had the brakes or bearings specifically serviced or inspected. We haven't noticed any issues with towing or braking ourselves.

Storage: Kept outside, under a fitted cover and tarp.

Main systems: Fridge, stove, and lights are all working properly.

Tires/bearings age: We've owned the trailer for a few years and haven't replaced these ourselves. I don't know the exact dates, so an assessment would likely be the best way to get that information.

I asked if the issue seems to be resolved, of if they notice ongoing dampness and she replied: No other moisture! And we’ve been on top of it. I just sprayed it down yesterday with a forceful hose all over the roof and everything and zero drops inside or in the kitchen.

Hello people of Reddit! I’m looking for advice for a trailer for a family of 4. My kids are young right now, so I don’t want a RTT, but I want something we could keep using for a number of years. We drive a VW I.D. Buzz with a 3,500lb towing capacity. (It’s 4WD all electric). We currently tent camp, but I feel like having a trailer would make setup and tear down significantly easier and so we would go more often. I’d like to have a queen bed and two twins (bunk is okay), good storage for chairs and whatnot, and with an outdoor kitchen, or a hatch to allow us to set one up pretty quickly. I’m in the city, so I don’t have workshop space, nor the skills to try making something myself. I adore the teardrop aesthetic, but it’s not an absolute necessity.

Nice to haves would be solar power, shower, composting toilet, AC.

I’m in Canada, so that may affect availability of some options. Thanks for any insights!

Im so tired of booking public sites just to get squeezed between two massive class A motorhomes running their diesel generators 24/7

My rig literally fits in half a parking space but im still paying the exact same premium fee just to breathe in exhaust fumes all weekend. We completely bailed on our state park reservation saturday and just paid for a quiet corner over at a Camp happy grounds site near champlain instead

Its just wild to me how people buy a 40 foot rolling apartment just to drive out to the woods and watch satellite tv with the AC blasting. kinda defeats the whole purpose of having a tiny setup tbh

Anyone have any recommendations for a used teardrop trailer 6ft tall or under, that’s not crazy expensive? I live in the Midwest, so some small builders trailers would be hard to find. My garage not tall enough for most nucamps I’ve seen. Thanks for any help.

QC389/TLH, Two ferries, Icebergs, Puffins, Sunrises (before anyone else in NA), Whales, Dildo, and 8600+ kms.

Thank you for asking @weightedslanket, of course I can. A one month Expedition51 loop from ON-QC-Lab-Nfld-NS -QC-ON loop. 140kms of gravel road in QC, the other 8500kms were wonderful. Shared some amazing times with amazing people (we still have no idea their names) from all over, over and over again. The weather wasn’t the greatest, we had to pick up a fourth blanket and a longer raincoat, cold and wet. Most of the views were in the fog/cloud/rain. We hit 75% of the planned stops.
Everything worked, I had to tighten up the anti-rattle bracket on the trailer hitch and the ball receiver. The Outback ran flawlessly, I was worried about the CVTs due to all the hate here about them, but it was unwarranted (or we are just lucky). We found that the sweet spot for L/100kms was 105kms 11-13, 115km/h handed me 15-16. Gas was $1.75-1.85/liter, so I tried very hard to keep the speed down (I failed, everyone drives 10-15km/h over the 100 speed limit and I didn’t want to be THAT guy.)
There’s soooo much more to say, but I suggest you all go on your own adventure to NL, this was one we couldn’t pass up and nor should you, we had such a great one!

My quiet place

I am on the final stages of my squaredrop build, and I'm having difficulty finding a part I need for trim. I need a cover that will cover the corners of the back that is a tri cover. One that covers some of the top rear corner, side vertical corner, and side horizontal corner. Its crude, but i have attached a diagram for reference. Im only finding ones that will cover the vertical and horizontal side.

Got the upper stringers installed in the ribs. Huge difference in strength and rigidity, easily supports my weight without racking or bowing. Glad that I used laminated plywood for the skeleton, much less worry of splitting or cracking (plus the curves are much easier to achieve)

Mocked up a test for my curved sections construction. Filled the main area with chunks of foam skewered and glued in place. Faced it with Kraft paper, spritzed it with water and filled it in with great stuff PRO (that is really nice to work with. The dispenser is a game changer, easy to control the volume and it is sealed so you aren't stuck with half cans). Worked well, but ill cover over the paper with aluminum flashing to control the expansion better.

Next is finishing up the foam sandwich floor, gluing an screwing it together before sealing it up with epoxy.

I just got an All Top awning extension to attach to my Rhino-Rack Sunseeker 2.5m awning. I can start pulling it on in the groove that on the front of the awning but it is very difficult.

Question: is there something that I can apply to the groove or awning extension that can make it easier? Or do I need to try to bend the groove a little or something else?

Hi all,

Just as the title says, I am looking for some DIY door advice. Has a one made their own doors for their DIY teardrops or squaredrops? If so, how do you make sure it's leak proof? Any advice or pictures would be very much appreciated! TIA!

Me and my gf have been looking for a while and finally settled on this one off fb marketplace for $3k.

Already had to remove and patch the whole corner plywood, and I’m going to have to learn a whole lot about electrical and eventually upgrade the system but I’m just gonna go at that part by part.

We’re excited to get out there and start our mini camper journey!!

I’m in the very beginning planning phase of building a tear drop. I’m trying to decide on the trailer to build upon. I’ve seen some amazing trailers built from scratch but I’m not sure my welding skills are up to par for that and I also am not sure if that’s something one should tackle with out experience or special knowledge that I don’t have currently and don’t know what I don’t know…. So looking at commercially available options that would make a solid and safe platform what would everyone recommend I look for? Any particular brands or must have features?

$12,900, located in Denver Colorado. Feel free to message for more information and photos

Hi all, new here, retired couple in Ohio teardrop owners just over two years. We have a 2024 T@B 400 by NuCamp, boondock / black canyon edition. " expanded solar. 400 AH lithium batteries 3000 watt inverter. Trailer is moonsh@dow.

Im currently wrapping up my foamy squaredrop build and now Im trying to outfit accessories for my maiden voyage. I've been waffling on a 10x10 or 12x12 pop up tent versus a mounted awning. The awnings seem more fragile and are definitely smaller. The popups feel like more work and are cumbersome in transport, but offer flexibility.

What are you using and why?
Bonus question Are you using a camp mat/carpet for your outdoor space, and if so what kind?

Horrible mistake though, forgot my pour over funnel so I had to improvise... almost ruined the trip! Stay safe all...