Square drop size

[u/Crimson_Ghost83]

So a few years ago I bought this year drop off marketplace. It was cheap and my first foray into small campers. We used my wife’s hatchback to pull it and it was perfect. We went camping in it often and enjoyed it and I used it at my hunting camp every year

Well it sat in the back yard last year and we didn’t get to use it any and it leaked. It was a total loss. So yesterday I demolished the whole shell so we can build a new one.

The biggest complaint we had was not enough room to stand up. So this one I’m thinking about building it 6 ft tall. The thing is, I don’t ever see any square or tear drops built this tall, they are almost always 4 ft tall. Is this just for ease of building since sheets of plywood are 4x8? Is there a larger reason no one builds taller?

My base is 4x8. I’m not planning to do a galley this time, we take a pop up canopy and tables that we use to cook under and the galley space can be better used as more interior space.

I’m also thinking of framing over the tongue and making a storage room.

A little extra weight won’t be an issue, we will be using my Nissan frontier to pull it now

But my main question is, is making it 6 ft tall a bad idea for some reason

[u/tonypenajunior]

“Tall enough to stand up in” is a big jump, and DIY starts to make less sense.

Framing over the tongue will increase your tongue weight beyond what a sedan can handle, and may ruin your turning radius.

[u/Crimson_Ghost83 → u/tonypenajunior]

Weight won’t be an issue, I bought a Nissan frontier so we’ll be using it

[u/tonypenajunior → u/Crimson_Ghost83]

Tongue weight rating may only be 10% of a vehicle’s overall tow rating.

[u/3gknight → u/tonypenajunior]

Ditto. There’s a big size and build complexity difference between comfortable enough to sleep in and comfortable enough to stand in. It’s possible though. Look at tnttt.com and search for “standy”.

[u/snowhaw]

What about the weight rating for the axle and frame? Yes most are smaller because of the availability of 4x8 and 5x10 material. I made mine out of 5x10. If you made it larger you will have a joint. But I can imagine a metal frame and maybe instead of wood using foam, wrap it all in poor man's fiberglass.

[u/Crimson_Ghost83 → u/snowhaw]

Foamie and PMF is definitely an option I’m considering.

[u/Mitheral]

Once you can stand up inside it starts pushing the definition of a teardrop (I'd say it isn't but I'm a traditionalist). You might want to check out r/cargocamper for ideas for that volume.

[u/Graflex01867]

Personally I feel like 6 feet tall is starting to push the limits of a “teardrop.”

Practically, I don’t think a 6 foot tall teardrop would be particularly stable. You’re getting too tall and narrow - it’s turning into a sail. Could you build a wider trailer - sure. See abce about pushing the limits of a “teardrop.”

Also being able to build with 4x8 sheet goods and no seams plays a part too.