Building the Raindrop Trailer

[Sir Henry]

When I picked up the trailer I also got a tour of the factory. They have thirteen employees and build six and a half trailers a month. I had pictured it as them only building six at a time but instead it is a regular production line and when I was there they have about twenty somewhere in the line being built.

This machine is their pride and joy. Before they bought this they were hand cutting everything and being off just a sixteenth of an inch made putting it together a bear. The plywood is being held in place by a 30 hp vacuum and the machine can be programmed to do about any cut they want. It can even change bits and blades by itself. Each sheet does have to be hand loaded but after that they can walk away and in an hour return.

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This is the inside of a cut wall.

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Here the owner Cary is holding up a side. We are looking at the outside of the wall.

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It almost looks like a giant circuit board. The wires will run through the channels and will be covered with the aluminum skin.

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Next they put enough together to advance it to the next stage. This doesn't take long and this is the only bay they assembly to this point. If you look in the distance beyond the last row you can see mine.

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Another view.

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[Sir Henry]

This is the next sage and they have six trailers side by side . Here they put the axles on and do the wiring and plumbing.

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Other trailers in the same stage although at different points in that stage.

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More pictures in the same stage.

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Notice the wheel chair. One man goes from trailer to trailer in the same stage doing ground work under the trailer. He is not in the chair because he is working under one of the trailers. I believe he is the only one not only working all six trailers in a stage but also works all three stages.

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This is the next stage and they are starting to do the final work and testing.

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[Sir Henry]

The 500th unit. Mine is numbered 931. They tried this kind of siding but never sold any like it. It was too expensive and no one ordered any.

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Unit number 1.

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This trailer is number 37 and the owner returned it to be rebuilt.

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[BigAl52]

Looks really neat Gene thanks for the tour. Did the guy that returned his to be rebuilt have issues with his or did he just want it updated?

[JEBar]

interesting assembly line sequence ..... considerably different than others I have seen .... how about a picture of the kitchen area

[Sir Henry]

interesting assembly line sequence ..... considerably different than others I have seen .... how about a picture of the kitchen area

I'm going to start another thread on my trailer in the next few days and will include a galley picture there.

[North Country Gal]

Wonderful tour. I like that small shop kind of production. Gives a sense of quality and people who care about what they produce. I think we need to have a lot more of that kind of manufacturing in this country.

[Sir Henry]

Wonderful tour. I like that small shop kind of production. Gives a sense of quality and people who care about what they produce. I think we need to have a lot more of that kind of manufacturing in this country.

My old teardrop was made in a small shop and it was very low quality materials and workmanship. I talked to Cary about it and he was familiar with them. He said they were entry level trailers and only designed to last four years. I got ten out of mine.

The Camper-Inn is designed to last a lifetime much like an Airstream. Camper-Inns even get rebuilt like Airstreams. All materials and component are Marine quality not RV.

[dave77]

Looks to be very high quality. Would like to see a few more photos of the interior.

[Sir Henry]

Looks to be very high quality. Would like to see a few more photos of the interior.

To fully appreciate the camper pictures I need to wait for warmer weather and set it up outside. It has fold down tables and I can't do that in the garage.

[dave77]

Might be awhile then. Looks like it's a little warmer over there, we're supposed to get down to the lower teens the next few days over on this side of the Cascades. At least since I've retired I don't have to be at my old elementary school spreading sand and deicer around at 6AM.

[Sir Henry]

Might be awhile then. Looks like it's a little warmer over there, we're supposed to get down to the lower teens the next few days over on this side of the Cascades. At least since I've retired I don't have to be at my old elementary school spreading sand and deicer around at 6AM.

It got down in the teens last night but I suspect in a week we will be getting back into the 40's.

[ditto1958]

I’m really curious about the teardrop campers. I used to do a lot of tent camping a few years ago, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve strayed away from it. If I go back to camping, I don’t think it will be with a tent.

The teardrops seem to be very efficient, and good for pulling- don’t need a big ol’ truck. The one reservation I do have is that they seem to be very expensive for their size. Full-size campers with a kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom seem to cost the same, or even less.

[JEBar]

The one reservation I do have is that they seem to be very expensive for their size. Full-size campers with a kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom seem to cost the same, or even less.

the reality is, comparatively, the demand for teardrop size campers is pretty small .... consequently, most companies can't produce them in sufficient numbers to take advantage of volume price discounts .... as but one example, in the opening post in this thread, it was noted this company has, " thirteen employees and build six and a half trailers a month." .... for such a small production to pay the bills, they have to have a high profit margin on each unit sold .... they buy their parts in very small quantities which increases cost .... workers must be capable of carrying out many task which necessitates higher labor cost .... when it comes to building small campers, small companies have a tough road to go

[Sir Henry]

Teardrop trailers are just like anything else made -you can buy a cheap one or an expensive one. My first one cost $4,500, this one cost $35,000. But the first one just had a bed and nothing else. The new one has everything except a TV and it could have had that.

This link is a good read and includes links to most of the teardrop manufacturers today.
http://campingearth.com/blog/teardrop-campers/

[Sir Henry]

I’m really curious about the teardrop campers. I used to do a lot of tent camping a few years ago, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve strayed away from it. If I go back to camping, I don’t think it will be with a tent.

The teardrops seem to be very efficient, and good for pulling- don’t need a big ol’ truck. The one reservation I do have is that they seem to be very expensive for their size. Full-size campers with a kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom seem to cost the same, or even less.

Most full-size campers or trailers are made to RV standards and are considered to have a life of four to ten years. After that they need work on the seams and the thin plywood starts to come apart. Electrical and plumping starts breaking and items need to be replaced.

If a pickup camper was made to marine standards they would cost much more.

Airstream trailers are one exception and they are designed to last a lifetime. They are made to marine standards which is designed to be in wet places and always in the sun. Dampness and sunlight are the enemies of trailers and campers. A camper left outside in the open in Seattle will be toast in ten years even if it was never used.

Camp-Inn trailers were at one time the most expensive teardrop you could buy. But now others have upped their game and compete with them.

You can still get a teardrop for the price of an equal camper.

[Squatch]

Thanks for the post and tour.

You are correct that most RV's are basically stapled together out of inferior materials.

Some Truck campers are built to a higher standard. My FourWheelCamper and All Terrain Campers are. They have aluminum frames and are designed for offroading. They use marine grade electrical components and such.

I hope you get much use out of your new camper. I like basic no frills campers. My pop up truck camper has made a big difference in my retirement. With the solar system keeping the battery charged the fridge stays loaded and cold for months on end. Just throw some clothes in the truck and head out. The furnace makes it easy to camp more in the off season and we run to local spots often that I would not get close to in the summer. We use it frequently. Camp set up takes minutes.