How we assemble our teardrop bodies.

While we already have an older video showing this process, this is a much better and more up-to-date video showing our method for turning a stack of cut parts into the initial teardrop body. All wood parts are very high-end Baltic Birch with incredibly durable UV finish and cut to incredibly tight tolerances on our CNC machine. Our dado/glue/screw method of assembly makes for an incredibly strong and rigid body... Visit our website and other social media for more info...
www.oregontrailer.net
OregonTrailR
OregonTrailR

[@wishneusky]

I would add, from what you show in your videos, you fellas do a very good job with a tight annd rugged assembly when you're done.... and your attention to detail, fit and finish is to be well noted.

[@rwebb8070]

Looks awesome. I can't wait until our terradrop is ready for pick up and into the Canadian outdoors

[@OregonTrailR]

Yes! If I remember correctly, yours will be the first TerraDrop that lives full time in Canada!!!

[@MyVantasticLifeVoyage]

It’s like an IKEA bed on wheels! 😀

[@269adventures]

That was a good build, I didn't even see no asbestos 👍🏼

[@OregonTrailR]

Yeah we are definitely asbestos-free!

[@269adventures]

OregonTrailR they are nice trailers to, it's awesome you doing some thing you like and turned to make a living out of doing what you love. Awesome job 👏🏼

[@OregonTrailR]

Thanks Tarry, we appreciate the kind words. We are very fortunate to be able to make a living building these trailers!

[@ryszardtrunk3300]

Jest wspaniała !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@eduardomarchezinfernandes6170]

Parabéns ..... fantástico ..... Brasil

[@BagemRuStudio-Trailers]

Супер! Cool! Спасибо!!!!

[@RageRover69]

Just one "word": wow!

[@runtr8389]

fantastic

[@icantintyou]

is that floor 1 piece? ive never seen a 5x8 . just cusious. this is by far the best construction ive seen of any camper of this style. incredible work and detail,

[@OregonTrailR]

Tommy, yes it is a single piece, cut from a 5x10 sheet of marine grade baltic birch. These panels are pretty difficult and expensive to source, but the peace of mind of having zero joints in the floor is well worth it! Thanks for the kind words, that's exactly what we strive for!!!

[@robertcheung7399]

Will you guys be at the Overland expo in Ashville NC in Oct....?

[@desertlogic222]

Awesome craftsmanship! Any chance of seeing how you do the doors?

[@OregonTrailR]

I'm planning on doing a video on our custom door process, but it may be a few months before we get around to that whole process again... Stay tuned!

[@edsoncreative6038]

Exelente

[@voytek2099]

You are doing awesome job. Are you using butyl tape for anything?

[@JCUB21MTB]

Hi guys, impressive technique! Is the whole build half inch plywood or is it a mix of various thicknesses?

[@hawkdaddy64]

Do you CNC the slots for the components or do you have a jig for it?

[@OregonTrailR]

We used a jig for the first few trailers, but have been CNC'ing pretty much all plywood parts for the last 5 years... Fast, accurate, best possible material yield, and repeatable!

[@badbob8394]

Yaknow a kit like that would make a lot of sense?

[@OregonTrailR]

I see what you mean, but trust me, what you see here is the easy part. It can take us 3-6 months (depending on complexity) to complete a teardrop camper from start to finish (in groups of 6 or so), and what you see here is basically the end of the first week of that 3-6 month process. What sets our teardrops apart from most is the seamlessness and clean lines, no interruption in edge moldings, etc, and to do that level of work takes an above-average skillset and tooling. It simply can't be done in a typical garage with homeowner grade tools. I'm not trying to disparage the DIY community (because that's how I started building these 10 years ago, in my backyard with a drill and a jigsaw), I'm just saying that without a cabinetmaker's skillset and the tools to match, our trailers as shown here wouldn't make a functional kit for your average DIY'er... If we ever get caught up with demand for these custom teardrops, we do have a design in the works for an easy-to-assemble kit, that we'd love to offer, but as it stands now, there's just not enough hours in the day for that to make sense pursuing.

[@BrassLock]

Give that chappy a pay rise - he's working his fingers to the bone!

[@OregonTrailR]

+dav snow Capital idea!!!!

[@johnnygoodguy4348]

a trailer that cost a couple grand to make but sell it for $20,000 i hope he gets paid a lot

[@davidalvaradovideo]

I'm just curious, do you only use insulation on the roof? I don't see anything on the sides or the floor. Do you us regular plywood on the floor or is it something else.. looks like its coated or something.. just curious, I'm in Idaho so it does get a bit cooler in the fall at times than Oregon.. good stuff guys.

[@OregonTrailR]

Thanks David. Yes we only use insulation in the roof, but it is very high grade (1.5" R10 rigid panel, dual radiant barrier). Our roof structure is similar to a torsion box, with two 3mm baltic birch panels glued to the tops and bottoms of hardwood framing, leaving a 1.5" cavity for insulation. To achieve the durability, stiffness, and shear strength we want in our sidewalls (and floor), we use seamless marine grade 18mm 13ply Baltic Birch plywood, UV coated with a bartop-durable finish. Since our partitions/cabinetry/bulkheads attach to the sidewalls via a 3/8" depth dado joint (glued and screwed), we need that 3/4" wall thickness. We could obviously laminate our own sidewalls with 3mm or 6mm panels, leaving a 1/2"-3/4" cavity for insulation in key areas, but given the cabinetry-style construction methods we use, and our extra large doors/windows, there would be very little insulation anyway, and thus not much R-value gained. Most 1/2" to 3/4" rigid insulation panels can only get you an R-value of 1-3 or so, and the Baltic Birch on it's own has an R value of 1.5, and much better heat-holding potential, so their is a bit of a trade-off. It's such a small volume inside the cabin of a teardrop, that even with un-insulated walls, the body heat alone from 2 people can heat it up very quickly to a comfortable level on sub-freezing temperature nights. Then again, comfort is totally subjective. For people who are sensitive to very cold weather, we do offer a propex LP furnace option that can heat the cabin up from 30 degrees to 75 in a matter of minutes. Hope this answered your question!

[@davidalvaradovideo]

Thank you for sharing, thats a very different approach but I like the clean results you get. makes sense now

[@davidalvaradovideo]

I'm curious.. I've watched a few of your build videos and I'm trying to figure out how you attach one of these to your frames?... Do you bolt floor or sides to your trailer frames. I did see a nice pic of your trailer frames on your site I'm guessing they are custom. I notice on the bottom of this build you have a sort of frame underneath the teardrop that I'm guessing sits over your trailer frame.

[@OregonTrailR]

David, we build the bodies and chassis totally separate from each other, and bolt them together nearer to the end of the build. It's important to be able to detach one from the other in case one sustains some kind of damage and needs replacement. Our chassis are 100% custom built for our teardrops, and we build our bodies in a way that they have a "socket" underneath in which the chassis sits, which is why you don't see the majority of the chassis unless you look underneath. Lends to a lower profile stance, and a much cleaner look, in our opinion. All of those bodies in the video are currently sitting on carts that are only in use until the bodies get bolted to the chassis.

[@davidalvaradovideo]

Pretty cool build process, I do see a lot of your cabinet making applied to this. So do you bolt the floor of the bodies to the frame or the sides?

[@brotherdave8978]

I want one to pull behind my motorcycle

[@victorg6546]

Hi guys, I love your videos. I had a quick question though. It looks like you guys are using 3/4 inch sides, is that correct? I was wondering how much you have your cnc cut down. And then do you have any problems attaching the whole thing to the trailer? Or is the bottom lip that you use carved out to fit too? I just imagine that it would come out 1/2 too short!

[@victorg6546]

And I guess a follow up, do you use an additional layer under the base that is attached to the trailer already?

[@jolidesign1130]

Hi indeed a awesome build. I’m also interested to know the thickness of your marine great playwood

[@wishneusky]

The "slab" style of construction (dado cuts in plywood panels) lends itself to rapid assembly and a rigid structure when you're done. I do have a question though. If I ever get around to assembling a teardrop I'd probably opt for a stick built style using 1" or 1 1/4" think framing and laying thinner sheets of ply up onto the "skeleton" as opposed to the method you've adopted. From a finished assembly weight standpoint, I wonder which construction style results in a lighter body. I see you do something similar on your roof construction, but it appears a lot folks do that for both space to house semi-rigid insulation and for wire routing throughout the teardrop body. Again, I wonder if "stick built" sidewalls might result in a lighter overall assembly.... and accommodate insulation in the side walls as well. You do sacrifice a couple inches of interior width in the bargain.

[@alexdobrescu9772]

I'm planning to build a trailer like this. I'm based in Romania. Can you please provide me the measurements of the trailer ? Regards!

[@OregonTrailR]

Sorry I missed this earlier. Our basic teardrop's dimensions are 60" x 48" x 96"

[@tenspeedtears]

Guys, this build process is absolutely awesome. It's streamlined,lean and efficient. I had a curious question and it might cross the line of "trade secrets" so please don't feel obligated to answer because I would not be offended in any way if you said it could not be revealed...but what the heck type of construction adhesive are you guys using in the caulk gun? I have done nothing but fight with construction adhesives. Ok I'll admit that for me it could be user error...hahaha Anyway thanks for showing your process! It's really killer!!

[@OregonTrailR]

+Richard Heishman Check your FB message inbox.

[@clickbangboom87]

OregonTrailR I'd also love to know what kind of adhesive y'all use! Thank you!

[@OregonTrailR]

Logan, the stuff you see in the caulking gun in this video is loctite 2in1. It is an elastomeric adhesive sealant that glues just about anything to anything else as long as one surface is porous. We like this adhesive for this purpose rather than a yellow wood glue because it isn't vibration-sensitive and has some flexibility in all kinds of weather. If you can't find it, look for "Big Stretch Clear" which is essentially the same product. Good luck!

[@artenamadeiracnc4949]

Quero aprender e fabricar aqui no Brasil. Me contrata aí por uns seis meses, mão de obra de graça e só convidar...

[@Sfidatorul]

This is my teardrop? :)

[@jlions72]

+George Sandu Not one of the others in the back ground ...But ..... this one...?......lol...

[@mm93mustwin13]

Do you make small enough teardrops able to be pulled by motorcycle

[@OregonTrailR]

Our base model DoDrop is just a touch over 500lbs, and can have brakes added. Some larger motorcycles could pull it I'm sure...

[@mm93mustwin13]

@@OregonTrailR could you send me information on that model thank you

[@OregonTrailR]

Chris Chapman Here ya go! www.oregontrailer.net/do-drop.html

[@daniellamontagne5475]

Canada livraison

[@albaddal]

We can know the dimensions, length, width and height. From the inside

[@genegene3348]

Offer a diy kit

[@chuckclark9464]

Slowdown you're making me dizzy LOL

[@foridlehands44]

All I can think is "assembly line". Why aren't you guys applying production techniques developed over a hundred years ago?

[@OregonTrailR]

Have you ever worked on an assembly line? I have, It's miserable. Doing the same exact movements over and over all day, every day, is an awful existence, is unhealthy, and I want no part of it. Good for profit? Sure! Good for moral? Hell no. Good for quality control? Not in this industry. The RV industry has an abysmal reputation for quality control, and 99/100 campers built in this country are built on an assembly line to be shoved out the door as quickly as possible. Oregon Trail'R is a strong crew of 3 craftsmen who enjoy seeing the process start through finish. Not a single thing gets done on one of our campers without all three of us being intimately involved and checking each others work, and because of that we have a stellar reputation for quality control and craftsmanship. Not so much for speed, but again, we are perfectly happy with our pace. It is not our goal to build more trailers than anyone else, our goal is to build a far better trailer than anyone else while enjoying the process. And we are doing a bang up job at it.