This thing looks gorgeous and super practical! I see you went with a totally different approach than the common fibreglass design. You've summarized a whole build into a short video where others would have made a whole series out of. Having said that, if there was a detailed series on how to build this, I probably would have watched it! Great job and hope you have many great adventures with the trailer!
Good day to you! I am a grandpa rider on HONDA motorcycle from Japan. Enjoying camping ,touring and upload video. Your mini camper video is so nice! Awesome! Full supported ! Have a nice day my friend!
Hi Elvis, Great Job, I am about to head in the same direction with a square drop build and found great information about products and build ideas, Many Thanks
Mate, brilliant build and turned out awesome. A few questions and thoughts: 1. Why did you choose a wooden frame for the cabin vs say using RHS or square steel tube? I am debating this point right now and interested in your views and experience. 2. Double ply walls - understand you needed the structural integrity, but did you consider a laminated or hollow core approach using thinner ply on the outer (8-12mm), then borders/bracing for the insulation layer, then another thinner play or faced laminate on the inner layer? Not saying you did it wrong, but I saw a lot of wastage and effort in cutting out your inner ply. 3. Did you consider the aluminium composite sheeting rather than plywood for the walls? 4. I love the shelfing layout - I will likely steal your ideas :) 5. How did you get front - rear balance? This has to be one of the best camper build videos out there, really good you focussed on how you built it and not showing off what you built.
Amazing build and info. I'd like to do something similar and live in Vic , this is so relevant to me. I have an old 1970 coleman poptop I'm thinking of converting as it's not enjoyable setting up and packing down. You've given me a lot of inspiration. Thank you!
This is one of the best looking and practical home built campers I have seen yet. I would definitely use this video as something to design a light weight camper. The outside looks so professionally built, you would never know it was not store bought. Great job!
What an amazing build!! The details and finish work really made the square drop. Simplicity was also a major feature that so many other manufacturers fail to accomplish or see as a necessity. Again, I’m really impressed, thanks for taking the time to show the building ideas. This is Alan, greetings from Riverside in Southern California.
Only just found your videos. Looking to build something very similar. Is great seeing your learning from your build and the details you go into. Thanks heaps
great job Elvis, I plan on building a slide on camper for my 6 X 4 trailer, wanting to go prospecting 2 or 3 days at a time. I am in Melbourne, Happy travel's. Shayne.
This is really good self build explanation. So helpful and informative without waffling on to much. All the key points I've wanted to know about a self build. Even down to a little mini model example😆😆 The Man!! Thankyou, Thankyou
Wow Elvis, I have seen heaps of these DIY Squaredrop, / Teardrop campers, and I have to say this is one the BEST I've seen, - great job mate, I am slowly in the process of making mine, but I don't think I will have the patience or knowhow, to do anything like yours, it is a very nice rig indeed, and your commentry and explanation of the build was very informative, and quite helpful, - I am also from Melbourne Victoria, so this fact gives me great inspiration to get mine finished. Thank you
Much appreciated. I think I should put up an updated short video with additional practicality improvements. For example we learned that you want to have as much working space on the kitchen bench, so I've ended up installing powered fridge inside the toolbox. Things like portable table and chairs, we now just keep inside the sleeping compartment, because these you always take out and setup when you get to a spot, so better to leave toolbox for the fridge which you then don't have to pull out for the entire camping trip. I've also installed the stove under the bench where you can just open the lid if you need to use the stove, or close if you want more working space. So far we have been really happy with practicality side of things.
Sweet build man you really thought of everything. Always love learning simple stuff I should know but wouldn't think of like overlapping the top metal with the bottom to obviously keep water out. A lot of attention to detail and great use of the space you got, I like the hand made paper towel holder.
Grandeeee!!!!! Bravissimo Plus, the total cost is 5k AUD which is less than 3k EUR for a caravan that worths at least 10k EUR! Great, congrats for the design and mostly for the very accurate handacrafting! Ciao
Fantastic build, great explanation, and the video editing was perfect! The build is $3400 USD, which is 1/4 of what a similar trailer costs in the US, and built to a much higher quality. I think that trailer could probably easily go through some serious mountain trails with how well you built it. I hope ya'll have some great times ahead!
Fantastic. Stay tuned, I'm just in the process of making a video listing all my mistakes and how I'd do things differently. I'm hoping it will help people not make the same mistakes I did.
This video is an amazingly inspiring gift to many people. Congratulations and thank you, Elvis! 👏 Sorry to ask, but could you summarize the approximate quantities/lengths for materials in a list? If not, maybe somebody else that is just building it? 😅 If there is some European builder here, which replacement material (brands, names, measurements) did you use?
Very nice. Good job. It would be nice if you could put the links in the description of the parts and where did you purchase it, or the specks so we can find them in the US. Thanks for sharing
Great job! Thank you for sharing. You certainly attained your goals, looks professionally made. Building my second one now, first was teardrop and now doing a square drop "overland" style. Agree, it was challenging, but loved the build process and learning along the way. Cheers from Canada.
Thank you. And that's awesome. I'm really interested in building another one using 30mm composite for the shell, as it's apparently equally strong and heaps lighter. Weight would be my main objective for the next build for sure. I liked your teardrop build... it's really nice. Good luck with next one
Excellent job mate, it looks fantastic. Love this shape its almost identical to mine- im leaving early in the morning to drive to QLD and pick it up, so excited!!!
Awesome job, you must be very proud being able to camp in a great camper (project) you built yourself, some great ideas as well, eg the fold down seat 👍
Very practical, relatively light build. You give up some weight with a good, steel chassis. They make lighter, aluminum chassis. For me, that little extra weight was not significant, because it's still very small and light behind my pickup. I know it's back there. It definitely affects my gas mileage and acceleration, but it's still small enough that I can keep up with traffic and not be resigned to the slow lane and/or be a traffic hazard on mountain highways. If I were building my own, it'd be a square-drop where the back door is the entire back wall, and it's hinged at the top AND the bottom, so it can work as a ramp or weather protection, as needed. Just have it latch good and tight with side latches, and use a hinge pin (or pins) to decide which way it'll open. Run the pin through the top hinge, it's a back porch. Pull the pin and run it through the bottom hinge, and it's a ramp. Make it the absolute smallest toy hauler that's practical. I don't have any toys, but I would like that option. But all the toy-haulers out there are man-height. But I really like the highway and off-road performance of a good teardrop or square-drop mini-camper, and I think there's middle ground, there, for somebody with smaller toys, like 80-cc dirt bikes or snowdog snow machines. Nothing high-powered, but still mechanized, to extend your range from base camp. Toys you can take with, without making a production out of it.
After I included all the extras (stabiliser legs, roof racks, solar panel, brake system, toolbox etc... (and mind you I haven't used the lightest materials either), it's around 900kg. It's on a little heavier side, but it's rock solid... very strong. If I build one in the future, I' probably try use composite panels or something like that.
Hi Elvis, thanks for taking the time to produce this video. I really appreciated the way you split the build into the 3 phases. Your step by step process showed how straight forward the build could be. I reckon I will watch this video many times to make sure I understand your build process, because the finished product is very impressive. I am sure you invested many hours into the build, it would be interesting to understand how many man hours you have invested. Thanks again for making the video.
Thanks Tony for your detailed feedback. This is a quite difficult question to answer precisely, but I can give you some indication. I've built the frame in under two weeks during my holidays (working mon-fri). However I then had to spend time fiddling with bad bearings and tyres from an old trailer (if i didn't do that i'd save quite a bit time there). I completed the phase two within next 6 months working part time (after work and some weekends)... and then the next couple months I built the accessories (again just working after hours/weekends). It's quite hard to accuratelly timebox it though. I was pretty dedicated with the build during the 6 months, but it wasn't all of my spare time either as you need to rest as well and family and other commitments. During the whole build I had to make numerous unnecessary trips to far shops (which I could have avoided if i had more experience and better planning)... so all in all, I have wasted some time on the build too. So yeh, hope that gives you some indication... Good luck with your project.
Looks great mate, like a factory build one! Perhaps some upgrades you could think about are using eye to eye leaf springs and beefed up front spring mount, allong with getting the same hub and wheels to your car so you can share spares.
Great suggestions. I thought about eye-to-eye but will leave that for the next trailer, as I'd have to pull apart existing hangers and weld new etc etc (and I'm a bit over it at this point). But I am just installing a new spring based pivot coupling with brakes at the moment. Wheel matching is great when you know you will keep the car for a while, but problem is when you replace your car then you are in a pickle again.
Thanks heaps. Yes, i used 4x8, But i had to extend them... i added another four inches to the top, and maybe 1 foot to the rear. I just glued the extended sections on, and then added that second layer of plywood underneath to hold it all together.
Man if you weren't showing build footage, I would have never believed it wasn't a factory camper. Amazing work!
Thank you kindly
You are not a DIY builder. You are a professional builder without a company. Fantastic.
Thank you so much.
This thing looks gorgeous and super practical! I see you went with a totally different approach than the common fibreglass design. You've summarized a whole build into a short video where others would have made a whole series out of. Having said that, if there was a detailed series on how to build this, I probably would have watched it! Great job and hope you have many great adventures with the trailer!
Good job and this is the best video I have seen in RUclips about all details many tanks from Algeria 🇩🇿
Wow, thank you so much my friend. I really appreciate your comments.
Thank you for sharing us your DIY Squaredrop Camper FULL BUILD Walkthrough ! From Washington DC.
Seriously well done! Easily one of the best I've ever seen.
Thanks so much
Great build. Looks professionally done
That was awesome. Really well done . Hope you have had many trips with it .
you just cant beat the outdoors can you , I just love watching this type of video to inspire me . by the way I love your name Elvis
Thank you.
That woodwork looks really very good. Better than a commercial trailer. Adds weight of course but it must make using it very enjoyable.
Good day to you!
I am a grandpa rider on HONDA motorcycle from Japan.
Enjoying camping ,touring and upload video.
Your mini camper video is so nice!
Awesome!
Full supported !
Have a nice day my friend!
Thank you very much for your kind message. Greetings from Melbourne.
Hi Elvis,
Great Job, I am about to head in the same direction with a square drop build and found great information about products and build ideas,
Many Thanks
Thank you and good luck. Stay tuned, I'm planing to put together a video of all the mistakes (what not to do) and similar soon
Mate, brilliant build and turned out awesome. A few questions and thoughts:
1. Why did you choose a wooden frame for the cabin vs say using RHS or square steel tube? I am debating this point right now and interested in your views and experience.
2. Double ply walls - understand you needed the structural integrity, but did you consider a laminated or hollow core approach using thinner ply on the outer (8-12mm), then borders/bracing for the insulation layer, then another thinner play or faced laminate on the inner layer? Not saying you did it wrong, but I saw a lot of wastage and effort in cutting out your inner ply.
3. Did you consider the aluminium composite sheeting rather than plywood for the walls?
4. I love the shelfing layout - I will likely steal your ideas :)
5. How did you get front - rear balance?
This has to be one of the best camper build videos out there, really good you focussed on how you built it and not showing off what you built.
Mate! You're the king. Everything about this video was incredible. Congratulations
Thank you so much. Really appreciate your comments Jim.
Vicrtoria "the education state" well that explains it that you did such a great job in telling how you built your teardrop. Nice!
one of the best diy teadrop videos i have watched on yt (belive me i have watched a lots of them) 👌👌
What a beautiful well thought out camper. Congrats. I hope you are enjoying it.
Just saw your collection of vids related to ur tear drop , great build mate , inspired to build similar . Thanks ,
Amazing build and info. I'd like to do something similar and live in Vic , this is so relevant to me. I have an old 1970 coleman poptop I'm thinking of converting as it's not enjoyable setting up and packing down. You've given me a lot of inspiration. Thank you!
This is one of the best looking and practical home built campers I have seen yet. I would definitely use this video as something to design a light weight camper. The outside looks so professionally built, you would never know it was not store bought. Great job!
Much appreciated
Mate that thing is bloody excellent. You are very highly skilled. Hi from Brisbane!
Thank you so much.
Chilled, Damn!!! That is BAD ASS!!! Well Done!!!
Thank you
It's a very nice video.
Now I'm making a camping trailer like you.
A transformative camping trailer
FROM JAPAN
What an amazing build!! The details and finish work really made the square drop. Simplicity was also a major feature that so many other manufacturers fail to accomplish or see as a necessity.
Again, I’m really impressed, thanks for taking the time to show the building ideas.
This is Alan, greetings from Riverside in Southern California.
Hi Alan. Thank you so much for you awesome message.
Looks fantastic, thanks for the detailed explanation.
Only just found your videos. Looking to build something very similar. Is great seeing your learning from your build and the details you go into. Thanks heaps
Easily the best video I’ve seen so far 👍
Thank you so much
great job Elvis, I plan on building a slide on camper for my 6 X 4 trailer, wanting to go prospecting 2 or 3 days at a time.
I am in Melbourne, Happy travel's. Shayne.
Good job. The graphics make it look very professional!
Thank you.
This is really good self build explanation. So helpful and informative without waffling on to much. All the key points I've wanted to know about a self build. Even down to a little mini model example😆😆
The Man!!
Thankyou, Thankyou
Thanks for your awesome feedback.
It's absolutely gorgeous! Looks like it rolled out of a factory, but built better.👍😎
Wow Elvis, I have seen heaps of these DIY Squaredrop, / Teardrop campers, and I have to say this is one the BEST I've seen, - great job mate, I am slowly in the process of making mine, but I don't think I will have the patience or knowhow, to do anything like yours, it is a very nice rig indeed, and your commentry and explanation of the build was very informative, and quite helpful, - I am also from Melbourne Victoria, so this fact gives me great inspiration to get mine finished.
Thank you
Brad I really appreciate your feedback. It's fantastic that you are building one too. I wish you all the best with the build.
Amazing!
Beautiful job.
Congratulations Elvis , this is the most practical camper I've looked at . Great video and awesome outcome . Thanks mate .
Much appreciated. I think I should put up an updated short video with additional practicality improvements. For example we learned that you want to have as much working space on the kitchen bench, so I've ended up installing powered fridge inside the toolbox. Things like portable table and chairs, we now just keep inside the sleeping compartment, because these you always take out and setup when you get to a spot, so better to leave toolbox for the fridge which you then don't have to pull out for the entire camping trip. I've also installed the stove under the bench where you can just open the lid if you need to use the stove, or close if you want more working space. So far we have been really happy with practicality side of things.
Great video very informative! I'm sure it achieves all of your criteria. Cheers Steve
Well done. Thanks for sharing
Wow. Great job. The decals makes it look like you bought one that is professionally manufactured.
Thank you
That camper looks fantastic. Awesome job 👍
great work 👌🏼👍🏼😍
Looks very cool.
Wow. Looks great 👍
Nice build, I am thinking of doing a similar project with my son. Cheers 🍻
Your accent trips me out some sounds like Australian, Russian and West Indian. Good job on the square drop
Hahaha, It trips me out too.
Very nice build!
Best looking DIY I've seen , Awesome Job!
Thanks so much
Great build and great video. I think you’ve inspired my next project
Looks professional, Well Done. Lots of little hints. I’m in Melb also & considering such a project
Sweet build man you really thought of everything. Always love learning simple stuff I should know but wouldn't think of like overlapping the top metal with the bottom to obviously keep water out. A lot of attention to detail and great use of the space you got, I like the hand made paper towel holder.
Much appreciated.
Grandeeee!!!!!
Bravissimo
Plus, the total cost is 5k AUD which is less than 3k EUR for a caravan that worths at least 10k EUR!
Great, congrats for the design and mostly for the very accurate handacrafting!
Ciao
Hi mate amazing build , attemting to build one of these . Your video is my ispiration. Good luck
International Interior guidelines for pillows. Glad you did your research 🤣🤣🤣
I thought no one noticed my sarcasm there...
@@ChilledBeans I went back to waych again, to make sure you said that🤣
Well done. That’s a good looking build.
Much appreciated
Ausgezeichnet! You could make rear door open further so you could stand while cooking. Well done.
Great build and great videos. Excellent work. Well done!
Much appreciated.
Great video. I’m about to embark on this journey
Beautiful construction
Brilliant video, thank you! The trailer looks awesome and not hand made. Have loads of fun with it, happy camping!
Thanks heaps for this - things to think about while we are doing our 'square drop mini camper build'
Fantastic build, great explanation, and the video editing was perfect! The build is $3400 USD, which is 1/4 of what a similar trailer costs in the US, and built to a much higher quality. I think that trailer could probably easily go through some serious mountain trails with how well you built it. I hope ya'll have some great times ahead!
Great job Elvis enjoyed the video. It looks so professional , it looks like you bought.
Thank you so much.
Very impressive work and a beautiful build.
I am finishing a van conversion and I appreciate your thoughts and labor..Definitely a thumbs up 👍🏽
Thank you so much. Yes, it was lots of work, but it's very enjoyable and rewarding. Van conversion sounds awesome too. All the best with it.
Great video, very well explained, just one question I couldn't find the answer to - what was the final weight?
It's ~900kg,.
time for a proper fridge, nice build
Thanks. Couldn't agree more.
Very nice work Elvis. It's a very professional looking build.
Great Build ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well Explained Also. 🏴
Looks better build than anything on utube so far, iv seen cheaper and more expensive and this seems something in between.
Thank you so much.
Very nice build. Good job.
Amazing job mate well done 🍻👍
One of the best teardrop builds I have seen. Great job. I wish you lived in the US, I would ask you to help me build one.
Thank you so much my friend
Very impressive! Thanks!
Nice work!👏👏
Nice job mate.
Excellent job!!
Very very very nice my friend. Thanks
Im planning my own now!
Fantastic. Stay tuned, I'm just in the process of making a video listing all my mistakes and how I'd do things differently. I'm hoping it will help people not make the same mistakes I did.
Great report, nice work, I enjoyed watching it a lot and useful information, thank you
Fantastic, it's my pleasure.
Great video!! Nice details and thanks for sharing
Awesome video! You went through the same thoughts that I did! Its a great inspritaion and I will start my own build this year!
This video is an amazingly inspiring gift to many people. Congratulations and thank you, Elvis! 👏
Sorry to ask, but could you summarize the approximate quantities/lengths for materials in a list? If not, maybe somebody else that is just building it? 😅
If there is some European builder here, which replacement material (brands, names, measurements) did you use?
Witam
Super przyczepa perfekcyjnie wykonana 💪👊👍.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie ✌️.
Aloha lads congratulations awesome job thank you for the how to do
Amazing i love it pay no rent
Very nice. Good job. It would be nice if you could put the links in the description of the parts and where did you purchase it, or the specks so we can find them in the US. Thanks for sharing
Thanks. All the product links are in the video description.
Great job! Thank you for sharing. You certainly attained your goals, looks professionally made. Building my second one now, first was teardrop and now doing a square drop "overland" style. Agree, it was challenging, but loved the build process and learning along the way. Cheers from Canada.
Thank you. And that's awesome. I'm really interested in building another one using 30mm composite for the shell, as it's apparently equally strong and heaps lighter. Weight would be my main objective for the next build for sure. I liked your teardrop build... it's really nice. Good luck with next one
Awesome job 👌 nice little unit, looking to build something similar !
Excellent job mate, it looks fantastic. Love this shape its almost identical to mine- im leaving early in the morning to drive to QLD and pick it up, so excited!!!
Thank you. Wow, that's awesome. That's going to be such and exciting trip. Where did you buy your one from?
Superb thanks
Well done!
Awesome job, you must be very proud being able to camp in a great camper (project) you built yourself, some great ideas as well, eg the fold down seat 👍
Nice build man!
very nice job bud 👍👍
Very practical, relatively light build. You give up some weight with a good, steel chassis. They make lighter, aluminum chassis. For me, that little extra weight was not significant, because it's still very small and light behind my pickup. I know it's back there. It definitely affects my gas mileage and acceleration, but it's still small enough that I can keep up with traffic and not be resigned to the slow lane and/or be a traffic hazard on mountain highways.
If I were building my own, it'd be a square-drop where the back door is the entire back wall, and it's hinged at the top AND the bottom, so it can work as a ramp or weather protection, as needed. Just have it latch good and tight with side latches, and use a hinge pin (or pins) to decide which way it'll open. Run the pin through the top hinge, it's a back porch. Pull the pin and run it through the bottom hinge, and it's a ramp. Make it the absolute smallest toy hauler that's practical.
I don't have any toys, but I would like that option. But all the toy-haulers out there are man-height. But I really like the highway and off-road performance of a good teardrop or square-drop mini-camper, and I think there's middle ground, there, for somebody with smaller toys, like 80-cc dirt bikes or snowdog snow machines. Nothing high-powered, but still mechanized, to extend your range from base camp. Toys you can take with, without making a production out of it.
Nice job! Great summary. How did the Tare weight turn out?
After I included all the extras (stabiliser legs, roof racks, solar panel, brake system, toolbox etc... (and mind you I haven't used the lightest materials either), it's around 900kg. It's on a little heavier side, but it's rock solid... very strong. If I build one in the future, I' probably try use composite panels or something like that.
Hi Elvis, thanks for taking the time to produce this video. I really appreciated the way you split the build into the 3 phases. Your step by step process showed how straight forward the build could be. I reckon I will watch this video many times to make sure I understand your build process, because the finished product is very impressive. I am sure you invested many hours into the build, it would be interesting to understand how many man hours you have invested. Thanks again for making the video.
Thanks Tony for your detailed feedback. This is a quite difficult question to answer precisely, but I can give you some indication. I've built the frame in under two weeks during my holidays (working mon-fri). However I then had to spend time fiddling with bad bearings and tyres from an old trailer (if i didn't do that i'd save quite a bit time there). I completed the phase two within next 6 months working part time (after work and some weekends)... and then the next couple months I built the accessories (again just working after hours/weekends). It's quite hard to accuratelly timebox it though. I was pretty dedicated with the build during the 6 months, but it wasn't all of my spare time either as you need to rest as well and family and other commitments. During the whole build I had to make numerous unnecessary trips to far shops (which I could have avoided if i had more experience and better planning)... so all in all, I have wasted some time on the build too. So yeh, hope that gives you some indication... Good luck with your project.
What a beautiful camper you have there. Great job building and putting it together. How much does it weigh?
920kg tare weight
Great job, very nice work.
Fantastic build 🙌
Impressive build man!!!
Thanks.
Looks great mate, like a factory build one! Perhaps some upgrades you could think about are using eye to eye leaf springs and beefed up front spring mount, allong with getting the same hub and wheels to your car so you can share spares.
Great suggestions. I thought about eye-to-eye but will leave that for the next trailer, as I'd have to pull apart existing hangers and weld new etc etc (and I'm a bit over it at this point). But I am just installing a new spring based pivot coupling with brakes at the moment. Wheel matching is great when you know you will keep the car for a while, but problem is when you replace your car then you are in a pickle again.
Nice work!
That’s a nice finished product man. It looks factory built. Did you use 4x8 sheets of plywood for the sides?
Thanks heaps. Yes, i used 4x8, But i had to extend them... i added another four inches to the top, and maybe 1 foot to the rear. I just glued the extended sections on, and then added that second layer of plywood underneath to hold it all together.