New Modular Camper for Utility Trailers and Pickups

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Step #10 of assembly states:

The first picture at top of site indicates chain. Hard to tell if there is a takeup mechanism involved. Attachment is from D-rings mounted to the ABS side panels to cargo rings in trailer floor or eyebolts thru the weldments of the trailer sides, also hard to tell. Presumably some thought would have been given to spreading the load of the D rings on the plastic panels given the wind load involved.

jack

"Tiedowns"....hmm...

Is there a "sprouting wings" safety option that can be added, just in case?

Francesca

[rabbit]

If Shasta had wings, a teal should definitely have em. I have the impression that the "tiedowns" are not supplied which would lead one to surmise that they are the responsibility of the buyer/kit assembler. Now where would we spec a high-quality item upon which will depend the integrity and safety of our trailer on the highway? Of course: Harbor Freight!

jack

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

I'm not sure what problem this trailer is attempting to solve - cost, storage, weight?

I seem to remember seeing something about this being a possible solution for a high-rise apartment dweller who may only have access to a 5' x 5' rented storage locker. Hence the ability to dismantle it into pieces that would fit through a 36" wide hinged door. (Not all storage lockers have big roll-up doors.) It may turn out to be just a clever solution in search of a problem.

Originally Posted by rabbit

No veil of tact here buddy.

Thank you for your concern. I doubt there would that much interest unless the buyer already has the cargo trailer. I wonder if the inventor has a lay-away program?

I kind of became interested in the suggestion of using the panel walls to construct a hot-tub/spa enclosure.

[Mike Magee]

When work first began on this trailer project, I think the cost was projected to be a fair bit lower. It has turned out costing more to produce than the inventor expected, I'm sure. That will make it a harder sell... but not an impossible one, as there are bound to be some people who fall into the right niche and see this trailer as a solution for them.

Another thing: as a truck camper, this unit is extremely light weight and inexpensive. Campers for half ton pickups are not easy to find, as most are too heavy. That could be a good market for the Teal.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

When work first began on this trailer project, I think the cost was projected to be a fair bit lower. It has turned out costing more to produce than the inventor expected, I'm sure. That will make it a harder sell... but not an impossible one, as there are bound to be some people who fall into the right niche and see this trailer as a solution for them.

Another thing: as a truck camper, this unit is extremely light weight and inexpensive. Campers for half ton pickups are not easy to find, as most are too heavy. That could be a good market for the Teal.

It's often the case that estimated production costs are much smaller than actual production costs.

I'm wondering about the side to floor seal, if there is one. I didn't see any mention of that.

I can see a few other possible uses, you need an inexpensive guest room, maybe one that can be assembled and disassembled. There's probably several others.

I really hope this company can make, doubt they'll make in the towable rv market. But that doesn't mean they won't find another market that will really think this is the greatest.

[rabbit]

[Ken C]

Small update on new facility and their facebook has more photos
Teal Camper Updates


http://www.ncbr.com/article/20130222/edition/130229959

[Cathy P.]

I'm glad to see that he has gotten interest/investment as I followed his website for some time and can imagine the agony of a dream you can't even get off the ground. I don't like the dome top as much as I did the canvas one as far as looks go. The advantage I see for a truck camper is not having to back under it to load it and it would be nice to have something where we could use the utility trailer separately for the few times we ever really need one. I know that kits are becoming popular with teardrops and even tiny houses letting the consumer save some money on shipping by buying or scrounging locally for some of the heavier items. Would be nice to see one of the FG manufacturers offer a kit.

[Robin G]

I can't do it this week, but maybe next week I can run by there and check these out. I live in Loveland now so I only have to find the street...... Would be nice to see them in person.

[Mike Magee]

If you go, take your camera.

[Robin G]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

If you go, take your camera.

Will do.......

[George Nagel]

Good idea, I wish him all the sucess in the world. People like this who have the courage to follow their dream have my admiration. It ain't easy.

I would have loved to have one of these on the western elk hunts I've been on. Trick it out to what you need, load your gear inside where it's dry and your good to go. Of course you'd need a decent trailer to mount it on.

[carlkeigley]

I've been following this too as I found it in my hunt for a trailer.
I thought it would be ideal for the deer camp or ice fishing as he said.

I might be interested in going on the Shark show for publicity, but probably
not for them to become partners. They want controlling interest when you
sign their contracts.

[Ken C]

They are getting some Discovery channel air time and a new pop-up prototype.
https://www.facebook.com/TealShelters

Edit for Robin, did you ever stop by there? Wondered what you thought.

[Abaker50]

DH & I are looking at options, including buying a used shell and refurbishing/modifying it. We are also seriously considering the Teal Tailfeather. From some of what I've seen in this thread, some of you might think we're crazy, but I really like what this company is doing & in many ways it might be a great fit for us - the shell is very lightweight, so even with the additional trailer weight we can build it under the max 1000 lbs capacity of our tow vehicle. The modular construction means that we can break it down & store it on our postage-stamp sized suburban property and we can customize it to our needs without having to buy a bunch of stuff we don't need or want. Though some of you have said it seems pricey, it compares favorably with buying a comparably-sized fiberglass trailer, even with purchasing the chassis separately - and , for us, it's local.

Of course one of the drawbacks is that it's really ugly. I've been trying to think of ways to "beautify" it.

The company's FB page recently posted this idea for feedback:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...79b184226e748a

Definitely better.

I saw some price estimates earlier in the thread - This is what I'm coming up with now.

The base price for the smallest shell Kit to fit a 5x8 trailer, ~6'Wx8.5'Lx6'H at the middle of the shell: $4,166.00
This includes:
2 - corner panels
10 - side panels
1 - door assembly
1 - floor liner
1 - roof shell kit with hardware
2 - 8" x 8" skylights
2- 8" x 8" roof vents

I can get a brand-new 5x8 aluminum utility trailer locally for ~$1500
cheaper if I bought steel. (the FAQ on the site specifically recommends against do-it-yourself bolt-together trailers like Harbor Freight)

I come up with a total closer to $7000, which is around what a used fiberglass trailer is selling for around here right now, regardless of age.

That does not include extras such as operating windows, furniture & cabinets (some of which we don't need or want to pay for, some of which we can easily put in ourselves). There are some upgrades that we would probably get at the outset, such as a couple of windows. Since this kit is modular, it leaves open the possibility of adding some of these things at a later date as well as increasing the size of the shell, assuming we plan ahead & get a bigger chassis. While this would probably bring the price close to a new, no-frills Scamp over time, it also brings our initial outlay into the realm of possibility now.

Wear & tear from breaking down and rebuilding the shell are certainly concerns, but can be mitigated. This camper is unlikely to hold its value over time in the same way the manufactured fiberglass trailers do, however as far as functionality here and now, it may be a viable option.

Thanks,
Andrea

[Mike Magee]

The Teal isn't a bad unit. My biggest reservation is maintaining a good seal at all the seams, plus at the floor, so the owner doesn't arrive at the destination on a rainy day and find a wet interior. If you feel confident that their solutions will keep it dry inside, then it's a pretty good fit for your situation.

[Abaker50]

The hard part is that it's new enough that there aren't many reviews by folks that have actually owned them.

FWIW - I found this on the Honda element forum:

We are the owners of that E and the (Tailfeather) camper. We love it and have taken it all over the country in the year that we've had it. We put it on an aluminium utility trailer so total weight we tow is less than 1000 lbs. Its been one of the best purchases we've ever made including buying our E.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/for...ad.php?t=99234

[Abaker50]

I went up to Loveland this afternoon to talk with Larry Drake and take a look at the Tailfeather in person. Thought I’d write up my visit for those who have expressed interest in hearing from someone who has actually seen the product.

Larry is a super-nice guy - very down to earth & open about his stuff. The shell I looked at was one of his later pre-production prototypes, designed to fit a 5’x10’ utility trailer, it has the newer roof design rather than the pop-up. We also went to his workshop to see some of the parts that are currently in production.

Yes, it’s plastic - really, really tough double-walled ABS plastic. The kind of plastic molded for really good public playground equipment, picnic tables, boat hulls, car bumpers, etc. The seams are sealed with rubber gaskets, like those used to seal car doors, and there are two on each panel. They are offset so that when the panels are put together, one runs along the outside of the seam & the other runs along the inside. Given the amount of wear & tear car door seals are routinely subject to & their very low failure rate, this seems like a pretty viable solution. Also, easy to replace if it did fail.

Larry keeps this one set up, uncovered, in his backyard, when he's not using it for camping. It’s been there a couple of years & is showing no signs of wear on the outside and no signs of leakage inside. It also felt very sturdy & solid. There are tie down brackets on the inside & outside of every panel AND every panel also has two attachments for L-brackets to bolt to the floor.

I’ve addressed cost in my earlier post. It isn’t anywhere near what some estimates make it. And the modular nature means one can buy only what is needed, with the option of adding on later.

Larry said production may be moving out of state soon, which makes me sad. I liked that it was local. Still, it’s more shippable than anything else.

Admittedly, I never was as skeptical as some of you, but I tried to go in with an open mind & look for the kinds of things that might fail. All-in-all, I was impressed with the workmanship. I think the outside looked somewhat better in person than it does in pictures & the inside was much roomier & more comfortable than I had expected from viewing the pictures on the web site.

-Andrea

[carlkeigley]

Thanks for the report Andrea.

[Mike Magee]

Were there gaskets at the bottom edge of each panel as well, to seal against the floor? I've been wondering how they keep water out at the bottom, since it mounts on a flatbed trailer.