Tear Drop shape...why?

[djdawg]

My thread is a bit tongue-in-cheek but I started thinking about all the difficulties that everyone seems to have when building the teardrop and a lot of it seems to be around the curved roof. Is it sexy? Definitely. Is it more attractive than a non curved roof? You bet your sweet bippy. Does it add and cause a lot of frustration? I think so. I guess it might save a few miles per gallon because it's more aerodynamic but I'm honestly considering not having a curved roof. Please see my highly artistic and scientific drawing.

Depending on the slope of the curve it seems like you do get more space inside as opposed to my design and I would have to reconfigure how to open up to the galley but it's a thought....

[djdawg]

After a lot of thought (5 minutes) I've altered the design to give it more room inside but still no curved roof.

[troubleScottie]

The rational of the curve is to reduce the air resistance. Look up the resistance/air flow over various shapes. The half wing is very efficient.

The square back is a big drag -- bigger than the wing and many other designs.

You can make it more inefficient -- having a larger cross section than the towing vehicle either higher or wider or lower. To a fair extent, the trailer and the towing vehicle act more like two objects due to the spacing between the two and turbulence between the vehicles.

The other issue is making the teardrop light in weight. Lower walls, smaller walls eg wing vs rectangle, narrow eg 4 feet or 5 feet. Generally less materials equates to less weight.

Why does the design need to be more efficient? The teardrop is being towed by a smaller, low tow weight vehicle. If you are building for a 3/4 ton pickup with a tow package, you may not care. Building for a Prius, you have to be.

[djdawg]

Thanks Michael for your thoughts....all of them make perfect sense.

I'm still debating on what to do but I have stumbled across Mike's Weekender and that is very appealing to a first-time Builder like me.

[tony.latham]

I don’t know how you have concluded that creating a curved roof is difficult.

There are no odd-angled butt joints with a traditional shaped teardrop like there are with what some people call square backs.

I see builders getting in trouble when they attempt to sheath the roof with a plywood that isn’t meant to bend.

Armed with tools and a bit of knowledge the curve is easy.

Tony


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[Louisd75]

I'm with Tony. My trailer is pretty curvy and it honestly wasn't a big deal. Also, looks like you're local to me. Feel free to PM if you need any suggestions on sourcing materials.

[djdawg]

I'm with Tony. My trailer is pretty curvy and it honestly wasn't a big deal. Also, looks like you're local to me. Feel free to PM if you need any suggestions on sourcing materials.

Hey Louis! You are local! That's awesome! I went to what I guess is your profile page to PM you and I did not see any options to do that. Feel free to PM me then I can respond. Thanks!

[GPW]

Ever think they just look really NICE !!! And for physical reasons the rounded half tubular ‘ish structure gives it strength beyond "the Box" ...

[Ottsville]

And for physical reasons the rounded half tubular ‘ish structure gives it strength beyond "the Box" ...

I keep seeing this statememt being made, but I don't think I understand why. Could you please explain it in simple terms to me?

I agree that it makes a better appearance.

[friz]

And for physical reasons the rounded half tubular ‘ish structure gives it strength beyond "the Box" ...

I keep seeing this statememt being made, but I don't think I understand why. Could you please explain it in simple terms to me?

I agree that it makes a better appearance.

A pop cans resistance to buckling is probably the easiest way to observe this.

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[bobhenry]

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13925

It's an ancient post but it shows how easy the layout can be !

[djdawg]

[Tom&Shelly]

And for physical reasons the rounded half tubular ‘ish structure gives it strength beyond "the Box" ...

I keep seeing this statememt being made, but I don't think I understand why. Could you please explain it in simple terms to me?

I agree that it makes a better appearance.

A pop cans resistance to buckling is probably the easiest way to observe this.

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I was thinking along similar lines: Imagine how easy it is to crush an empty cereal box vs a paper towel tube.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

Another explanation!: Sheets of paper, slices of pizza, and even plywood, can only bend in one direction at a time. (Must be true--I read about the pizza and paper in a math journal. And why would a mathematician lie about something like that? I'm inferring it is the same with plywood, based solely on my engineering intuition. )

Hold a slice of pizza with a slight bend in the crust and the nose doesn't flop over. Hold a piece of paper with your thumb creating a slight bend and the other end stays rigid. Put a bend in your teardrop plywood, and it will resist bending in the perpendicular direction.

Tom

[Ottsville]

I was thinking along similar lines: Imagine how easy it is to crush an empty cereal box vs a paper towel tube.

Tom

Another explanation!: Sheets of paper, slices of pizza, and even plywood, can only bend in one direction at a time. (Must be true--I read about the pizza and paper in a math journal. And why would a mathematician lie about something like that? I'm inferring it is the same with plywood, based solely on my engineering intuition. )

Hold a slice of pizza with a slight bend in the crust and the nose doesn't flop over. Hold a piece of paper with your thumb creating a slight bend and the other end stays rigid. Put a bend in your teardrop plywood, and it will resist bending in the perpendicular direction.

Tom

Ok, those examples both make sense and me hungry.