Step 1: Planning the design.

[mikeschn]

Step 1: Planning the design.

Here's the way this is going to work... For each of the Steps, 1 through whatever, I am going to submit a brief description of that step.

You guys will have to tell me what I am missing, if I am all wet or whatever... then I'll rework the description of that step until I feel we have captured the best of the best from you guys.

So here we go with step 1...

The plan is to come up with a design that anyone with a reasonable amount of skill and a reasonable amount of tools can build.

After conducting a poll of users here, it seems the two most popular profiles are the Benroy and the Kenskill. While the Benroy profile seems to fit well behind Jeep Wranglers and other sport utilities, the Kenskill seems to fit better behind a more vintage looking vehicle.

So lets review all the options before we make a final decision...

Here's what the teardrop should have...


A 48" height. 48" is a common size at all the orange box type stores
A length long enough for a true queen sized bed... 80"
A width comfortable enough to sleep in, including rolling over without rolling over your partner. As a minimum I would like to suggest a queen sized bed 60" wide.
A robust trailer design that is easy to procure, whether you are a welder or not. A 5x8 bolt together red trailer seems to fit that category.
A door that is easy to make and use. Easy to trim, whether it's a woodie or a clad/skinned design. (The door center should be about 40" from the head of the mattress to the center of your body when you sit up and swing your legs over the side of the mattress.
A door that is tall enough to not hit your head on it when climbing in or out.
A cabin that gives you adaquate storage without making you feel claustraphobic.
A generic design that lets you adjust the profile from Kenskill to Benroy to your own custom design, and still use the same basic directions.
A choice of skinning... either aluminum, filon, or Uniflex 255.
A galley design that doesn't bruise your shins... per Amy
A basic galley that consists of stove, and fridge/icebox or cooler and storage.
A tongue that lets you have a propane tank and a battery.
A roof vent to keep you cool
An easily accessable raceway for electrical wiring
Easily obtainable parts
A shoreline connection for campground campers
A solar panel for rustic campers
Gas struts to make it easy to open the hatch
A total dry weight of less than 1000# which allows almost any car to tow it.
A tongue weight of less that 150# which most car hitches can handle
The basic teardrop should be affordable... (it's the options that add cost)

An optional heat source will be the 12000 BTU forced air furnace
An optional cooling source will be a 5000 BTW window air conditioner
An optional roof rack

Here's what we are ruling out right from the get go...
4' trailers... A 4' teardrop, which seems to be a bargain, is not bargain if you find it's too small for you. Who wants to sell it and start over again? Not me.

A shitty looking design. No one wants to be seen with something that looks shitty. We want classic and classy designs only, something you'll be proud to be seen in. While there are many classy designs, we will only focus on one or two of them.

Okay guys...
This is my starting point. Tell me what I am missing.

Mike...

P.S. Step 2 is building the chassis (the trailer)

[beverlyt]

Mike,
I'm just wondering... go ahead and shoot me if you must.

About the Uniflex 255 and the CPES.

How much would it cost to paint this 5' x something trailer with this stuff?
It only comes in white, correct? And you can't just buy it at the local Home Depot, you have to have it shipped more than likely, right?

I would like to see one other paint option, one that has lots of different colors to choose from and easy to for most to obtain locally at a reasonable price.

Not sure what that would be but I would THINK there is some good paint to be had out there?

Bev

[mikeschn]

Bev,

Yes there is another paint option... Armorpoxy... it comes in myriad colors. I don't know about the 1 part versus the 2 part stuff... but you can eyeball the stuff here...

http://www.armorpoxy.com/html/about.htm

Mike...

[beverlyt]

Great Mike.
That looks like a good 2nd paint option.
Thanks!

[Syekick]

The redtrailer.com trailer looks like just the thing. But what about the wheel size? Can we overcome the 12" wheels?

[JunkMan]

Fudd's First Law of Opposition:
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.

Wow, it's been years since I heard that. Didn't think anyone else listened to Firesign Theater.

[gardenwood]

Good plan!

Roger and Lois

[Nitetimes]

That list looks pretty complete. I'd say as long as the plans are relatively clear and easy to follow it should be an excellent venture. In my opinion and it's just my opinion, but aside from a good set of plans the single most important thing is a very good list of parts suppliers, preferably from places that have been around and will probably be around for a while. There is nothing more discouraging to someone than to get plans for something only to find that all the parts listed are either unavailable or very hard to find. Or just priced so high as to to make their use unrealistic for the application.
If at all possible, more than one supplier and/or alternate part for each thing on the parts list. I know that is asking a lot but it would certainly help a lot of people out immensely. I realize that a lot of stuff now can be had from HD and Lowes but to get parts that are good repros of original other suppliers will be neccesary.
Another thing that might be useful would be a terminology listing with an explaination of each and some alternate terms for each term, not everthing is called by the same name in different parts of the country. You know, like pop and soda, they can mean the same thing or be two entirely different things depending on where you are at.
Little long winded, sorry, I got carried away.

[mikeschn]

Well, it looks like we are going to do a basic Benroy for starters... the frame will be exposed, because it's the easiest way to build...

It'll be a 5x8 benroy... which will accept a near queen sized mattress. Sounds pretty comfortable to me...



Mike...

[mikeschn]

I am not going to be able to package as much into the Generic Benroy as I thought.

Here's my first pass at the design...

There's no room for a furnace or an air conditioner.

But on the bright side, there's a queen sized mattress in there...

Any thoughts on this design?



Mike...

[toypusher]

Mike,

Looks good to me. See image for questions



Kerry

[mikeschn]

The Generic Benroy won't have the front cabinet... it's too easy to hit your head on it.

Good question on the hatch though... Here's where it opens...



Incidently, the hatch will require a 5x5 sheet of baltic birch to cover it.

Mike...

[Arne]

Please tell me the tongue weight is not 161 pounds.... should be 10-15% of trailer weight...

[mikeschn]

Arne,

Here's the spreadsheet...




In order to get the tongue weight down to 10% of the trailer I would have to position the center of the wheels 44" from the rear of the trailer. That puts the wheel right smack into the doorway.

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Of course, I could always play games with the door, but then it doesn't look real comfortable for sitting in the doorway, or for pulling your feet up past the door...





Mike...