Compact 2 folding roof animation

[angib]

There's a Compact 2 design coming along soon, but I couldn't resist doing this animation of how the new rectangular folding roof works.



Can you tell who's going to evening classes in web design and is trying to impress the teacher? Sadly I haven't mastered the lighting and material textures like Mike has, so it's not too clear, but you get the idea, I'm sure. Scott, you won't like it, because the roof opening is about 18" shorter than it used to be.

Andrew

[mikeschn]

Hey Andrew,

I like it!!! It's perfectly clear to me... and you've don'e a wonderful job with the animated gif. I'm suitably impressed!!!

Mike...

P.s. I was thinking about animated wrl files today, and decided against it... but you're welcome to pursue that avenue!!!

[Arne]

That is a great design... I'm thinking about how the seals would be placed already....

[mikeschn]

I just had to add another comment about your design...

It's cunning and clever! Even more so than the folding back end of the Winter Warrior... you outdid yourself on this one!!!

Mike...

[angib]

It's cunning and clever! Even more so than the folding back end of the Winter Warrior... you outdid yourself on this one!!!

Well, actually, it's cunning and clever and someone else's idea - I saw it on an old British motorhome and duly copied it.

There is another lovely pop-up design where the lifting roof lays flat in the down position and is bent into an arched shape by folding end panels in the up position. Make sense?

Andrew

[mikeschn]

There is another lovely pop-up design where the lifting roof lays flat in the down position and is bent into an arched shape by folding end panels in the up position. Make sense?

Andrew

Yep, that makes sense... what kind of material was on that arched shaped roof??

That might make sense for the aliner teardrop... remember that design?

Mike...

[muir]

Actually, Andrew, I do like it. It's clever, as the others have said.

Now, for my application the loss of opening length may be an issue, but that doesn't detract from the elegance of the design.

A side effect of this setup is that the door gets a bit of shelter from the overhanging roof in the up position. If it's not too windy it might keep the back porch dry. :-)

It also seems like the roof needs to seal in two positions: when it's up, and when it's down (so that rain at 60mph isn't driven into the interior).
An advantage of the canvas scheme is that the interior is always isolated from the exterior, at least to the degree that the canvas is waterproof and sealed. The tightness of the roof to body seal when the roof is down isn't as much of an issue for the soft-side designs as it is for the hard-side setups. (I'm assuming that the canvas is really rubberized nylon or something that can actually be waterproof).

A lot of the camping I do with my family is in the desert or reached by US Forest Service access roads, which can be very dusty. Thus, dust and water tightness in the travel position is of interest.

I still like the idea of the hard-side pop-up better, but it seems like for what I want to do the compromises of the canvas sided roof might work better. Or perhaps I just haven't thought about it long enough...

Your animation is great, by the way.

-Scott

[angib]

... what kind of material was on that arched shaped roof??

Just aluminium* sheet with minimal framing. Works like so:



*This was a British roof I'm describing - in Merka you'd have to make it outa that loomy-um stuff.

...it's not too windy it might keep the back porch dry. :-)

No, you can NOT hang a porch swing off of it.

It also seems like the roof needs to seal in two positions: when it's up, and when it's down.

My plan is to put a seal under the lip of the lifting top, so that it seals to the static roof when down. The seal would be visible, so not a pretty detail, but pretty don't beat dry...

Andrew

[AmyH]

Andrew,

Very snazzy design, and I like the idea of the back door having a bit of coverage! The animation is great too! You really did outdo yourself!

Amy

[Ron Dickey]

There's a Compact 2 design coming along soon, but I couldn't resist doing this animation of how the new rectangular folding roof works.


Andrew

Andrew,

I have been drawing things like this for years but just did not have it down pat. I was thinking of the back of my pickup.

Making the cap higher or making it move back over the bed for sleeping space.

I look forward to seeing the rest of your trailer.

Ron D.