Lifting roof XPStream - Almost Finished!

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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby Philip » Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:58 am

I have used that style of latch before. The issue I have had is the rubber doesn't have a long life. About the longest life I have gotten is 2 years before the rubber breaks. I used stainless latches on my camper build. These are the offset mount type. They are also made for flat mount.

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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:09 pm

Thanks Philip, good to know.
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Question about how well the walls fold.

Postby GrantRobertson » Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:48 am

Oleg,

I am starting on a somewhat similar trailer, only in that I will have folding walls. My trailer is more of a truncated A-Frame.

155710
(Build thread.)

My question has to do with how flat all your walls lay down when folded down. Did you hinge all the walls at the same level? If so, when folded down, don't they get in each others' way? Don't they end up sticking up at odd angles? How did you get around that problem?
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:23 pm

In short: you have to provide a height space for first opposite walls (side walls usually) pair and then for the second set of walls(front and back) in order to have them fold down flat on top of each other. You can get the idea on how the folding walls work by looking at this the vintage plan in design library here - http://tnttt.com/VintagePlans/foldingtrailer.pdf
My design is different as only side walls fold down and they are shorter than in classic fold down trailers like Gobur or Esterel Caravan (google it). I would recommend building a small model out of cardboard or foam board to get your idea working. How do you cover your folded walls if your roof is not the same size as trailer at the base of the walls? The rectangular folding walls design was around for a very long time and proven to work, relatively simple to build due to right angles and straight lines. Heres is another build that can help you understand how it works - http://www.caravaning.in.ua/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1017 - lots of pictures and you can use google chrome browser to translate the text to English. Good luck with your research and original design.
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:34 pm

GrantRobertson, the four folding walls design was my initial idea as shows the first post in this build thread, but since then I changed that to what it is now.
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby GrantRobertson » Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:07 pm

OP827 wrote:GrantRobertson, the four folding walls design was my initial idea as shows the first post in this build thread, but since then I changed that to what it is now.


Thanks. Now I am rethinking the whole thing.

We'll see what my brain has come up with tomorrow morning. ...
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby Nodrog » Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:10 am

Hey OP- you are doing real good, getting those details worked out! The glass work is looking really fine, I will have to look at that wrap you used to make the smooth finish, I am really impressed with that..a real challenge to keep the glass lamination from being a runny lumpy mess to sand out! I am in kind of a similar place with my project, lots of little tasks, but then suddenly it will be all done! I am sure you are getting there. And you will have a unique camping trailer that you could not have bought anywhere at any price!
In my case, if I am afraid I will finish, I may give the trailer a final coat of gold leaf, that should take a while? hahahaha keep up the good work....Nodrog
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Fri Aug 17, 2018 3:10 pm

Thanks Nodrog, let's keep building!
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Sun Sep 02, 2018 8:25 pm

Making progress a bit when I have time.
Roof back edge formed and enforced with two layers of fiberglass. By Atomic advice I used 3M 77 spray adhesive (a very light mist) to hold the first layer glass and laminated these edges. After that I had to fill and fair again with micro balloons filler. Second layer I did not use 3M 77, just brushed thin epoxy and waited several hours until it started to cure and when it was still tacky the second glass layer was attached and left to cure completely before filling the weave next day. Both methods worked.
156071156072156069156068

Installed 4 spring latches total to hold down the roof. For the front, two anchors were installed in the wall.
Installed access doors in front. That is how the front looked at the end of the day today.
156070

Next step I have to finish windows design. I am doing an awning style windows from scratch. Could not find suitable stays, the ones that do not protrude into interior as I have a screen on the inside. That could mean I will also custom make the stays as well... This project was a lot of custom work since I never had a good plan, just going with the flow and solving problems as I go. Marker lights came yesterday, so may start working on electrical.
There are lots of small things to do before I can do finishing body work. In my mind and dreams I've already built and camped in this trailer for a few months, lol.
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby Nodrog » Mon Sep 03, 2018 2:24 am

OP!! There you are! I've been following this, very glad to see your progress! The Folding part has added quite a bit of engineering, huh? But you are gettin er done! Looks like your interior is pretty complete? I think we have about the same little fridge, I have had ours for years and just ran propane lines and lit the burner for the first time ever! The flame is so small I couldn't see it- I took it all apart to blow out the lines. But I think it was ok anyway, just a tiny flame. I figure it should run more than week on a gallon of propane, pretty economical, those dinky fridges. I ran it for a couple of hours on hi, it got down to just a couple degrees above freezing!
But anyway, how much do you have to do to finish? Do you have interior lights yet? I see you need exterior lights, me too, but sooon! What else? Exterior is just about all glassed now, isn't it? It's looking really good! I love these small trailers that are little habitats,I'm shooting for equivalent of at least a budget motel room on wheels. Let us know how you are doing, very exciting, you have to feel good, it's almost done!! Later- Nodrog
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby Atomic77 » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:47 am

Looking great Oleg! I know what you mean about all the custom pieces! If it was easy everyone would do it Brotherman! Take care!
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:52 am

Nodrog wrote:OP!! There you are! I've been following this, very glad to see your progress! The Folding part has added quite a bit of engineering, huh? But you are gettin er done! Looks like your interior is pretty complete? I think we have about the same little fridge, I have had ours for years and just ran propane lines and lit the burner for the first time ever! The flame is so small I couldn't see it- I took it all apart to blow out the lines. But I think it was ok anyway, just a tiny flame. I figure it should run more than week on a gallon of propane, pretty economical, those dinky fridges. I ran it for a couple of hours on hi, it got down to just a couple degrees above freezing!
But anyway, how much do you have to do to finish? Do you have interior lights yet? I see you need exterior lights, me too, but sooon! What else? Exterior is just about all glassed now, isn't it? It's looking really good! I love these small trailers that are little habitats,I'm shooting for equivalent of at least a budget motel room on wheels. Let us know how you are doing, very exciting, you have to feel good, it's almost done!! Later- Nodrog


Thanks Nodrog, yes and I actually enjoyed the engineering and math for the moving parts design, especially after it worked. Interior bones are mainly complete. Still need to do a floor finish, foam mattress/sitting covers, sink hookup, folding walls interior covering, etc.. many small details to button it up, it's long list yet, but I want to make it camp able, do not require for it to be perfect so we can go out and camp in it, I can do refinements "later". I have done nothing on electrical and lights yet. I do not know what I want to do, no plan yet, again. Initially I may have 110V outlet, converter for 12V, a one or two 110V outlets around kitchen area, 12V lights by the beds on the street side. The main thing now left is windows.. They have to be light due to being in fold down walls and therefore I plan on doing them of 1/8" thin tinted acrylic with high quality Baltic Birch plywood frame sealed and adhered and hidden behind the face with a place for D seal fixed on the acrylic edge. It should look like sheet of tinted plastic opening to outside, so it can stay slightly open in a light rain. Exterior is almost all glassed now, two small strips in the back still left to cover plywood. After that I probably will cover it in fairing mix and go over with a DA sander, outside of single car garage.
The little fridge similar to yours I got from kijiji and it was looking almost new. The guy who sold it to me said they had used them in hotel for guests that needed a baby food storage and the fridge only worked from 110V. Yes, the flame is very small, you can compare by looking to my pictures of the build, but it works, freezer compartment gets frozen pretty good. BTW, please check your fridge power cable if it's an older fridge, my 110V cable was deteriorated inside and dangerous, while looking good on outside - see my build for more info. It should run long time on propane, for sure, its flame is even smaller than a pilot light in my trailer furnace.

I probably already said here that this project was started as a self challenge to proof the concept for this kind of design, and not without setbacks I made it work, in a garage... now need to test it on the road and outside in the elements. So my plan is to make it livable, but not completely refined. If I can get it a nice looking inside then it would be a bonus, but that is not really my main goal now. Just want it to be finished to the level of my family be able to enjoy it. So yes, it is almost done, just some windows, electrical, interior foam covering in front and sides, and then fairing and paint... It indeed does feel good when I am looking at old postings and see where I started and how much work was done to get where I am now. It's been a long project. Thanks again Nodrog for your kind words of support!
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:03 am

Atomic77 wrote:Looking great Oleg! I know what you mean about all the custom pieces! If it was easy everyone would do it Brotherman! Take care!
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Michael, thank you my friend! You take care too!
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby KCStudly » Sun Sep 09, 2018 9:05 pm

OP827 wrote:In my mind and dreams I've already built and camped in this trailer for a few months... It indeed does feel good when I am looking at old postings and see where I started and how much work was done to get where I am now. It's been a long project.


Amen to both of these statements, brotherman. :thumbsup: :applause:
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Re: Foldable foamie hybrid trailer

Postby OP827 » Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:07 pm

Thank you KC!
And here is the current state of affairs.. The body work is ongoing, all sides are covered with polyester body filler and front is done with 80 grit long board. She does not look good yet due to black guide coat and several filler brands I was using, but I should finish sanding her smooth and straight and get ready for polyurethane 2k primer....

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