Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

aggie79 wrote:Ever since I saw this profile, I can't get it out of my head.

I especially like the drawings Andrew did of the Raven with the canted front and rear sections (although that detail would be a bear to build.) I envision the sides and portions of front and rear being a woody, with an aluminum or EPDM roof.

I've been given marching orders that #2 will have to incorporate a bathroom (potty in a separate "room" and prefereably a shower). If I can fit that in a stretched version of the Raven, then maybe that is what I will build.

I wonder what a set of wire wheels goes for these days?

Tom

A lot of choices for wire wheels on the Coker tire web catalog. With a variety of prices too.

The original Raven was a wood frame with painted canvas covering it for light weighting.

aggie79 wrote:....#2 will have to incorporate a bathroom (potty in a separate "room" and prefereably a shower).

I would suggest that those are two very different things. A potty room is not hard to achieve, as long as the 'clientele' understand that it is not going to be the same size as at home.

But a shower is a big step up in space requirement, both in plan area and height. You need:
- sufficient height so you can nearly stand upright;
- sufficient plan area so that you can turn around (I reckon a minimum 700mm/28" circle has to fit into the space);
- sufficient height so that you can get a drain fitting under the shower tray;
- space for a large enough water tank;
- space for a water heater and water pump;
- space for a grey water tank, if a grey water tote isn't acceptable;
- sufficient plan area so that you can fit in the portapotty as well as the shower tray.

The last one can be overcome - I have seen photos of a shower compartment where the portapotty slid into the bottom of an adjacent cupboard - with the added benefit that the portapotty didn't get wet.

But a shower is a big step up in space requirement, both in plan area and height. You need:
- sufficient height so you can nearly stand upright;

Andrew, all your points are valid, but where space, especially vertical space is at a premium, a sit down type shower is something to be considered.
The one I'm using is 24" x 36".
I have about 5' or just a little less for headroom.

Facilities like this, as you pointed out, are not like home, but feel mighty good to have with you!

Another option, one thought of and used many years ago, is a permanant tub that hides below a dinette bench, or the bed itself.

Another option I've tried is a portable canvas bathtub.
It pretty much must be placed in the open area of the trailer due to space requirements, but still, it allows being able to "get clean" in private.


Rob

angib wrote:

aggie79 wrote:....#2 will have to incorporate a bathroom (potty in a separate "room" and prefereably a shower).

I would suggest that those are two very different things. A potty room is not hard to achieve, as long as the 'clientele' understand that it is not going to be the same size as at home.

But a shower is a big step up in space requirement, both in plan area and height. You need:
- sufficient height so you can nearly stand upright;
- sufficient plan area so that you can turn around (I reckon a minimum 700mm/28" circle has to fit into the space);
- sufficient height so that you can get a drain fitting under the shower tray;
- space for a large enough water tank;
- space for a water heater and water pump;
- space for a grey water tank, if a grey water tote isn't acceptable;
- sufficient plan area so that you can fit in the portapotty as well as the shower tray.

The last one can be overcome - I have seen photos of a shower compartment where the portapotty slid into the bottom of an adjacent cupboard - with the added benefit that the portapotty didn't get wet.

Very good points, Andrew.

If/when I start this project, it will have to be detailed rather than coming up with a profile and "winging it" as I have done with my teardrop.

When we camp, we stay at sites that have electricty and water. The porta-potty would have a self-contained black water tank. (I've tried to find Thetford cassette toilets with exterior cassette access but they don't seem to be available here.) Grey water would be handled by a tote. I have not decided how to heat water but am leaning toward an exterior LPG tankless water heater.

As far as packaging, this standy seems to fulfill my needs: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=25814&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

The cabin is 8' long by 6'-4" wide with an overall height of 6'-10". The Raven/Argonette profile is not as space efficient as this design, but I think a "stretch" to 10' in length would allow similar packaging and accomodate my changes - inboard wheels/tires, gaucho-style bed rather than a banquette, A/C, etc.

Thank you again for your time and all the contributions you have made to this board.

Tom

I once saw a yacht shower without standing headroom that had 'bum bar' across it. It was just a piece of 2" stainless tube that ran from wall to wall at, maybe, 24" about the tray. Apparently it was enough to take your weight in a semi-crouch but little enough that you could 'wash around it'.

The yacht owner gave me a graphic description of the additional use of the bar as a handhold so you could use the toilet in rough weather and throw up in the shower tray at the same time, but I'm guessing you don't want to hear about that?

I gave a lot of thought to a collapsible shower like this:





http://softsmart.com/popup/PortableShower.html

I didn't do it because I had doubts that I could keep all the water inside the curtain. I ended up going with a more traditional shower. It does take up a ton of space but it doesn't seem to matter so much right after I've used it.

Bruce

aggie79 wrote:
As far as packaging, this standy seems to fulfill my needs: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=25814&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Tom

Wow Tom, looks like we are looking toward the horizon at the same kind of deal. Thank you so much for turning me on to Eric's Trailer, that is exactly what I am wanting to do too! I do not have any kind of start date as yet, but I am really liking that one! I would only replace the dinette with a permanent inner spring mattress, but the floorplan is right in line with what I had come up with.

Soo... my thought is that we might do a tandem build. Sharing the profile and other structural items would substantially decrease our production time! I say this only because I think we have very similar building styles (Leave me alone and let me figure it out ) so that would be immediately mutually respected. If that sounds of interest to you, maybe it could work out good and really speed up the second build for us. Once we get into interior design, things would split off toward personal taste. Food for thought for next year.

2bits wrote:

aggie79 wrote:
As far as packaging, this standy seems to fulfill my needs: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=25814&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Tom

Wow Tom, looks like we are looking toward the horizon at the same kind of deal. Thank you so much for turning me on to Eric's Trailer, that is exactly what I am wanting to do too! I do not have any kind of start date as yet, but I am really liking that one! I would only replace the dinette with a permanent inner spring mattress, but the floorplan is right in line with what I had come up with.

Soo... my thought is that we might do a tandem build. Sharing the profile and other structural items would substantially decrease our production time! I say this only because I think we have very similar building styles (Leave me alone and let me figure it out ) so that would be immediately mutually respected. If that sounds of interest to you, maybe it could work out good and really speed up the second build for us. Once we get into interior design, things would split off toward personal taste. Food for thought for next year.

Thomas - a parallel build sounds cool to me! Something tells me that I better finish the teardrop before I start a second build.
Take care,
Tom

Yeah hehe me too!!! Keep it in the back of your mind for 2012 if the world doesn't shift it's magnetic poles and we all plunge into chaos

Has anyone built a "Raven" in the past?
They sure are neat.

Bev

beverlyt wrote:Has anyone built a "Raven" in the past?
They sure are neat.

Bev

Sure, Uncle Norman built the first one in the 30's

Norman Wilkinson-Cox was the proprietor of Service Garage in Ravenscourt Park, West London.

Raven became a caravan (trailer) manufacturer for a good few years.

Here's a Raven Wizard from maybe 20 years after the Argonette:



It's still got those vertical strips down the sides like the Argonette though it's also grown in every direction.

Steve_Cox wrote:

beverlyt wrote:Has anyone built a "Raven" in the past?
They sure are neat.

Bev

Sure, Uncle Norman built the first one in the 30's

Norman Wilkinson-Cox was the proprietor of Service Garage in Ravenscourt Park, West London.

That's good info Steve... got a URL where I can find more?

Andrew, do you have a side view of that Wizard?

Mike...

mikeschn wrote:

Steve_Cox wrote:

beverlyt wrote:Has anyone built a "Raven" in the past?
They sure are neat.

Bev

Sure, Uncle Norman built the first one in the 30's

Norman Wilkinson-Cox was the proprietor of Service Garage in Ravenscourt Park, West London.

That's good info Steve... got a URL where I can find more?

Andrew, do you have a side view of that Wizard?

Mike...

Mike,

I found some good info on a German Website, but it didn't translate too well, so I just copied it and made a word doc from it. Wish I had saved the link. But here's a link to a little info. I'll send you an email with the word doc attached.

http://www.rvhotlinecanada.com/RV-History-The-First-Raven.asp?loc=rv-resources

Hi,
We have a replica of a Raven Argonette built a couple of years ago by a good friend of ours. The same dimensions as the original but completely scratch built.
It has a full size double bed, wooden slats fit over the two cupboards and three mattress sections pull out from the couch to make a double bed. two burner stove and sink in kitchen area, wardrobe and storage areas in side cupboards and overhead. Windows and frames were hand made.