8' Grasshopper... it grew to 9'6" --> Build progress

Did you just design your very own teardrop or tiny trailer? Want to discuss it? Here's the place to post your design for discussion!

8' Grasshopper... it grew to 9'6" --> Build progress

Postby bve » Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:14 am

I've been toying with the idea of a Grasshopper profile in an 8' length. I find the profile suits Jeeps well and it seems there is a bit more storage available over what a traditional 8' tear profile offers.

I'm still learning to work with Sketch-Up so most of the dimensions are out a bit and interior elements are bleeding through the exterior wall, but it should give a basic sense of size and what I am shooting for.

I do have a full size Benroy profile template cut, but still find myself leaning towards the GH profile. As a first build I don't think I am ready to be creating oversized ply sheets (ala Steve Frederick). Sticking to 8' only has me giving up some things I consider 'nice to have' vs need to have as well as keeping the budget reasonable.

Anyhow, I would appreciate any feedback or insight anyone has to offer up, it's still too cold up here for sawdust, but as soon as spring arrives I want to begin a build of some sort.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Thanks in advance,
Burke
Last edited by bve on Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Postby tinksdad » Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:32 am

You may want to widen your door if possible. The door on my Itty-Bitty is 24" wide and it's just marginally acceptable to get in and out.


Edit: Ooops.... on second look, I mistook the window width on your design as the door width. My bad.
User avatar
tinksdad
500 Club
 
Posts: 966
Images: 155
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 9:20 pm
Location: Olive Branch, MS

Postby aggie79 » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:54 am

The grasshopper profile really looks good!

In my teardrop (still under construction) I too have about 19" clearance between the floor and the bottom of the interior cabinet. With a 6" mattress, I think that clearance may be a little tight. It's probably okay for feet, but if the interior cabinet has much depth, it is probably too tight around the legs and knees, especially if you toss and turn while sleeping like I do.
Tom (& Linda)
For build info on our former Silver Beatle teardrop:
Build Thread

93503
User avatar
aggie79
Super Duper Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 5405
Images: 686
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:42 pm
Location: Watauga, Texas
Top

Postby mikeschn » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:16 pm

Can you email me the grasshopper file? I'd like to see if I can import it into my CAD program.

Thanks,

Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...
User avatar
mikeschn
Site Admin
 
Posts: 19202
Images: 479
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:01 am
Location: MI
Top

Postby bve » Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:35 pm

tinksdad wrote:You may want to widen your door if possible. The door on my Itty-Bitty is 24" wide and it's just marginally acceptable to get in and out.


Edit: Ooops.... on second look, I mistook the window width on your design as the door width. My bad.

Well you made me look. I thought crap did I overlook that, do you think 28" should be ok?

aggie79 wrote:The grasshopper profile really looks good!

In my teardrop (still under construction) I too have about 19" clearance between the floor and the bottom of the interior cabinet. With a 6" mattress, I think that clearance may be a little tight. It's probably okay for feet, but if the interior cabinet has much depth, it is probably too tight around the legs and knees, especially if you toss and turn while sleeping like I do.

Thanks, you have an epic build going btw, I've been watching all the way.

I agree I don't think the interior cabinet clearance is going to be enough, I took a tape to the Benroy profile set up beside the matress for the tear and 1' will be toe touching I think.

mikeschn wrote:Can you email me the grasshopper file? I'd like to see if I can import it into my CAD program.

Thanks,

Mike...

Absolutely - sent.

I kind of have this idea of doing the GH as a woodie too, I don't recall seeing another GH done as a woodie. I figure if I start out with that mindset and mess it up I can still cover it up with marine paint :)

Thanks for looking
Burke
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby Greg M » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:53 pm

The only piece of advice I'd add is to be careful of the tight front radius. I went a bit too tight on my Grasshopper inspired design and had to use that special bendy ply to get around the curve.

-Greg
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
User avatar
Greg M
*Geek Extraordinaire
 
Posts: 1165
Images: 85
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:40 am
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Top

Postby bve » Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:15 pm

Greg M wrote:The only piece of advice I'd add is to be careful of the tight front radius. I went a bit too tight on my Grasshopper inspired design and had to use that special bendy ply to get around the curve.

-Greg


Thanks Greg, just checked your album - man you went really tight on your front.

That does bring up a question - how tight is too tight for 1/8th to bend? Probably already answered somewhere else - I guess I'll fire up the search engine.
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby High Desert » Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:09 pm

any updates or new thoughts on this one Burke? I like your thinking on the 8' length.
Shaun

"it's not the years honey, it's the mileage"
High Desert
Platinum Donating Member
 
Posts: 8780
Images: 27
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:46 pm
Location: SW Washington state
Top

Postby aggie79 » Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:59 am

bve wrote:
Greg M wrote:The only piece of advice I'd add is to be careful of the tight front radius. I went a bit too tight on my Grasshopper inspired design and had to use that special bendy ply to get around the curve.

-Greg


Thanks Greg, just checked your album - man you went really tight on your front.

That does bring up a question - how tight is too tight for 1/8th to bend? Probably already answered somewhere else - I guess I'll fire up the search engine.


The lower rear curve on my hatch has a 10" radius. With good plywood - 1/8" baltic birch - a 10" radius is pretty easy:

Image

There is a 6" radius on the bottom front "roll pan" of my teardrop. The 1/8" plywood conformed to this radius, but it required a little "persuasion".

Tom
Tom (& Linda)
For build info on our former Silver Beatle teardrop:
Build Thread

93503
User avatar
aggie79
Super Duper Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 5405
Images: 686
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:42 pm
Location: Watauga, Texas
Top

Postby bve » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:31 am

High Desert wrote:any updates or new thoughts on this one Burke? I like your thinking on the 8' length.

Not too much in terms of updates, I paid a visit to the local boat builders' shop where I intend to get my ply and epoxy from and discovered he has a CNC machine and is willing to cut for me if I provide a dxf.... that got me thinking about all kinds of possibilities (i.e. daydreaming).

I did toy with a 9' version a bit to see what it could offer over and above 8' - but the added complexity and cost keep me coming back to 8'. About all I would change in the 8' is smaller cabinetry inside (more foot room between the bed and bottom of cabinets).
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby bve » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:47 am

aggie79 wrote:
bve wrote:how tight is too tight for 1/8th to bend? Probably already answered somewhere else - I guess I'll fire up the search engine.

The lower rear curve on my hatch has a 10" radius. With good plywood - 1/8" baltic birch - a 10" radius is pretty easy:

There is a 6" radius on the bottom front "roll pan" of my teardrop. The 1/8" plywood conformed to this radius, but it required a little "persuasion".

Tom

The top radius on this GH is 8" and is slightly less than 90* from the front face to the roof top (anyone know how to use the protractor in Sketch-up?). I figure the 8" radius should be doable with bendy ply and / or steam if needed, the bendy will almost do it on it's own without too much persuasion.
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby bve » Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:05 pm

After finding the 8' wouldn't hold a 'decent' sized cooler I took another look at going longer, 9'6" is where I am at now. As much $$$ as I'd save with an 8' I think I'd end up paying for in satisfaction - cutting an 8' Benroy profile and laying it along size a queen mattress was revealing in that respect.

Going 9'6" in addition to allowing room for a real cooler also should accommodate some storage in the nose.

I need to be weight conscious given the 2000# tow restriction of my Jeep. The walls are planned for glass & epoxy over 3mm outer and 3mm inner skins with a 3/4" frame. I'd double up the outer roof skin though.


Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

The idea behind the maple leaf is that it's an inlay of different woods/stains - or more likely an overlay of veneers. There is a name for the tear lingering behind the maple leaf, but I'll reserve mentioning it for now.

I don't know as I have the skills or patience to build this unit as a woodie, but I do know if I don't try I'll never know so...


Burke
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby High Desert » Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:30 pm

Looks sharp Burke. Since seeing your 8' idea I'd been playing with the sizing too and coming up with similar results lol. Things would allllllmost fit. I also like your thoughts on wall construction. Should be light and still have some R value.

I didn't see mention of it but from the shallow recessed wheel wells I'm guessing your design is five wide on a 4' frame?
Shaun

"it's not the years honey, it's the mileage"
High Desert
Platinum Donating Member
 
Posts: 8780
Images: 27
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:46 pm
Location: SW Washington state
Top

Postby bve » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:43 am

Thanks for the compliment Shaun.

It's too bad 8' is not quite enough room, before considering an 8' design I had looked into over-sized ply - the thinest I can get is 1/2" and the cost is not worth it at about $150 a sheet. I tried 8' to see what it would allow for, but when all is said and done it just isn't quite enough.

The frame I will be using is 47" wide on the rails, I do have flex-ride stubs so I don't have to recess the wheels, but I also don't really want the track to be much wider than the TV - so yeah 5' wide on 4'
Burke

KISS > COMPLEX
Image
Image

Build threads converted to PDFs.
As of 2008-08-08 I have added more build threads to the pdf collection
User avatar
bve
500 Club
 
Posts: 694
Images: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Top

Postby mikeschn » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:30 pm

Burke,

It looks good, but you'll have a hard time bending plywood around a 9" Radius. Make that radius bigger, and you'll be much happier...

Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...
User avatar
mikeschn
Site Admin
 
Posts: 19202
Images: 479
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:01 am
Location: MI
Top

Next

Return to Member Designs

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests