Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

This tiny motorhome is for sale in Long Island, NY:



http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/rvs/250383767.html

It's a MiniHome design by RQ Riley on an air-cooled VW Beetle/Bug chassis - the plans are still available! The MiniHome web page has interior photos - along with fashion shots that would shock even Ira...

However the seller is asking $16,500 which seems silly money to me, particularly as a North-Eastern Bug may not have much of its chassis left after 20-30 years. But his price seems to be dropping, so maybe he thinks so too.

Andrew

How hard would it be to design something like this on a different chassis, say a new beetle?

Scott F.

Scott

I've toyed with the same idea. There are a lot of mechanically decent front wheel GM cars out there. Ugly, but serviceable. (Or Ford, or VW).

It seems it is something that could be done, but no one has bothered, probably for good reason -- it would be a lot of work.

I have often wondered about a small motor home that was the size of a pickup camper, maybe 8 feet long inside 6 1/2 feet wide, with some kind of a pop up top, maybe like the "Compact" that Andrew designed.

dave

There is one of those for sale up in Holbrook, AZ on route 66 in the old part of town.

s4son wrote:How hard would it be to design something like this on a different chassis, say a new beetle?

Pretty much impossible. The air-cooled Beetle/Bug had a platform chassis that was sufficiently self-supporting that some or all the body can be cut away - as is/was done on beach buggies and numerous kit cars, as well as the MiniHome.

All modern cars have monocoque/unibody construction and if you remove the top of one of those, it will collapse. The convertible New Beetle would be slightly easier to reinforce than most cars, as at least its sills are already reinforced (because it doesn't have a roof), but there would be a lot more work to remove the rear bodywork while still leaving sufficient strength.

It would at least be somewhat easier to convert a front-engined/front wheel drive car than the rear-engined Bug, as you wouldn't need to leave access to the engine!

The easy alternative is to move to Europe, where small car-based vans are available in chassis-cab form:



Andrew

angib wrote:


The easy alternative is to move to Europe, where small car-based vans are available in chassis-cab form:



Andrew

Wow! You could build a tear on the back of that one and wouldn't need a tow vehicle. Danny

I once proposed grafting a front wheel drive car onto a tear, something that Red Green might do.

In europe it would be fairly simple, it seems.

dave

halfdome, Danny wrote:Wow! You could build a tear on the back of that one and wouldn't need a tow vehicle.

Apart from the shape, here they are:



What you'll like less is the price - with the current low value of the dollar, these motorhomes cost $50,000!

Andrew

I used to have a camping van (and a car as well)... got tired of maintaining 2 vehicles, 2 insurances, 2 registrations, 2 taxes....

My tear cost me $6.00 year in taxes (they still think it is a utility trailer built in 1940).

angib wrote:This tiny motorhome is for sale in Long Island, NY:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/rvs/250383767.html

It's a MiniHome design by RQ Riley on an air-cooled VW Beetle/Bug chassis - the plans are still available! The MiniHome web page has interior photos - along with fashion shots that would shock even Ira...

However the seller is asking $16,500 which seems silly money to me, particularly as a North-Eastern Bug may not have much of its chassis left after 20-30 years. But his price seems to be dropping, so maybe he thinks so too.

Andrew

Andrew... I've seen quite a few campers added to various mini PU's over here:

Cops are lookin for this one? Best sample I could find in a hurry.

Here's one on a VW Rabbit from a while back:


Of course... there is always India. Over there they will make you whatever you want...


...Right now... While you wait... In the street!

Ya know,,,,,

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I remember seeing plans to build one of those in Pop Mechanics or Science. Thought about it, but quickly decided against it.

I never got many miles out of a pretty standard VW engine. Seems I was rebuilding every one of them yearly. Imagine putting that much weight and wind resistance on one.

My VW van had a heat gauge and it would scare you as temps went way high in a 45 mph screaming struggle up a long hill.

The concept of the old VW was so brilliant. Everything is simple and bolts together so easily, but that engine was never adequate.

dave

dwgriff1 wrote:The concept of the old VW was so brilliant. Everything is simple and bolts together so easily, but that engine was never adequate.

dave

I've had several Bugs over the years (still have quite a few, including the 77 sunroof that I am currently driving), and never had trouble with the engines. The early ones were definatly underpowered, but would run forever if you kept the oil changed. Their simplicity is what kept VW building them for over 50 years!

I raced off-road in the 80's, and as you increased the horsepower, you decreased the engine life, but I think that is true of most engines. The basic VW flat four was the platform for many race motors over the years. In the 70's, 80's, and even up into the 90's, most 2 wheel drive off road racers were running a VW based flat 4.

Now days, most of the fastest dune buggies are running other engines, but there are still several classes of racers running VW based engines in the desert.

Back to the original post, I wonder what kind of mileage that motorhome gets, considering the overhand in the front. I've thought about building one several times over the years, but I just doesn't seem practical (although it would be a conversation piece!).