Moon roof

[scotty_pac]

I went out to the desert (Joshua Tree) a couple weeks back. The sky was cloudless and for the first time I saw the stars under a dark sky in the desert. My friends even showed me how to spot satellites. Man was it amazing. Whilst going to sleep in the TD I would have loved to have continued watching the stars. It made me wish my TD had a big ceiling window near the roof fan. So is it possible to install a moon roof (Window) on an already built TD? Has anyone tried this yet?

[PKCSPT]

It is one of two things I wish I could add to mine

[bc toys]

yes you can install a moon roof I have seen a couple on here 2 bits had the 1st one I remember on here

[Gage]

If you want a sun roof just be sure to plan ahead and know exactly what you’re going to do because once you cut the hole there is no turning back.


You can see the complete story HERE.

[scotty_pac]

Gage, that's what I'm afraid of. Any leak issue with yours?

[KCStudly]

What no one seems to be answering is the part of your question about it being an "already built TD", not a new build in progress.

Just some random thoughts on the subject that you may wish to consider:
Did you build it, or do you know who did; and if so, is there an accurate record of where the roof spars are located, what size they are and how deep/thick? If it is a manufactured camper maybe the maker could advise you.

Can you tell where they are by looking at the inner/ceiling skin? (Do you have an inner ceiling skin?) Staples, trim, use a magnetic stud finder to find any fasteners?

So you are going to need to figure out:
1) Where your existing roof spars are, and determine how much space you have between them.
2) Where the wiring is if any of it runs in the roof. It is very common for the wires to run thru the roof.
3) The curvature of your roof.
4) ...probably something else that I have not thought of.

If you are 100/ct guaranteed that you are going to commit, you could decide on the location and size that you want and do a little exploring. By drilling a small exploratory hole in your ceiling panel in the field of where you want the moon roof to go, and then probing thru the hole with a piece of wire, you will be able to get a pretty good idea of how much space there is, where the adjacent spars are located, and if there are any wires in the way.

If it looks problematic from here, it would not be too much trouble to patch up the small hole and call it off.

If the spars are closer together than the front to back width of the window you intend to use, then you will likely have to header off at least one spar.

If the curvature of your roof is severe and you plan to use a preframed factory made window, you may have to make your rough opening larger so that you can build out the headers and spars to create a raised flat frame for the window (kind of like a skylight on a house, or Sharon's Myaway pop top tiny camper that has a raised lip all the way around the top opening. (Not sure that this will be aesthetically pleasing to your profile.) Options include using a piece of plexiglass or Lexan. Thinner sections have quite a bit of flex and can conform to a radius, or thicker pieces can be heated to allow forming (be careful tho, forming can tend to ruin the already not great optical quality).

I can tell you one thing, the more I think about it, the more I think that it is a bad idea, at least not if you don't know the answers to these questions. New construction? Sure, go for it. Easy enough to design in the features needed, but in a rework situation, kind of a lot of unknowns conspiring against you.

It's certainly doable, but you will want to know what you are getting into before you take the plunge.

[GPW]

Here’s my no-hassle Moon roof ....

[scotty_pac]

KC, thanks for the detailed reply. I have a Cozy Cruiser. They don't come with insulation so the spars are exposed. I agree the more I think about it, the more I think it's a bad idea. Since Cozy Cruiser is far from where I live I would only bring it to a professional teardrop manufacturer or builder to do. But again, I think there's a big risk in F-ing up a beautifully built teardrop.

[doug hodder]

Back in the mid 70's it was all the rage to install one on a car that didn't have a sun roof. I had one installed by the dealer on a brand new car, and I think it was about the dumbest thing I had ever done. It was plenty hot even with it opened, had to put some tint on it, and was a notorious leaker. I'm sure they are much different now, but I'd pass on it. Doug

[Racquetman]

Scotty Pac, How long have you had your Cozy Cruiser, and are you happy with it? The reason I ask, is We ordered one and are set to pick it up in May. I was a little concerned about the fact that it is not insulated, but when I saw the trailer in person I was impressed, it seems like its well built. But I also thought a skylight would be nice, after hearing some of the comments, I not so sure it's a good Idea.

[scotty_pac]

Repeated post. Please disregard.

[scotty_pac]

Racquetman, I've had the Cozy Cruiser for about 1.5 years. Before I decided to commit with the Cozy Cruiser I did some extensive research on other companies out there. For the price, I feel Cozy Cruiser is the best new teardrop you can get functionally and aesthetically without breaking the bank. It's well built, nice inside and out. Even though it's doesn't have foam insulation the plywood still keeps the warmth in. I always kick the blankets off when sleeping and it still retains heat especially with two people. If you camp in the snow you can always buy a ceramic heater or electric blanket.

Although I'm extremely happy with the purchase I do have a list of pros and cons. But with the cons as with most other adversities in life, there's a solution.

The overhead shelves provide great storage, but you don't have a solid wall to lean on. For example reading a book or just sitting. Solution; I bought a Thai Triangle support pillow and it works as a solid object I can lean on.

The windows only open and lock in one position. If you only wanted to crack it open slightly you can't. But I ordered some tabs and installed myself so now it can stay opened all the way or 1/4 way.

The screen doors get in the way of adjusting the curtains and window. Looks like you can take the screen off if you don't want them. I also might install the curtain on the inside of the trailer instead of on the doors.

The galley is excellent. I have the classic model with single level counter. Great storage and function. If you notice on some teardrops galley there's space between the edge of the cabinets and the end of the teardrop. This one foot of space or so forces you to lean in to access the counter. The Cozy Cruiser's counter comes almost all the way to the edge so you don't have to lean in. Don't have any cons with it.

For the front wheel, I prefer the type that is able to fold up and down. I'm thinking of doing the upgrade in the near future.

It doesn't have stabilizing jacks so if its unattached to the tow car, it rocks. I had some installed and it sleeps solid.

If you're a sensitive sleeper, I would recommend not buying their mattress and have them deduct the money and buy your own. The one it came with is too soft for me, but that's just personal preference. My wife doesn't mind it. I put in a futon and now nice!

The max roof fan is nice as it's designed keep rain out when it's open.

Overall, a good buy. The little improvements I made adds personal touch and felt satisfying and was fun to do. But with that a little more cost, but what doesn't cost?

Future plans are adding a roof rack and some type of portable sink.

My teardrop is the one on Cozy Cruiser's website under classic bunk "upgrade options" model. It's the one with the aluminum fenders and aluminum doors as theirs comes in black. Let me know if you have any other questions and congrats on your purchase. You won't be disappointed.

[Racquetman]

Hey Scotty-Pac Thanks for answering my post! It sounds like you did alot of research before buying your CC, it sounds alot like what I did. I was looking for about a year, online and in person. The first trailer I looked at was a well built home made 6by8 and it was pretty, red and silver, but it did'nt have much storage and the guy wanted 13,900, to much for what it was in my opinion, and he is still trying to sell it. The second one I saw was a 560 campinn, beautiful trailer, but the guy paid somewhere between 25,000 and 29,000, I'm not saying it's not worth the price, just not worth it to me. We have seen about 11 or 12 trailers in person. When we saw the CC, we felt like it was well built, practical, and affordable, and we felt comfortable with Kellie and Jayson. Thanks for the heads up on some of the cons about the trailer, I'm sure there will be some changes we will want to make. We are having some modifications done on the trailer, I'm having Him put a rack on top, stabilizing jacks, back up lights, some extra outlets, and adding 1foot to the tongue. I ordered the silver package, but we changed it because my wife likes the black doors and fenders better. Do you use a side tent or a canopy for the back? And if so, what kind? Thanks so much for the info. Ernie

[scotty_pac]

Ernie, no side tent yet but thinking about getting the camp inn one. As for back canopy and set up I like the one jack Berber of tiny camper uses. I think it's a REIGN canopy. Going to my first gathering next month to see what the TD masters set up looks like.

[Racquetman]

Yeah I'm begining to think it would be a good idea to go to a Gathering even if I don't have my TD yet, we would be able to see lots of set-ups, and make a better choice. I would like to find a side tent that is 6 by 6 or 8 by 8, we have to black Labs. Looking for a way to attach it to the side door, I've check with Little Guy, but they say their side tent won't work on the CC, so maybe we'll have to figure a way to customize something. The Tiny Trailer Guy (Jack) I think uses an REI canopy, but then some of the reveiws say it does'nt handle the weather very well, I wonder if any of them do? The Tiny Trailer is one of the TDs I looked at, beautiful trailer, well built, but to small, and no option for electrical, anyway thanks for the help.