"TrailTop" modular trailer building components

[jscherb]

Catching up on this thread because I do a good bit of fiberglass word and love what you are doing. Don't you want the body of the strut on top to help maintain the oil on the seals?

The gas struts are installed.

I used to think that was the rule, but as I was shopping in the junkyard for struts, I saw them mounted both ways. Most were mounted as you say, but some were the other way.

When I bolted these in place, I didn't give it any thought, so they ended up as you see in the photo. But what you're saying probably is a best practice, so next time I have to unbolt them I'll reinstall them the other way around.

[jscherb]

One more quick sewing test before I sew the side panels for the tilt-up camper - I wanted to test sewing in the plastic retainer strip that secures the bottom of the panels to the tub.

When I built my yellow trailer, I put Wrangler soft-top retainers on the top edge of the tub, they're done in black bedliner in the photo below. A plastic strip sewn into the bottom hem of the panel slips under the retainer, the same way the Wrangler soft top side windows work:





The plastic strip was cut from lawn edging I picked up at Lowes.

And one more sewing test below... the photo shows the inside of the piece I was testing above, you can see the plastic strip sewn in, but also on the other edge of the fabric I've sewn some 1" wide webbing inside the hem. The upper edge of the panels will be secured to the inside of the flip-up top with snaps; the webbing ensures the fabric edge has plenty of strength so the snaps will never pull out.



I have a couple of other sewing tests I want to do with the window screens, but since my first step will be sewing the side panels without windows, and then adding the windows as a second step, I'll do those tests when I'm getting ready to do the windows. For now I've done all the testing I need in order to sew the side panels.

[jscherb]

I was going to begin sewing the side panels for the pop-up camper today, and I did something I rarely do - I decided to make a design change at the last minute, so I put off the sewing for a few days. I was thinking about the space in side the pop-up, and decided it would be really nice to have a bit more headroom. So I swapped out the gas struts I was using for a pair that's a few inches longer. The extra height provides enough room so that the mattress could be on a raised platform at the same height as the inner fenders, and still have enough room to sit up comfortably on top of the bed. Raising the bed 15 inches off the floor would provide tons of storage underneath.

The new struts provide an additional 10" of headroom at the peak. A few photos with the new struts:





Here's a video of the new struts in operation:



I'll begin sewing in a few days, I've got to do a little replanning on things like zipper lengths first.

I'll do some drawings of the canvas redesign, also a drawing showing the bed on a raised platform, stay tuned.

mgb4tim: You might notice that I oriented these struts the way you suggested .

[jscherb]

An xray view of what the space inside the tilt-up camper will be:



In the next view, I've drawn a bed platform roughly at the top of the inner fenders. There's about a foot of storage underneath. Because the sleeping platform is above the inner fenders, the sleeping area is the full width of the tub - almost 5'.

[mallymal]

Great work as usual!

But hey, I'm not sure this fella needed to take off all his clothes for his "x ray"

[jscherb]

Great work as usual!

But hey, I'm not sure this fella needed to take off all his clothes for his "x ray"

Actually he has shorts on. But in the illustration in question, the shorts are hidden by the tires/inner fenders .

[mezmo]

Not as 'universal' or versatile as your design, but similar for
a TD:

http://www.chukicaravans.co.uk/chuki/

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[jscherb]

Not as 'universal' or versatile as your design, but similar for
a TD:

http://www.chukicaravans.co.uk/chuki/

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

Norm,

Thanks for the link. When I originally designed the TrailTop system of parts, I had two different types of DIY-ers in mind. One type I figured would want to design their own custom camper based on TrailTop parts, buy the individual TrailTop parts and assemble the parts into their design.

The other type of DIY-er I had in mind would be interested in more of a bolt-together kit approach like the one in the link you posted - the design and the important details are already decided by the company that offers the kit. In this case, a company could offer, say, an 8' teardrop kit, and would provide all of the TrailTop parts already cut and assembled, so that the DIY-er would only have to add his own plywood panels to the frames to complete the basic shell. The DIY-er might buy a kit from a company that looked something like this (not all of the TrailTop parts that might be included are in this drawing):



The side frames would be pre-assembled as shown above, ready for plywood to be bolted or glued in place with adhesive. This type of kit would be for the DIY-ers who wanted to build their own camper, but didn't want to go to the level of detail that the guy doing his own custom design might do.

[jscherb]

I finally got some time today to start the sewing of the tilt-up tent canvas. Didn't get too far yet, but here's the first side panel in place. The plastic retainer strip has been sewn into the bottom of the panel, and it's tucked up under the retainer rail on the tub in these photos. The use of the Jeep soft top retainer rail system worked out really well.

For the moment, the top of the panel is temporarily stapled to the wood rail under the cover; that gives, that gives me a chance to adjust it perfectly and mark the exact location for the top seam and snaps. The tall end is not yet hemmed.





Tomorrow I'll get the top seam/webbing and snaps in place.

[b.bodemer]

What a great project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barb

[jscherb]

I finished sewing the first side panel. Here's an inside view showing where it snaps to the hard cover. I'll put a window in it after the other side panel and the end panel are complete - my goal is to get the complete shell done first, then add the windows.



Next I'll make the other side, it's a mirror image of this one, so this one will serve as the pattern for it.

[jscherb]

The second side panel starting to take shape:



Tomorrow I'll finish the second panel and then I'll start on the end panel.

[bc toys]

I like this I have a jeep and think it would look great behind my jeep and I could get out of here and get to camping are you going to sell it as top and canvas or the hole trailer

[jscherb]

I like this I have a jeep and think it would look great behind my jeep and I could get out of here and get to camping are you going to sell it as top and canvas or the hole trailer

Actually I don't sell anything, I just design and build these things as a hobby. But sometimes companies license my designs and offer them for sale, for example, the Jeep-tub trailer kit is licensed and marketed by Compact Camping at: http://www.dinoot.com

There has been interest by several companies in the TrailTop modular component system, discussions are in progress. Whether or not one or both of those companies signs up to market the TrailTop system, and whether or not they'd also offer the canvas components, I don't know at this point.

Thanks for your interest.

[jscherb]

Basic sewing of the tilt-up side panels is complete. Next I'll sew the back end panel, and when that's done, I'll add the windows. Some shots with a tow vehicle:







This is probably all the sewing I'll get done on this project this month. Tuesday we're off in this Jeep to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, a trip that will take most of the rest of the month. Between now and Tuesday I doubt I'll have much time for sewing, lots to do to get ready for the trip.