Slight Design Wonderings

[burlesot]

Thank you to all of those on this forum. I've been literally obsessed with reading posts here for a good two weeks now. My wife is a bit tired of hearing me go on about how this teardrop is going to be so incredible! She's the rational one in our relationship and I'm the dreamer! So, I know I won't be able to start building my tear until after I finish graduate school (next year is my final year, seriously!) but I am in the process of building models of the designs I like. I think this will be a good way for me to 'see' the various design features that I want to incorporate.

Here is where I need the 'boards' wisdom.

I LOVE the simplicity of the 'Vacations in a Can' 4 x 8 trailer
http://vacations-in-a-can.com/trailer-sales/orange-pop-specs-base-price/op8-2/




My wondering is about the front of the trailer. The image above is rounded. I'm planning to build a trailer that is 5 x 10 and am planning to use the generic plans found here on the site. Does anyone have a thought about the round front? I like how the door echoes the front curve and was wondering how much more complicated it would be to adjust the profile to look more like the Orange Pop profile.

Thanks for your insight.

Todd

[angib]

You need to think through the implications of the rounded shape.

If you keep the same 8ft long body and shorten the floor to make the front curve, the main implications are:
- the floor gets shorter and you either accept a kick-up in the floor near the head of the bed, or you move the bed backwards, making the galley smaller;
- the trailer frame also needs to be shorter, which is not ideal if you want to use a Harbor Freight trailer.

If instead you lengthen the body and keep a 8ft long floor, you now need sheet material longer than 8ft to make the sidewalls, plus you need to make a longer tongue for a Harbor Freight or similar trailer, since the body now extends well forwards of the frame.

A rounded front with a custom-made trailer frame is not difficult, but you still give up some interior length.

[parnold]

The fact that you will need wood longer than 8 foot is the only real concern. That little amount of roundness will only be inches when measured at the mattress level. Splicing wood isn't that big a deal. If you're planning on solid sheets, or skinning with aluminum, then the cost can rise dramatically.

[burlesot]

I'm going to show my lack of experience at this point, but I guess that is what this board is designed for right?

What if you took the generic benroy profile and just added the radius at the bottom?



It looks like there is ever so small of a 'lift' at the bottom, which is where your pillow would go.

Thanks for your patience.

Todd

[wagondude]

If you just want to radius the bottom corner for looks but leave the rest of the front as designed, you would end up with a small radius bend in your lower frontwall plywood that will be almost impossible to achieve without deep kerf cuts. You would more than likely end up breaking even 1/8" ply. The only reason the bottom curve works for those trailers is because the curve is carried the full front of the trailer and over the top through a smooth, increasing radius. If you add length to the cabin to compensate, you run into the issues stated above. Get a 4x8 sheet of cardboard and start drawing profile shapes on it to see what works. Start by drawing the Generic Benroy profile in one color, then adjust the profile to a look you like in another color. You can then adjust between the two in a third color to get your final shape.

Bill

[burlesot]

Great idea Bill,
I'm working on a model right now.
Thanks,
Todd