Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Decided to use 1/2" electrical conduit pipe for the framing instead of 1" PVC pipe. Takes up less space in the camper.



Using these heavy duty rubber cords makes it a lot easier to tie down your EZ-UP shelter. Because the legs don't have any give in them you can get your tie down ropes tighter with these cords. And the ropes will stay tight.

Bob, looks as good as ever! Do you have threaded fittings on the pipe? Second question, how do you have that tied with the piece of wood?

Bob,

Tell me you used 1/2" EMT and bent the corners into 90's and put it together with set screw couplings.


However you did it, it looks good.

Miriam
The pipes are not threaded. Just held together with the set screw couplings. I could have used threaded plumbing pipe but then the frame would have been heavier. If this EMT pipe doesn't hold up I'll just go back to PVC pipe.

If your asking about that wooden dowel attached to the rubber strap the link to Flickr will show how I tied things together.

Mike
I did use 1/2" EMT. I don't have a pipe bender so I bought the corners already bent. If I had a pipe bender I would have used it. That would have cut down on some of these couplers making the frame a little less wobbly.

These set screw couplings were not designed to be used the way I'm using them. I had to drill a hole in the pipe for the set screw to go into the pipe to keep the pipe from pulling apart. And on one side of the coupling I had to drill out the set screw hole so I could use the pins to be able to take this frame apart.

Even though the connection won't pull apart, it's not a tight fit. So one side of the frame has to be attached to the camper and the other two corners have to be tied down with guy ropes. When you do that it doesn't move.

Some of the thumbnail pics have text explaining the pic. Just click on the pic to see the text.

http://www.flickr.com/gp/12715809@N07/m1N457

Thanks Bob! Great pictures.

Thanks for sharing! Nice concept!

Looks a little big? What are the dimentions? 36"X36" would be big enough but by your picture (front fiew) it looks to be about 5'.

That's a cool idea, I wonder if you had an awning over it if you could do away with the ezup?

Mike & Miriam
Glad you liked the pics.

Bruce
The size is 6' x 6'. The wife uses a walker to get around so she needs a little more room. We also keep other things in there like a porta potty, chair and a cooler. If you just needed something for getting dressed then like you said a 36" x 36" would be big enough.

Johnny
That would work. I have done something like that using tarps but we like the EZ-UP better. We sometimes camp where there are no trees so the EZ-UP gives us more shade.

Love the colors!

Thanks Sid
When your color blind you never know what wild color combination you're going to end up with. I don't worry about matching colors.

I just love it.

Bob,

Thanks for the inspiration. I've been thinking of a conduit frame also.

My idea was to run the conduit through screw eyes and extend the conduit across the camper and have a 36 x 36 "privacy area" on both sides of the tear. Would come apart with set screw connectors just like yours for storage.

One question, How did you connect the vertical supports???? I don't remember seeing emt T's -- but there again, I don't work with this stuff all the time.

Thanks,

Geron

Hi Geron
Have you looked at my pics in Flickr?

http://www.flickr.com/gp/12715809@N07/AG566T

The first two pics show how this guy did his. This may be close to what you are wanting to do. I believe his is about 3' to 4' square. And the whole frame is attached to the camper. The rest of the pics show how I connected everything and how I attached it to the camper.

Let me know if the pics answered your question.

Yet another great idea SmokeyBob!

Todah

Todah
I already have a idea on how to make the connecting joints less wobbly. I'll have to put that hold for a few days. Wife and I are going camping at Lake Whitney, Tx. Going to try out the new A/C and see how the shelter holds up in the wind. If I don't forget the camera I'll take pics.

Ya'll have a good time at the lake. Today, the last day of summer, was soooo beautiful!

Todah