Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi, I'm Lyn and I'm cyber challenged. My pevous attempt at this has disappeared. So please be gentle with me. Computers make me . To the point. I am strongly considering a campster 12 build. I hope to start in March if the planets are in alignment. You know the ones-time,money,energy level, and Weather(this will be a driveway build and I live in Illinois and we do have winter here) permitting. I have a 12' plus Aframe, 84" wide former Aristocrat low profile travel trailer frame as a starting point. I would like to frame the superstructure with either 1 1/2 or 2" wood. The purpose being for the space to put insulation. (it is snowing as I make ths post) I'm thinking of building a jig and laminating to achieve that wonderful teardrop profile. So I have 2 questions. #1) what kind of wood to use to bend aound the jig and #2) how thick to rip the strips of said wood. I plan on pine for most of the sructure. Thanks!

Hey Lyn...Welcome...most any wood will work but ash, oak or sitka spruce are my favorites for bending. I suggest 1/4 inch strips, steamed about 15 min.

I did something similar on mine...first I made up a full size pattern and screwed on some dowels pieces along the desired profile. On each dowel I took a chisle and I knocked flat area for the clamp to rest...



Then I just steamed the strips and bent them around the form and clamped them to the dowels.



Worked for me!!!

welcome Lyn! best of luck with your build!

(i happen to be coming to the quad cities on Sunday for work on Monday... then off to Peoria!) === small world.

all the best to you!

tk

look forward to the pics!

Juneaudave wrote:Hey Lyn...Welcome...most any wood will work but ash, oak or sitka spruce are my favorites for bending. I suggest 1/4 inch strips, steamed about 15 min.

I did something similar on mine...first I made up a full size pattern and screwed on some dowels pieces along the desired profile. On each dowel I took a chisle and I knocked flat area for the clamp to rest...



Then I just steamed the strips and bent them around the form and clamped them to the dowels.



Worked for me!!!

Now that's one spiffy setup you got there - If you don't have the ability to steam, cut your strips a little thinner and glue and laminate a few strips together with a jig to make the curves

Lyn Kruckenberg wrote:.... I am strongly considering a campster 12 build...... I have a 12' plus Aframe, 84" wide former Aristocrat low profile travel trailer frame as a starting point.

If you plan on following the Campster plans exactly, you would need to modify that frame quite a bit - the Campster needs a wide frame at the front (to go around the dropped footwell) but a normal width further back (to keep the wheels within the body width). But if you don't mind losing some of the headroom, you can just leave out the dropped footwell and build on a standard frame.

Andrew

Lyn Kruckenberg wrote:I would like to frame the superstructure with either 1 1/2 or 2" wood. The purpose being for the space to put insulation. (it is snowing as I make ths post)

Welcome Lyn,
Mines 6 1/2' x 11 1/2', I framed thick thinking about insulation, I live in Indiana so fully understand the weather

If (when)I was to build again I'd go with a sandwich wall construction with a hollowed out 3/4" center for insulation to keep weight down a bit.
We had a gathering last Jan and it was below 0 at night and I had to turn down my little heater twice at night cause I was to hot to sleep.
We've got a gathering again next weekend, I plan to start with it turned way down.

It doesn't take much to heat a small space so give som thought before you build heavy, like my mini barn on wheels

Have fun keep reading and don't forget the

I used 1/8" pine...





Mike...

Welcome to the forum Lyn,

I've laminated profiles using thicknesses up to 3/8" in pine, photo below. If you are building outside you might want to consider a portable garage to keep out moisture during the build...

I set mine up on grf paper and then transfered 1 foot measurements to 4 pcs of ply nailed 2gthr.... I took a piece of slender molding and rapped it around the nails I had pounded into the ply. I scrb'd a line and that became my cut.... I sanded the edges and went from there....

Gadzooks....... I didn't think any single person owned that many clamps, let alone more than one person...

Dale

Hey guys! Thanks for the resoonses I apreciate it! But now I have another question. Steaming was mentioned prior to bending. I had planned to use lengths of 2, 4, or 6' etc. so as to stagger the seams. So how does one go about steaming material those lenghts? And to Andrew- My plan is to strech the campster to 12' 10 3/8" rather than modify frame length. The only structural mod I plan on the frame is for the foot well. This would result in a "tread" of roughly 10" to get to the well. I would have an addtional 10 3/8" at the 59 1/4 dimention. I have bult 2 prevous trailers. One was a 2x6 frame, corners gusseted with 3" angle. I used a Chevy Citation rear axle complete with coil springs, shocks, and panard bar. It was 4x8. Used some old spring loaded pop up arms. It went to Yellowstone and back in '91. Will maybe share about the second one another time. More elaborate. Have some pics of it. It also wet to Yellowstone in '04 I think. Have also owned a "foldup", 3 travel trailers, and currently own a popup. The popup's vynil ends are shot so it will donate it's electrical system, sink & fresh water system, 'fidge, and furnace to the campster. I have already picked a name. It will be known as the Tearoid denoteing it's size a teardrop on steriods. anyhow to Jst83, Not sure what you mean "holled out 3/4 center". Is that like the pictuures of Grant holding the ply with lighteng holes in it? Thanks again gang. Assuming I go for it hope to meet you all at some campout or other.

Lyn Kruckenberg wrote:anyhow to Jst83, Not sure what you mean "holled out 3/4 center". Is that like the pictuures of Grant holding the ply with lighteng holes in it?

Not sure what pic your referring to, Here's a post I copied from another thread. I'm sure that there are other pics but this is the first I came across. Hope this helps.

john wrote:I built up my walls and made them 1" thick.
3/4" ply was cut out for weight savings and voids filled with styrofoam.
I them covered both sides with 1/4" masonite on one side and luan on the other.
The 1" wall turned out being a little hard to trim around the doors.
A 3/4" wall would have been easier as I would have been able to find trim to fit much easier.

Gadzooks....... I didn't think any single person owned that many clamps, let alone more than one person...

Eric

Hi Lyn, good luck with the build. I'm in Warrenville, about 30-40(?) miles west of you. The way the weather has been lately, we will be lucky if it's nice enough to even go outside, let alone build in March.