Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I started a discussion on another post about the weight of my swing-up top on the Squidget GT (that’s Squishit to you Mike) that I’m planning. Since this has evolved into it's own subject, I'm starting a new post.

Even shortened from it’s original length, The top would still weigh about 50-55 lbs according to my calculations and that’s a lot for some folks to lift above their head.

I think I may have a solution for making the lifting of the top easier. As it goes up and back, the top, being hinged to the end panels, would take less lifting the farther it goes up as the end panels it’s hinged to will start to support more and more of the top’s weight. Fully up, the panels support all of the weight.

The only workable solution I've come up with is to use gas charged lifts that aid in lifting the rear hatches on SUVs and minivans. If I can find one with at least 20 inches of rod travel, I think this would work. I’ll have to check auto parts stores to find out. Or go to car lots and look at minivans and SUVs…lol. The lift doesn’t have to be strong enough to do all the lifting, just strong enough to reduce the weight by, say, half.

If I put the lifts in back with the extension arm pointed up, mounted to brackets attached to the rear wall and to each side of the top and the door at the rear so that they push up like they do in the vehicles. The lift will have the most “pushâ€

This morning, I found an email from Scott Adohen, who sells the Fantastic Vent/Fan. I had asked him several days ago if he knew the weight of one of those units and he didn't at the time. He fouund out and sent me the info. The 5000 seris like I used weighs around 11 pounds. So, with one in the top, that puts the weight up from around 50 pounds to 60 pounds or more. Now, a lifting aid is even more important, unless one wants to mount the fan in the side of the trailer and I'm not sure how watertight it would be mounted that way.

Is there any concern that the "easier" it is to get up... the harder it will be to get down? I know my wife's SUV hatch goes up real easy, but is actually difficult for her to get down... not really sure why.

michaelwpayton wrote:Is there any concern that the "easier" it is to get up... the harder it will be to get down? I know my wife's SUV hatch goes up real easy, but is actually difficult for her to get down... not really sure why.

Michael,

I did consider that problem already. I just emailed a company I found online that makes custom gas charged and gas/spring lifts. I asked if they could make a pair of lifts to my specs and at what price.

I specified a minimum of 17" of rod end travel that I would need, and specified that the pair combined be able to lift at least 30 pounds to support half of the cap's weight, but, NOT be able to lift more than 50 pounds so that the top will come back down on it's own, or with very little effort to pull it down. I want some weight left on the top so one doesn't have to pull the top down, and I want the top to stay down and not be pushed back up by the lift after you lower it to the roof.

If I could find a pair of lifts made for a vehicle with 17" or more of rod travel I might try those. How far do the rods extend from the lifts on your wife's SRV hatch?

cracker39 wrote: ... How far do the rods extend from the lifts on your wife's SRV hatch?

About 11 1/2", if I'm measuring correctly.

I had no idea that you were planning on building a "Squishit" (cute name, even if it wasn't intended). Don't know how I missed that.

While it isn't impossible, for this one, you might be better off with something other than a top-mounted Fantastic Fan because of the added weight and because of the need to run electrical on something that lifts and folds up. Here are a couple ideas:

- A non-powered vent weighs only about 3 lbs. You can rig an O2Cool or like fan to sit under it, when needed. Those fans are inexpensive, easily replaced, very adaptable, and can work on AC or DC trailer power or from batteries. You would have the added benefit of being able to put the fan in a window or wherever you want it. (This is the method that I’ll be using.)

- There are powered van vents that you can purchase. I would think that if they can be used in vans, they should be pretty waterproof. You might check and see if Fantastic Fan makes any of those.

- Yet another idea is to look at RV kitchen stove exhaust vents to modify because they vent out the side and may come with covers or flashings that prevent water entrance.

...Just my 2 cents.

any thought to a pneumatic lift cylinder.


http://www.llund.com/pne_cyl.htm

This little home made one still has me very curious. They say in the text dampening springs can be added. A tiny compressor would lift it slowly and a small bleed valve would let it close slowly.

Sharon, I'm working on the plans to sell, but not sure when or if I can actually build this camper (though I really want to). I'm working out all of the technical problems I can think of. I've thought of using a kitchen wall fan, but they are all 110 VAC. A vent only in the cap would allow a good airflow without the fan, but if I build tiis one, I'll put in the Fantastic Vent with fan. I'd run wiring to a socket in the roof and have a short cord on the fan that plugs into the socket once the cap is up. The cord wiould be only 15"-20" long and just hang down when the cap is lowered, or lay on top of one of the lowered side panels.

I evan have an O2 Cool fan that I bought for use in the Sqidget (in addition to my Fantastic Fan). The problem there is that mounted below the vent, The O2 Cool is 3 1/4" thick and I'd lose that much head room. It would work better mounted in front of a window.

I also plan on giving the builder the choice of this swing-up cap,or a smaller lift up cap like George Teague put on his Compact. That would allow one to only have to lift one end at a time and put up that end panel, then lift the other end and put up that end panel. (half the cap weight to lift at a time).

Bob Henry, I answered you post by email.

Can you not locate the vent on the portion of the roof not affected by the pop-up?

-Lighter pop-up.

-Eliminates the need and long term reliability issues of wires running to the pop-up.




Edit:

I like the way the gas struts work in their location; they follow the curve of the pop-top nicely and as such provide somewhat continuous lift throughout the curve of the pop-top's mechanism.

But:
Mounting them outside may be aesthetically unappealing to some and weathering may be an issue.

Is it feasible to mount the lifting struts under the pop-top?



BTW

We met. (Perhaps Anastasia but I am not sure.) You were in the Squidget at the time. I remember your camper well as it was nicely efficient and covered the needs of two very well. It is nice to see you're posting frequency rise of late with the drafting of a new camper.

Dale,

Look at Mc Master Carr, they have quite a selection of gas shocks. Great return policy too, just send it back. No questions asked.

Wolfgang

john wrote:Can you not locate the vent on the portion of the roof not affected by the pop-up?

A good idea that has both good and bad results. I could put the fan in the very front of the trailer, in front of the lowered cap now that is has been shortened, over the couch. But, that wouldn't do much for removing the warmest air in the trailer which would be up under the raised cap unless there was a vent there too.

The one drawback to that is the noise just inches from your head when the fan is on and you're sitting on the couch. I personally wouldn't want sit and listen to a fan so close to my ear while trying to watch TV.

So many choices and decisions to consider.

cracker39 wrote:

john wrote:Can you not locate the vent on the portion of the roof not affected by the pop-up?

A good idea that has both good and bad results. I could put the fan in the very front of the trailer, in front of the lowered cap now that is has been shortened, over the couch. But, that wouldn't do much for removing the warmest air in the trailer which would be up under the raised cap unless there was a vent there too.

Perhaps two vents then. One that has no fan in the pop-top and the other on the non-popping portion of the roof that has a fan.

With the fan blowing into the trailer at least some air would have to leave via the vent in the pop-top considering open windows.

Just trying to add complexity.

How about a couple car/truck Hood hinges with springs .... Easy to find at the boneyard , cheap ...Should really help with putting the top up ...

Dale; perhaps making the top out of foam core to reduce weight?

Here's another idea to use or file away for the future:

I saw a TD that Grant Whipp built for a fellow in which he used two PC fans, one, to intake air and one to exhaust it. They moved a considerable amount of air! PC fans are smaller and weigh less and could be put into the rising walls, either at each folding end or on the two folding sides, instead of on the roof. A standard metal home vent cover attached to the exterior might be enough to protect the area when in the up position. Nothing would be needed in the down position and you might be able to omit the need for a hanging, plug-in cord.