Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I can't see spending $50 plus on a simple door, so here's what I'm planning. The window is permanently fixed with separate vent holes. The window/screen as one system is what creates the complexity. I plan to drill the vent holes upward to minimize rain leaking into the interior.

I've also toyed with the idea of placing an intake duct into the floor, but finding the right place is difficult.

Has anyone else built something similar and had wished they had designed theirs differently?

Where are you going to get fresh air? A roof vent will not be enough in my opinion.

The door holes are for air intake and would exhaust out through the top using the 120mm computer fan. I was thinking of doing this to both doors.

Without knowing how much air flow is required, it's difficult to design this.

At the moment I am not doing a roof vent, it is framed for one but i feel that the over sized windows i am putting in will provide enough ventilation. One thing i did toy with in my head was drawing air up from underneath the trailer in a 4 inch PVC pipe aided by a 12 volt fan. also my bulk head i was thinking of putting some vents in as well getting air from the galley area. that can wait though.

Without knowing how much air flow is required, it's difficult to design this.

If you try to imagine sitting/sleeping in your trailer when it is above 80 degrees, you will probably conclude that at least two windows of reasonable size are needed to get any kind of air movement.

Having a vent in the floor, and a vent in the roof really should be part of the overall design.

Without multiple points for fresh air to get in, get out, and actually move in-between, your trailer will be just an expensive oven that will leave you, the owner builder wondering why you didn't just spend the $50, or whatever it costs to buy an operable window...even x 2 is not too much.

It goes along the same lines as building a nice trailer, and then putting worn out ready to pop tires on it because you are trying to save money.

Saving money, not being extravagant, being thrifty, etc, etc, is a great plan.
You can save a ton and have just as nice a trailer as anyone else, but, if you can't afford windows, or tires, or other critical parts, it may be time to question if you can afford a trailer at all?

Rob

Got to agree with Rob here. Do it right the first time or spend a lot more money fixing something that does not work. I see a problem with the holes in the door as it will also let in water, bugs and dust. The air inlet space should be at least as many sq. inches as the (fan) exhaust is. Shop around for some windows that open. The more air in the more comfortable you will be. I found an RV at my local junk yard and got 5 windows for 40$. There are plenty of ways to save money and still get a quality build. Good luck with whatever you decide.

You'll need a fairly powerful fan to suck in enough air through those small holes...the holes have to be able to supply enough air to not strain the fan. Plus the only time you will get any airflow is when your vent fan is running. If you have windows in the doors that open you can create a natural draft just by leaving the windows and the vent open. Under hotter conditions you can supplement the natural airflow by running your fan.

I gotta go along with everybody else...do it right the first time!

As Mike the site admin guy always writes on his posts..."The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials". You will be hard pressed to find better advice than that!

Forest 747: "not doing a roof vent...over sized windows i am putting in will provide enough ventilation."

I would think long and hard on this one. When do you need cooling and ventilation the most? When the air is hot and stagnant. If the wind ain't blowing you will get no cross ventilation to help cool your camper. If you are in a forest setting...same thing, no breeze. With a roof vent, even without a fan running, you will get a natural chimney effect...cooler air in through the windows and hotter air rising and leaving through the vent. No vent...no natural air flow up. In a small box like a teardrop I would think a roof vent or powered exhaust vent of some king was almost mandatory. I paid $40 last year for my exhaust vent w/fan. Good investment as far as I am concerned.

you can get some cheap RV windows from this guy: http://www.ebay.com/sch/bottomdollarsurplusinc/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

Breezy

Breezy13 wrote:you can get some cheap RV windows from this guy: http://www.ebay.com/sch/bottomdollarsurplusinc/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

Breezy

Wow!! I wish I had seen this guys stuff before I bought a lot of mine. But truly, with windows as low as $15, there's really no reason to depend on little holes for ventilation.

I second (and third and fourth) what everyone else is saying. If you don't provide adequate ventilation for your comfort (and safety) you may end up with something that is so unbearable to camp in that you end up losing interest in it, instead of it being something that provides you with years of fun and memories. And a space that small, even in decent weather, can quickly become hot or cold or muggy or just plain stale inside very quickly without really good air flow.

Breezy13 wrote:you can get some cheap RV windows from this guy: http://www.ebay.com/sch/bottomdollarsurplusinc/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

Breezy

Thanks for posting that. Looks like he is located in Bronson, MI and that is not too far from Elkhart. I have another trip to the RV/Motorhome Hall of Fame scheduled early this spring, and I am guessing that I will be ready for windows by then. Wonder if he would let me pick things up rather than having them shipped? Hmmmm.....

Tom

Tommy there is a hugh RV salvage center right in Elkhart.....


http://www.rvsurplus.net/

bobhenry wrote:Tommy there is a hugh RV salvage center right in Elkhart.....


http://www.rvsurplus.net/

Thanks for that link Bob. I visited them when I was up there last month, but I wasn't sure what kind of windows I was looking for, since I had always planned on making my own windows up until just recently.

It is a huge place with everything you could possibly need, it was just overwhelming when I wasn't looking for anything in particular.

Tom

Even though you vent holes would be drilled at a 45 degree angle, I'd still be concerned about water getting though them when driving at speed in a rainstorm.

I concur with everyone else about putting in reasonable windows for ventilation...

Good luck!

bobhenry wrote:Tommy there is a hugh RV salvage center right in Elkhart.....


http://www.rvsurplus.net/

Thanks, Bob!!! I need to visit them sometime.

Verna