"1/8th Nelson" teardrop, now on the drawing board

[Roly Nelson]

Having just recently purchased a '93, 4 door S-10 Chevy Blazer, I began checking out the size of the cargo area when the seat is folded down and the tailgate closed. It measures 74" long and the flat floor between the fender wells is 31 inches, the ceiling is 31 inches high as well.

Hmmm. that means that if I were to build a 100 lb, 72" x 31" teardrop chasis only 31 inches high, I could slide it out at a campsite, set it up on some 12" sawhorses and bingo.......a wheel-less, tongue-less teardrop. I've already built a scale model out of cereal box cardboard and added a sliding door to match the rear door on the Blazer. A removable table-top area can be slid out once set up and the hatchlid lifted. Hey, most of my camping will be solo, so 6ft by 31" is plenty of room for me.

The first tear I built was named the "1/2 Nelson" because I spent half of my time designing it, the second had to be the "1/4 Nelson" since it is only 6 ft long and weighs 245 lbs. My 10 ft Standy, Kenskill has to be the "Full Nelson", so logically this one must be the "1/8th Nelson" It's kind of nice to think I could haul my "tear" to a gathering and not worry about rain and ice storms enroute.

In order to keep from being booted out of any Gatherings, I plan to have fake, fold-down wheels and fenders flip into place once set up in camping mode. Any comments, negative or positive? Projects like this keep me out of the bars and off of the couch, getting fat watching the Oprah show. Got to keep the creative juices flowing, after all, in another 30 years or so, I'll be out of the mood.
Roly Nelson .............. ?

[dwgriff1]

it is an absolutely insane idea. I like it.

dave

[Wimperdink]

My eyes are baited and ready for pics.... Love to see the idea's in cereal box form as much as watching them take shape. Will the slide out still be in the shape of a tear? Being as it isnt traveling and being stored outdoors for anymore than camping time it shouldnt take all the extra work that a trailer should take huh.

I still think the 1/4 nelson, if it had the wood vent roof and wood satalite dish, would be my #1 pick out of a very long line up of tears. Is that one finished btw?

[packerz4]

would you have more room if you just re-designed the inside of the truck? take the seats out etc...

tk

GO FOR IT!

[Roly Nelson]

The flat, rear platform area above the gas tank is the same height as the flop-down back of the rear seat, so redesigning the interior of the Blazer wouldn't gain any more room. Yep, it would still remain shaped like a tear, rounded in the front, sloping at the rear and a hatchlid to boot. Basically all it would be is a floor, 2 ridgid sides and an 1/8th inch rounded roof, just like a real teardrop. Total estimated build time.......one week. Cost should not exceed 100 bucks.

Entry would be made through the sliding door on the side, and if it gets to raining too hard, it could just be slipped inside the Blazer where I can wave goodnight to all, when going nightie night. At home storage would be up on end, against the wall within the garage, using up only 31"x31" of floor space.
Roly, thinking........here I go again.
(PS, the 1/4 Nelson Stacker is awaiting a paint job to become roadworthy. An in-house kitchen remodel sidetracked it, along with the complete rebuilding of the interior of my 10ft Kenskill Standy.)

[Miriam C.]

Just one thing Roly, Why don't you use fold out stabilizers that look like wheels to to sit it on. They could even fold out and roll to let the thing down.

That should keep you outta Oprah's clutches.

You know we want pictures---right

[halfdome, Danny]

Roly, I have a 99 Blazer & had an 85 too and have tried to sleep in the back. Between the wheel wells there's just barely enough room for one short person. It's not the most comfortable space I've ever slept in.
So my question is "Do you really want to sleep in there?" Danny

[Roly Nelson]

Aunti M, any thickness below the floor will only constrict my headroom, so stabilizers are out, but 1/4" fender skirts and fake wheels and tires are being considered, but must fold up flat under the floor.

And Danny, I went out and measured the distance between the fender wells and I was mistaken, it is 37 1/2" not a mear 31". That makes it only 10" less than I have in the teardrop which is usually shared with the sweet wife, which allows only 24" for her and 23" for me.

I slept comfortably in another Blazer of the same size during a round-the-clock job I had. This was for many nights, while supervising the repair of a number of supermarkets damaged during the big Northridge earthquake here on the west coast some years ago.

Being only 5' 9" tall, the 6 ft length is no problem for me. True, the interior of the slide-in unit will be slightly less than the 37 1/2, but I'm sure I can manage for a night or two. Of course the sweet wife wouldn't even consider joining me in that little thing, so my camping will be done solo. However if I come across a good looking 18 year old blond that has no place for her frail and aging 75 year old great grandmother to sleep, I may reconsider..........Naw, just kidding, not after 55 years of married bliss. (oh oh, wife looking over shoulder, gotta bail)
Roly