Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I know my pencil drawing is rough, but here is the latest version of the Buffer Zone TTT. It is on a 6' X 10' frame with 1/2" overhang front and back and 1/4" on each side to give the final body size of 6 1/2' x 11'. The side walls will be continued over the frame to give it a lower look.

The roof height will be 6 1/2' outside from the frame rails.

I know the drawing may be hard to see, but I would love to see any feedback. I am not computer drafting literate.

Thanks to all in advance!

[img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?image_id=39442[img][/img]

Here is a quick sketch, hopefully it is better to see than what is above.



I will be rounding all the corners and joints for a smoother look all around.

Hi, Joshua:

Here are a few thoughts to help you in your design quest...:

- What will you be towing with and how much weight is it designed to pull?

- Is there a legal limit of trailer weight allowed in Kansas before you need to add brakes?

- How tall and wide is your tow vehicle? Will your design stick above and/or outside of the tow vehicle's parameters? In other words, will you design cause much air-flow drag?

Best Wishes,
Sharon

Thanks for the reply Sharon,

I originally planned to tow with my 06 Suzuki Forenza wagon, but with it's 1,000 pound towing capacity, I was afraid I could be in danger of overloading the car once gear and food was added in, so I will use my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. In it's current set up I am rated to tow 5,000 pounds, so I should be fine. I can't imagine I will much exceed 1,500 lbs with trailer, even if I over build it. I salvaged the frame I am using from our old starcraft pop up that had seen better days. Then I lightened it up by taking out unneccesary metal on the frame. I was able to shed about 400 pounds or so. I will end up adding 200 back in once I put four corner jacks on it and a few other misc items.



Since this trailer was originally meant to be under 2,000 pounds, Kansas does not require brakes or a license plate. However, I see that Starcraft was thinking ahead and put a backing plate on the axle, so I will be adding electric brakes to it when I grease the bearings.

As for bad air, I have no doubt there will be some. The pop up was wider than the Jeep and I know this new design will be taller. Although my drawing skills are poor, my woodworking skills should allow me to make a more contoured front end on the trailer. I have read the air issue threads and understand that punching a hole is the same no matter how aerodynamic, so I will have to deal with the issue to gain the stand up room in the trailer.

I appreciate the questions you have. I truly wanted a teardrop or at least a low profile version of what I have drawn up, but the wife says she wants to be able to stand up in it, so she gets at least half the vote on this. Sometimes her half is the only one that counts though.

Thanks again!

For anyone that is reading this,

I spent the weekend busier than I would like, although we did get some camping in this weekend. Spent the Friday-Saturday at Clinton lake. It was beautilful other than it drizzled on us and the tent all morning. That inspired me to get the lead out. Spent Sunday afternoon repacking the bearings and putting on new wheels and tires (will post picks very soon). I also cleaned up the frame and put some rustoleum on it. I think if I don't get some wood on this thing I will never get it going, but I want to make sure the rolling chassis is ready for it. Other than the brakes I am installing, it should be ready now. Thanks to War Pony for offering up a tour of his trailers.

Hang in there, pics are coming!

I worked on this drawing a little bit lately and modified the outline a little more to give me the more rounded corner look I was wanting. Please check it out and tell me what you think.

Here is the drawing.


Here is a picture of the completed restore on the pop up trailer frame.

Looks like a good, solid chassis! Looking forward to watching your build.

Working on the build. Here is a picture of the proposed floor plan.


Not sure why some of my lines did not convert over when I shrunk it down ???

Can I see a side view of that, with the door and the fender? I'd like to see how you packaged that.

Mike...

Joshua wrote:Working on the build. Here is a picture of the proposed floor plan.


Not sure why some of my lines did not convert over when I shrunk it down ???

It looks like the door might be behind the fenderwell?

The reason I ask is because I always had a hard time packaging the door in the rear of a teardrop profile. The roofline was too low, and the door was too skinny.



Of course I could have done a backwards teardrop, or I could have made the door wider and notched the bottom to clear the fender, like a slumbercoach. But the screenshot you see above is a far as I got with the design.

Mike...

Yes Cliff it is behind the area where the internal fenders will be.

Mike-The reason I didn't put it in the front was because the Beds and cabinets would be in the front or over the axles, so all the weight should be toward the front. The rear roofline should be about 6' 6", so there should be enough roof for at least a six foot door. I am only 5'9" so that should be fine for the height. The only profiles I have are list a little higher in the thread and the wheels will be under the body as it used to be a pop up. Basically a pop up that doesn't pop down.

So it will have a more squareish profile instead of a teardop shape.

Thanks to both for your comments.

mikeschn wrote:The reason I ask is because I always had a hard time packaging the door in the rear of a teardrop profile. The roofline was too low, and the door was too skinny.



Of course I could have done a backwards teardrop, or I could have made the door wider and notched the bottom to clear the fender, like a slumbercoach. But the screenshot you see above is a far as I got with the design.

Mike...

Mike: the human body is narrow at the top and at the bottom....who says doors have to be Rectangular?....narrow the door around the head area..widen it for the torso, then narrow it at the leg/foot height...(Oval?)

That would surly be a uniquely difficult and strange hinge arrangement

agreed...so how about oblong? Just straight enough on the long axis to allow for a two hinge placement in the center third of the door?

You are right---get some wood on or you won't get it done. We are gathering at Crawford lake in Farlington the first weekend in Oct. Hope you can come down.

The design for me looks difficult only because the curves on top are so tight. You might need bendy ply to make that.

the top bunk is going to interfere with tv watching too. All that can be worked out as you go.

The door won't get in the way if you put it all the way back. Those wheels stick up and you will need to deal with that if you keep the closet. Or at least it looks that way. You might want to do a true scale drawing and check that out.