OK, here's mark 2

[mallymal]

Following very helpful feedback from many of you, I had a good look at the axle position, and reworked the design so that:

It still recycles my old tent trailer, which had a 84" body, with the axle bang in the centre (the red line shows this for reference)
Uses 10 x 5 sheet for the sides (have found source of Birch ply, and also investigating TRESPA)
Extends the body forward, leaving the axle at 40% from the back
Will accommodate me at 6'4" I think

It is based on the Grumman 2 profile, which I think is very elegant, but will have a slightly raised bed to sit over internal wheel arches (because of the donor chassis). My only worry is that the tongue is quite short (he said doing a quick simutaneous translation from the English, and there's probably no room for a tongue box).
Here's a link to the design http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=42197

And BTW, sorry at this stage I'm just a parasitic noob drinking in all your great ideas. Once the begins they'll be pix, honest (and you can laugh at how small the average UK garage is!)

[aggie79]

Looks good - similar to the profile that Planovet (Mark) is building.

I wish we could get Trespa reasonably priced over on this side of the pond. It would sure make for an attractive and simple build.

[Arne]

http://www.arcat.com/arcatcos/cos38/arc38661.html

don't know about 'reasonable'..

[planovet]

Looks good - similar to the profile that Planovet (Mark) is building.

Yep, mine is based on the Grumman 2 design also. But I did the curves a little different:



I'm looking forward to seeing your design take shape mallymal. Just remember, take lots of

[mallymal]

Thanks for all the encouragement you guys.

Re TRESPA, it seems really expensive here too. Spoke to a supplier whose list price for 10' x 5' sheets in 1/2" was about £400 each ($800!!!!). Just mad, even though it's lovely stuff, especially the metallic silver. Pic of TRESPA now in my album.



BUT>>>> he did have slow moving stock, undamaged customer returns etc, and I haggled him down to £120 a sheet ($240). Still pricey, but then you wouldn't need tons of epoxy, layer after layer of urethane. And certainly over here, Ally is pricey too if I went for a skin.

So, lots of thinkin to do.

[navigator]

Get 'em on ebay, ony $535.000 each. You have take all 84 of 'em, for a mere $45,000.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Solid-Acrylic-Tresp ... 286.c0.m14

[mallymal]

Wow what a bargain I wonder which truck they fell off the back of!

I'm sure none of you will be tempted by that Ebay bargain, but in case you are, note that it's for TRESPA ATHLON - designed for indoor use in washroom cubicles etc. The external stuff for cladding buildings is TRESPA METEON.

Trespa is tempting, but I'm still wondering how few mechanical fixings I could get away with, when I glue up my sandwich wall - kinda spoils the point of it, if it's coverd in screw holes! (although they do colour matched screw covers I think).

Anyway, don't be too depressed! As a limey, I can now shout "Hurrah - thank you TRESPA.... something that for the first time in the zillions of posts on this forum is actually cheaper in the UK!!!!!!!"