angib wrote:This is a neat design idea and if trailer length was a particular concern (like on some ferry crossings, or maybe just for storing in a garage) then it would be great. But apart from that, I don't think it's a big benefit to make the trailer so small and I would give three reasons:
- it will certainly be a lot more work to make the trailer with a fold-out section;
Perhaps. But more work isn't necessarily a bad thing.
- the cross section is the same as a regular teardrop, so it won't have any less drag when being towed;
-
Probably. That wasn't really a factor in the design, though.
making the fold-out is likely to be as heavy as a fixed trailer.
The weight issue isn't obvious but I think, although a 'canvas' and tube frame sounds light, there is a lot of stuff needed to make the folding floor strong enough and to hold it in position, so the weight saving would get lost by the time everything was included.
Not sure I agree on this part. The floor of the tip out is the same as the front of the trailer. It would be exactly the same whether it tipped out or not. The question becomes one of whether or not the sides of the tip-out, the hinge and the top weigh more than if one had simply built a couple of 3'x4' walls.
On this tipout, the sides (the semi-circles) are not load bearing. They could be something as thin as luan and be just as functional.
The only purposes they really serve are to fill in the sides and to add shape to the roof. Nothing more.
From what I saw in the Chateau Mobile campers from the 60s, three light weight aluminum tube spars should be sufficient to support the vinyl roof. I suppose we could confirm this through Zac but I doubt that a couple of feet of vinyl would weigh more than a typical roof system... even a foamie.
So, unless those hinges are awfully heavy (which is always possible, I suppose), I'm not sure I'm seeing where the huge weight drain is coming from. Although, I suppose it could be said that the front of a regular camper could be made out of something lighter than the ply being used to make the floor of the tip-out. Ultimately, though, we're talking about a 5'x3.5' area.
While I haven't done the math I'm not sure that this would end up weighing substantially more than the Explorer Pods.
Other than that, while the 48x40 HF trailers don't weigh much less than the 4x8, they are readily available and cheap.
Rarely does a week go by on CL where you can pick up a brand new one for well under $200. The 4x8, not so much. People buy them and then realize that they're probably not big enough for what they wanted to do. So they get rid of them.
For that matter, you can usually grab a brand new one for around $175.
Sure, you can usually find a used utility trailer on CL that's bigger. But, they usually cost more. And those that don't are usually older ones that are a great deal heavier.
So, making use of these things that would otherwise be considered a throw-away can have benefit.
This would be a niche type camper for sure. But then, there's something to be said for a unit that can be squeezed into a garden shed and still have room for the lawnmower.