Oddly enough, I am making a teardrop trailer!

[mark6mueller]

Hi all,

I'm starting a teardrop toy hauler project. The main design points are that the trailer should ride really smooth and track well behind my Beamer, and carry my bicycles and gear inside and protected.

It doesn't need to haul a heavy payload. I expect to carry several hundred pounds of streamlined recumbent trike and camping gear. It's hard finding a pre-made trailer large enough to haul a few recumbents or a streamliner that won't beat the load up because it's made to be overloaded with bricks or firewood.

Here are some pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mark6mueller/MuellerTeardrop?feat=directlink

[mezmo]

Hi Mark6Mueller, welcome to the forum!

Your build pics are very interesting, even at this
early build stage.

May I suggest you consider doing a build thread
in the Build Journals area? I bet a lot of fellow
T&TTTers would be very interested in following
the build progress.

I like your nice clean profile design and
I have often wondered if a MacPhearson (sp?) type
independent suspension would work on a trailer.
It looks like you are going to be proving it will !

Keep up the good work !

[Shadow Catcher]

Looks like a good start and interesting design, and I will be following this one. I will second the, You should take this to a build.
We have wanted a recumbent tandem for years, but got a teardrop

[Darren]

Welcome Mark!

[parnold]

I like what I see so far!

[Mike-n-Britney]

Very cool design!

I love the strut suspension idea, but I'm curious about two issues: 1) While the frame design seems to be a stout design, it looks like the weight is adding up fast. 2) Will the spring rate be too high on the stock Saturn springs for the weight of the trailer and the cargo?

I guess if the trailer frame is stout and heavy, it will work better with the Saturn springs, but then it gets a bit heavy and cumbersome for the tow vehicle. Speaking of your TV, what type/series of Beemer?

I don't want to rain on your parade or detract from your idea and plan - these issues just came into my head and was curious about what you think about them.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Very interesting idea with the shock towers!



I would love it if you loaded it up with the expected weight and drove it down the road to see how it performed!

[mark6mueller]

Hi all,

Thanks for the positive comments. I was ready to hear an earful about getting too elaborate with the suspension. Today I completed the strut tower supports. I tried loading more pics in my gallery but it thought they were too big. I have been keeping a photo album on Picassa which is very easy. My computer automatically resizes and uploads the pictures that I select. It's really easy. Anyhow my brother and I jumped up and down on the suspended frame in unison and I like the way it bounces. It will be a soft ride. I think it will be about the right spring rate too.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mark6mueller/MuellerTeardrop?feat=directlink

I'll check out the build journals area and look into posting there.

I was a little concerned about the weight adding up too. My son looked up weights of Saturn Coupés and found the the rear is about 1300 lbs. That goes with what I hope the gross vehicle weight of this trailer to be.

I am towing with a 2001 BMW 325i. Manoeuvring is a pain with this car but once it's going it has all the power necessary. I am thinking of using the drum brakes that came with the suspension. I could even use the parking brake cables I suppose. Any thoughts on this?

Best Regards,

Mark.

[mark6mueller]

I started a build journal. The title is "Mueller Teardrop Cargo Hauler".

I am hoping to have a usable trailer by mid May!

Best Regards,

Mark.

[Mike-n-Britney]

Looks like you've worked all the numbers - and to me they seem right in line!

I'll be curious to hear how well the 325 pulls the trailer.

The only option I can think of for using the Saturn hydraulic brakes, is to use a surge brake setup - but that just adds complexity to the hitch and I've never been a fan of surge brakes. You might be able to replace the hydraulic wheel cylinders with electronic brake solenoids. That would be a trick setup! (But then you have to wire your car with a brake controller.) The emergency/parking brakes have potential - and I think would be nice to have - a convenient alternative to chocks. Mount an e-brake lever to the tongue - then you can back into a spot, pull the brake lever, unhitch, and the trailer isn't going anywhere! Heck, now that I'm thinking about it, I want parking brakes on mine!

Good luck on the build - we'll be watching!