Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **shetterly** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:30 am

I'm in Tucson. I've learned where the local Harbor Frieght is. My trailer's nearly assembled. Now I've got to decide what's going on it. When I've narrowed the possibilities some more, I'll be asking for advice.

This is a mighty nice site!

Will

by **mikeschn** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:36 am

Hi Will,

Welcome to the forum...

I put an Escape Hatch on my HF trailer!!

Of course, you haven't given us any clue what you'd like... Wide? Light? Woodie? etc...

Mike...

by **shetterly** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:36 pm

Mike, glad to be here!

The quick answer is "many impossible things." Quick to build, cheap to build, easy to build, easy to tow, and beautiful. Oh, and fit on my new HF 4x8' trailer.

I have a crazy notion based on the stretch version of the <a href="http://mindismoving.org/hexayurt/">hexayurt</a>, a temporary shelter made from 4x8' insulation panels and and very strong tape. If you squared off one end of the stretch hexayurt, you would have an arrow-shaped shell that's 10' long, 6'11" wide for most of its body, and 6' high in the center. The squared-off rear would allow for a larger door than a side entrance.

I would keep the interior construction extremely light, maybe using fabric and PVC pipe or even lawn furniture to create a very simple interior space, some sort of foldable bed, a screen for a human version of a cat box, a little table, a 12 volt cooler, and not much more. I'm not too worried that I would make the thing too heavy. I'm mostly worried about how it would tow behind our '93 Toyota pickup.

So, questions I should probably ask in specific threads include:

1: How much overhang can you put on a 4x8' trailer and still expect to tow it reasonably well on the highway?

2. Is it insane to consider putting together a trailer shell with something like the black (UV-resistant) version of <a href="http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_6069.asp">3M 890 Super Strength Strapping Tape</a>?

I look at the amazing trailers that people have made and am in awe. But I also look at the amount of time people put into building them, and I know that I'm not in a position to do that.

I have read over the Weekend Warrior plans, which are great. But I want something a bit more versatile, I think. Though that could change.

It needs to sleep two. My wife's 5'11" and 140 pounds; I'm 5'8" and 155 pounds. I would want it for light camping, not for parking in the middle of nowhere for weeks. (Okay, I would like to do the latter, but that's not a requirement now. I'm thinking of this as a test trailer, something simple that can be improved after a few trips and we get a better idea of our needs.)

Will

by **madjack** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:45 pm

I absolutely love new ideas and innovation comes from thinking outside the box, but are you seriously expecting to tape together some foam panels and expose them to(near) hurricane force winds, and other attendant forces that are applied while towing??? Ya better think this one through a little more thoroughly...
madjack

by **mikeschn** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:25 pm

Will,

I don't think taping something together is a good idea. Anytime you take something on the highway, you are putting not only yourself at risk, but all the people on the highway are also at risk. You don't want that liability.

But if you are looking to build a mockup or a prototype, and take that on the road, you could always double the number of screws, and not use any glue.

The spacing on a piano hinge comes to mind for screwing without gluing.

If you haven't checked out the weekender yet, check it out here...
http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/

If that's what you were refering to when you said "weekend warrior" then tell me, how you want it to be more versatile? I don't think anyone here has designed a teardrop the morphs from one thing to another... remember that toy, what was it called? Ninja Mutant Turtles, or Power Rangers... that converted from a vehicle into a person?

Mike...

by **RAYVILLIAN** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:40 pm

Will
Hi I'm the other outside the box guy. Have looked at yurts before as portable shelters and have heard of them taking hurricane force winds. I'd agree with Mike and Jack about not trying foam board and tape but you might get away with the foamboard with full fiberglass with epoxy resin skin or a darcon airplane dope skin. I'd think that you would want to at least glass tape your inside seams to. My problem with just the foam board would be that I wouldn't think that the material it self could take the wind pressure with out breaking.

The shape of the elongated Yurt might have some possiblities with the front coming to a point. Shouldn't have much wind resistance.

Does your Toy have a 4 or 6 cyl. My Ranger has a 4.0 v 6 and handles my 1600 lb Warrior no problem.
Gary

by **shetterly** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:25 pm

Madjack, sorry I didn't fill in more details! Much as I would love to just duct tape some foam boards, I have been thinking about elaborations on the hexayurt plan for strength. For example:

1. Glue two thin panels, like 1/4' plywood, to sandwich a 1" thick Super Tuff R.

2. Create an interior frame of wood or PVC pipe. (Pipe could be useful for running cables, as well as giving structural strength.)

3. Wrap the whole thing in something like painted canvas.

I have to admit that I've just fallen in love with another plan, though: <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~g.teague/index.html">Compact GT</a>. (Yes, I need to read the help file to see how URL tags work here.)

Mike, piano hinges present interesting possibilities. I find myself thinking more and more of something that would be useful in both a basic and a raised or folded out configuration--like your escape hatch! Or a pop-up of some sort.

I may be unnecessarily concerned with height, but my wife is tall, and I think it'd be nice for her to be able to stretch when waking up on a rainy morning.

Yep, it's the weekender that I was thinking about when I said "weekend warrior." I haven't eliminated it as a possibility. I just keep thinking about your observation that you can't have everything, and with a weekender, I gather you can build fast or build light.

The weekender with a popup roof could be sweet.

Gary, I have thought about making a fold-out hexayurt that would unpack really quickly. But I can't think of a version that would let me grab a nap at a rest stop without taking five minutes to set up the hexayurt. Still prioritizing!

I'll look into both "full fiberglass with epoxy resin skin or a darcon airplane dope skin." Thanks! So far, all I've done when thinking about skins is wander through Lowes wishing they had a tiny trailers section.

Our Toy is a 4 cylinder, and I'd like to tow a trailer long distances, so light weight and a strong exterior are high on the priorities.

Thanks, all!

Will

by **mikeschn** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:39 pm

shetterly wrote:
The weekender with a popup roof could be sweet.

That's what the Escape Hatch is... Have you seen it?

If not, it's in this thread...

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=10864

Mike...

by **shetterly** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:48 pm

Mike, hadn't seen that. Great job!

And definitely more for me to consider.

by **angib** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:58 pm

From my experience of building bits of motorcycle fairing with Corriboard (the two-skin plastic with flutes in between, used for light signs) and duct tape, I can say:
- their use above 100mph is unproven, but fine up to then;
- their use for more than 3 years is unproven, but fine up to then.

Andrew

by **Nytewyng** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:16 pm

If you want reasonable check out this thread http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=11038&highlight=

by **ARKPAT** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 10:23 pm

shetterly Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:36 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike, glad to be here!

The quick answer is "many impossible things." Quick to build, cheap to build, easy to build, easy to tow, and beautiful. Oh, and fit on my new HF 4x8' trailer.

I have a crazy notion based on the stretch version of the <a href="http://mindismoving.org/hexayurt/">hexayurt</a>, a temporary shelter made from 4x8' insulation panels and and very strong tape. If you squared off one end of the stretch hexayurt, you would have an arrow-shaped shell that's 10' long, 6'11" wide for most of its body, and 6' high in the center. The squared-off rear would allow for a larger door than a side entrance.

I would keep the interior construction extremely light, maybe using fabric and PVC pipe or even lawn furniture to create a very simple interior space, some sort of foldable bed, a screen for a human version of a cat box, a little table, a 12 volt cooler, and not much more. I'm not too worried that I would make the thing too heavy. I'm mostly worried about how it would tow behind our '93 Toyota pickup.

So, questions I should probably ask in specific threads include:

1: How much overhang can you put on a 4x8' trailer and still expect to tow it reasonably well on the highway?

2. Is it insane to consider putting together a trailer shell with something like the black (UV-resistant) version of <a href="http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_6069.asp">3M 890 Super Strength Strapping Tape</a>?

I look at the amazing trailers that people have made and am in awe. But I also look at the amount of time people put into building them, and I know that I'm not in a position to do that.

I have read over the Weekend Warrior plans, which are great. But I want something a bit more versatile, I think. Though that could change.

It needs to sleep two. My wife's 5'11" and 140 pounds; I'm 5'8" and 155 pounds. I would want it for light camping, not for parking in the middle of nowhere for weeks. (Okay, I would like to do the latter, but that's not a requirement now. I'm thinking of this as a test trailer, something simple that can be improved after a few trips and we get a better idea of our needs.)

Will

Will I'm using steel clad insulated exterior door panels ( 1 1/2" thick R19 ).They are plentiful around here. The method of attachment is screws attaching the panels to each other and to the frame.The style that I'm doing is close to a "Weekender" and "Boxter". Madjack I tried this weekend to upload some pictures; but I haven't been successful yet.I will keep the photos and will get them uploaded for you to look at.

:thumbsup:

Pat

by **shetterly** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:20 am

Andrew, that's great to hear!

Rob and Deb, thanks; the link's inspiring.

Pat, I'll be watching for the pictures. And looking for some door panels to examine.

by **jay** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:49 am

how far outside of this alleged box are you willing to go...?

http://www.theboatshop.com/plans/nimrod.shtml

by **shetterly** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:20 pm

Jay, great link. But you realize you now have me thinking I need to make a trailer and a boat?

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Have trailer, will build

Have trailer, will build

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