Standing clam-shell mousetrip sleeper

[Bluebunny]

Hi Folks! Newbie here...Here is a new design that is intended for a 5x8 utility. The woody part is 14 feet long including an aero tail which doubles as a porch awning when shell is raised. Sorry so difficult to understand the drawing; it was not intended for presentation. Everything is hard-sided; a single hinge at the leading edge, with nested hard sides, solid folding rear-entry door and back wall. 9 sheets of 1/4 ply, three sheets of 5/8 ply. wadduya think?
King Regards, Butch

[bc toys]

welcome to this great site like you ideal on the clam shell

[Pmullen503]

Nice. Are you going to have some mechanism to lift the top?

[KennethW]

I think you will have a hard time getting it water tight.
You have to set up to get any thing inside of it like any popup.
Makes the build a lot harder with little gain.
No galley?
But it is cool looking!
This site is all for reinventing the wheel(camper).
This it just my thoughts

[Bluebunny]

Hi Folks, The intention is that everything is all set up within the height of the closed position. Two bunks, a microwave, storage, no galley, air conditioning, lighting - that's it. I will struggle to keep the weight at 1000 lbs. lift will be assisted by gas springs. As to water-tightness, building it instant-boat stitch-and-glue construction. The hinge will be fabricated like a giant piano hinge with a flexible water-tight membrane within it. More concerned with window leaks than the rest of it. Intended for long distance towing behind my VW Golf diesel so light weight, hard-sided, and aero is important. I am kind of a crickety geezer, so standing up inside is important. Intention is to park, unlatch, lift, relatch, fold down rear wall, climb inside, and go to sleep. Get up in the morning, reverse procedure, and hit the road...

What will be my experience with uninsulated 1/4" plywood?
Kind Regards,
Butch

[Bluebunny]

A little closer view...

[Pmullen503]

Not much better than tent as far as warmth based on my experience with ice fishing shanties.

You may want to flatten the nose a bit for easier hinging. It will be in the slipstream of the TV so it shouldn't have much effect on aerodynamics.

[KennethW]

I take it you are open to ideals. How about instead of raising the roof, lowering the floor behind the axle?
(some canvas sides and snaps?)
It might be easier to setup and pack-up, without the heavy lifting.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=57589 Just for ideals
Just remove the last cross beam and move the second to the last cross beam on the trailer.

[M C Toyer]

Butch -

I like the concept. I use a similar design on a 4 x 8 frame to transport my dual sport motorcycle and camping gear though is more utilitarian and less aerodynamic than yours. I copied the profile from my 47 KIT. With the bike out it allows for sleeping room and access to waterproof boxes that carry cooking and other camping gear.

The upper shell was constructed from EMT and initially capped with a canvas bikini top but have since made a full canvas cover. Since it lifts there area no zippers or openings and it also covers the front hinge and overlaps the joint between he upper and lower shells when closed for transport.

If I understand your design the windows would be in the lower half of the shell and fully covered by the solid top half when traveling so leakage should not be an issue. If you go with the 1/4" sidewalls windows from a pick-up truck cap would work well. They are available fixed or sliding and have a thin profile and full rubber mounting seal.

[Bluebunny]

Pmullen,
Thank you for the bare ply comfort input. The nose IS flat across the front, and has a triangular tongue box in front of that. As I look at the hinge length of 36", it may be a little short. I'll review and maybe stretch it a little longer. Thank you.
KennethW,
I wondered about lowering the floor, but to be able to get the trailer into my garage AND have standing headroom, I needed the clam design. Thank you.
M C,
I am struggling with opening windows due to space limitation, and was settling on non-opening portlights in the front and sides. The rear wall will allow some openings. And then...POW! You are awesome! I had not considered windows in the bottom shell - DOH! Thank you! I have room for two nice ones in the lower side wall - and protected when travelling! Thanks!!

This will be a complicated build, in that the designed in curvature for a bottoming and topping interlocking rail on the lower shell that need to mate with a double-edged middle rail attached to the top shell. sort of a vertically oriented []> >[]> >[] series of bent board laminates (top shell gets middle rail) that seals it in the up or down orientations. All of the plywood curves are not difficult; easier than a plywood boat.

Another challenge is the hinged rear door. The lower rear wall is fixed to the lower shell, with a door-way cut through. The top wall is fixed to the upper shell, and seals everything in the clam-down position. The door is mounted in a doorway of the top wall, with the bottom half of the door piano hinged to swing out and up before lowering the clam. The clam hinge location allows the back walls to swing clear and back into place - to seal up or down. but the door will be tricky to get right. Nothing impossible, but the details need working out. The tail lights are in the awing/tailsection.

I'll be in the drawing phase another month or three, then will scale model the critter. Building phase this winter is for an 18' ply rowboat, so plan to start ttt construction next winter.
Butch

[Pmullen503]

Now that I look closer at your drawings I can see the flat hinge line.

Instead of bent laminations for the seal, couldn't you just use a long, curved piece of plywood and make angled cuts like a long curved french cleat system? Yours would be three pieces instead of two with angled cuts on both edges of the middle piece.

[pchast]

If you are using stitch and glue you can likely use lighter plywood than what
you list....

[Bluebunny]

Hi Pmullen,
The french cleat type thingy that you beautifully illustrated is sort of what I had in mind. I chose a double angle due to the need to shed water at the bottom joint when closed. I also need about 1-1/2" of section thickness to hold the curves of the ply (i hope that is the correct amount). I added a ply section in the mix to ensure the correct shape; bending laminations and gluing for final accuracy is beyond my comprehension without the ply form. Pardon my crude sketch attempt to detail the idea...

Many thanks to all input, including the criticism. How else will I avoid a failure?

Kind Regards,
Butch

[KennethW]

{{KennethW,
I wondered about lowering the floor, but to be able to get the trailer into my garage AND have standing headroom, I needed the clam design. Thank you.}}

I was thinking a drop floor that you would drop to the ground(or just above the ground) when camping , Not just a lowered floor.
But the clamshell would be fun if you can pull it off.

[Pmullen503]

................. I chose a double angle due to the need to shed water at the bottom joint when closed. .............

Kind Regards,
Butch

But if water gets past the "point" it still gets trapped. Why not allow the top to extend a couple inches below the cleat and overlap the lower (fixed) section. That should be more water tight while the top is down and being towed. You'll want to make some provision for draining any water that gets in there. When the top is up, rain can get to the bottom cleat.

I understand now that the cleat needs to be bent to follow the curved sides. I was thinking the seal was curved only to follow the bottom edge of the top. Pre-laminating the curved cleat stock is a good idea. The 1/4" ply will follow the curve of the cleat, not the other way around.

I'm following this with interest. I got an old popup with no canvas left for a price too good to pass up. The lifting mechanism is still good so I've been thinking about a hi-lo or clam shell design. I'd do it in foam (at least for the top).