anyone seen this?

[aratman]

Has anyone seen one of these or is there a build?

Don

[doug hodder]

I haven't seen one of those, but do like the lines on it. Got a name for it? Doug

[ATXKJ]

I'm pretty sure someone posted a link in one of the Winter Warrior threads - but I can't find it now.

Google found this
http://atomicaddiction.blogspot.com/2009/07/best-pop-up-camper-ever.html

but if you search for 'Odyssey' travel trailers - you get Australia.

[aratman]

I was hoping for more info

[Shadow98258]

Ok so that blog does not exist anymore. Any other info on this trailer? It looks awesome and reminds me of a 50's era Corvette. I would like to see it set up. Where were these pics taken?

[logman7777]

Should be able to emulate the lines with stick and ply construction. I did a search myself about a year ago when the wild goose profile was rambling around in my brain. Didnt come up with anything different than you did. Good Luck searching or building one!

[bgordon]

Hi,

It is called the "Odyssey". Was built in the late 1950's.

I have never seen the inside. I mailed the guy who's trailer that is (when the thread was still live), but he never opened the trailer up.

I have a few other photos of the trailer. I'll see if I can find it.....

[PKCSPT]

I really like the loo, hope someone builds one someday

[bgordon]

Hi,

I found this image of the patent document in my album. Still looking for the other pics...

[bgordon]

Hi,

By the way, I wanted to build something like this, but on a smaller scale. I crunched the numbers, and realized that this design will only work if the trailer is as long as the original Odyssey (about 16 feet, if my memory serves me right). I tried to adapt the trailer for a ten footer, but if the length is shortened to ten feet, the roof will not lift high enough for a person to stand in.

The second problem is packing space. In the original Odyssey this wouldn't have been a problem, since it is huge. If it is scaled down, packing space becomes a problem.

If someone can adapt this to a smaller dimension, it would be cool. However, as far as practical and small designs are concerned, I think Mike's Rockhopper is probably a better design.

[bgordon]

Hi,

Okay, here it is, as promised...

















I even did a mockup of this on SketchUp... (In 2008).




Lastly, and probably most important: the patent number. 2,920,919. If you search the US Patent Office, you can see exactly how it worked...

[rmclarke]

Barrie,
Thanks for posting those pics....I have been looking for that design for some time. I think a design something like that could work rather well made of foam (at least the top lifting part) and if the front was hinged a lot lower down, ample headroom could probably be created with a shorter overall length if the front profile was changed enough......off to the drawing board.

[bgordon]

Hi,

I am glad I could help.

When you study the patent documents of the Odyssey, you will notice that the top of the trailer lifts at the back AND the front. . It does not simply hinge at the front, but lifts almost the entire height of the trailer. Doing something like this with a homebuild will certainly complicate the build considerably. That is why I believe that Mike's Rockhopper design is better suited to homebuilders. The front of the Rockhopper is much higher than the Odyssey, which allows for a simple hinge and not the more difficult pulley lifting mechanism (at the front).

[mezmo]

Hi Barrie,

Thanks for posting the pics. I always thought the Odyssey an
interesting TT, but had only seen about three pics of it.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[bgordon]

By the way, the SketchUp picture of the Odyssey (above) is where I tried to shorten it. In that picture the trailer was shortened to 12 feet, or 3.6m.

The Odyssey design might work as a homebuilt if the front profile is heightened (made higher). Doing that will essentially transform the Odyssey into Mike's Rockhopper. Personally I would have hinged the Rockhopper more to the front, which would have given more headroom.

I would have hinged the Rockhopper something like this (notice the grey line):