Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Here are a couple images of the teardrop that has been rattling around in my brain over the past few years. Still working out the bugs on the design in my computer and trying to figure out all the little details. I am an industrial designer for John Deere so my work carries over into my personal life but in a fun way. This design I plan on building in a few years when I can find the time and space to work on it. Please let me know what you think of my handywork either for my design or my computer work. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks for checking it out. Dave

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Above you will see the progression of the design and what the trailer would look like with the skin on it and also a couple views of how the foam would be added to the framework. The foam would make the trailer cooler or warmer depending on the climate and also help in keeping the shape while adding fiberglass for the outer skin. The idea of an aluminum skin like an Airstream trailer would also look excellent and would be possible with the right amount of work and expertise. I decided on having two doors to the teardrop as it would make it easier if one person on the wrong side of the trailer needed to get out during the night. I created the design using SolidWorks and final rendering of the model trailer in the garage was done using Blender 3D. At work at John Deere I use ProE software but this cannot even come close to making a render like the garage views. I have worked with Blender 3D for around seven years now so it has been a labor of love to create this model among other projects that I have done. Gives me a good idea of how the finished trailer would actually look. Enjoy the images and thanks for checking out my handy work. Dave

Very cool indeed!!! If you don't build it, someone here will sure want to!!!

That is one very nice design. Not sure that I would want to be involved with all thos radii, though

Cheers
Paul

Ooooh! Oooooh! Ooooooh! Now that's niiiiiiiiice.

Build that thing!

Tooooooo Cooooool! and it will be covered with?

John

With the parts that I have designed for my teardrop a large number of radius parts as you can see would have to be made. I was asked about this a while back about how to accomplish this task. The simplest way would be to have the parts made using an CNC machine. It would be a bit pricey but would make construction easier, faster, and much more accurate. The framework voids would be filled with solid foam and then the entire structure would be fiber glassed. I am working on refining the design to eliminate the framework for the most part and glassing the cabin inside and out. I still have to experiment with the process to see what can and cannot be done. Dave

WOW! Dave, that is beautiful! The curves are niiiice! Could you maybe cover the straight sections with 1/8" plywood and use foam and glass only on the compound curves? Just a thought.
Sam

Sam I am wrote:Could you maybe cover the straight sections with 1/8" plywood and use foam and glass only on the compound curves?

That's how I would tackle it.

S E X Y ! ! !

Dave... Very nice renderings! You obviously have good graphics skills. Those compound curves would be hard to do in aluminum... But it sure would be a cool little Mini Airstream if you did. Nice work.

Way too nice to cover. Nice.



If you glass the curves how do you keep the spars from showing in the skin?

That is just way too cool. I could envision an aluminum skin with wedges cut out and wrapped around the curves like a vintage Airstream.

That is a gorgeous rendering. My first would be 3D studio Max. But doesn’t John Deere use Pro/E?

Mike…

Cool design! What software did you use to design that? Aaron

Hi Airspeed,
The software that I used to design my teardrop is called SolidWorks. To make the images you see here I then took the computer model of the teardrop trailer and moved it into Blender 3D which is able to create a more realistic image. I then completed the look of the images with the modeling of the garage, trash can, counter top, etc. all using Blender 3D.
Blender 3D has the capability to model anything you can dream up but is not design software. It is more for rapid concept and artwork and even animation than design. Solidworks on the other hand is used only for design. Very accurate and user friendly to work with. So by combining the two I was able to get an accurate model of my teardrop design and the look I wanted in a make believe garage using Blender 3D.