Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Browsing through old patents led to this idea, which is similar to the camp trailer I already have but adds standing room under hard walls, and a real mattress. No rear galley, but lots of outside-accessable storage. The side cargo doors are split, making a counter surface, and reducing how much you have to duck when opening the door. The space under the cargo floor is for water tanks. Clothes can go in the rear standy portion, as could a potty, and even a shower. A bit of a climb into bed, at just over 3' from th floor, but a storage-step could be added. For scale, the body is 9' long.

Yes, I keep drafting an assortment of trailers; eventually one will be "perfect"...





This is my current trailer...

Hi Leonard,

Just like you I am also trying to find the ultimate lifting travel trailer.

Your design is, as always, excellent! I think this is the way to go when designing a standy. Just a pity that the front will inevitably be flat (not too good for mileage).

Here is a picture of how it might look in real life. This manufacturer sells it on a pickup as well as a trailer version (no photos of the latter unfortunately!)







The site: http://www.quickupcamper.com/index.html

Kind Regards,

Check out these. I use to have one. Kinda wish I still had it. Naaaaa.

http://www.aliner.com/design/products_detail_aliner.php#6?sectid=5

This is a itty bitty one. I had the expedition model
[url]
http://www.aliner.com/design/products_d ... p?prodid=6[/url]

Geron
What didnt you like about the Aliner. They have always intrigued me.
Ron

My wife and I looked at Aliners. We liked them but they are WAY too much money for what they are. You can get a brand new 18-20 foot hard sided camper with everything for half as much.

This is a clever design, but "the devil is in the detail" - for one 'lid' to fold inside the other 'lid', it has to be both lower, narrower and shorter. So then the trick becomes how to seal these parts that don't touch each other. Sure, it can be done, but it takes lots of time and ingenuity.

Many design look simple if they are modelled with zero thickness walls - include the actual wall thickness in the model and you start to see the real difficulties.

Andrew

Barrie, I saw that topper posted here before, and it is a good design, but mighty expensive ($12-15,000; http://www.gizmag.com/go/6215/). Yes, the front is flat, but I trimmed down to keep it behind the tow vehicle, and if a person wanted to it could be trimmed even further, at the cost of the under-bed storage. The rounded front concept is very hard to work with when standing room is desired... If a longer trailer was OK, a rounded section could be added to the front, as a "boot."
--
Geron, I like the A-liner/Chalet design, and would consider one if cheap enough, but where do you put all your "stuff" in it? On the floor, to be stored outside when camping?
--
Andrew, The model is drawn with 1-inch thick walls, and yes the inner lid is smaller than the outer, creating the only real weakness: its hinge point set in from the edge. A rubber seal over the hinge should cure that, and it's under the overhang, anyway.

I went with the angular top so I could have a window in one (easier to build, too); the first design had rounded tops, and actually the top cover could still be rounded, since I only want a window on the section that is covered when closed.

The other problem area is sealing the bottom of the lift-up walls, but that shouldn't be too hard, just use the Esterel overlap flap. The patent I based this on is from 1949, so it's certainly not a new idea.
--
The way we camp is generally remote, so we have to take everything, the hardest being the water, so I have put the tanks low and out of the way. Cooking is done away from the trailer, so a removable Drifta-type kitchen is preferred. Easy but secure access sto all the other "stuff" is also needed, thus the side cargo doors. This will be tent camping, without the tent!

Additional photos of the Quickup: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=quickup+faire&m=text

Just came across an Aliner made for pickups...



Read more at http://www.koransky.com/aliner/

Or how about this $20,000 bad boy...





http://www.highrise.com.au/trailer.html

The Transcontinental is a very interesting design, but it illustrates one problem with these "Swiss Army knife" designs: weight. The Transcontinental has about the same interior space as my 17-foot travel trailer, and it weighs even more than my trailer, although it is more compact when folded.

Also found an Alite, by Aliner, with less A-frame style, more of a verticle rear wall with slanted roof...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9294676@N03/779549565/

Sometimes it pays to think about simplicity...

An aliner/rv chalet is relatively simple.

navigator, your design is very complex. Can you simplify it?



Mike...

Hi all,

Leonard, here is an interesting concept, which is somewhat similar to your design. Pity about the canvas front and back.

I saw this design last week on a show. In fact, I stood in the camper, and it is quite roomy - even for a tall fellow like me!

http://www.ahaweb.co.za/index.html

YouTube link showing how it is set up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVt4miVlI6c

Thank you for the YouTube link - it contains a trailer to the Jacques Tati film 'Traffic' (not one of his masterpieces, but the study of drivers nose-picking in traffic is superb!) and the multi-adaptable Renault 4 camping wagon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5nf-oplNL0

Folding down the radiator grille to use as a barbeque is just one of the highlights!

Andrew

angib wrote:Thank you for the YouTube link - it contains a trailer to the Jacques Tati film 'Traffic' (not one of his masterpieces, but the study of drivers nose-picking in traffic is superb!) and the multi-adaptable Renault 4 camping wagon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5nf-oplNL0

Folding down the radiator grille to use as a barbeque is just one of the highlights!

Andrew

Oh, but I like the fact that the wagon actually extends. Plus the shower and the lights, too. Very cool.

Andrea.

bgordon wrote:Hi Leonard,

Just like you I am also trying to find the ultimate lifting travel trailer.

Your design is, as always, excellent! I think this is the way to go when designing a standy. Just a pity that the front will inevitably be flat (not too good for mileage).

Here is a picture of how it might look in real life. This manufacturer sells it on a pickup as well as a trailer version (no photos of the latter unfortunately!)







The site: http://www.quickupcamper.com/index.html

Kind Regards,

Pretty neat camper, fairly pathetic website. Information only via correspondance. hmmmm...