Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **jjohnston** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:22 am

Found this on YouTube this morning. I read a post recently where someone on the forum was designing something similar for a small car, maybe a Honda Civic. Might give them some ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56XL0TysIn0

by **AZSpyder** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:59 am

I like it! That is too cool. A small trailer and US made too. Since I don't remember ever seeing one I wonder if the manufacture did well.
I have seen pictures of a fifth wheel hitch mounted in the roof in Europe.
Jerry

by **dandan** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:23 am

great find !
:applause:

great concept.
thinking out thebox.
:applause:

i welcome correction from VW experts but isnt the beetle body
held on the chassis by a few 10mm bolts ???

also would such a high center of gravity on the hitch make
handeling dangerously interesting ???

still a great idea.

thanks for shareing your find.

best rgds dan.
:thumbsup:

by **High Desert** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:35 am

I remember seeing something like that a long time ago. Great find on the video, it's an interesting concept for sure. :thumbsup:

I wonder if there is any more info on the trailer available, or if any have survived? That design would sure turn heads at a gathering

by **Geron** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:55 am

What's going to happen to the wiring connection if you go round and round. Would have to keep up with revolutions or disconnect the wiring.

But . . . I like the idea.

And, Yes, I think it was posted a couple years ago.

g

by **Oasis Maker** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:30 am

YEAH! I LOVE IT! :applause:

Funny, as soon as you think you've seen it all, something new comes along... THAT'S 35 YEARS OLD!! Let's have a contest to see who can track one down first in some old junkyard or prize collectors garage!

Scott G.

by **Dan & Julie CO** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:29 pm

Geron wrote:What's going to happen to the wiring connection if you go round and round. Would have to keep up with revolutions or disconnect the wiring.

But . . . I like the idea.

And, Yes, I think it was posted a couple years ago.

g

It will spin the car like a Top when it releases :lol:

by **AZSpyder** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:46 pm

Seems like a broken ball would be real noisy!

I did run across something similar a couple of months ago when I was searching for Eriba parts. I found a picture of a roof mount hitch on what I think was a modern European sedan. I don't know just what word combo I was using in which search engine when I found it by accident. Later I tried to find it on purpose and no luck. There may be a few of them in production in Europe. I found it curious but unable to find more information.

Jerry

by **angib** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:29 am

AZSpyder wrote:I found a picture of a roof mount hitch on what I think was a modern European sedan.

Yes, I know what you mean, but don't have a link. It's definitely from France.

However the big difference is that the current French one doesn't rotate at all - it stays in line with the car, though it can pitch up and down. As far as I can tell (and I've never seen one 'in the flesh'), there is no steering - the trailer wheels just scrub sideways on turns.

Andrew

by **rebapuck** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:38 pm

Looks like a very spacious camper.

by **stuart_w** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:54 am

The unit Andrew refers to is the French 'Clip Car'.

The trailer is attached at the hitch in the normal way and the weight of the trailer is 'pulled' at that point in the normal way, but the drawbar can also flex vertically. The attchment to the roof of the car allows a 'vertical articulation' which keeps the trailer upright and has the effect of making the trailer behave as a 'close coupled trailer' without losing line behind the tow vehicle so it becomes 'part of' the towing vehicle rather than a seperate trailer.

Google 'clip car' under images at www.google.fr (french google)

Or click or copy and paste the following into your browser address bar.

http://images.google.fr/images?gbv=2&hl=fr&safe=active&sa=1&q=clip+car&aq=f&oq=

by **AZSpyder** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:12 pm

Thats not the European roof mount rig I was thinking of. The one I still can't find had a round coupler. Looked more like a small 5th wheel then the ball mount on the VW and a more normal axle location. Definitely not the obvious rigid mount.

There may be a few different way to top mount on a sedan.

Jerry

by **rainjer** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:40 pm

I think I post these pictures a couple years back. I saw this at the LeMay's open house. It was called "The Top Line".

Jeremy

by **angib** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:42 am

Thanks Stuart for that. It also enabled me to find the other French caravan with an odd attachment - the Randocar.

Like the Clip Car, the manufacturer doesn't seem to exist any more, but there are some good photos from adverts here:

http://images.google.fr/images?gbv=2&hl ... q=randocar

And the Randocar led me to an article in the French edition of Wikipedia which shows this amazing fifth-wheel:

for which there is even a YouTube video showing the disconnection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRmVTeSKcWM

Andrew

by **mallymal** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:50 pm

As far as I can tell (and I've never seen one 'in the flesh'), there is no steering - the trailer wheels just scrub sideways on turns.

Probably designed by Michelin to boost tire sales!!! :lol:

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Anyone seen this before?

Anyone seen this before?

French 'Clip Car'

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