Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

So I was on another thread and someone brought forth the idea of making it more streamline and that got me to thinking about a picture I had found on the internet and I would like peoples input on the idea of if it would work or not for better or worse
The only draw back I can think of is if the wind catches it on the wrong way it might try and veer off in that direction (like a sail)and be more of a hindrance as this is one of the key design elements to my tiny house design I would like to get peoples feed back

Nice screw jack...lol

so I take it from the # responses this might just work

droid_ca wrote:so I take it from the # responses this might just work

Define "work"?

What's your intended roof material?

This is going to have all kinds of vicious air motions which will act to tear normal roofing to shreds.

I don't see where it's any different, really, than some of the old TT designs, with forward leaning fronts. There will be strong buffeting on the sides, lots of tug on the leading and trailing roof edges... And tow like a parachute. But what's new?

I'm just concerned about excessive fish tailing due to the aerodynamic front as for roofing material will be looking into something that can handle excessive force winds

droid_ca wrote:I'm just concerned about excessive fish tailing due to the aerodynamic front as for roofing material will be looking into something that can handle excessive force winds

I don't see any reason to think that would be an issue. If it were real narrow, and have a lot of vertical "catch the side wind" surfaces, I'd be concerned, but not about that.

I'm sure you read this from the "Foamy Aerodynamics" thread http://www.marama.org/diesel/frieght/co ... roOvw2.pdf .
Looking at it, I believe thet the edges of the roof should be rounded off as well as the front point. I also believe that the side roof thingys would interfere with a smoth aerodynamic flow. You're on the right track though.
Frank

That was an interesting article my main focus was to use as much of the wasted space as possible . I have seen other designs of Tiny Homes where they put a storage area of sorts on the front of the trailer but still have to remain within the turning radius. one of the other reasons for this style of setup is more space should get approximately get 32 square feet, so all depending on length of the trailer that could be an added bonus. According to the posted article if done right I should get a fuel savings of 5% for the front an additional 2% if I change the rear of the design and an additional 7% for sides and roof, a further 2% on the lube resistance and another 5% on tire choice...Wow not sure I'd go that drastic but sure does open the eyes to all the possibilities out there

Now make the tongue longer and put tailgate down, 3% increase,
air up the tires to ten over, nother 4%,
fold in your mirrors, about 2%.
Fresh coat of wax, .03%
Buy lite beer, .05%

Few more tweaks and the oil company will be paying you to tow it around


Round off the front, wont loose any turning radius. Loose the gable and have a lift roof section, I'm asuming that area is for low sleeping loft



Pop up the roof, manufactured home people do gables this way and also overhanges



Or to make it much more towable,,
go more conventional, rounded front, drop floor in back and a kicked roof. Sunken Dinette or sitting area down below and a bedroom loft above

those are awesome ideas I like the pop up roof part I'll have to look into that that is a really good Idea thanks

How about take the mirrors off and replace them with cameras. I hear they will require rear view cameras on cars soon. They think it will prevent me from backing over people, mostly little children.

Keep the profile of the trailer below the roof height of the car is one of my goals.

Martiangod wrote:Sunken Dinette or sitting area down below and a bedroom loft above

You will probably enjoy this 1950s British caravan with a bedroom loft:

Now that is what I'm talking where did you ever find something like that as I would have to change it around for what Im thinking but its as good as any place to start

Hey droid,

Are you looking into a Tiny House that will be moved very little or something
that would travel more? Aero really wouldn't be worth it if it is just basically a
very small dwelling that can be moved by the owner per today's road rules. Doing
the pointed front end for more floor space or as a design is fine in and of itself.
The hip roof is a better idea for just environmental high wind deflection [wind
goes over it vs being caught by a gable shape's flat surface and overhangs.

I like anything that can be built, but I do wonder just how practical these small
or micro houses are. They're a neat, even romantic idea, but some of the layouts
one sees seem to be more like just playhouse's as opposed to a functional place to
live in. [Just my opinion here.] You 'ain't' gonna want to climb up a ladder to sleep
in a cramped loft as the years advance. [I don't even want to do that now.]

Which leads me to - There seems to be an unstated bias amongst a lot of the
people promoting tiny houses against [hear the unspoken "eeuuww!!" ?] "Trailers",
as in house trailers, which is really where they should be looking for inspiration
for design and function ideas for the tiny houses as opposed to just shrinking
down a traditional stick-built house. The small house trailers of the 1940s-1950s
[8 & 10 wides] as well as small live aboard boats/yachts are a great source for
functional ideas for small houses and the use of the space therein.

Among those smaller house trailers of the 1950s was a category called "Double
Deckers" [ DDs] that were a response to the need for more living space. Builders built up
[and down somewhat] to manipulate and add space, These were essentially "two story"
house trailers of a sort. These have great ideas for use in a "Tiny House",
especially the 8 wides, and they got better designs as the 10 wide house trailers
came into being, but they died out by the mid 1960s since the DOT laws had changed by
then to allow wider mobile Home units as well as the doublewide was being introduced -
no need to go up for more living space by then.

The British also did at least a couple "Double Deckers" also. Andrew posted a pic of one
of them. The other one that I've come across from them is in the following link:
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=46728
in the first post I did starting that thread. That other British DD that I've run across is
called the Falstaff Knight 50 and is about 7ft6inx22ft body size and is posted towards the
bottom of the post. [Check out the links posted above it too.] It'd be a great design
for a small/tiny house to emulate I think. [It's an amazing design in-and-of-itself !]

The LightHouse, [about 8ftx28ft body size x 11ft6in high] the American DD example
I posted info on in that link would also be a great design to build as a Tiny House I think.
It is one of the smaller of the US DDs and neatly fits easily into the dimension range of
todays larger RVs that are movable by the average owner. It has the Upper bedrooms
centered on the unit body. The more predominate US design was to have the upper
bedrooms stacked above a lower back bedroom and the centered main bath on the 'lower floor'. The back
bedrooms would consist of a lower back bedroom utilizing a drop floor and two narrow single beds
along the two sides. A short, very, narrow staircase [spiral ones are a waste of space]
led up to a very narrow side hall on the opposite side from the lower level's side hall.
You'd turn right into the "Master Bedroom" [MB]or left to the third very small bedroom.
The MB had a 3/4 or double bed centered in the room on a platform that was the second
bedroom below's ceiling for its walking space. The very narrow walk space around the
MB bed's underneath is the ceiling over the two beds below and the closet at the end of
the room between them. The closets and built in chest for the MB are opposite the end
of the bed. This would also be a really useful design for a 'tiny house' .
Stairs - however small they may be will always win out over ladders for comfort of use.

Just thought I'd throw this out there to see if it would be of use for ya.

Cheers,
Nornm/mezmo

That valley style roof is a total waste of the time and material it took to frame it in my opinion. But you know about opinions......

You have just lost all the head space your dormer would have afforded you.

How about installing an oversize window in the front and rear gable and opening them when traveling and let the wind blow thru while going down the road. Gives the house a good airing out.

aerodynamics are over rated