Generic foamie plans

[GPW]

One of the determining factors as to what you build is dependent on what kind of trailer you get ... Many Choices , many prices .... I’m seriously looking around for a nice wide "carry on" (landscaping trailer) ... they’re low and wide ... Just What I need ... Built in steel mesh floor means I don’t need a thick plywood floor for mine ...
Around here trailers are everywhere, a few just sitting in somebody’s yard rusting ... There’s a good deal for me out there somewhere, just have to find it ... and now that we have a Facebook page , I can mention it to more people , and likely get quicker results ... Networking for trailers !!!

Join me if you care ... https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009558437222 Just don’t get Political .... already enough of that ...

[kudzu]

I think Glen's sketch is a good start, but perhaps shift the bed around forward (eliminate the front shelf or move it up) and have a flat back galley cabinet (no counter) similar to how Alaska Teardrop did his Northern Lite, except floor to roof so you can load a cooler on the floor.

There are a lot of trailers on TNTT that I really like. The Northern Lite is one of my favorites. I love the little galley area on it & it's one of the few hatch areas I think I, as an unschooled beginner, might be able to build without having serious risk of leaks. If it were me building I'd probably do an angled, rather than rounded front simmilar to GPW's or the Weekender. That is for ease of building.

[GPW]

Ya’ know ... we always liked that Grasshopper ... looked Modern , but I always thought of it as straight lines , with rounded slab sides ... With Foam , one could route the slots for the cross sheets and it would just Pop together ... A CNC Foamie ...

[mikeschn]

So I'm beginning to sense that there is a strong tendency towards flat panels, rather than curved panels. Is that true?

Certainly one wouldn't have to worry about kerfing, or heat bending, if building a flat panel'd teardrop...

So the next question is, 5 foot wide, as in a 5x8 trailer with fenders, or 5 1/2 foot wide on a 4x8 trailer with the wheels tucked underneath?

Mike...

[peeler]

Ya’ know ... we always liked that Grasshopper ... looked Modern , but I always thought of it as straight lines , with rounded slab sides ... With Foam , one could route the slots for the cross sheets and it would just Pop together ... A CNC Foamie ...

Is the Grasshopper anything like the SunHopper in this thread? http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22856

*edit* not meaning to derail the thread OP :/

[mikeschn]

Very similar...

You can see some grasshopper pics here: http://www.outbackteardrop.com/grasshopper.html

Mike...

[ghcoe]

So I'm beginning to sense that there is a strong tendency towards flat panels, rather than curved panels. Is that true?

Being nearly done with my #1 build I am looking at the next venture. I too am looking at a more simplistic approach for a fast/easy build. I think for sure the flat panels will add to both speed and simplicity.

So the next question is, 5 foot wide, as in a 5x8 trailer with fenders, or 5 1/2 foot wide on a 4x8 trailer with the wheels tucked underneath?HF trailer is a more economic and available trailer. If we are going for simplicity and easy to get components then the HF would be my vote. 4' wide would be easier but obviously lacking in sleeping comfort. I do believe that 5' would be the next compromise for simplicity, ease of build. With fenders on a NT trailer without fenders on a HF trailer.

Mike...

This is the profile of my #2 build. 4'x6'6" body on a modified HF trailer.

#2

Untitled.png (22.45 KiB) Viewed 2395 times

[KCStudly]

Re: curves vs. flat panels, I liked Glens sketch because I think it will appeal to a broader range of first time builders who may be afraid of curves or unaware of just how easy they are. I personally like curves but was also attracted to the weekender when I first started looking.

The thing is, with a foamie you can have both just by sanding radii into the edges. In fact, it is preferred for getting the canvas to lay down properly around the corners!

[Ned B]

Mike if I weren't So fond of the kenskill shape I'd be building a weekender on a 5x8, with fenders outboard. Easier to build , not as much to worry about seams leaking etc...

Boil down the teardrop to its essence... Hard sided living quarters with wheels. In the case of a foamie, a not as Hard Sided enclosure on a chassis (vs wood or metal clad tears).

[mikeschn]

People tend to start with a more economical perspective...

i.e. they'd rather pay $299 for a HF trailer http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-ca ... 62648.html
rather than $529 for a NorthernTool 5x8. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200612541

So you end up building over the wheels, and you don't need to buy fenders either!!!

But you end up putting two layers of pink foam on the floor, so that the floor is the same height as the fenders... and you lose 4" of head room...



Mike...

[GPW]

Here’s a drawing along the Grasshopper shape ... (Doesn’t have to be a Grasshopper ) More for the CNC crowd, but not exclusively.... routed grooves in nicely shaped foam outer wall fit foam roof , inner wall , and floor panels ... Hope the drawing makes it clear ... Wideness could be just a matter of cutting the roof , front and back panels wider ... easily allowing for any trailer widrth..
All panels could be covered (pre- skinned ) , then assembled , then a fiberglass tape run around the “proud” outer edges of the sidewalls profile ... Quick , durable , less box looking ..

[mikeschn]

I took a good close look at the weekender this morning, and one of the inherent problems is that with the hatch open, it's very easy for the rain to get in.

Not so much of an issue out west, but here in the midwest it always rains...

The solutions are:
1) put an easy-up over the galley area
2) use a galley like on the grasshopper

I'm inclined to think the 2nd solution is the better one...

I'll work on some profiles and see how they turn out...

With the Grasshopperish profile, we wouldn't need any foam below the floor, so we'd be keeping the walls in compression. No slot required either!



Mike...

[Socal Tom]

I would like to suggest a 5x9, this would include instructions on stretching foam panels, which would make the plans an even better model for people to follow.
Tom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KennethW]

GPW
As I see it if you go proud on the walls that inside corner may be a problem when canvasing.
Gluing the wall on top of a 2" foam floor (front and back walls extending over the floor) and gluing the roof on top of the wall would gain 5" in thigh.

I used a oval plastic feed pan as fender wells. One could cut the mattress to fit or just have the mattress flow over the fender wells(not a problem)
Or as a option extend the axle and put the spring mounts on 5' angle iron.

I would pin the walls to the floor with skews glue the roof to the walls remove and canvas the inside of the roof with it upside down then glue the walls to the floor and canvas the rest. it would make it easier I think.

Glue on hard points (1/4 plywood or FRP) and surface wiring would make construction easier for the first time builder.
Just some thoughts.

[KCStudly]

I too would rather see the wall extension past the roof deleted. The rabbet could be kept, but would not be as easy to do accurately w/o a router (and many first time builders may not have one, or care to invest in one). Yeah, you could do it with a steak knife, but not as cleanly or as tight a fit.

The wall extending up past the roof makes the corner joint weak, IMO, whereas being able to wrap directly from the side wall to the roof makes the joint very strong.

Extra points for thinking outside of the box, tho. Keep the novel thoughts coming.