Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Great writeup on a 'glass over foam trailer.

http://www.goldbrand.info/motorcykelhusvagn2.html

Stomp, pretty amazing !! Thanks !!!

wow, now if only I had any skill with fiberglass and resin, that looks like an awesome low weight solution.

wonder how it will hold up over time.... and what the total weight is?

wow, that came out nice. love the way they shaped the foam. thanks for that link.

Volund wrote:...and what the total weight is?

319lbs according to the text at the top of the page...

stomperxj wrote:

Volund wrote:...and what the total weight is?

319lbs according to the text at the top of the page...

yeah, apparently I can't read....

Thanks

Foam and fiberglass looks like an awesome solution for a small car.... like my Rabbit

Volund wrote:

stomperxj wrote:

Volund wrote:...and what the total weight is?

319lbs according to the text at the top of the page...

yeah, apparently I can't read....

Thanks

Foam and fiberglass looks like an awesome solution for a small car.... like my Rabbit

heck, I think my jeep is 2x the power and weight of a rabbit, but I think teh foam build will be a good route for me.

swampjeep wrote:heck, I think my jeep is 2x the power and weight of a rabbit, but I think teh foam build will be a good route for me.

Yeah, if nothing else it should help with gas mileage.

Thinking about it, I wonder how a foam tear would hold up in high winds.... you have the same side surface area as a normal trailer (depending on what profile you use), but with significantly less weight.

Thanks Stomper , this is exactly what I was looking for !

I am working out a glass-over-foam popup a la the Compact design (with a few twists of course...).
That post was just what I'm looking to do, right down to the same resin used, lol. will also be running the shell right up the bridle, but it'll be interior space rather covered exterior storage - that will probably be the head.

Part of foam's appeal for me is that I can keep the suspension loads light enough to drag it through cross ditches and waterbars and still be able to pull it up a chattering washboard with my 4 cyl truck. How have you found yours to be as far as stiffness and robustness on rough roads (even though yours isn't foam)?

Did you have to make a compromise on Sawtooth between ground clearance and ease of access or do you just use as a step to get in and out after building it to the same height as your XJ?

Wobbly Wheels wrote:Thanks Stomper , this is exactly what I was looking for !

I am working out a glass-over-foam popup a la the Compact design (with a few twists of course...).
That post was just what I'm looking to do, right down to the same resin used, lol. will also be running the shell right up the bridle, but it'll be interior space rather covered exterior storage - that will probably be the head.

Part of foam's appeal for me is that I can keep the suspension loads light enough to drag it through cross ditches and waterbars and still be able to pull it up a chattering washboard with my 4 cyl truck. How have you found yours to be as far as stiffness and robustness on rough roads (even though yours isn't foam)?

Did you have to make a compromise on Sawtooth between ground clearance and ease of access or do you just use as a step to get in and out after building it to the same height as your XJ?

My trailer has held up great. No stress cracks or anything at all. I think the shock/spring combo really helps tone the bumps down too. The ground clearance is a little high... I have to kinda stretch up to get my butt in the door but its not bad. My GF Nicole has to have a little yellow foldy step to get in though but she's only 5'-2". The next trailer will be a spring under design to lower the chassis some but the main reason is so I can gain more height as the next trailer will be a lot bigger than this one...

Can anyone venture a guess as to what weight this fiberglass is?





Mike...

Mike , just a WAG looking at the weave , the tape he's putting on the edges appears to be the same stuff I used (common)... the glass on the stiffeners looks Much heavier , coarser.. and by looking at those edges appears it was cut from a larger cloth ... Probably not too critical because you can always add another layer or too when in doubt ...

Mike, I'll stake my reputation as an armchair/internet expert on that being 6 oz cloth.
It's the most common for epoxy sheathing and you can see the corner through the sheet he's holding up.

I'm looking to buy a roll of it for my build - I normally use a fair bit of it for my side jobs but not enough to justify a bulk purchase. My build is going to suck up quite a bit though and, despite building on a budget, I don't want to compromise on adding glass weight where needed because I don't have enough on hand...good thing it keeps forever...

BTW, I like how he's beveled the edges of the skirting - I may steal that rather than rounding them over....

I'm playing with epoxy this morning!

I've used epoxy on fiberglass and canvas!

I have to let the resin harden overnight, so I should have some preliminary results tomorrow morning!



Mike...

Mike , I can see where a perforating tool and epoxy would make one STRONG skin ... canvas or fiberglass ... thousands of little epoxy "nails" deep into the Foam holding the skin on... Just something else to try on scraps ...