Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Does anyone have links to any HiLo builds ?

check out these
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60054

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=59418&p=1072827#p1072827

There are other "Lifting Roof" designs at this link
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50969
and you can find many ideas (not limited to foam) in my thread on unusual designs
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64495&start=15

Ohh, and let's not forget the trailer that seems to be the original foam build on this site, it was a "High-Low" design and kicked off the foam craze that later lead to creation of the "foamie" section . See this link http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19227&hilit=coalburner

The BUB !!! There was a Fiberglassed Foamie before that .... Guy named Glassice made it , then disappeared...

There was a Fiberglassed Foamie before that .... Guy named Glassice made it , then disappeared..

Like a lot of others, I find the Glassice posts difficult to read, but what is clear is a lot of talk about forming parts using molds. As you pointed out that is not well matched to home production:

Postby GPW » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:17 am
It's kinda' obvious from all this that a F/ glass' TD is a serious undertaking ....and from the tribulations that glass' has gone through , and all the materials he has used , it 's also not cheap ...or easy .... Boatbuilders are bemused!!!!.... The thing to do is make a mould, like one for building a boat hull (TD cabin shell , no floor ) either spray (CG) or hand lay up material ... time consuming and messy . insert foam walls etc, (flotation ) f/g over the foam ...or use interior mould for "finished" appearance... Basic FG boatbuilding 101... Not Cheap or easy .... all phases require experience in material handling and application ...not really for the homebuilder.... unless you're gonna' make a bunch of them ....

As far as I can tell BUB was the first build to draw attention to building the trailer using a foam core without a mold and (almost) no wood! And he supplied a lot of pictures of how he did it. That's what made BUB so special. You deserve a lot of credit for making the concept affordable (using TB2 ala laursand etal - I first saw it here http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=39373&p=733680#p733680 in your long thread classic) a few years later. I find them both significant additions to the art.

Wiz. Yes the Bub was the first sorta’ practical Foamie , and didn’t it Float too ... It all seemed like a good idea ,maybe a little overbuilt (from what we know now) ... Makes one think one like that now built with a sturdy base and light roof wouldn’t need any “mechanical lifters ” , just a couple strong arms ... And would be simple to make and not so bad to tow , being Low ... Probably pretty leakproof too , roof covering everything ... save the entry door and you could manage that too with a bit of overhang in the back ...

As they say , everything comes full circle .... How about a redesign or the Bub into a SUPER BUB !!! Could be Cool !!! Easy too !!

Yes the Bub was the first sorta’ practical Foamie , and didn’t it Float too ... It all seemed like a good idea ,maybe a little overbuilt (from what we know now)

Yes, it did float. I remember looking everyday to watch his progress, but, I figured it was overbuilt or at least far beyond what I was willing to invest into something I had never tried. I was even more excited to learn of the fabric/TB2 in the Laursand post in your big thread.

Makes one think one like that now built with a sturdy base and light roof wouldn’t need any “mechanical lifters ” , just a couple strong arms ...

Well I do not have strong arms, and I insist the top erection be achieved without the aid of another pair of arms, so I have been fearful of the telescope top binding during the lift. See my comments in this thread.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=65661&p=1165220#p1165220

It looks to me if you want to do a solo manual vertical lift you need to build the top with a loose fit (with overlap lip/ridge to seal the top and bottom when raised) and/or have a mechanism (tracks or slides?) to keep the lift uniform. I have experimented with some alternatives, but they all seem to have their drawbacks.

As they say , everything comes full circle .... How about a redesign or the Bub into a SUPER BUB !!!

I still worry about the strength of the near right angle edge seams of the top.
I do not doubt that BUB had strong roof edges with the high grade FG he used inside and outside with more than one layer. But I question that I could build it strong enough using fabric and TB2. That’s the problem with a telescoping top - to maximize the overlap (volume increase when opened) there is little wiggle room for corner/edge reinforcement. So I would probably use wood, metal, or vinyl at the edges but I’m not sure how. Although I gravitate toward alternate folding designs, I must admit that a straight high-low configuration gives a very good bang for the buck (a 2x increase in volume) with no rain exposure during erection - and that is hard to beat!

Just saw an old popup camper with bad canvas on the barter section of the local Craigslist and emailed him as I want the chassis and possibly some of the kitchen bits. If it's any good / feasible, I'd be happy to pass on the lift mechanism to anyone interested.