TD for 2 with a garage for bikes

[woodi]

My wife and I are planning on leaving our jobs late this summer and spending some time traveling around the country To make our traveling much more enjoyable I'm entertaining the idea of building a teardrop style camper with a built in garage for our bikes. I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and have been putting quite a bit of work into designing a trailer for our needs. I've been doing lots of research on the matter and am now looking for some input from experienced TDers on the design.

Here's a quick overview shot of the design:


The key requirements are a place to sleep, a place for our two mountain bikes to be stored inside out of the rain and a galley so we always have a good place to cook. We would also like to keep it as much in the draft of my toyota matrix that will be pulling it as possible to maintain decent fuel economy. This trailer is also going to see no less than 10,000 miles this year and will be lived in, not just camped in for a weekend here and there so it's gotta hold up to everyday use.

The basic construction plan is to build on top of a 4x8 HD harbor freight trailer. 1/2" plywood floor bolted strait to the trailer frame to keep overall height as low as possible. Reinforced underneath by 1x2's where it overhangs the trailer on all sides. Walls will be frame out with 1x2's layed flat with 3/4" foam filling in the gaps and 5mm underlayment covering either side. On top of that I was thinking a painted on canvas or cloth finish to seal everything up top and roofing tar on the under side.

The nature of the space needed for the bikes forced me to try and a be a little more thrifty with the living space in the rear end of the trailer. To accommodate for some of the compromised space I Incorporated a flip up counter section to have a decent working space and removed the lower galley cabinets since there simply wasn't enough room for them. On either side aft of the rear wheels I carried the fender width back to make two "utility compartments" I'm currently planning to put a deep cycle battery and electrical components in one and a 10 gallon fresh water tank in the other.

In the cabin I'm planning on a 47"x75" matress between the wheel wells giving some room on either side in front of the doors and on top of the wheel wells for shoes and other miscellaneous stuff that's bound to be needed.

The front portion as mentioned previously will be large enough to accommodate our two mountain bikes mounted on a rack that will slide in and out of the compartment and provide some space for other miscellaneous outdoor gear.

And some pictures and layouts of the design:


A side view with the hatch open and counter extension flipped up


The wall framing


Side view dimensions. I'm a little concerned the cabin may feel claustrophobic any thoughts?


And the top view

Ideally I'm trying to keep this on a fairly tight budget since after I complete it I'll no longer have a solid income but I also want it to be functional and last through lots of use so I'm trying to pinch pennies the best I can but still end up with a decent finished trailer. I've been doing lots of lots of reading on various methods and ways to do things in order to accomplish this goal.

I guess at this point I just want to get the design out there and see what others who have experience building Tear Drops and Tiny Travel Trailers have to say about what I'm planning.

[GuitarPhotog]

Is a 45" X 65" sleeping compartment really going to be big enough for both of you?

Especially if one has to get up to go in the middle of the night?

I suggest mocking up the sleeping compartment and trying it out, lest you build it and find out too late that it's too small. My sleeping compartment is 46" w by 70" long and is barely big enough for me.

<Chas>

[_Ryan_]

Very cool design, I will be watching this closely for sure! I do have a couple comments/questions.

1) Why go the 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer route when you can grab a 5x8 Northern Tool trailer and skip the necessary extra engineering in order to avoid the wheel wells? This would probably simplify your build and give you a bit more space, which could in turn alleviate some of the concerns you have about a cramped sleeping area.

2) You mention that you would like the bikes out of the weather but due to their size and shape this might be a tall order. What about attaching a bike rack on a rear hitch of the TD itself? You would save a lot of space, still have security, but they will unfortunately still get wet.

If you have a good floor and use a foam matress cut into sections, you store the bikes inside the cabin itself when traveling/not sleeping. This is something I am considering myself.

Alternatively if you want to go the bike garage route what about planning on removing the front wheels and rotating the handlebars 90 degrees when storing. This would flatten out the bike and hopefully reduce the storage space.

Just my 2 cents, I am looking forward to see what you come up with! Good Luck!

Cheers,
Ryan

[woodi]

Is a 45" X 65" sleeping compartment really going to be big enough for both of you?

Especially if one has to get up to go in the middle of the night?

I suggest mocking up the sleeping compartment and trying it out, lest you build it and find out too late that it's too small. My sleeping compartment is 46" w by 70" long and is barely big enough for me.

<Chas>

I am definitely concerned about it feel cramped in there. Sleeping compartment is actually 65 wide by 55 long with the matress being in the central 47" of it and the feet area of the matress extending another 20" under the galley. I was hoping the bit of extra width would keep it from feeling too cramped even though it was a bit short with the galley protruding in so much. I also plan on having a door on both sides to help with the someone has to get up to take a leak problem.

[woodi]

Thanks for the feedback

1) I considered the 5x8 trailer but in order to get the bikes in there easily I felt I needed a little more than 60" of interior width which unfortunately would mean I would still have to frame out a bit around the fenders. So my line of thinking was if I was going to have to do that either way I might as well keep them tucked in under the trailer so they aren't hanging out creating drag and save $200 on the trailer. Though now that you bring it up it does have my thinking about it again.

2) Ideally I really want to keep the bikes inside. They are worth about $2,000 a piece so I'd like to keep them dry and completely out of site. The current layout requires the removal of the front wheels but leave the bars as is. When I started measuring them bikes really end up being a bit bigger than I think they should be. Short of taking them apart the configuration I've got in there was the smallest area I could figure to put them in with each bike held securely in a rack and not touching each other.

Now you've got me pondering the 5x8 trailer again...fitting the bikes would certainly be very snug with a 60" width instead of the 65" width of this design but having a bigger bed to sleep in might be nice.

Might be time to mock something up in cardboard and see what the wife thinks of the sleeping space size.

Very cool design, I will be watching this closely for sure! I do have a couple comments/questions.

1) Why go the 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer route when you can grab a 5x8 Northern Tool trailer and skip the necessary extra engineering in order to avoid the wheel wells? This would probably simplify your build and give you a bit more space, which could in turn alleviate some of the concerns you have about a cramped sleeping area.

2) You mention that you would like the bikes out of the weather but due to their size and shape this might be a tall order. What about attaching a bike rack on a rear hitch of the TD itself? You would save a lot of space, still have security, but they will unfortunately still get wet.

If you have a good floor and use a foam matress cut into sections, you store the bikes inside the cabin itself when traveling/not sleeping. This is something I am considering myself.

Alternatively if you want to go the bike garage route what about planning on removing the front wheels and rotating the handlebars 90 degrees when storing. This would flatten out the bike and hopefully reduce the storage space.

Just my 2 cents, I am looking forward to see what you come up with! Good Luck!

Cheers,
Ryan

[Junkboy999]

Woodi. As you know, anything is possible. I’m sure you can get this thing working. As for your door and
mattress there are a few thing you should think about. The closer the door is to your head, the higher
you’ll have to bring your knees up to your chest to get them started out the door. With your door being
so close to the headboard wall you will also have to move ( or rock ) your head all the way to the other side
of the bed. Making a mock up opening out of cardboard can help you with the door placement.

I understand about $$ bikes, so I see what you want. What about rotating the bikes about 20 deg and
changing the front of the camper to resemble a Benroy style camper. This can give you some more room
for your head to go in to the storage area. As an added bonus it moves your hips closer to the door.

You’ll have to work out the new storage door. One on both sides will be best. For ease they don’t need
the the same shape as the storage area.




Just an idea.

[woodi]

Love the idea junkboy. Got me thinking in a good direction I think. I'm thinking I'm going to keep a similar design to what I have now but cut the sleeping area into the bike storage area a bit like you have drawn with a small area bumping into the cabin to give room for the handlebars. That way i can gain some more room with out having to have a weird Mount for the bikes. Some quick figuring shows that should net me another 6 inches in the cabin which when I was mocking it all up on the living room floor earlier with the Mrs seemed like quite a lot.

[Junkboy999]

Ya I was not sure on the bike mount system. I figured one bike would lay back on a padded block and
velcroed in place. The other bike ( forward one ) would need a velcro support from the front roof area.
The wheel would just be in a track.

Take your time and plan well. It will be well worth your time.

[milliejohn]

how about folding bikes and leave them in the car when you are sleeping/etc.



http://www.mensfitness.com/training/end ... l-ever-buy

[woodi]

Well here's an updated drawing of the latest layout. I think this is narrowing in on the final design. I don't wan to rush the design phase but I really want to have this built by mid July (earlier would be better) so I'm feeling the pressure to get building. My HF trailer is just about configured how I want so after I pack the wheel bearings and flip it over it'll be time to start slinging wood.



I went with a "handlebar attic in the sleeping area which allowed us to get a bit more space (which felt like a lot more in our mock ups) but was able to keep it high enough so we could still sit up in bed and read leaning on the forward cabin wall. This also netted us a bit more storage space under the counter in the galley area. We also decided to move the hatch hinge point farther towards the rear which gave us less galley storage space but gave us a nice bit of storage on top of the galley cabinets inside the cabin which I think will come in quite handy as I'm sure things will tend to accumulate in there.

[Roly Nelson]

Welcome to the forum, belated. Looks like you have got it all figured out. I think that is a great, original design and should work just fine. HF trailers have served me well for all 3 of my teardrop trailers. I am curious where your adventures will take you. Do you plan to cross the US, and If so, be sure to swing by and share a dutch oven potroast with me, here In So Calif? Plenty of camping room in my lengthy driveway. Good luck on your build, I am sure it will serve you well.

I wish I could have started teardropping when I was in my 20s, but now that I am in my 80s, I am trying to make up for lost time. Enjoy you dreams, they will always create memories that will be remembered forever. Do it now, you can't go back and try to make up for lost time......I know, I've been there, so many years ago. Long live teardrop trailers and those that can take advantage of their use. What other means of travel are so economical, create so much interest and fulfill dreams of the builder, thinking out of the box? Unique, one-of-a-kind travel trailers, are to be admired and will provide you with years of camping pleasure and memories.
Roly, the li'l ol' woody teardrop guy in So Calif.

[woodi]

Roly thank's so much for the warm welcome and words of encouragement. We are really excited to get the opportunity to get out and pursue our dreams. We know that some (mainly our parents) will think we are throwing away our perfectly good jobs and careers in pursuit of some foolish dream but that all can wait. There's plenty of time for it and we want to get out and enjoy all this great country has to offer before so many of life's realities tie us down to one place.

We are planning on leaving from western new york in mid August headed west. We don't have a real positive route planned out yet but have lots of points along the way throughout the rocky mountains and west cost we want to visit before making our way to Utah for the winter. If went end up in Southern California we'll be sure to look you up. I've been thinking about starting a blog so friends and family can follow us along the way and if I go through with that I'll be sure to post up a link here.

I think tomorrows the day for the big exciting trip to big orange to get a big stack of 1x2s and plywood to really get this project rolling.

[angib]

Wouldn't you be better off to make a second hatch at the front to access the bikes? They will be so light that lifting them in would be no problem and then you can just reach in and tie them down for transport. Trying to roll them in from one end without catching on each other, and then somehow tieing them in place seems nearly impossible.

woodi-2.JPG (49.89 KiB) Viewed 8615 times

[woodi]

Just though I'd post an update that things are taking shape. I've been meaning to start a build thread but been spending so much time focused on building and planning that it just hasn't happened. I have been updating my blog with some build progress at http://wayfaringwoods.blogspot.com/

This is what she looks like at the moment



And the bikes fit

[_Ryan_]

Wow! Great work! That's some amazing progress!