Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[Wolffarmer]

Who needs a shower? I just start avoiding people after about a week. Thrifty
Randy

[GPW]

How very “European” ...

[Jack B.]

Okay, so here's my latest thoughts on the hole in the floor option. Could do the cool trap doors that open to each side or front and back. Then have a canvas or ripstop type fabric "box" that drops down when you open things up. You get your bug free zone and a sturdy floor for "bare footin'" as the song says. Snap on - snap off.

As to Randy saying you might seldom use the opening so why get elaborate with the add ons I say - If you build yourself a trailer that's quite a bit longer than a standard (8' or so?) tear then you've got yourself a lot more room where being able to stand becomes a sure fire goodie to have. I like to go somewhere and stay for a while. Having our full size bed and goodly area to stand for changing clothes, doing the jitterbug, stretching . . . there's a myriad things that are just easier when you can do them standing fully upright. A 10' - 12' trailer that's 5' wide or so gives you a lot of space without having to go through the roof as it were. All that room and standing space within an aerodynamic shell would be great. I would bet the (well, your) ranch that if was built it would get used. Space is a wonderful thing when if have to share it on a rainy day, and not having to sit scrunched up in a 4' X 7' cage fight arena with she who shall not be named for a couple days could be a life saving factor indeed. It becomes a bit more like living and a bit less like camping

Jack

[Wolffarmer]

My #2 TD will be bigger than #1 but I am going to stick with just a hole. I am going to have enough difficulties as it is. But this is why we build our trailers, to have them so they suit us and not a design committee.


Randy

[GPW]

It would be kinda' cool to have a door/hatch in the top , so you could stand up and look around ... get some fresh air ...

[GPW]

Here’s something wild ... a 22’ WS foamie ... bigger than our trailers and flies too ... on an electric motor yet ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... pdQ#at=246

[KCStudly]

It would be kinda' cool to have a door/hatch in the top , so you could stand up and look around ... get some fresh air ...

Yeah, or just climb out thru the regular door and walk around a bit.

[GPW]

... but then you couldn’t play “Submarine” ... ... just sayin’

[Jack B.]

Well you can rest assured that any trailer I eventually build will have a periscope AND at least a trap door. And a screen door, which you most definitely couldn't put on a submarine's outer wall.

I would like to have a trailer I could stand in but also would like to be able to keep the trailer top low enough to stay in the tow vehicle slipstream. This whole trap door thing might just be a decent compromise attempt. Not too fond of getting all complicated building a pop-up or having a permanent box sticking down below the trailer. So a simple trap door solution could be kinda nifty for a bit of headroom when wanted.

Jack

[GPW]

Reading in the General discussion , there was a topic about Too Light trailers ... And of course , naturally the subject immediately turned to Foamies ... Never realized until now that a schism existed between Foamlings and the Woodies' ... Curious that the Woodies' would bring up the old crosswind debate ... again ... Guess they missed the part about the ballast , low center of Gravity , design considerations ... and not realizing that Foamlings have the Good COMMON SENSE not to travel in severe conditions ..
All I can say is , our record speaks for itself ... No use dignifying yet another fatuous argument with those who will not listen.

[Jack B.]

Low profile, riding in a slip stream, weight down low . . . All sound like a good and stable trailer to tow regardless of the building materials. And what is the actual weight difference between the foams and the "standards" by the time you get them both outfitted and rolling down the road? A very few hundred pounds at the most? I've seen on numerous occasions 40 ton tractor trailers on their side in the medians of interstate highways due to wind. I'm betting that common sense has a lot more to do with things than the weight of any given trailer.

The older I get I'm realizing that I'm going to nickel and dime myself to death offering my two cents worth more often.

Jack

[GPW]

Best two cents we’ve gotten in a good while Jack !!!

[Jack B.]

Don't know if any of you have seem this builders project pix but he's got a nice looking concept that could lend itself in some form to foam pretty easily I think.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&site= ... IBcN1mT4Sg

If that link is too weird for you to deal with just do a Google image search for:

trailer-build-stage-4003

I'm liking what I see of his design.

Jack

[mezmo]

Hey Jack,

That looks like a riff on the Airstream Basecamp.

BUT, check out this Argentinian RV builder's riff on it. They definitely
have developed the design into an interesting TT-TTT.

The Argentinian RV mfr Silverland's web site:
http://www.mundosilverland.com.ar/home.asp

Their FB page - very worthwhile to look through.
Go through their whole FB page. If you click on the pics there
you'll get some groups of related pics. Just "x" out on them when done looking
and you get back to the FB spot you left. It goes from current time to
when they started on FB, with pics of the designs etc., quite interesting.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silverla ... 5061724989

This style/design would be very interesting to do as a Foamie. Dual
curvatures with the curvature joins/intersections radiused on the edges.
They seem to claim 'aero' benefits from the design and it sure looks like
they are correct to me.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[GPW]

Norm , we’ve yet to get into heat forming of foam panels around here ... Much to be explored there !
Foam ,(Blu or Pink) heated and molded to a form , once cooled , retains that shape ...allowing large curved foam panels to be easily fabricated and assembled .... and without the mess or time to kerf foam panels ... All you need is a form to bend the foam on and a method of heating the foam to ~ 190F ... This would be particularly useful for making a “few” trailers ... Curved roofs, hatches , noses , sides ... Most anything is possible ... Perfect for something like the one above ^ .