"TrailTop" modular trailer building components

[wagondude]

I'm not convinced that insulating or foamie construction would require a different offset to the flange. If you skinned with 1/8 or 1/4" ply, then just bond your chosen foam to the inside. You could do the same with two layers of foam easily enough. Then skin over with either canvas or glass. This is a great idea.

Now if a different offset were used, you could just edge groove the foam and insert the flange. But I don't think it would be necessary.

[jscherb]

I'm with Grant on this one. This looks like something that would make a great starting point for a novice.
I am one of those people who have very limited wood-working skills and felt so intimidated by the building and
assembly process that we are having one built as we speak. I think that if there had been a "kit" like this available, that I might have seriously considered taking a chance.

I love the idea of having one that I built myself, but have to realize my limitations. That and the fact that we would like to start camping again sometime this decade. I will be watching this thread with MUCH interest.

Mike,
Thanks for the comments. Please keep and eye on me throughout this design process - if there's something I've done or a way I've designed something that you think makes assembly too difficult for a novice, please let me know so I can reconsider that area.

And the more experienced builders please keep an eye on me as well, I don't want the TrailTop concept limited to novice builders, I want it to be a great starting point for showpiece campers as well, so if there's a feature or something you think should be done differently or added for more advance use, please let me know and I'll do my best to make sure everything is possible.

Jeff

[jscherb]

I'm not convinced that insulating or foamie construction would require a different offset to the flange. If you skinned with 1/8 or 1/4" ply, then just bond your chosen foam to the inside. You could do the same with two layers of foam easily enough. Then skin over with either canvas or glass. This is a great idea.

Agreed. One way I think will work out really well is a 1/4" outer skin (plywood, fiberglass sandwich board, aluminum-clad luan, etc.), and bonding the foam to the inside. Then a skin over the inside foam, perhaps 1/8" ply.

Now if a different offset were used, you could just edge groove the foam and insert the flange. But I don't think it would be necessary.

I don't think different offsets is necessary either, and I'm trying to resist having too many different parts that perform similar functions. Having two sets of similar parts with different offsets would mean two sets of molds, which translates into more cost to be amortized over the life of the product, which makes everything less affordable.

I'm trying to make the number of parts as small as possible, while at the same time maximizing the variety and size of campers that can be built with the parts, as well as providing for both novice and advanced construction.

On the subject of the range of parts... I've decided there's one more part I should to make a mold for in order to make novice construction easier, I'll post about that soon. And I've gotten some suggestions about a few more TrailTop "shapes" that could be made with some additional curve and angle parts, I'll work up some drawings and post those ideas soon for your input and comment.

[jscherb]

Here's one additional TrailTop piece I think I'll make a mold for - a roof skin for the 12" curve.

It's not too hard to DIY-build one out of wood, it's just some framing and a layer of 1/8" bendable plywood glued to the framing followed by a second layer glued to the first to result in 1/4" thickness, but I'm thinking some DIY-ers might want a ready-to-use curved panel instead of having to do it themselves. I could make a fiberglass panel that would just bolt/bond in place on the 12"-curve side rails.

What do you guys think? Is it worth having a fiberglass piece for this or should this be DIY-built from wood?



Here's another view showing how it would assemble. The curved panel bonds/bolts to the TrailTop 12" radius side rails. The curved panel includes recessed flanges for attaching the adjacent roof panel and end panel.



I suppose this also brings up the question of the rear hatch. A single layer of 1/4" plywood can easily curve around the 36" radius for the rear hatch, and since the hatch is fairly large, it would probably end up being the most expensive TrailTop part in terms of selling price and shipping cost, so I'm thinking I'll leave that to be DIY-built out of wood. Does this make sense to you guys?

[mikerueve]

Again, from a novice's stadpoint, the hatch was a very intimidating idea. Anything that would simplify the process would be a great comfort.

[grant whipp]

Jeff!

The hatch lid could be made from multiple panels that bolt/bond together ... it would add strength, as well as reduce the shipping volume. A little more expensive to produce and end-price ... don't know if the savings in S&H would offset that, though. Typing as I think ... ... maybe not such a good idea, sometimes ... ...

CHEERS!

[Martiangod]

Oops, double post

[Martiangod]

I can see your front radius panel being a real boon for the diy'r.
The biggest problem less skilled have is achieving a clean finish on the exterior on complex parts. Although it is not really that complex. I think that would sell your package.
As for a hatch, I think you would need to make 7 pieces to make it work. A top rail that Tee interlocks with your top rails and the hatch side radii and a bottom. These would form a frame and need to incorporate a drip channel to run off water, the inside lip could incorportate a bulb type seal like used on car trunks.
That they can source from any auto supply or ebay





and for the hatch a top and bottom panel then a center section as Grant suggests, this would pack easier then a one piece hatch.

[jscherb]

The biggest problem less skilled have is achieving a clean finish on the exterior on complex parts. Although it is not really that complex. I think that would sell your package.

I've got a "finish free" idea I'm researching right now, I'll post it when I finish the research and writeup.

As for a hatch, I think you would need to make 7 pieces to make it work. A top rail that Tee interlocks with your top rails and the hatch side radii and a bottom. These would form a frame and need to incorporate a drip channel to run off water, the inside lip could incorportate a bulb type seal like used on car trunks.
That they can source from any auto supply or ebay

The molds I've made for the curved rails already incorporate an integrated drip channel, so those don't have to be extra parts or extra cost. I've got a draft drawing of the weatherstrip/drip channel design, I'll be posting it later in the thread when I finalize it.

and for the hatch a top and bottom panel then a center section as Grant suggests, this would pack easier then a one piece hatch.

The large curves being a constant 36" radius, three identical fiberglass pieces about 19" wide could be used to make up a full hatch. Some reinforcement would be needed to keep the hatch from flexing too much, but that could be ribb made by the DIY-er by tracing the curve of the 36" radius TrailTop side rail onto wood.

[danlott]

Are the radius of the 12 and 36 inch corners measured on the outside our inside off the corner pieces?

Dan

[jscherb]

Are the radius of the 12 and 36 inch corners measured on the outside our inside off the corner pieces?

Dan

Dan,
It's measured at the outside - the maximum dimension of the part.
Jeff

[Socal Tom]

I think this concept has a lot of merit. Not just from the Camp Trailer idea, but also as simple emergency shelter.
I think you have the roof area well addressed, as long as the method of attachment can be made water tight. The design with the plywood bolted on top of the flange could work, as long as you provided some sort of gutter to let the water that got past the plywood out somewhere safe. If you let it collect in that space, it will get in, and it will soak into the end of the ply wood.
Tom

[jscherb]

So far, I've made the molds for four TrailTop parts - 8' straight rails, a 90-degree 3.5" radius corner, a 12" radius 90-degree curve and a 36" radius 90-degree curve. I'll be molding the first set of those parts next week... I'd mold them this week except that I'm traveling all week.

Here are some camper shapes that can be made with those parts:



I've received input that some additional angle/curve parts that could allow different camper shapes might be a good idea, so I've drawn a few concepts for your comment. So what if I took the 12"-radius 90-degree curve and made versions of it that weren't 90 degrees?

In this next drawing, I've shown several camper shapes that would be possible with a 12"-radius 60-degree curve and a 12" radius 30-degree curve. I've shown them used in three different ways here:



Another idea using the 60-degree and 30-degree parts... a "Teardrop" shape could be made that has a hatch with only straight pieces of wood, rather than curving plywood. The one short curve in the hatch would be done with a TrailTop fiberglass part, so the DIY builder wouldn't have to worry about making curved ribs for a hatch, this hatch would use straight pieces of wood, and a 12"-radius roof curve piece that I showed yesterday. There would be a few ribs to strengthen the assembly that would have a curved section that cole easily be traced off the TrailTop part before cutting to shape.



In the last drawing, I've gone a step further and done a two-angle roof, using a pair of 37-degree 12" radius curves and a 16-degree 12" radius curve. I've also shown a rear view with a large entry door, this idea could be used on all of the shapes in the drawings above except the teardrop shape.



I've drawn all of these new pieces with a 12" radius for two reasons:

1. The 12" radius roof curve piece I showed yesterday could be trimmed from 90 degrees down to 60 and 30 in order to provide curved roof sections to go with these additional pieces, so that mold/part gets reused for all of these angles. (I'll do 3-d views showing how the roof would be assembled once I get feedback on these new angle ideas).

2. These new parts can be very quickly derived from the 12" radius 90-degree curve mold I've made already.

Do any of these angle/curve ideas appeal to anyone or are we good with the set of four parts and the camper shapes shown in the first drawing in this post? Are there other angles/curves that you would find useful to implement a camper design you've got in mind?

All of the concepts above are shown as camper caps on a Jeep-tub trailer, but as I've said before, the Jeep-tub trailer base isn't required.

[wagondude]

Wow! that is a lot of options. If this thing takes off, there will be lots of cool trailers getting built. All of those shown look very good.

[rowerwet]

if you get one of the teardrop oriented parts suppliers to sell this stuff many of the lurkers around here will end up being builders
not to mention the manufacturing possibilities...