"TrailTop" modular trailer building components

[jscherb]

A teardrop is beginning to emerge... in these photos I've got both side frames clamped in place on the tub. I've also bolted the sill in place across the front.

[grant whipp]

Looking great, Jeff ... ...!

The baggage door is cool feature, too! As always ...

CHEERS!

[jscherb]

Looking great, Jeff ... ...!

The baggage door is cool feature, too! As always ...

CHEERS!

Thanks Grant! I was in Elkhart, Indiana on Friday so I stopped in one of the several RV surplus places there and couldn't resist buying the door - it's the perfect height to fit in the side of the Jeep tub, and for $25, I had to have it. I've got several ideas for how it could be used, I'm working up a drawing or two showing some concepts...

[jscherb]

Testing a scrap piece of 1/4" plywood in place to see how the panels will fit...

[jscherb]

I've gotten a few questions from people wondering how much a TrailTop weighs. The TrailTop parts weigh a little less than 1 lb. per foot (14 oz/ft actually), so it's pretty simple to calculate the weight of a TrailTop framework by estimating the number of feet required. 1/4" plywood weighs a little less than 3/4 lb. per square foot, so that's easy to estimate as well. Add a bit more for adhesive, some 1x2 cross ribs to reinforce the plywood, maybe some hardware and paint, and you can come pretty close to the weight for a basic TrailTop shell.

So the equation for TrailTop weight is:

# feet of TrailTop framing * 1 lb./foot

plus

# square feet of plywood * 3/4 lb./foot

plus 10% over that total for misc. things like adhesive, hardware, etc., plus whatever weight you add for windows and other outfitting.

For the purposes of this equation, the 36" radius TrailTop curves count as 5 linear feet, and the 12" radius curves can be calculated at 1.5' each.

[Hardryder56]

Jeff, looking great.
I can see 1 inch (or more) foam laminated to the inside of the plywood skin for insulation with any gaps in the corners filled with spray in foam. This would make a very rigid and air tight structure. Looking forward to hearing if a company picks up your idea and runs with it.
Tom

[jscherb]

Jeff, looking great.
I can see 1 inch (or more) foam laminated to the inside of the plywood skin for insulation with any gaps in the corners filled with spray in foam. This would make a very rigid and air tight structure. Looking forward to hearing if a company picks up your idea and runs with it.
Tom

Tom,

Thanks. I'm thinking the same thing about insulation.

Two companies have contacted me expressing interest, and I've had good conversations with both of them. But before I can commit to letting a company take this on, I need to do two more molds (more on that tomorrow) and then finish my proof of concept build to satisfy myself that the TrailTop system is really worthy of being a commercial product. So far I'm very pleased with how the parts are working out and the ease of assembly, but I'm not all the way there yet.

Jeff

[jscherb]

Today I'm going to make a mold master for the 12" radius fiberglass outer skin section. I've drawn the part on the photo below:



The reason for this part is to spare the DIY-er from having to curve plywood or whatever around the 12" radius smaller curved TrailTop framing parts. This part will go right in place on the 12" radius curves, and it will include flanges for mounting the flat plywood skin panels that joint to it.

This part isn't required, you could do your own curved skin around the 12" radius sections if you wanted, but I figure a lot of DIY-ers would opt for a simple curved piece to install rather than constructing their own curved section.

So with this part, if you were building a teardrop shape, all of the plywood panels would be flat - no bending (well, except for the galley hatch, but more on that later).



I'll be making this part long enough so a 6'-wide TrailTop could be built with it, and like the TrailTop straight rails, it's a cut-to-length part, so it can be used for 4'-wide TrailTops, 5'-wide, etc., just by trimming it to the proper length.


And tomorrow, I plan to begin working on the mold masters for the curved galley hatch ribs. If anyone else has any comments on the hatch design, please post them today so I can accommodate your comments into the mold master if applicable.

[Hardryder56]

Looking very good. Cant add anything as I have not built a tear drop yet but I think your idea of preforming the ribs and the front curve will help a lot of folks think about building their own. I can see someone using your components to build not only TDs but small protective covers for machinery and or shelters for people and or live stock. Maybe even something alone the lines of temp shelters after a bad storm, pre-packaged on skids ready to be delivered.

Looking forward to hearing about your success in this venture.
Tom

[wagondude]

I really like how this concept is shaping up. Don't forget, folks, These parts could also help with construction of a bread loaf type standy as well. Someone comfortable working with 'glass could even use them to put together a canned ham. But that would be a bunch of reworking of the basic components. The bread loaf could easily be done with just the currently proposed parts.

[jscherb]

I really like how this concept is shaping up.

Thank you very much.

Don't forget, folks, These parts could also help with construction of a bread loaf type standy as well. Someone comfortable working with 'glass could even use them to put together a canned ham. But that would be a bunch of reworking of the basic components. The bread loaf could easily be done with just the currently proposed parts.

If anyone's got a favorite bread loaf standy design, point me to it and I'll draw up a TrailTop concept version of it .

[jscherb]

Here are a few shots of the work yesterday to make the mold master for the 12" radius skin piece.

Clockwise from upper left - the basic frame; adding the recessed flanges for attaching the adjacent side/roof panels; the first layer of 1/8" plywood going on; the second layer of 1/8" plywood going on:



The woodworking finished:



Now it needs a little filler, sanding and a nice finish and then it'll be ready to have a mold made from it.

Playing around with it:



This camper is 5' wide, but this part can make campers up to 6' wide, it's a cut-to-length part.

And I've gotta say, given the choice of building my own curve from scratch or simply grabbing the fiberglass part, trimming it and installing it, there's no way I'd choose to build the curve myself - the fiberglass part will be sooooo much easier to work with .

[Rhino Ray]

I learned a great lesson from Grant. The hinge on the galley hatch is a bit tricky. To create a smooth line from the roof on down the galley lid the frame has to be adjusted the thickness of the lid and seal to receive it if it were to be water tight. Unless you have another way to do it a flat surface still has to have a seal to keep the rain out. Check with Grant, the most important cross member is the one that attaches the hatch. Good luck!

[jscherb]

I learned a great lesson from Grant. The hinge on the galley hatch is a bit tricky. To create a smooth line from the roof on down the galley lid the frame has to be adjusted the thickness of the lid and seal to receive it if it were to be water tight. Unless you have another way to do it a flat surface still has to have a seal to keep the rain out. Check with Grant, the most important cross member is the one that attaches the hatch. Good luck!

Yes, the Jedi Master of Teardrops granted me an audience to discuss exactly that topic. Grant and I talked on the phone the other day, and it was very helpful. We talked about hinges, weathersealing, sizes of typical hatches/galleys, structure, etc. What I build will be better because of that conversation.

Thanks and Cheers to Grant.

[jscherb]

This is a little off-topic for this forum, but I have said I've designed the TrailTop components so a TrailTop-based camper can support a roof-top tent, so maybe it's not so off-topic after all...

I've been thinking that my next major "tool" purchase should be an industrial sewing machine. I've got lots of ideas for canvas components for trailers, roof-top tents and Jeeps, and I'm getting a bit tired of fiberglass work, so I've been thinking maybe I should branch out into sewing.

clynn85, who's been following this project on the Expedition Portal (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... components) and I have been emailing about fiberglass components for clamshell-type roof-top tents recently. A few commercial ones are pictured below, they are available in several styles - on some the roof is hinged, and on others the roof raises vertically:



So Carl's concept is to use TrailTop parts to build the clamshell. He sent me some CAD drawings last night:



He's also done one showing how the canvas might look:



It seems like a pretty straightforward application of the TrailTop parts, his concept wouldn't be too hard to build. The hinged roof type would be fairly easy - only hinges and some prop rods or gas struts would be required.

The vertical lifting style needs some sort of mechanism for raising the roof vertically. I have no experience with clamshell tents where the roof raises vertically, so I am not familiar with the types of mechanisms they use. Anyone have any good ideas about a mechanism for a vertical roof raise?

Maybe if I get that sewing machine I've been thinking about this would be a good next project...