"TrailTop" modular trailer building components

[jscherb]

You last animation brings up something I've thought may be a good option, the 3 way corner

I've molded a bunch of them for test purposes, but they don't have a use on the teardrop I'm doing as a proof-of-concept so I haven't posted many photos of them...

[Hardryder56]

Jeff,
Looking great. All we need now is for someone to step up and start manufacturing the parts for you so the system can get some rear world exposure. I think you have a winning design there.
Tom

[jscherb]

Jeff,
Looking great. All we need now is for someone to step up and start manufacturing the parts for you so the system can get some real world exposure. I think you have a winning design there.
Tom

Tom,
Thank you very much. Before that can happen I need to make the last two molds (tomorrow), mold some test parts in those molds (Thursday), and then assemble those parts to the proof-of-concept TrailTop in the workshop (by the end of next week). At that point I can sit back and evaluate the proof-of-concept build and the parts and decide if they're worthy of being a commercial product (input from all of you will be very helpful too!), and if so, what, if any tweaks, adjustments or corrections I'd make to them before turning them over to a company to produce and market (again, suggestions from forum members will be very helpful). So far everything is going pretty much to plan with the parts, but I'm not quite done yet.
Jeff

[jscherb]

Since the TrailTop straight parts are designed to be cut to length to implement whatever shape/size/style camper you're building, the cut ends need to be trimmed and fitted to the corner/curved parts after cutting to length. I took these photos when I was assembling the side frames a week or two ago but I haven't had a chance to edit them into a post until now. Here are the steps for trimming/fitting/bonding the parts together.

Step 1: Mark the flanges of the straight piece to length:



Step 2: Trim to marks and test fit:





Step 3: Fit as necessary. There will be a little bit of material that has to be removed from the inside, as seen in this photo. This is because of the curve of the fiberglass when the step from the outer curve to the inner flange is molded. I'm using a $10 Harbor Freight angle die grinder with a 50-grit sanding disk in it, this makes really quick work of the fitting process. If you've got a compressor, this is the way to go. If not, a hacksaw and a sanding disk in an electric drill can accomplish the same task. I fitted one joint with those tools as a test, and it worked fine, but the angle die grinder makes the fitting much quicker.



Step 4: Bonding the parts together. I used automotive body filler. I put a fairly thick layer on, this fills any gaps and gives you some "play" to make final adjustments as you're clamping the parts together. I'm using a filler called Feather-Rite, which is an off-white color, and instead of the usual red or blue cream hardener, I'm using white, so the filler retains it's off-white color. I like that because it doesn't stand out as much as filler that when mixed would be light blue or pink. You do have to take a little more care mixing it with the white hardener, because you don't have the color change to indicate when it's fully mixed. It's also one of the less expensive fillers, I paid $12 for a quart.



If you weren't comfortable bonding the parts together with body filler, you could use epoxy, or you could use traditional fiberglass (polyester resin with resin-soaked fiberglass mat to fill the gaps), or a 2-part urethane adhesive. If you feel more comfortable working with one of those, they'd work fine too.

Step 5: Clamp the parts and wait until the body filler cures, about 15 minutes (possibly longer if a different adhesive is used). I've clamped a piece of steel angle across the joint in the flanges to ensure the parts go together perfectly straight.



When all the joints are fitted and bonded, you'll have a very solid framework.

[jscherb]

This morning I'm making the last two TrailTop molds and in between steps (waiting for the PVA mold release to dry), I'm doodling a few teardrop concepts. These have TrailTop curved edges all around, hiding the frame on the bottom. The sides are done in stick-on murals. The TrailTop framing parts and the fenders are painted to complement the murals.

So FWIW, some digital doodling this morning...

[jscherb]

The mold making process. Top row, the mold masters have been waxed and shot with PVA mold release. Bottom row, they've been shot with orange tooling gelcoat. When the gelcoat cures to the proper point (a few hours), the fiberglass layup can be done.

[jscherb]

Same drawing, more doodling while waiting for the gelcoat to cure... this time camo in the woods...



Digital camo?



Or maybe a forest mural?

[jscherb]

The fiberglass layup on the molds is finished.



Tomorrow morning I'll pop the molds off the master parts, trim them and they'll be ready to make parts. I plan to mold parts on Thursday.

[Rhino Ray]

I don't want to be picky but..... looking at your photos I am struck by how thin the door is for a teardrop. I don't know about you but my butt won't fit in a door that narrow. Most typical TD's I've seen has the bottom edge of the door about mattress high with enough headroom to sit. If the side is four feet high then this door is out of perspective. Also it is rare to have windows in the side. That is about where the cabinets are on the inside. Now if this was a full size trailer......

[jscherb]

I don't want to be picky but..... looking at your photos I am struck by how thin the door is for a teardrop. I don't know about you but my butt won't fit in a door that narrow. Most typical TD's I've seen has the bottom edge of the door about mattress high with enough headroom to sit. If the side is four feet high then this door is out of perspective. Also it is rare to have windows in the side. That is about where the cabinets are on the inside. Now if this was a full size trailer......

You're probably correct on all counts... I was just waiting for the steps of the fiberglass work to proceed and killing some time by coloring, this morning I was trying to do pretty things, not accurate mechanical drawings .

[jscherb]

After I posted those camo-themed teardrop concepts yesterday, someone said the drawings made them want to do a "sawtooth" in "ACU" (army combat uniform) camo. A few weeks back I did few concept drawings for someone who wondered if they could do something similar to the design for the Sawtooth XL, so I did some variations on that; here's one of the TrailTop variants in ACU...

[jscherb]

I popped the new molds off the mold master parts this morning. Here are the molds next to the mold masters they were made on. I've trimmed the rough edges off the molds but haven't washed off the mold release yet.



Once I wash the mold release off, then they'll be ready to make parts. I plan to make parts tomorrow.

[jscherb]

And someone else asked to see it in Flat Dark Earth with a roof rack...

[jscherb]

I'm not sure why there's so much interest in the camper concept I posted earlier today, but now someone's asked me for an xray view to see how much room might be inside it. The space inside is pretty much the same as the average teardrop. The shell on this one is 8'7" long, and 4' high, which means the sides are cut from a single sheet of plywood with no joints required.

I've drawn some dashed lines indicating where a rear-access galley might go, and a small storage cabinet at the back.

[Martiangod]

I'm not sure why there's so much interest in the camper concept I posted earlier today ]

Because you have come up with an awesome concept, you've gone beyond talking about it, and you have shown the proof. Now Build it, sell it and they will come.

I have some issues at times when peeps use a forum to further there own purpose. I jumped on Christine for doing a online mag, using this forum to further her purpose, right or wrong, I jumped when her purpose was not to belittle or take away from this site.
I've watched you take suggestions from members to further your concept, but in following, I think it more validation of your concept then taking.
As time and post's go on, it is a forum that builds on itself,and for each concept or idea, someone takes from that and takes it to the next stage. I know I would not be happy with my build if it didn't have a finished look to it. I have that capability to achieve that due to my profession and personal make up. Many on here have the want, but maybe not the ability to achieve that. What you are proposing, and have demonstrated gives someone with entry level skills to achieve building something they can proudly pull into a park and say " Hey, I built this ".
For this I applaud you, your helping the DIY'r achieve something, for some, have only been able to dream of.
Bravo!!!!