Finally going a lil more public with Project FireBeetle!

[Bluebunny]

ooh boy, i have caught my error...the turning diameter is the arc formed by the outermost point of the vehicle; typically the outside edge of the front bumper. sorry bout any confusion here. draw a suitably sized circle round the car sized by turning radius at the outside edge at the front, in a line with the rear axle line intersecting at the center. in other words, draw a line along the rear axle, then throw the proper sized arc in that line which just touches the front outside front of tow vehicle. thus you can find the center. The trailer will follow the tangent of the path of the hitch ball (a smaller circle on the original center). I am on the road, but will attempt to draw a picture.

[Bluebunny]

here is a start to illustrate turning radius. note the rear axles intersect at center. As the trailer lengthens, the intersection will eventually intersect between the trailer tires. When this happens, the trailer gets tighter against the tow vehicle, and eventually no longer moves forward at maximum tow vehicle turning, but rather just rotates. longer yet, the trailer goes backwards and jackknifes

[Socal Tom]

Am trying to figure out ways of making the wheelbase capable of some tight maneuvering in city including going places most never thought they could (like parking structure rooftops for private events!)

I don't get the point of Safr's video. Any dual axle trailer that long will do the same. Teardrops will put that thing to shame. Easy city towing? It's easy; keep the size down.

T

There is a trade off. A short wheelbase will make tighter turns, but will jackknife easier when backing. What I do at home now, is drop the tongue jack ( I put a nice caster wheel on it) and push it into the garage. If I had a steeper driveway I would put a hitch in the front of the car.

But for the original question, the closer the rear axle is to the hitch, the shorter the turning radius, and the quicker the jack knife when backing. Backing a long trailer is easy because they respond slower, a short trailer ( distance between axle and hitch) respond so fast it's easy to over steer when backing.
Tom

[GreenViking]

I am not sure how this affects towing or tire wear, but thought I would ask:
If your tow vehicle has a wider base base then your trailer chassis wheel base, besides making it harder to doge road hazards, is there any other considerations to be had? Or for that matter if it is wider.
Would this cause more wear and tear on the tires in some way when cornering?

[Socal Tom]

I am not sure how this affects towing or tire wear, but thought I would ask:
If your tow vehicle has a wider base base then your trailer chassis wheel base, besides making it harder to doge road hazards, is there any other considerations to be had? Or for that matter if it is wider.
Would this cause more wear and tear on the tires in some way when cornering?

Short answer no
Long answer , a wide trailer is hard to see behind and has more wind resistance . A trailer that is too tall and narrow can be hard to handle in a side wind
Tom

[GreenViking]

Thanks Bluebunny and Tom!

So I think I am kidding myself trying to get what I want in a 5x10 footprint. I get the super mobile by going small, but I loose the enjoyment of functionality for MY needs as a portable design office and temporary living space.

Basically what I want is if a 5x10 teardrop mated with a 1934-37 Winchester Caravan!

Anybody out there have access to building plans of a Winchester Caravan?

[Socal Tom]

Well your weight and size limits do seem like you would need to source a titanium frame and carbon fiber cab. But you might find some inspiration here
http://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/tr ... tle-truck/
Tom

[GreenViking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=66&v=RLtfrBWzNCw

[Socal Tom]

Thanks Bluebunny and Tom!

So I think I am kidding myself trying to get what I want in a 5x10 footprint. I get the super mobile by going small, but I loose the enjoyment of functionality for MY needs as a portable design office and temporary living space.

Basically what I want is if a 5x10 teardrop mated with a 1934-37 Winchester Caravan!

Anybody out there have access to building plans of a Winchester Caravan?

have you considered something more "convertible"? Maybe keep the 5x10 for the bedroom but instead of a galley in the back, make it a place for your design office. If you surround it with an ez up canopy and walls ( to block the glare) you can put the computer in the back with what ever file cabinets etc, and then you can still close it up and lock it to protect the electronics. The kitchen could be a slide out on a drawer towards the back or the side, or be a "chuck box" table that you set up as a stand alone system.
Just thinking
Tom

[GreenViking]

Tom: That is exactly the direction I am thinking... personally, the chuck box idea seems more versatile then permanent fixtures. Same with bluetooth speakers and lots of other things that simply can be stored and moved as needed.

[GreenViking]

Sorry no posts recently... In working in the shop on some design directions for the FireBeetle I posted on FB and got alot of attention and decided to go into the direction of doing a limited edition shadow lantern to help raise funds for studio build space here in the Bay. For those interested, you can keep updated here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152852287521964&set=a.57232116963.70473.654646963&type=1&theater

[daveesl77]

That is really pretty!

dave

[GreenViking]

Thanks Dave, really enjoy the wood layout on your build!. Got any picks of your modified Band-saw for butterfly cutting the wood?

[daveesl77]

Not sure I understand the "butterfly cuts", could you elaborate? Main thing I used the bandsaw for this build was to resaw the cedar into thin strips. Actually though, I'll be using it to cut out the "Conch Fritter" mascot my wife designed, just haven't decided on what kind of wood to use yet.

dave

[GreenViking]

I meant BOOKMATCH...