Unusual Designs Found on Internet

[WizardOfOdds]

Sorry, links below went bad


Sadly, the above links are no longer valid, probably because they were removed by the owner.
There is more here http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/caravans/up-to-12-ft/auction-1037087112.htm

Update.... I found new links to photos that work here
http://tventuring.com/trailerforum/thread-40-page-46.html

[WizardOfOdds]

I always liked the foam shell kits from (on-again, off-again) Teal International. It did not take long to recognize his roof shell of this kit which caught the attention of the Smart for 2 crowd

Catch the post here
http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f77/mini-camper-kit-smart-fortwo-76721/
I did not find any mention of it at the Teal home page.

[WizardOfOdds]

This motor home uses the folded flat roof and passenger side to form an 45 degree twin sloped open roof held up by a slide out (from Japan). One thing I don't like is that the the closed height must be about the same as the body width to get the peak at the center of the base.



More info at

http://www.can-baco.co.jp/karucan.html
Update (3 Aug 2017) adding video clip

[WizardOfOdds]

Like to just browse pictures, try Photobucket. Here are some that I found interesting.
woodbox clamshell


a fabric top A-frame


a hi-lo vardo?


VW style pop top on Honda Element


mini-chuckwagon


drop-floor camper


hatch-foor clam-shell


ZigZag truck top

zig-zag tent top

[WizardOfOdds]

Fiberglass(?) pick up slide-in





info here

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/caravans/up-to-12-ft/auction-1079274690.htm

[WizardOfOdds]

DIY tent top pop up with lots of interesting ideas





info is here

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/caravans/up-to-12-ft/auction-1082527681.htm

[WizardOfOdds]

read about it here

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f92/introducing-the-happier-camper-hc1-prototype-photos-68241.html

[WizardOfOdds]

This car top pod folds down pretty flat, could the concept be of value for a trailer design?



Figure is from this web page

http://tventuring.com/trailerforum/thread-40-page-5.html

[WizardOfOdds]

[TeriL]

DIY tent top pop up with lots of interesting ideas





info is here

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/caravans/up-to-12-ft/auction-1082527681.htm

I had similar thoughts for a flip out addition for the bed of my pickup before I bought a fiberglass shell. I really like the A-frame center poles so you don't have to wiggle around a single pole. A "gothic arch" frame would be better. The home built "stabilizers" are brilliant!

I think I was inspired by the early tent campers before they went to fore-aft flip out bed sections with a "hard shell" center section.


-- Teri

[WizardOfOdds]

fromhttp://www.doityourselfrv.com/homemade-pop-camper-vintage-cadillac/

[WizardOfOdds]

I really like the A-frame center poles so you don't have to wiggle around a single pole. ....
The home built "stabilizers" are brilliant!

Yeah, and also his entry step stool & storage, as well as the folding bed supports, and more.

I think I was inspired by the early tent campers before they went to ...... a "hard shell" center section.

Me too! My first trailer was an Apache Buffalo with the all-rag-top center peak roof. Beds were fore & aft. Side entry door just forward of the center pole and wheel. One simple, but valuable feature: the roof over the beds extended beyond the bed edge, so rain off the top would drip off the edge rather than roll down the entire end window screen (very nice in a light rain) and the wall at the bed edge sloped up away from you in bed.

Wish I never let her go.

I only have one or two slides of It (predated electric pictures by about 3 decades); hope to find them sometime soon. Yeah, I might post them if they pan out, but it would really be for me to keep my memories alive.

Thanks for the comments.

[TeriL]

Me too! My first trailer was an Apache Buffalo with the all-rag-top center peak roof. Beds were fore & aft. Side entry door just forward of the center pole and wheel. One simple, but valuable feature: the roof over the beds extended beyond the bed edge, so rain off the top would drip off the edge rather than roll down the entire end window screen (very nice in a light rain) and the wall at the bed edge sloped up away from you in bed.

Wish I never let her go.

I only have one or two slides of It (predated electric pictures by about 3 decades); hope to find them sometime soon. Yeah, I might post them if they pan out, but it would really be for me to keep my memories alive.

Thanks for the comments.

I hope you find those pre-digital slides.

How did the roof extend past the side "windows"? Flaps with a fiberglass pole to hold them out?

I had ideas to have center supports with a integral solid door (for entry) at the back and a solid front support. They would fold toward the center and the tent portion would have a "permanent" center ridge pole.

Here's a quick and dirty sketch:

Sorry for the reverse order of erection. Setting it up might make you feel like Jonah inside the belly of the beast

I suppose someone could use this idea for a quick and dirty trailer build awaiting their dream build. The fabric could be just some of those ubiquitous silver tarps at Harbor Freight and other places. The flip out sections would need some supports.

Some of the inspiration was from a friend who made a crude "Conestoga" tent from a blue tarp in the back of his pickup. He used PVC pipe for the hoops. Sorry, I never took pictures.

-- Teri

[WizardOfOdds]

Here is a rough side view drawing of what I remember of my old 1964 Apache Buffalo.
The open length is 16 ft, closed 8 ft. As I recall the beds are about 20 inches above the floor. Notice that the roof over the beds extend beyond the bed edge, that is the edge supports for the tent top are not vertical at the bed edges. (Edit 5/26 - as opposed to the later solid state version in which the end panels had to slope slightly inward so the bed side panels could fold properly). The cental and intermediate support are vertical and the middle one is adjustable to take out the slack in the tent. (Edit 5/26 - on 2nd thought the intermediate supports may have tipped slightly away from center, I just don't remember.) It all worked extremely well.

All the tent top supports were an inverted U shape. They, and the bed base supports, were all made of (what looked like) EMT (Electrical Metalic Tubing - or what we called Thin Wall Conduit). The bed supports and center top support had telescoping sections which were probably special diameters not readily available.

[WizardOfOdds]

Make a trailer from 2 plastic water tanks?




Yeah, it has a lot of issues to solve, and where do you get acceptable tanks?
Read all aboutit here...
http://www.gizmag.com/stereotank-taku-tanku-tiny-house/33393/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget