I would like to go over the points of this trailer one by one (basically because I have nothing else to do)
I have a picture in my head of a 5' wide x 9' long x 52'' high cabin (this would have a 9'' dropped floor running between the wheel wells from end to end to accommodate dinette use; and when the dinette is down it locks into interior wall rails to serve as the deck for a 2nd bunk)
The modernistic is the least useful of the shapes for sitting up in. If it were me I would go with a Benroy, Cabin Cruiser, or Ken-Skill.
The 9” dropped floor is fine. Just remember for safety you still want at least six inches of ground clearance (like your average car). However in order to have the dropped floor running between the wheel wells you need to mount the axle below it which will make the bottom of the trailer ride considerably higher.
Also having the table there would restrict you to sitting on one side only (see my “belvedere” design). If you are going to go for a table you should really position it where the people will get the maximum headroom.
There would be a 6'' wide x 3'' high raised 'railed' skylight -- a detail very similar to the top of the big Jim Dandy design on the one-page leaflet illustration -- centered along the hatch lid, which would only be half as long as usual so that you could have the swing-apart lower half with cabinets built into the doors) and would have fold-down props to brace it open
First, I am going to assume you mean the Jim Dandy Caravan and not the Cabin Trailer. You have lost me on that one. What is the purpose of having this sort of the on the hatch? I could see it on the trailer itself as it would give you some extra headroom. But what would be its function here?
The half hatch is a great idea, it is like the series of photos on Nick’s page.
sitting on a salvage-yard axle assembly (with wheels that include brakes and a matching spare) to allow for integral exterior fenders (wide, deep, fin-shaped fenders patterned after those on the Glen-L.com site boat, L Dorado) that conceal an extra foot of interior width
You have really lost me here. Above you mention wheel wells now you are talking about full sized fenders. If your wheels are inside wheel wells why do you need fenders? How would they conceal any width at all? Please clarify what you mean here.
And the street side one has the 'scoop' at the upper corner that helps hold the spare in place like a '50s pickup) that 'flare' from flush against the bottom of the entry/exit hatches
That is fine except for a few things. The weight would not only be higher overall, but it would also be hanging off one side of the trailer would which need to be balanced out
Also the front of that spare would stick out about 18” from the front of the fender meaning the door would have to be moved forward to allow entry, if the doors are in front of the fenders. The way you describe this makes it sound like the doors sit behind the fenders.
(yes, hatches on both sides; hatches that are oval shaped and interior hinged and swing up gullwing like a DeLorean, but are set at an angle about 15 degrees off straight-up-and-down of their long axes leaning the opposite way from the front edge of the cabin, and each hatch has 'porthole' windows) out to the full 6'' at the fin-ends which are actually flush with the back edge of the closed galley doors.
This may look good but you are talking about a lot of extra weight here. The hinges would need to be considerably stronger to support the weight of the doors at that angle, and you would need some sort of support/lifting assistance like gas shocks. It also sounds a lot like the doors will open in to part of the galley. To what end? So you can access the galley from the sides? I think what you really need to do here is to at least make a side-view pencil sketch so we can properly see the positioning of everything. Some of this is just not making sense.
The front wall features aircraft-style triangular windows (all the windows would be Lexan panes in weather-stripped openings with aluminum flashing).
I have to say I have never seen triangular windows, aircraft or otherwise. I think the B-2 (stealth) has a couple of windows that are almost triangular on the leading edge of the cockpit.
In the fins of the fenders would be the stop/turn lights.
Sounds good.
In the tongue box would be the two batteries.
Sounds bad. On the small end you are still looking at about a 26lb weight per battery (can get up to 40lbs each) That is a lot of extra weight sitting on your tongue. Anything that is heavy (batteries, A/C, water tanks, etc.) you want to get as close to the axle as possible.
The freshwater reservoirs would be lengths of 4''OD PVC water supply line mounted above the galley countertop in tight S curves to allow gravity-feeding at the laundry-faucet fitting on the deep wet-bar style sink.
Very clever. Eliminates the need for any sort of pump. What about your waste tank? Where would your supply tank be fed from?
The stove would be a Harbor Freight gas model with grill and broiler. There would be a coffeepot and a mini microwave on one GFCI outlet in the galley, another GFCI outlet in the cabin, and a rollout slide under the sink for a big cooler. One of the hatches would have an integrated rim for a privacy curtain. Inside the galley would have a large pass through in case of horrible weather (the coffeepot and electric microwave are for such times!) and an overhead fold-down DVD/TV with an FM/WB/CD stereo, and aircraft-style reading lights for the queen size bed and the bunk bed (s) plus a galley light. I would put computer-case ventilation fans in the galley wall and the ceiling vent (and maybe solar power the ceiling vent), and add a bed warmer. I think I would frame everything with 2''x2'' salvaged from shipping pallets, and use 1/4'' fir ply for the interior skins with clear polyurethane, then a pink foam board insulation layer, another 1/4'' ply wall and, I think, a .040'' metal exterior.
The rest sounds pretty good. I have gone for a pass-through in my “belvedere’ design. I would think carefully about the wood from the pallets. That is generally in pretty bad shape and very low quality lumber. Also because I am guessing you are already going to be up around 1500 lbs. or so, I would stay away from the metal skin.
I hope this has given you some things to think about. You have mixed some great design elements together; you just need to think about the execution a little more. Try drawing it out in pencil. It does not need to be fancy; it will just give you a better picture of how everything fits together. I don’t do CAD at all, but I think I still get my ideas across. I just do pencil sketches and then do a nicer version in Photoshop.
Looking forward to seeing your changes/sketches.