Optimized Winter Warrior O.W.W. OWW

[mikeschn]

Cliff,

Yep, it would interfere with the drop down table I have built into the exterior wall. You can see that table in the print a few messages up... it's in red!

High Desert,

It affects the front storage first... it does effect the bed a little bit, but I suppose we could always turn around and put our feet down there. But if we start out with a 72" wide trailer, and a queen sized mattress is only 60", I'm betting we don't interfere with the bed at all.

Gary,

I am looking at a 72" wide design now... If I can see around the trailer, it'll certainly give me some much needed interior space. What do you think about the nose job?



Mike...

[RAYVILLIAN]

Mike On ours we went to a fullsize bed that is only 54" wide and ran it cross wise. The cabin is full width to the front of the cabin and the chisel nose is the tongue box. I think that is the way that the Ausi did it too but not sure.



Gary

[mikeschn]

For those of you who missed the question on the previous page, I have a situation.

If I round off the nose for aerodynamics, then I have to build a curved door. I don't really want to build a curved door. And moving the door is not an option.

Any ideas?

Mike...

[bdosborn]

The cabin is full width to the front of the cabin and the chisel nose is the tongue box. I think that is the way that the Ausi did it too but not sure.

That's what I was thinking too, don't curve the body of the trailer, curve the tongue box. The tongue box runs the width of the trailer body and tapers down towards the hitch. Kinda like this incomplete nose.



Bruce

[mikeschn]

I hear ya Bruce...

Okay, here it is... tongue box, plus maybe a tiny bit of the bed...



Mike...

[bdosborn]

Hmmm, that looks a little familiar:



Bruce

[mikeschn]

Yep, that would be just like Arne's nose...



I can't see me doing the rocket nose!

Mike...

[starleen2]

If you do go with 72" wide - I've got a set of strap on extension mirrors I'll send to ya"

[mikeschn]

If you do go with 72" wide - I've got a set of strap on extension mirrors I'll send to ya"

You're scaring me. I'm trying to get away from those extension mirrors...

Mike...

[starleen2]

Now for the remarks - Why would you spend so much time to making a front curve if you're just gonna put a Box in front of it? the bottom of the cure is just open space between it and the storage box. In the CAD drawing it looks much cleaner with out it.

[mikeschn]

The tongue box is an extension of the curve, or visa versa...



Mike...[/img]

[angib]

If I round off the nose for aerodynamics, then I have to build a curved door. I don't really want to build a curved door.

Any ideas?

Yeah, easy, round the body in front of the door - all these pointy chisel-nosed trailer body shapes aren't actually low drag, they're just styling.

What matters is rounded edges that smoothly flow into the top and sides. A sharp kink in a surface ruins any aero work done in front of it. What happens inside the wake of the tow vehicle doesn't matter.

The front of the trailer is not exposed to airflow like the front of a car/truck so almost all aero features copied from cars/trucks are innappropriate. And of course no road vehicle designed by aerodynamicists has these long pointy noses - again, that's just styling (unless you tow near the speed of sound).

[myoung]

I heartily agree with Andrew. For those who are looking to improve aerodynamics should consult texts or videos on the subject. Think of the tow vehicle and the trailer as a system. There is a space between the two in which some aerodynamic improvements can be made, but they are not of the sort that these pointy-nosed designs envisage.

At the speeds we generally travel, simple curves along the edges can have a salutary effect. Anything more extreme is pointless. Examine the Airstream for simple curved edges that work well in real world conditions. We're not creating hypersonic airplanes, but rather low-speed, low turbulence towed vehicles. Simple aerodynamics are sufficient and adequate.

[bdosborn]

At the speeds we generally travel, simple curves along the edges can have a salutary effect. Anything more extreme is pointless.

I think the intent here is to find a way to mimic the effect of a round corner without the difficulty of constructing round corners. I haven't seen a single trailer that has rounded corners on the forum. The slanted front seems to offer the potential for less drag and is much easier to construct. Gary seems to have had good luck with his approach.

Mike and Angib, do you have any specific suggestions for aero tricks that are easier to construct?

Bruce

[RAYVILLIAN]

I agree with you guys on the extreme chisel nose's. I think they look cool but probably aren't worth the extra work. Ours isn't that pointy and grew out of experience, need and a desire to use some of the wasted space between the trailer and the tow vehicle for storage.

The need was that the old WW had a flat spot on the front with a window, which wasn't a problem with the old TV that had a cab high camper shell. The air off the TV hit at a curve place above the window and went on over the trailer. When I got a new TV with just a flat bed cover the first thing I found was that when it rained the bed got soaked because the water and air off the TV was hitting the window. The second thing was the MPG drop about 1.5 to 2 MPG more than with the first TV. I assume for the same reason.

Mike and I started working on designs and the new one kinda evolved into what I have now. The nose sit's the same height as the bed and the slant moves the air back over the trailer. In the one long distance trip I've taken so far I've gotten the 1.5 MPG back plus I have the extra storage in the tongue box.

Gary