Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

That seems very reasonable , and no assembly ...

[GPW]

Now then .... Having too much time and not enough foam , I was looking back through the Gallery and ran across this .... pretty Streamlined , and if done right could be a standy at one end and sleepy at the other ...Lighter , but the more triangular shape would be smaller, more manageable overall and yet strong Rigid due to the nature of the “triangle “ and rounded surfaces ... Could be made Nice and Wide too, no problem ... more floor space ... With the idea that I might be forced to use a thinner foam for construction , it would be easy to bend in that sweeping roof curvature ... Thanks to Ratkitty for this idea ...

[GPW]

And now for something completely similar ... Yet another drawing This a full Standy into the mid area, plenty of room inside at 72’ of floor space .... Aero wings too , full house size rear entry door ... for we “large ones”

[loaderman]

I like the 1st one.

[GPW]

L’ , any reason for the preference ???

[KCStudly]

The second one looks tight for the person sleeping against the forward wall curvature, and I don't understand the sink being located under the counter, but otherwise it looks very "doable".

(Jokingly) Damn it, just pick something and build it!

[mezmo]

One of the general goals I've seen a lot of on the forum is to have
a 'permanent' bed that doesn't need to be converted every night, and a
separate place to sit or dine.

The first design shows what angib/andrew calls 'styling' at the front. as
we still need to remember that the tow vehicle's max or ending cross-section has
already punched the 'hole' through the air for us, so we just need to have
the trailer's front cross-section match that, and then the body can curve out a bit
wider from there if wanted. [Both width-wise and height-wise.] The narrower
front can be made as part of a tongue box - or an exterior access storage
area [think of one sized large enough for the bulky but not necessarily heavy
folding chairs and tables etc..] and then the sideways oriented bed area
can be after that in the start of the wider body area.

The second take is better with the higher front but I'd still bring it up a
little more and have that area be a dedicated bed area at normal chair height
at the mattress top and underneath you would have beaucoup cubic storage
arrangeable in different ways - all inside, inside and outside, all outside access
etc.. The side dinette is a very useful idea here too. The roomier, yet not
full height, dedicated front bed and the side dinette is the most useful
arrangement I think. That way one person could sleep and the other can still
sit at the dinette and do whatever. The rear upturn is more a styling thing too,
as 'areo' would be more a continuation of the roof line or a <15degree downturn there.

Since this'll be more an 'away-from-home-suite' than a continuous travel
accommodation, just choose what's best for your tastes/needs and how
complicated you want to make the building process. I'd still go for the more
headroom up front with the dedicated bed space and the separate side dinette.
My general view is to have function/usability rule over other design concerns. And a
side and a roof curve from a tow vehicle matching frontal section out to the max
trailer body cross-section size wouldn't be too difficult to do by laminating a couple
thinner foam panels in a curve to achieve that. Just remember to radius the
outside edges some too.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[mezmo]

Deleted an accidental double post.

[GPW]

Understood , Thanks !
KC , my “sink” is a Bucket (multitasking) and I’m not Near as fancy as any of you ...
Norm , the dinette was a concession to the accepted “norm” ... I will have a bed and lots of pillows ...
The flair at the top rear is just a “novelty" ... as an Artist , I’m expected to make things look Cool ...
Being towed by my Pickup w/camper top , or an SUV (what I have ) will affect the streamlining less than a car tow...
As far as Practical , the LowWider is much more practical (for me ) , just kinda’ “plain vanilla“ looking ...

Drawings is what I do ... Many are done , few are chosen ...

[loaderman]

GPW- The second one looks like not much headroom for anyone sleeping or esp. sitting right at the front.

I too draw and think lots but build little. Just spent about $1500 in relation to my 1973 Bolar, needed a new torsion axle, had to get it custom amde, and of course it fell apart 7 hours from home, tire hub and all flying into the ditch. So had to pay to get it done, towed in to a shop, hotel, and go back and get it. Also have about 20 projects on the house that should last till I die. So budget and time for other things is low.

Although the Foamie boat with canvass is looking tempting

[GPW]

Yeah Rosey did a Super job on that boat !!!! Very tempting ...

LD, never enough projects eh ??

[eaglesdare]

well hubby backed out for this weeks camping trip. so that leaves me to decide if i want to travel alone, or not go at all.

so i made the decision to go. i will take my grandson with me and of course simba.. this thursday morning my trip starts. we'll drive about 7 1/2 hours the first day and spend 3 nights at a gathering. then i am headed to tenn. will be stopping after 5-6 hours drive. spend the night and then visit with an old friend near memphis tn. after that, well we'll just have to see where the wind blows the foamie.

not sure if i will have wifi along the way, will try. will also probably stop/stay at koa's. so i should have wifi there. will try to keep you posted as to our adventure.

now is it ok to be nervous, being out on the roads alone(as far as another adults goes)? but i am excited also

[GPW]

Alone , Bring “Roscoe” ... Have FUN !!!! ... and take plenty pictures !!!! ... bring a good leash for the dog , some places require it ... (here your dog must be leashed at All times ..outside your yard of course ... )

[atahoekid]

Yup, it's alright to be nervous but you've got a good dog there. Any good dog is a good deterrent. You don't necessarily need a guard dog, you just need a dog that senses when you're uncomfortable. Most dogs do . Have a great adventure. You'll meet some of the nicest people along the way, 99+% of people are fine, most are great, it's just the occasional freak that you gotta be on alert for. HAVE FUN!!! SEND PICS!!

P.S. We'll try to behave ourselves when you're gone. I promise we won't fight, we won't throw any parties while you're gone, we'll go to school and we'll keep the place neat.

[loaderman]

The whole bed/convertable table thing.
I think a murphy style bed that flips down, with either a couch or table and chairs on the bottom side would be best for me.
http://grahadesain.com/several-things-to-consider-when-choosing-sofa-murphy-beds.html