My Foamie Build--Updated --Jul 3 I'm eating an elephant

[GPW]

Good thing it’s no more complex than that door ... hahahaha
I think you got a really good deal on the Bub , and am anxious to see the “transformation “ ,, Do what you gotta’ do to make it comfortable for yourself ...

[KCStudly]

Remember that the jack screw, if connected directly to the roof will need to swing with the arc that the edge of the roof follows. Also, the length of the retracted jack will need to be quite a bit longer than half of its extended length when it is retracted so that it is still stable when extended.

You can still get two lifting points (one in each corner) using a single jack screw mechanism if you use a pulley mechanism similar to a popup. That might also solve other packaging issues by allowing you to locate the jack screw under the floor along the length of the trailer.

There's an all metal full lifting top TTT on here somewhere (purple, pulled by a hot rod, can't remember the name) that uses a cable pulley system similar to a popup. The whole thing may have been a PU conversion; I don't recall.

Not too hard to work out the details after studying up a bit, parts should be easy to come by in any hdwr store, and shouldn't break the bank.

Just food for thought.

[bonnie]

Radio silence ended. I am back to the active planning stage of this build. I think I've worked out a couple of issues. I hope to go back to Michigan in about 10 days to get BUB. I've done some preliminary planning on the bed and the insides. I bought pvc, threaded rod, assorted nuts (not me ) and won the jack motor auction on ebay. So I have at least most of the componets to make a lift.

KC, your comment got me thinking about how to allow the shift as the roof moves upward. Enter the VW pop tops. They use lifts mounted much like Bimini poles. Watching the videos I think the same idea would work for the lift I'm planning. If I mount it to the front, I would need a longer treaded rod. If I mount the lift at some point on the side of the trailer and then lift only as much as is needed to get the roof angle to full height, I could use the shorter threaded rod and have more left in the housing for support. Thanks for the comment, because it gave me a direction to think things through.

???? Would the side mounted option have less of an angle to shift? I tried tying a piece of string to my model and watching, but I couldn't really get a feel for how much movement the side makes. Wish I knew more CAD than I do. Another skill on the waiting list.

I've also gone through WW's thread, and other fiberglass technique postings and I think I can tackle that now too. Well, hope springs eternal, doesn't it?

???? If I need to add pieces or alter what has already been done; do I just expoxy directly to what is already there? For instance, the back wall will need more foam depth to accept the wall. Can I just epoxy the new foam in place and then epoxy and fiberglass it? Hope that makes sense.

As far as the door is concerned. I am working on the last skin. The weather is so humid and hot, I may have to bring it into the house to properly finish it. Or wait until the next break in the weather. Dunno. Glue's drying really fast right now, though.

[atahoekid]

???? If I need to add pieces or alter what has already been done; do I just expoxy directly to what is already there? For instance, the back wall will need more foam depth to accept the wall. Can I just epoxy the new foam in place and then epoxy and fiberglass it? Hope that makes sense.

If you're gluing foam to foam you can just fiberglass it all together. Should be fine. I would rough up the mating sides to give it some tooth but other than that you should be good to go.

[bonnie]

Sorry, should have been more specific. Bare foam added to fiberglassed foam walls.

[aggie79]

There's an all metal full lifting top TTT on here somewhere (purple, pulled by a hot rod, can't remember the name) that uses a cable pulley system similar to a popup.

I think this is the project KC is referring to:

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/teardrop/teardropindex.html

Take care,
Tom

[KCStudly]

Yup, that's it Tom. Thanks for doing the leg work. Here's a link from that site that is specific to how he made his lift mechanism - http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/teardrop/teardrop5.html

Lots of good stuff can be gleaned here, even if it is not exactly what you (Bonnie) had in mind. Might just help you noodle it out!

[atahoekid]

As far as epoxying bare foam to a fiberglassed surface. It will work but I think roughing up the glassed surface becomes critical. A new epoxy bond is typically a "chemical" bond. A epoxy bond to a cured epoxy surface is a mechanical bond, so you'll need the tooth you get by roughing up the surface. I'm planning to do it to attach some of the trim (hide the joints) to the Road Foamie. I'm messing with epoxy and fiberglass now. I may try it just to see. But I'm confident it will work

[bonnie]

Lid lifting is going to be quite the adventure, I think.

Thanks Mel, I had thought it might work. Looking at things now.

[Ned B]

Bonnie,
this may or may not help, but over on the expedition portal, there is an incredible build called the 'silver bullet'. Steve, the builder/designer took Sterling cab and chassis, and mated a Highly modified U-haul box to it, which included a lifting roof system. He used hydraulics, but he defined and described the mechanisms for a cable lifting system in great detail on his wordpress blog site about the build. Here's a link http://bulletxv.wordpress.com/2009/01/2 ... ft-system/. (if you go back and read the whole project, not just the roof section, be prepared for losing several hours and your jaw hurting from hitting the floor several times...)

[GPW]

Bonnie, just trying to keep it “real” .... What you’re proposing sounds really complicated and laborious for a trailer you’ve not yet even camped in ...
You may want to just sit in it a while , when you get it, and study what’s already there. To me , and I really don’t know having never seen other than pics of the trailer, it would be much easier to just enlist some help to get the top up and stick some poles/pipes/and pins , whatever in there like the old timers did , rather than go through all those mechanical complications... Simpler is always Better(Thriftier too), just requires more thought and planning ... And simple will always work too ... can you imagine arriving at a campsite after a 14 hour drive and the top won’t go up .. Happens ??? Crumbs for thought

Hydraulic/electric lifts ? ... Gotta’ remember , it’a a Thrifty Foamie , not a Ford Fairlane ...

[bonnie]

Bonnie, Hydraulic/electric lifts ? ... Gotta’ remember , it’a a Thrifty Foamie , not a Ford Fairlane ...

I've driven a Ford Fairlane. Your points are taken. I am anxious to have the BUB home so I can sit and ponder. First real issue is whether to keep it lifting at all four corners or to hinge one end and rebuild the top to better fit my brother's design. I'm leaning toward the redesign. I did find a non thrifty and probably too long option of buying what are essentially spring loaded arms to lift the roof. They would have to be mounted to the outside of the box, which would require more beefing up of the walls, I think.

http://www.popupparts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_13

Food for thought, though. I could see something like this solving the entire issue. I may email them to see if they can make the arms shorter. It'd be worth the question. If I went with the pivot idea, I'd only need two lift arms.

[bonnie]

No reply as of yet from popupsupplyparts.com. I am heading out today to try again, to get BUB home. Anxious to get there and get the trailer back, so I can get started. Radio silence is beginning ....

[bonnie]

Made it! 33MPG. Towed like a dream. Did lose the temp door somewhere along the way.

The most stressful part was getting BUB up my driveway and ready to go into the garage, but, I did it. And it took 1 extra trip around the block.



Bub fits nicely in the garage. I was too pooped to do anything else beside go get Daisy from my daughter's. Whatever may be said about BUB's appearance, he tows like a dream. I am one happy camper.

[eaglesdare]

so glad you made it home with bub!