Nano Weekender: becomes a mockup

[mikeschn]

Cheers for that. Don't think we can HF trailers over here in the UK, what's the dimensions of it? so I can build an equivalent.

It's a 4x8 trailer with about 15 1/4" cut off. But of course your metric plywood sizes are different.

So if I were you, I'd draw the profile on a sheet of metric plywood, to determine the length of the trailer. The width of the trailer will be equal to the width of the plywood.

Mike...

P.S. You'll want to make your tongue a little longer if you want to add a standard tongue box...

[mikeschn]

Painted with white paint!







That's it for this weekend!!!

Mike...

[S. Heisley]

That's a nice looking trailer. ...Good Drafting Job!

[CliffinGA]

//mike can you do the skeych up with the prefab doors like on a lil guy? I'm trying to talk the other half into letting me do this on the trailer of my DoDropIn lil tear, I'm going to be tearing it apart this winter anyway and the frame is already that short!

Cliff

[Strangelymade]

It's a 4x8 trailer with about 15 1/4" cut off. But of course your metric plywood sizes are different.

So if I were you, I'd draw the profile on a sheet of metric plywood, to determine the length of the trailer. The width of the trailer will be equal to the width of the plywood.

Mike...

P.S. You'll want to make your tongue a little longer if you want to add a standard tongue box...

Cheers Mike, the oddity of buying wood over here is we use both metric and imperial for example, it's normal to as for a 3 meter length of 2" by 4" , and ply gets even better

[angib]

Don't think we can HF trailers over here in the UK, what's the dimensions of it? so I can build an equivalent.

We can get a similar kit - but it costs $500 for the 1200lb model:
http://www.all-about-the-home.co.uk/wil ... -140-p.asp

So it's probably no more expensive to get a local fabricator to make a custom chassis.

[Strangelymade]

Thanks angib, very handy that is, Bookmarked that link for future reference. Did think about building the trailer myself, but buying a kit in isn't that more expensive so might be worth it.


(having problem keeping logged onto the site, so might be long delays in replies)

[jonw]

Hi Mike -

Have you thought of making the front more of a V nose instead of a flat panel(s)? I've found a lot of new vehicles bring the wind close in behind themselves as a way of increasing gas mileage, but when towing a TD the winds hit smack in the front of it.

On my CRV I lose about 10 mpg towing my small 700lb. teardrop. Behind my miata (which is much shorter in height) I only lose about 4-5 mpg. Both vehicles have 2 litre 4 cylinder engines. The difference is the wind management (or lack thereof).

I'm currently working on building a detachable "nose" for the front curve that will deflect the wind around the sides of my teardrop.

You could accomplish the same thing by making the front surfaces of your weekender a mild V-nose, maybe as Jenn suggested bringing the front top section angle (with a nose) all the way down to the tongue. Inside of it could be storage. Without a curved front this should be pretty easy and straightforward to do.

Just an idea...

[mikeschn]

It's a good idea actually, Jon. I was thinking about trying to do a tongue box that integrates that feature.

What I don't want to do is add too much detail to the cabin body. I'd still like to be able to build it in a "long" weekend.

Mike...

[Miriam C.]

I like it and if you didn't cut off that 15" of trailer there is room for a tongue box. I think you need to move the axle back though...not awake yet though.

uh yeah, tongue box....Didn't Ira do one and find he was hitting the corners when backing a hard turn...

btw you can get an extended receiver for those short tongues at Harbor Freight. Making backing so much easier.

[Shadow Catcher]

One critique for the tongue box to open fully it needs to be further forward on the tongue or the front wall needs to be perpendicular. The advantage of having it further forward is that storage can be had with the existing design. In this a 6" and 4" PVC pipe holds tent/awning poles and sewer hose.

[pete42]

seems to be going from a simple nano weekender to a more complicated one.
couple three sheets of plywood presto you have a trailer.
just me being me.
pete

[jonw]

I roughly modified Mike's rendering to illustrate what I was thinking about for a nose. The nose would simply be flat panels of plywood (or whatever) that goes to a mild point to divert the wind. These could be in addition to or instead of (my choice) the flat front top and bottom panels.

Some additional possibilities shown in this drawing are:

• adding a door on one side of the bottom of the nose to provide tongue box-like storage for fold-up chairs, side awnings, etc.
• putting a shelf/floor above the storage area to give more usable and accessible storage space to the headboard storage compartment(s)

[mikeschn]

Jon,

That looks pretty good.

Here is something I modeled last night, but I'm not real happy with it. (Which is why I didn't post it last night)



I plan on modeling your concept to see how it looks!

Mike...

[rmclarke]

this is what I did....
the top is not hinged; it lifts off, held in place by two padlocks. Inside is a marine battery, an inverter, all my electrical cables, short garden hose, wheel chocks, jack stands, and miscellaneous tools....it's not real big but it works for us


Richard