What makes an eye-catching TD profile?

[Kody]

We all want to design our TD so it has eye-catching appeal but are there any design parameters that can help those of us that are challenged in this artistic manner? Yes, there are some amazing things to check out. Have a look at some of the paintings by the "Great Masters" of the art world. One man stands out from all the others in this respect. His name is Leonardo da Vinci. He was not only a great artist but also a great inventor. As an artist, Leonardo's paintings held a special appeal. They were so perfectly proportioned and set out with a special type of grace that really caught one's eye. His secret was he discovered the perfect dimensions of a rectangle that gave super eye appeal. All his paintings were "framed" within this unseen rectangle. He used simple geometry to draw the rectangle but it is easy to draw if you have a calculator, a pencil and a ruler.
The length of the rectangle had a specific ratio to the height. The ratio is "Length = 1.618 x Height". Many ancient buildings were also built to this ratio and may have influenced Leonardo when he saw/examined them. The rectangle can be horizontal or vertical. The only criteria is that the four sides touch or almost touch what the four sides enclose. I drew the rectangle, it's known as the Golden Rectangle" around the profile of my TD as I have it on the drawing board (ie, computer screen). The top, ends and wheel touched the four sides exactly and to my surprise, the door also fitted the form of the rectangle perfectly when superimposed upon it. If you are starting to design your TD, the Golden Rectangle may help you to form the dimensions and shape that has that special eye-appeal. If I can get the drawing of my TD to be displayed here you will understand what I am trying to describe. The shape and dimensions certainly wont suit everyone but they may be a start in the right direction for you. The rectangle is coloured Gold (?) in the drawing so you can see it. This is the exact profile of the TD that we are building.

Kody

[48Rob]

Proper proportions are a good way to start.
Something many do not consider, or choose to ignore, is the size of the wheels/tires.
The most beautifully shaped body looks off when paired with incorrectly sized (tiny) wheels.

Rob

[eamarquardt]

The "Golden Ratio" is also known as Phi.

My brother has done a lot of research/thinking of how that ratio factors into human beauty.

Here are some sites where his thoughts are:

http://www.goldennumber.net/beauty/

http://www.beautyanalysis.com/index2_mba.htm

Phi is found throughout nature. The shape of shells, DNA, flowers, etc, etc, etc.

Cheers,

Gus

[grant whipp]

Rob makes an important point to consider! Another point worth the thought process in the overall aesthetics of a teardrop design is fenders ... the prettiest profile/design and the finest workmanship can be totally ruined by an ugly set of fenders.

One other factor in teardrop design and overall aesthetics is covering the frame/chassis sides ... look at all of the well-known vintage teardrops and the most successful designs of today, and you'll notice that a portion of the wall hangs down past the frame, continuing and not interrupting the flowing lines of the profile.

All (and more) grist for the mill ... ...!

CHEERS!

[DMcCam]

Hi Kody,

Welcome to the forum!!! Right off the bat these little trailers are attention grabbers just because of their size and general shape. Now when you introduce the subject of the golden mean or rectangle you're opening a whole different area of design. As an artist and designer, I've been studying the system of Dynamic Symmetry for many years, using it on all my designs and paintings. The golden rectangle or the rectangle of the whirling squares is one of many such design rectangles of Dynamic Symmetry. Through time this wonderfully complex system had been mostly lost and ended up with only the golden mean or rectangle as the last remnant. A man named Jay Hambidge re-introduced the principles to the modern world in the early days of the 20th century. According to Hambidge, the Egyptians invented the basic concepts then taught them to the Greeks who perfected them. Here's a link to Amazon: [url=Jay Hambidge The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry]http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Dynamic-Symmetry-Dover-Instruction/dp/0486217760[/url]

Because this topic is one of intense interest to me, I hope you don't mind me fiddling with your artwork a bit.


I've taken your image and added the subdivisions then redrawn the profile to take full advantage of the diagonals. As you can see, your profile is very close to matching! How wonderful! You have an artist's eye sir!

All the best,
Dave

[mikeschn]

Dave,

Tell me more about those sub-divisions. Got a URL?

Mike...

[aggie79]

Here are a couple of my thoughts on teardrop design. (Please temper my thoughts. I know about as much about design as I do nuclear fission.)

1. Subtle differences in profiles can have a great change in appearance. When I was trying to come up with my profile, I plotted seven different, but similar profiles that I liked.



In the end I used a blend of three of those different profiles. This is what I came up with:



2. A profile is 2-D; your teardrop is 3-D. What may look good in profile may not be as attractive in real life if your overall proportions - length, width & height - are not pleasing. To me - your mileage may vary - a 4' wide x 4' tall x 8' long teardrop has the best overall proportions. If you go longer, you can go wider and taller. (My teardrops is 4' tall x 5' wide x 10' long).

3. Details matter. In my sketch, and what I initially ordered, is a different type of fender. Fortunately, Grant allowed me to change fenders to the ones I ended up using after I had already placed the order for the first set.

My two cents worth.

[Kody]

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the great comments, most appreciated. The "tongue" as shown in my drawing is actually the "A" frame that is welded under the trailer frame. It will not be seen unless one is squatting down. The sides come down flush to the bottom of the trailer frame and are bolted directly to the 3"x2" RHS. The fenders/mud guards have not yet been fully designed. I know that the fenders will make or break the look of the finished job so a lot more thought is needed to formulate the finished style. The wheels are 14" with standard type tires. I remember seeing a beautiful shape in the realm of God's Nature somewhere that inspired me heaps. I just have to remember what is was. I think it may have been in the spiral of a sea shell. When I finish the design shape for the fenders, I will post the drawing for you all to comment on.

Kody

Slow, --- I wish I could meet you one day and spend time with you. I would sit and share a long coffee with you and just listen to the words and wisdom of your heart. You live your life so much in the fullest. May God bless you greatly.

[DMcCam]

Dave, Tell me more about those sub-divisions. Got a URL? Mike...

Hey Mike, The diagonals are the key to the sub-divisions. You use them the get most of the horizontal and vertical ones. You'll notice that the vertical and horizontal lines bisect where 2 or more diagonals cross. The diagonals begin in the corners of the rectangle to center. There you place the first vertical and horizontal. But Wait, the first vertical is the original square you use to create the rectangle! If you look closely, you'll see that there are 2 verticals on each side that make a square, one to the left then the other mirrored to the right. The 1.618 rectangle starts with a square. Draw an 'X' through the middle to find center, then draw a vertical line from center to the base. Put a compass's needle on that point and draw an arc from the upper right or left corner to the base line. Where the arc intersects the base line you draw a vertical to the top line thus defining the rectangle. Here's an example of all the rectangles in the system.



The main idea is to make your shapes fit within the sub-divisions of the rectangle especially on the diagonals. This is just scratching the surface of the system of course. Hambidge's books are amazing resources.

All the best,

Dave

[Lgboro]

I use a series of complicated mathematical calculations to design my tear shape.....join two pieces of molding and bend to make a pattern. After being accosted at every stop on a cross country trip the better question might be "How do I mask my tear profile so I can buy fuel in under 45 minutes?" I don't think many eyes will fail to catch your tear on the road. In return you will meet a lot of people you would never have had the chance to meet.

[Vedette]

I agree.....high profile at a gas station leads to a lot of discussion with total strangers!
Great tow vehicle doubles that discussion.

[len19070]

Everybody has there own opinion on this but for me, when ever I build an 8" long Teardrop I make the Height 44". And use the same proportions with longer Tears.

The actual profile, I think is secondary to the Length/Height/width ratio.

I think lowering by 4" makes the Tear look longer, sleeker and more "Eye appealing".

The inside height is still more than ample and it doesn't give the design a Top Heavy look. Especially with a 4' wide build, and with a wider than 4' box these proportions only look better.

And wheel positioning. The only formula I use is the center of the wheel should be 1/3 the total trailer length from the rear. I establish the trailer length by adding the length of the box + 40" for the tongue.

Just what I do....nobody's wrong.

Happy Trails

Len

[mikeschn]

The main idea is to make your shapes fit within the sub-divisions of the rectangle especially on the diagonals. This is just scratching the surface of the system of course. Hambidge's books are amazing resources.

All the best,

Dave

Thanks Dave,

That should make for some interesting reading!

Mike...