Max Headroom, A Pop-Up Benroy, planning

[Junkboy999]

Mike
I’m not worried about weight in the back. First culations, if the top is all wooden, it would weigh about 250 Lbs.
I also plan to have a Gas bottle up front, Tool box, tire chocks, spare tire, two solar panels on the top, and possibly
a honda generator running on LP gas. I will mostly be camping just by my self, so I’ll have plenty of room for food.
I just need room for my toys.

This TD will not only be for camping but I plan to use it for hauling my RC planes to out of state flying events. The
extra battery is needed to charge my flight box and all the RC batteries. Most of the time the Tow Vehicle will be
filled with rc planes as well. The reason for the 4 place seating arrangements is so Pilots can set in there and BS
while waiting for the rain to stop or the winds to settle down. At least that is the plan. What is that old saying
“ The best laid plans for mice and men “.

The Galley is going to be simple compared to some TD on the forums. I’ll have 7 fixed shelves and one adjustable
one in the middle. Microwave is a must for me, Camp stove is a wish. The cooler, dry food storage containers, and
Hot water on demand will sit on a removable floor. Removing this floor will give access to a shallow well for can
food, pots, pans, cables, and other odd items.





My 1985 Pilot Decathlon. I got 3 of these.

[Thawley]

To guide the top of the camper as it is going up, I going to use Aluminum T-Track and hard wood strip that will slide in the T-Slot

I'd recommend using 1/2 or 3/4" Polyethylene to avoid the swelling/sticking you're apt to get with hard wood. It mills like wood, with all the same cutting tools.

[Junkboy999]

Ya

I was thinking the same thing. I have access to a great supply store. Wichita being a aircraft manufacturing
city there some good scrap laying around. The Yard store is 3 miles from my house. They have teflon and
other plastic use by machine shops for practice run on milling machines.


The yard store Youtube Video. They got everything man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ1FDA2nKrc



The Yard Store Info
The Surplus side of the store
http://www.theyardwichita.com/

The Aircraft Tool side of the business
http://www.yardstore.com/

The aluminum and scrap part of the business
http://www.aluminumyard.com/



if you like Aircraft this is there too. The first Air Force- 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... YwFeo&NR=1

[aggie79]

Very nice! Have you seen this pop-up teardrop trailer?

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

[RandyG]

The Yard store is 3 miles away??? JEALOUS!
I'm lookin forward to seeing this trailer in action.

[Junkboy999]

Oh ya Randy.

With the aircraft industry still slow I can find just about any tool I need to build an Aircraft at the local
pawn shops and The Yard Store. I see you build Aircraft. Do you do it for a living or hobby? That also
explains why you are working of an aluminum pop riveted frame for your TD. I’ll have to keep a watch
out for your build progress.

I’m more of a woodworker, but the top of my Max. Headroom camper will now be a lightweight Aluminum
frame like the “Northern Lights” build. Just riveted together, insulated with foam and Aluminum cover outside
and RFP inside.

[S. Heisley]

Very nice! Have you seen this pop-up teardrop trailer?

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

Thanks, Tom. This one was missing from the list of Pop-up Roofs; so, I just added it:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50969

[jdarkoregon]

Terry,

Are you going to be able to enter the cabin without raising the top?

John

[Junkboy999]

John

Yes. That is the main thing I trying to accomplish. The plan is to make a “Standard Teardrop” with the
ability to be a “Pop-Up”. The main bench folds up for a headboard. The table will hang on the inside
wall when not in use. A removable bottom section to the door will also hang on the inside wall when the
top is down. The top shell will have a window in the front, one on the drivers side, and the one in back.
The back wall and window section might be in two parts and will lock up in place. It will double as the
second method of escape if needed. ( but only when the top is up )

[Junkboy999]

Just playing around with seating arrangement. The table will have to have a lift up leaf at the end of it.
This will reduce it’s size for storing and allow people to use the door. Of course the a person sitting on
the outside ends will have to exit the camper to allow the person on the inside to exit.



In case anyone is wondering, this is the usable space in the camper with the top up. This is not counting
the interior cabinets and two drawers under the cabinets. The top might be 2 inches shorter depending on the
insulation method used in building.

[Junkboy999]

I’m probably overthinking the folding bench, as usual. Top picture shows the bench up and down, and the
bottom picture shows the bench folding in a few steps.

[RandyG]

Terry, I work on AC for the USAF. Aluminum, rivets, and paint are all part of my job.

[jdarkoregon]

Terry,

Thanks for the answer to my question. It looks like you've got a plan. You are creating a very unique trailer. Have fun. I look forward to seeing your progress

John

[Junkboy999]

Man I don’t think I can cram in another piece of kit into this teardrop. Two 20 lbs tanks and Honda generator
setup for propane. Spare tire is under the TD. A 23 gallon water tank for showers and general use, and still room
for three, 3.5 gallon fresh water containers for drinking. ( the blue water bricks ). Two of them in the storage
compartment and one on galley for use. A 21 gallon grey water tank and a small tank for black water if needed.
Two full size 100 - 180 watt size solar panels. ( Zach you better get your two battery and full sized solar cell up
and running so I can copy it ). Man this thing is gonna be heavy.



With that in mind, I started to rethink the wooden solid wall design. Taking a page from Alaska Teardrop,
Northern Lite Traveler build, and MeelisV Estonian teardrop I started to plan an aluminum framed TD with a
aluminum framed moving shell. It is going to take some advance planning because the walls will be foam filled.
Anything attaching to the walls needs reinforcement. The galley and storage area will still be made out of wood
to simplify installing hardware, plumbing, wiring, and components.



After I get back from the Beaver Bend OK trip. I’ll pick up some aluminum tubing and foam to try to make one
wall of the shell for testing. If it works out well, I’ll have a good start. I’m still not planning to start this build
this year but just gathering parts and knowledge for later.

[Junkboy999]

Its been driving me crazy for the past few months on how to get a good seal around the back window while
it is in place. I kept picturing, in my mind, leaks around the corners and down the side of the interior walls.
After a caffeine and chocolate induced sleepless night, I came up with an idea. Let the water come in!
Thats right, let it leak in all over the place! Mother nature is a powerful force, and water will be water.
The two best ways to deal with water leaks is to make an object so watertight it is now a solid, or allow
for the water and just deal with it.

I already planned for a drip channel under the back window resting place incase water gets in while the top
is down. Sumner’s TD had one in his purple TD ( there is a link above ) and another builder suggested one in
another build. Sorry I can't remember that link. The light gold color is the drip channel in both pictures.



I extended the drip channel to run from edge to edge of the camper and then turn 90 deg down to allow water
to flow down both side in drain into the fender wells. This channel running down the side of the camper also
gave me more room for a bigger edge lip around the back opening of the shell. The light Green is the new bigger
edge lip, allowing for a bigger surface area for the seal around the back window. The Back window is shown
swinging into place.



This picture below shows the back window in place. There is a Lip on the bottom of the window frame that will
rest on the back on the teardrop and have a rubber strip under it. This lip will double as the resting place for the
shell after the tension is released of the the cable lifting system. A locking system will somehow hold it in place.




Most of my picture are screen captures of my cad program. I usually just model one half of a project, then copy
and flip the other side. In case anyone is wonder why I say the channel goes from side to side of the camper and
in the picture you see it does not.