Teardrop or ProtoStoga trailer .

[razzer]

OOPS , just found another teardrop bicycle trailer I haven't seen here .http://www.purplewave.com/cgi-bin/mnlis ... 80207/4148

[razzer]

I was just getting something out of my garage and saw an old boat I had hanging from the rafters and got thinking that a section of it would make a trailer if I put a top over it and wheels under it .
It looks much like this .

It looks much like this .

uncle.jpg (21.81 KiB) Viewed 17110 times

When I get a chance I will take it down and snap a picture . Now don't think I'm cutting up a lovely old antique this is a boat I built a few years ago on the cheap out of luan flooring . " it works " The thing is just before I got around to painting it I was given a very nice aluminum canoe by my father that I use . So this has been taking up space since then . Now I have an excuse to get in down and try re-proposing it . Give it a new life as something other then a place to throw tents and sleeping bags .

[mezmo]

Hi razzer,

I know you are thinking of repurposing your boat as your
BikeTD, but here is some info I came across again tonight
that I thought may be useful for you. I put it in another
thread here in the Bike Trailer section:

viewtopic.php?p=996862#p996862

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[razzer]

Thanks for the link Norm . I did check that thread out already . His bike houses are pretty amazing . I've got a million things to do this weekend , but high on the list is clean up Studio Thirteen " the shop " so I can mess about with my recycled parts to see how they all might fit together . I figure I have parts for at least two more trailers so I can build that many . The next one is probably going to incorporate part of the boat and a equal amount of foam . Well maybe more foam then boat and some 20" Worksman bicycle wheels . I hope to take some pictures of some of my crazy ideas tomorrow so I can share them .

[razzer]

Well I hope I finally got the pictures added . Anyway I'm adding some pictures of the full size cardboard cut outs I made of some of my design ideas . I don't think I'm going to use them even though I like them . When I was laying them out all I could think of was how huge they were . But seeing them outside with the full size wheel makes me realize they are still a reasonable size .

[razzer]

I know these look huge , but Sakuholma's camper really isn't that large . It is far bigger then a tent , the bicycle campers standby but ...anyway here are more pictures of his designs .

430242851_9551cba1d0.jpg (71.05 KiB) Viewed 17066 times

print design .
Frame work underconstruction .
More construction details .
As you can see it doesn't use stress skin construction or a box beam design . It's a unibody design .

[razzer]

More of Sakuholma's camper designs . I don't think he's built these .

A pop up style trailer

2201746791_5a18e3e194.jpg (78.55 KiB) Viewed 17064 times

A prairie schooner style folder .

2044146280_30c832de3e.jpg (80.13 KiB) Viewed 17064 times

[mezmo]

Good to see you are aware of Sakuholma's designs and
builds. I had remembered them, but couldn't recall his
name, just recalled it being Finnish. Most of my bookmarks
died along with our old laptop's motherboard, so I was
starting over from zero on most of them. The bookmarks
for him were among those that were lost.

I wonder what the weight on that monocoque of thin plywood
and ribs was ?

[razzer]

He says 45 lbs " 20 kilos " . Here he is on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/saholm/ I believe he's an engineer when he's not building cool bike stuff .

[razzer]

I need some help , ideas . I have some of those blue plastic barrels made from (HDPE) High Density polyethylene Plastic . I was thinking they would make a good roof for a vardo style bicycle trailer . A friend was kind enough to give me them free . Now the problem they are about 36" long/high and I would need to fasten them end to end and then put a cover on them so they don't look like ugly blue barrels . While these barrels a tough the problem is HDPE is used to store all kinds of stuff from those milk jugs in the fridge to nasty chemicals ... including ... thats right glue . That includes our favorites like TitebondII & III and even Gorilla Glue . So anyone have ideas ? I was going to put down an idea I had but I want to hear your ideas first . I would like anyone's thoughts that includes any other newbies too .

[KCStudly]

Vardo contradicts the aero design requirement. Light weight and aero seem to be predominant requirements for bicycle trailers.

Just because a thing is cheap and available does not make it a good choice. Turn them into keg coolers and invite your friends over to help with your build.

Now if you were to happen onto a couple of fiber drums and wanted to build a bike size version of the Foamstream, I'd say, "go for it".

$.02

[KCStudly]

Fiber drum

Heavy paper/chip board like product. Some have a water "proof" coating sprayed on the inside.

[razzer]

Good points KCStudly , I have been thinking about the problems with the plastic barrels more . The problems of no gluing and they are fairly heavy for what they are . I was mostly thinking they would have good protection against something being dropped on them . I also looked at various hollow core doors at the Restore Store really that's what Habitat for humanity calls their thrift store . I was thinking of just using a door for the floor of my trailer and most/all seem heavier then what I can make myself .

[droid_ca]

Is this something like what you are thinking of?

[razzer]

Droid , I'm looking at that general shape , but with a top built up from some recycled foam I have . So it would be rigid and then covered by glued down and painted cloth . At least that's this weeks idea . I need to take some pictures of my sketches so I can get more feed back . I like the nice dogs that would be fun on the trip . Where did you find the picture of the one hooked to the bicycle ? I would like to get more info on that one .