The Compact

THE COMPACT

Here is a really heretical design for any teardropper who gets this far, so beware - not only is this a square design, it's got an internal galley and it's not tiny!

This is the Mark 2 version with a new folding roof design and some revised design details.

It is simply a redesign of a 1970s molded fiberglass trailer, the Compact Jr. If you want to find out about molded fiberglass trailers, visit Fiberglass RV and to see pictures of the original Compact Jr and Compact II, click on 'Albums', then on 'Trailer_Brands' and look for the Compact.

The redesign is to make this trailer suitable for a one-off home-build using plywood construction - of course, this is heresy to the Fiberglass RV folks, so I've managed to offend nearly everyone in one go!

This design is probably the smallest and lightest trailer that can satisfy the following requirements:

full-size bunks (or a near-queen-size double) for two;
seats and table to eat inside;
standing headroom;
internal galley (kitchen);
space to store a Porta-Potti.

Because it has longitudinal bunks, it can be as narrow as most tow cars (5' 8") and yet have full length bunks. The beds are a narrow 24" wide each, but when joined together the width is nearly 66".

Behind the berths is a galley on the left with sink and cooktop, and a closet and refrigerator on the right. There is room in the base of the closet to store a Porta-Potti. If an enclosed toilet compartment is considered essential, see the alternative interior below with a toilet compartment formed by a two-leaf door - an idea from a boat my father had when I was a boy! This also has a shower tray recessed into the floor, normally covered by a folding trapdoor. This layout also illustrates the possibility to mount a folding child's bunk (66"x30") transversely above the front of the main berths

The original Compact had a parallel-lifting clerestory roof which seems unnecessarily complex for a home-build, and in my Mark 1 redesign I replaced this with a simple roof hinged at one end. However there seems to be a lot of interest in a solid, insulated, lifting roof, so that has been incorporated in the Mark 2 version. Please enjoy this animation of the folding operation - it took a while to make!

The body has been designed to suit available plywood sheet sizes. If a builder can get 5' x 10' sheets, that will do the side in one piece, but if not the green trim strip along the side is disguising where a 4' x 10' is joined. The lifting top is a single 4'x 8' sheet.

The main trailer dimensions are:

Body length : 10' 0"	Body width : 5' 8"	Body height : 5' 0"	Wheel, Tyre : 13 x 4JJ, 175/80R13
Overall trailer length : 12' 11"	Overall height - roof up : 8' 6"	Overall height - roof down : 6' 6"	Chassis clearance : 12" (excl axle)