I want to make a camper I can dissasemble for storage

[danmary]

I have one of those HF folding 4X8 trailers. I got it because I don't have the room for a trailer that doesn't fold up. Now I am thinking of making a Teardrop type trailer using this trailer. I want to keep the ability to fold it us when not in use. I would really like to pick your heads to see if their are any on you out there who has either done it or thought of it.
What I was thinking of doing was using a spline and groove type of construction, using bungee cords to pull the wall tight to the floor, walls to walls, roof to walls.
I have yet built anything like this but if any one has tried... I would be interested in how you did it and if it worked being pulled or not.
I am not thinking of making it open up in the back like a true teardrop, to start... if it works. I want to make one short wall have a window and the two long walls have door and windows. I am hoping to build it 5+ feet wide and 8 feet long... so I can use a inflatable queen size mattress.
Just some random thought... that have been running through my mind for some time... not willing to start until I hear from this group on it.
Looking forward to anything that can be said about this.
Dan and Mary
St. George, Utah

[aggie79]

This has been done. I can't recall the build name but let me think on it some.

[Tomterrific]

I like the challenge. One flaw I see is bungee holding it together. When the trailer hits a bump the bungee tension will be exceeded and the pieces will fall apart. I used bungee to hold the removable sides of my NT utility trailer. They flipped out of the mounting slot on the first bump. Use 3/8 inch bolts with wing nuts instead. You could also work those inexpensive ratching tie downs from HF into the mounting scheme.

T

[KennethW]

Here is a thought.
The galley and front stub wall that fold down over the mattress. With the side walls folding down over the galley and front walls. When set up use cross bars and a truck tarp with snaps for the roof and galley hatch(rolls up).
Problems?
The bottom of the doors would be rather high. (Fun noodle on the edge when open)
Sealing the hinged walls. (Aluminum flashing( wall _/\_ wall) vee-ed in to the seam for low flexing .
Just some thoughts.
Setup
Take down off garage wall.. Fold out side walls out. Fold up galley wall and front wall. Bring the side walls back in over the front and galley wall cleats. Add cross bars. Slid in galley counter and foot shelf. Snap truck tarp on. Load battery and plastic bin that have your camping stuff in. GO CAMPING.

[OP827]

Here are links to take apart trailer build by Jim.M from this forum. The last link is to his second build, but the links to his pictures were not working. at the time I checked it
http://macklow.com/trailer/
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=56075
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64882

Some other (not taking apart), but hinged and folding wall trailers:
http://www.chiltern-trs.co.uk/Geoff_caravan.htm
http://www.caravaning.in.ua/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1017

[OP827]

And Rapido folding caravan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OG9p6FpjH4

[Glenn Butcher]

I've been noodling around with about the same idea for a few years now. Mine would be somewhat smaller, and would fit over the 40x48 trailer. Basically a 4hx4wx7l box, with the top slanting or curving down about a foot toward the front. Right now, holding the walls together would be bolts into T-nuts permanently set in the plywood; the vibration thing is what keeps me thinking about how to do this better. Walls would be a 3/4" sandwich of plywood and FRP. The roof is an interesting problem; I'm thinking of using aluminum angle on the side walls to make a slot into which would slide a sandwich of 1/8" luan and FRP, with braces running underneath that from wall to wall, fastened in with brackets.

Put it together in early spring, camp like there's no tomorrow all through summer, disassemble and lay the walls against the garage wall and go inside to cry at the end of fall...


It's really simple to build a permanent strong monocoque box, much harder to build a take-apart box that'll withstand road travel.

[Camp4Life]

Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

Sounds like a cool project! But I agree that the bungee cord idea might not work out well.

Something like this would be much better:


Or


The idea that Kenneth suggested about the tarped roof is a +1 from me as well. It would make things so much easier. Interested to see this develop!

[KennethW]

I forgot that with a truck tarp top you can retain the teardrop shape. and set it up at home and leave it up until you want to store it up on the wall again.

[drhill]

That sounds like an interesting challenge.

I had a look at the Harbour freight folding trailer on their website. I assume there would be a plywood floor (in two pieces) bolted to the frame that would stay attached all the time (in storage, utility use or use as a teardrop). The galley would be a 4' wide box and would be lifted off for storage and all your camping stuff stored in it. Two sides could be built complete with doors that would be set onto the trailer and held in place by the stake pockets. The walls would have to overlap outside the floor to keep water out. The sides would be fastened to the galley box to stiffen up the structure. Maybe a 2' to 2.5' wall at the front too, fastened to the walls to stiffen it up. The Galley box could have a traditional hatch or a tarp, and the rest of the roof would have a tarp snapped into place.

Sounds like a fun project. Hope you get lots of ideas here and keep us posted what develops.

[troubleScottie]

Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

Sounds like a cool project! But I agree that the bungee cord idea might not work out well.

Something like this would be much better:


Or


The idea that Kenneth suggested about the tarped roof is a +1 from me as well. It would make things so much easier. Interested to see this develop!

I have the later image on some dog crates (30 lb aluminum boxes) to keep them together as a vertical stack of two( 4 per pair). As a static system, they appear fine eg the hold thing together. If you are careful you can left the two units by the top unit. However, they do not have much lateral strength and can slide apart. Also as they age, the rivets/metal tends to fail. The metal bends/deforms reducing the strength of the latch. I am not sure how many you would need to make this work. Just a thought.

[KennethW]

I reread your first post. Do you want to be able to just fold the back of the trailer up and leave the trailer on it wheels. Or do you want to stand the trailer up against the wall take up a 5x3 foot print? If it is the 5x3 foot print is the ceiling of your garage over 8 foot that you could fold the hitch up and winch the trailer up vertical with small dolly wheels on the very back to roll it up to the wall and back down?

[danmary]

This has been done. I can't recall the build name but let me think on it some.

Thanks for answering. This site is great for feedback. I'll keep looking and see what others have to say. Thanks for your response.

[danmary]

I like the challenge. One flaw I see is bungee holding it together. When the trailer hits a bump the bungee tension will be exceeded and the pieces will fall apart. I used bungee to hold the removable sides of my NT utility trailer. They flipped out of the mounting slot on the first bump. Use 3/8 inch bolts with wing nuts instead. You could also work those inexpensive ratching tie downs from HF into the mounting scheme.

T

Thanks, after thinking over what you said I think that the bolt/wingnut Idea is a good one. I also was thinking that between the places that the bolts would be used I could use a gasket or something to help keep the inside drier if it rained.
thanks again, love this site
DM

[danmary]

Here is a thought.
The galley and front stub wall that fold down over the mattress. With the side walls folding down over the galley and front walls. When set up use cross bars and a truck tarp with snaps for the roof and galley hatch(rolls up).
Problems?
The bottom of the doors would be rather high. (Fun noodle on the edge when open)
Sealing the hinged walls. (Aluminum flashing( wall _/\_ wall) vee-ed in to the seam for low flexing .
Just some thoughts.
Setup
Take down off garage wall.. Fold out side walls out. Fold up galley wall and front wall. Bring the side walls back in over the front and galley wall cleats. Add cross bars. Slid in galley counter and foot shelf. Snap truck tarp on. Load battery and plastic bin that have your camping stuff in. GO CAMPING.

I was planning to have the unit 5 X 8 and about 4 feet tall. Using a butt connection and now thinking about using screws and wingnuts to hold the different sections together. I'll try to draw something and post it to help get my idea over a bit better.
you guys are great, this site is the best.
DM