Hello from Germany :-)

[ST1100]

Hi :-)

My name is Tom and I live in Southern Germany near the Bavarian Forest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavarian_Forest

I learnt camping and motorbiking from my parents and we own our 3.50 meter (12 ft) long 1975 Eriba Touring Familia since 1998 and I travelled with my wife and two daughters across Europe every summer. 2012 I restored a 4.50 meter (15 ft) long 1977 Eriba Touring Troll to pull it with our Peugeot Partner to the french atlantic coast near Bordeaux.

This winter I attached a hitch to my Honda Motorbike and plan to build a 3.3 x 6.6 foot Micro-Airstream to pull it behind my ST 1100 for a solo journey to Gibraltar in 2014.

I hope to find here hints and help and wish to share my project with you.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen aus Bayern - Tom

[Shadow Catcher]

Greetings and welcome from Mid America.
We attended a teardrop gathering a couple of years ago and encountered some one pulling a teardrop with, if I remember correctly a Honda Goldwing with a side car. The trailer was built on a small utility trailer with plastic used here in the US for lining a shower stall. You are under very different EU rules than we are and finding a certified trailer will be the big problem.

[ST1100]

Here in Germany trailers behind bikes are strongly regulated.
Allowed maximum is 100 cm (39 inches) wide.
In Germany the maximum allowed speed is 60 km/h

But in the rest of Europe 80 km/h or more is allowed.
I live only 100 km from the southern border and the german speed limit will be not very strongly controlled, if you do not exceed 80 km/h.

The german technical commission (TÜV) allows me to tow 190 kg (418 lb) behind my Honda and I hope to meet 300 lb.

There are no axles to get here in Germany, but a big manufacturer builts a special narrow axle for me and I should get it at the end of next week

Tom

[angib]

Here in Germany trailers behind bikes are strongly regulated.
Allowed maximum is 100 cm (39 inches) wide.

Trailers behind bikes only became legal in Britain about 10 years ago.

It seems unlikely that we would have stricter laws than Germany (surely nobody has stricter road laws than Germany?), but in addition to the 1000mm max width, we also have 2500mm max length from motorcycle rear axle to rear of trailer. Are you sure Germany doesn't have a similar limit?

There is a nice motorcycle trailer braking system available in The Netherlands: http://www.tourmaster.nl/index2.asp?hoo ... &taal_id=2

[ST1100]

Hi Angib !

I studied the german traffic laws very accurate and there are no extra limitations concerning height and length.

So if I want, I can tow a trailer 4.00 m high, 12.00 m long, but only 1.00 m wide ! Very strange !

The wideness restriction is from a former law that motorbikes not allowed to be wider.
Now with EU laws bikes could be 2.00 m wide, but the trailers have been forgotten and a petition to the german parliament to allow 80 km/h was also not successful.

I am allowed to speed 230 km/h or faster with my Honda here, with my Eriba Trailer behind the car 100 km/h, but with a 100 lb-trailer behind the bike only 60 km/h.

Tom

[GerryS]

Just watch you weight closely...the thought of having a trailer behind me terrifies me. Braking and turning are a lot more critical on a bike than on a car...

As a BMW K1200LT rider with at least 100000 miles under my belt, I wish you well.

[Junkboy999]

Welcome to the forums.

Man I miss Germany. I lived in Rodenbach while stationed at Ramstein AFB. Best 3 year of my AF career.

Gl on your build and ride safe.

[mezmo]

Hi ST1100/Tom,

Welcome to the forum, It'll be interesting to follow your project's
progress.

Here are a few links I thought of that may be useful or inspire you:

An amazing build, very light weight, maybe the methods could be used:
http://www.goldbrand.info/

Here's a nifty build in the shape you want: "The Fiberstream"
viewtopic.php?t=38961

Here's a TTT emulating an Airstream: The Tinstream. The builder
gives a general description of how he built it that angib was kind
enough to relay in posts for those who were interested:
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=13289& ... =tinstream
Photobucket pics for the tinstream from above link:
http://s118.beta.photobucket.com/user/busyjohn/library/
The Photobucket pics as a slide show:
http://s118.beta.photobucket.com/user/b ... ort=2&o=16

And just some thoughts on build approaches:
- Perhaps EMT [galvanized electrical conduit] could be used for the body
frame. [Easily bent with the bending tool, I'm told.]
- If they use small square galvanized tubes for awning frames over there,
[Like the 1/4 sphere style ones that are put above doors.] perhaps an
awning company could bend the body framing for you
- Check out stich-n-glue building methods. Used alot for boats. Utilizes thin
plywood and epoxy etc., supposed to be "relatively" easy to do and lighter
in weight.
- Here's a very interesting new boat-building technique that could transfer to a
motorcycle airstream-like TD/TTT build: Geodesic Aiolite Boats:
http://gaboats.com/
- Also check out the Foamie section here on the forum:
http://tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=55
It has ideas/info on approaches using foam buliding materials and skinning
those for body structure.

Have fun planning and we'll be watching for a Build Journal thread on your build
when you get into it.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[ST1100]

Thanks Norm for your interesting links.

I like the polished look of the Airstreams, but I don't want to polish my can twice a year.
So stainless steel will be the best for me, but 7.3 square meters will cost about 440 Euros in 0.6 mm thickness.

The ground frame will be 40 x 40 x 2 mm rectangular aluminum tubes, which will be welded together by a company for me.
The body should be removable and fixed at only four points to the ground frame. So its only cargo and not a vehicle.
We have strong regulations in Germany for additional lighting and plexiglass windows used in vehicles.
But if the can is only transported on a platform trailer, I'm free in design, material and lighting.

The floor will be one big sheet of 2 m x 1 m x 1.5 mm aluminum treadplate.
The wall frame I will build from 20 x 20 x 1.5 mm rectangular aluminum tubing.
And the curved roof and corner frames will be from 15 x 15 x 1 mm rectangular aluminum tubing wich I can bend by myself over a pattern.

The stainless skin I will fix with 4mm waterproof rivets to the frame. The biggest problem I fear are the four 3-D roof corners with one foot radius.
I have to test it with a sheet of paper, then aluminum to find a cutting pattern that will work at the end for the stainless steel too.

Possibly it's worth to think about a slide-out like in that thread below.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44263
It will be to build easier, than two wings to get a dry big bed.
And the body is more solid with one wall without door.
I did that similar 20 years ago for our Citroen 2CV trunk door.

When my axle arrives, I will open a new thread with plans and pictures and I'm looking forward to comments and hints.

@junkboy - Thanks that you remember Germany that way. On our way to Paris last August we stayed overnite in Ramstein with our Eriba Troll.
For me my honeymoon 1993 in US Southwest was my best vacation ever !


Tom

[mezmo]

Hi Tom,

Sounds like you've a plan that'll give you the results you want,
and your build thread wil be interesting to follow.

The build thread you referenced is definitely a top notch design -
a roomy useful camper with a very small towing size.

Have you considered anodized aluminum as an exterior skin
instead of stainless steel ? It doesn't need to be polished and
it may save you some weight - in such a small build and tight
requirements it may be worth looking into.

We have a 1977 30ft Avion [aircraft construction like the Airstream],
that we are planning to refurbish for use as a summer place up in
New York State, that has the anodized aluminum on its exterior.
It has a duller/matte silver finish/color that doesn't need to be
polished, just the usual wash, then a wax job [if you're into that].

Here's a pic of one like it to show you the color:



I understand that there is a clear anodized 'color' that looks like
aluminum also.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[ST1100]

Hello Mezmo,

that Anodized Aluminum looks good, but I have no source to buy and know nothing about the price.

7.7 square meters skin of 1 mm aluminum is a weight of 19 kg, and of 0.6 mm stainless steel it weighs about 34 kg, so its about 30 lb heavier.
The complete trailer without slideout is about 230 lb, in aluminum only 200 lb.

But first of all I will get axle, tongue and wheels next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Today my supplier confirmed the delivery date off the factory next monday !

Tom from Bavaria

[ST1100]

Here you can find my building blog:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=54344

Tom

[rebapuck]

Love the Eriba. I owned a Puck until last year.

Welcome to the forum.

[ST1100]

Love the Eriba. I owned a Puck until last year.
Welcome to the forum.

Thanks Judy - how did you lose your Puck ?

Tom

[jae]

sorry, got this posted in the wrong thread... my browser tabs got mixed up...