Homebuilt A Liner?

[Uncle Fester]

Hi guys,

I like the size and weight of the teardrops, but I want to be able to stand up in my trailer. Pop ups are nice, but I camp in COLD weather (0-20f) and I'd really like hard insulated walls, with a small heater. I've been combing the internet looking for folks who have built their own A-Frame trailer similar to the ALiners, but with ZERO luck.
Has anyone built their own A-Frame style pop up camper? Know anyone who has? Thanks!

[mikeschn]

Yea, we've visited this. Let me see if I can find something.

Mike...

Hi guys,

I like the size and weight of the teardrops, but I want to be able to stand up in my trailer. Pop ups are nice, but I camp in COLD weather (0-20f) and I'd really like hard insulated walls, with a small heater. I've been combing the internet looking for folks who have built their own A-Frame trailer similar to the ALiners, but with ZERO luck.
Has anyone built their own A-Frame style pop up camper? Know anyone who has? Thanks!

[clermont cubby]

Uncle Fester:

Welcome. Hope you start the aliner. Also interested in the design, but not certain how to go about building this type rv.

Larry

[angib]

The big, big issue of building something like an A-Liner replica is that it has to be built exactly to a detailed set of plans if there is going to be any chance of the top joint sealing when the roofs are up.

There is also the question of how the tops will be raised, as the big torsion springs used by A-Liner aren't off-the-shelf items.

I think any builder would have to have CAD software so that they could check the design as they are building. I have 'drawn' designs for things like A-Liners but they are so complex to get all the details right that I have never considered making plans available.

a-liner-tent.JPG (25.87 KiB) Viewed 7630 times

[S. Heisley]

Maybe one of these styles or a modification of one of these will suit your needs:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50969

PS. I just updated the first post with information supplied by others; so, I think you can look at that first post, now, and find it all without having to look through the rest of the thread.

[clermont cubby]

"There is also the question of how the tops will be raised, as the big torsion springs used by A-Liner aren't off-the-shelf items."

Its my understanding that Aliner offers replacement torsion springs for their tops. Believe one of their dealers, Dannys Campers, sells them. Not certain if he would sell for non owner use.

Larry

[mikeschn]

Thanks Andrew,

I haven't been able to find my cad models yet...

Mike...

[locokev]

Hi Uncle Fester, I am currently building an "A" liner type of trailer and like you found there is very little info about home built ones.
My trailer is built from a box type trailer that I use to cart around my large model aircraft, which is 3.6m x 1.7m and 1.2m high I wanted something that I could camp in and still carry model planes and after building several models of the trailer in foam is was the "A" Liner type I chose.

The tricky bits of the design are.
1: How to lift the roof, I used 2 gas struts on each roof section

2: Hinging the side walls, these hinges have to be off set at the bottom to allow the roof sections to fold down completely., also because of the geometry of the triangle walls and the roof the bottom corners of the walls (the last 300mm) are hinged separately and are closed up when the walls are up (bit hard to explain!!).

3: Sealing the roof when set up, I decided to simply overhang the roof sections at the top by about 150mm (6 inches) to try and keep the rain out.

My trailer is not quiet finished, I have to make the door, add the foam insulation and fit lights etc.
The current weight is 560kg which will go up to about 700kg when finished.

Have attached some pics hope this helps.
Cheers, Kev.
gallery/image.php?album_id=3282&image_id=113881
gallery/image.php?album_id=3282&image_id=113883
gallery/image.php?album_id=3282&image_id=113877
gallery/image.php?album_id=3282&image_id=113869

[bdosborn]

Have attached some pics hope this helps.
Cheers, Kev.

[locokev]

Thanks bdosborn for making my pics show in my post, its very confusing no how to attach pics to a post.
Cheers Kev.

[Junkboy999]

Unc Fes.

Check out this little camper. Not really an A-liner but a lot simpler to make,Kinda like a half A-liner. He only posted two Pic. I later modified a simple CAD drawing of his camper to include a pop up section on his slanted roof part. Makes a nice tall box to camp in all hard sided.

Tier Drop 50 Experimental Testbed
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=56232



locokev

Wow you must fly larger RC aircraft than me, that camper is gonna be huge. I have Three ¼ Citabrias, but usually only take one at a time. My new TD will have a pass through in the galley wall for long glider wings when I start traveling to glider events.