Nano Weekender: becomes a mockup

[mikeschn]

I thought I'd start playing around with another idea. With the cost of materials going up and up, I thought I'd do a design that only needs 1 sheet of plywood per side.

It's not quite as small as the Pico light that Andrew did, but it's definitely a lot smaller than the giant teardrops and trailers I've been building lately.

If there's an interest, I'll put some more numbers to the drawing...

Mike...

[Strangelymade]

This is certainly an idea that I would be interested in. It would fit right in with the regulations that I have to build to for my tow vehicle over here in the UK. Please carry on with this, the prototype looks great already, be exciting to see what you'll be using as the frame and wheels.

[Lgboro]

I think there are a lot of us that would like to see the smaller plans. Many of us are towing with smaller and smaller cars that require smaller profiles and lower weights to be safely towed. I am just finishing a 4 x 9 and already considering a smaller tear for long distance / cross country trips.

[rmclarke]

Mike,

As you can imagine, I really love that profile!!

[Lgboro]

On a full size Weekender how bad do the sides scrape or scar the exterior of the Weekender where it raises up? I would think that it would not allow one to cover a Weekender with aluminum? I guess if you were to build a Nano Weekender that expanded like the full size it would defeat the main purpose, but, might be a light weight spacious mini tear with a lot of cool factor.

[mikeschn]

Lgboro,

If I built a Nano Weekender so that the hatch popped up like on the Winter Warrior, I would also have to make the bed turn into a couch during the day. The problem is, the bed takes up the entire floor area. The idea of the hatch is so that a person could stand in there. I imagine you don't want to stand on the bed. So if you get the bed out of the way, like by turning it into a couch, now you can stand on the floor. But it's a lot of effort for very little gain. Since there wouldn't be a porta potty or even cabinets in that area in a nano sized Winter Warrior.

I'd better leave it as a Nano Weekender!



Mike...

[pete42]

I like it the big doors may even allow me to get in
make it fit a small trailer would be neat.
maybe make it from foam?
pete

[mikeschn]

Please carry on with this, the prototype looks great already, be exciting to see what you'll be using as the frame and wheels.

Nothing fancy with the frame and wheels... Just using a standard HF trailer, that has about 15" chopped off the length... For the really fancy light weight stuff, you have to see Andrew's stuff in the design library!

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Just for fun, here is the 3D version...



If you want to make a pair of 3D glasses: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-3D-Glasses



Mike...

[mikeschn]

Here's a couple interior shots!





Mike...

[angib]

It's an interesting idea to push the bed right to the back wall and instead put some storage in front of it - has everyone realized that's what you've done? It would seem logical to me to then make the 'overhead' cabinets inside the cabin open backwards into the galley so that at least has some storage - with the inside storage at the front, the overheads shouldn't be needed so much inside the cabin.

But I can't help thinking that builders would regret that simple back end - easy to build, but I would have thought the under-galley storage was so valuable that it would be worth having a Plan B (not From Outer Space...) with the bed pushed forwards and either a conventional full-height hatch (maybe in only two planes, not three) or a upper hatch and lower doors (which would provide tail light/license plate mounts).

And while it might actually be at least as easy to make a curved hatch and roof, I think the flat panels and sharp corners would provide more people with the encouragement to build a 'teardrop', so it ought to be really popular with first-timers (I won't use the v.... word).

[legojenn]

I like the look of your design. It's like a bigger version of my Moto-Mate. I would probably use it in my future build if I wasn't working on a galley-less reverse design.

I do have a question, though. Is there any reason other than aesthetics that the bottom is tapered? If the walls came down flat, you would keep a few cubic feet and save labour on trimming the trailer.

[toolman]

Mike,

All I can say is that you are one talented man!

Jerry

[mikeschn]

It's an interesting idea to push the bed right to the back wall and instead put some storage in front of it - has everyone realized that's what you've done? It would seem logical to me to then make the 'overhead' cabinets inside the cabin open backwards into the galley so that at least has some storage - with the inside storage at the front, the overheads shouldn't be needed so much inside the cabin.

I added some openings into the overhead cabinets. Is this what you had in mind? The bed and the floor are both 80" long. There's not much room to push things around!

But I can't help thinking that builders would regret that simple back end - easy to build, but I would have thought the under-galley storage was so valuable that it would be worth having a Plan B (not From Outer Space...) with the bed pushed forwards and either a conventional full-height hatch (maybe in only two planes, not three) or a upper hatch and lower doors (which would provide tail light/license plate mounts).

Storage is in short supply in this design. Maybe a tongue box is needed? Maybe one just needs to camp without so much stuff when using this trailer?

And while it might actually be at least as easy to make a curved hatch and roof, I think the flat panels and sharp corners would provide more people with the encouragement to build a 'teardrop', so it ought to be really popular with first-timers (I won't use the v.... word).

So who is going to be the first to build this?

Mike...

[Strangelymade]

Please carry on with this, the prototype looks great already, be exciting to see what you'll be using as the frame and wheels.

Nothing fancy with the frame and wheels... Just using a standard HF trailer, that has about 15" chopped off the length... For the really fancy light weight stuff, you have to see Andrew's stuff in the design library!

Mike...

Cheers for that. Don't think we can HF trailers over here in the UK, what's the dimensions of it? so I can build an equivalent.