Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Stouttrout** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:37 am

My Grand parents lost an RV in the Sierra Nevada This was not theirs but I imagine it was close. Notice the little cargo trailer, no problem for him. His side is small and caries less wind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwOqARlw ... playnext=2

by **GPW** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:40 am

ST ... No wings for sure !!!

What you see in that video is a big broadsided box , probably top heavy with cabinets full of gear , and the AC on the roof (more top weight) .. the worst conditions in a cross wind ...

You could see he was having big trouble ... wonder why he didn't just pull over and wait for calmer conditions ... :roll:

by **davel** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 7:32 am

eaglesdare wrote:i think that is the issue folks have about our foamies. they don't have that regular metal or wood frame.

Louella,
By metal frame, I meant the normal type trailer that the tear is built on. Most foamies that I have looked at on this thread are built pretty much like mine. The only difference I have noticed is ya'll are using thicker foam (which by the way would have been a lot easier to work with).

by **GPW** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:04 am

Dave , the thicker foam is much more fun to fool with ... Like big Lego blocks ... sorta' ... Currently investigating some 4-6" thick foam , just to do a bit of carving and rounding ...

So the heavier the basic trailer , like my old boat trailer , the better ? ... Was thinking of getting a HF trailer for my little Foamie, just to make it "look" right , but now you've got me thinking ... :thinking:

by **Papi** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:18 pm

GPW wrote:OK, I posed this question to a few OFBs (old flying buddies) , Old Timer Plane guys, ... First response from them all was "You don't fly on a day like that " !!!
Then we got into a discussion of balance , center of gravity , and all agreed that the lower the trailer is , the "apparently" wider (as compared to the height) area or "track", the more stable the tow would be ... Kinda' knew that already ... Talked about shapes .... the Box was definitely Not the way to go ...all their ideas resembled the streamlined canopy off a P-51... Final conclusions... lower , wider , with the mass (weight) concentrated as low as possible (pendulum effect) , and fully rounded surfaces so the air would flow over it easily .. = More stable in the wind ! Makes sense to me ... especially the part about not towing in very windy weather ...

I suppose you could also build some dihedral into the shape too... :roll:

by **GPW** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:45 pm

Papi,

No wings ...

by **jhanlon** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 5:32 pm

Sounds like an egg on a trailer would be optimal shape. I'd hate to have to deal with the compound curves though.

by **GPW** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:38 pm

Big Foamie egg ... and we can name it "You should have seen the chicken!" ... Half an egg split lengthwise was what I guess the flyboys had imagined .. No lift off that , the air would flower over and around it ... Should be easy in Foam :thinking:

by **DJT** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:20 pm

Is it wrong that I was doing the math on a 5x6x10 block of foam? I was daydreaming at work today about just building it like a quinzee (snow shelter...think igloo but carved not stacked), using some kind of curved hot wire tool and just tunneling in from the door. It would make such a mess, but would give an amazing shape! Finish it off with the spray on coating, unlimited possibilities! Think: Coke bottle or Blue whale; wiener-mobile or a football!

by **mezmo** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:37 am

Hi DJT,

Quote: "...Think: Coke bottle or Blue whale; wiener-mobile or a football!"

That's what the following thread is meant for:

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... highlight=

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

by **GPW** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:12 am

DJ, that's entirely possible ... somewhat wasteful , since you can add and subtract thin/thick sheets with no consequence ...using Much less Foam , generating much less waste ... :thinking:

But if you already have a big block sitting around doing nothing, well ... :roll:

Having used and still owning several hot wire foam cutting devices , I can attest to their usefulness and versatility ... Most any shape is possible using cutting templates or free hand carving/shaping ... However , you Must take Care not to electrocute yourself, burn your skin , or breathe in the toxic vapors produced with heat .... Hey, it's Plastic !!! Done safely in a well ventilated area, it can be great fun and Quick , producing no foam dust ... allowing rapid parts fabrication ... :thumbsup:

by **GPW** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:09 am

Just an observation ... the other day we had some really WINDY weather (and Rain) blow through the area... My little Foamie trailer sat on the boat trailer all the time un attached, and didn't move ...

Just had to check on it from time to time , and it wasn't even rocking ... I took this to be a good sign as my garbage and re-cycling bins got blown over , along with a few tall plants ..

Can't wait to bolt it down and have a tow ...

by **S. Heisley** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:37 am

Size might make a difference, too. The wind has a lot more area to push on with a semi. :thinking:

by **GPW** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:30 am

That's true !!! Mine is just TD size ... 4X4X8 ... Not much area there ... nice rounded edges, not much to catch the wind... :thinking:

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

foamis and high winds.

RE: Foamie Shapes

Who is online