Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey there foamlings...

So I got to thinking, do we need a generic foamie plan for up there in the menus?

I'm not building anything thing this year, as I am still working on the Mad Dash foamie. So maybe there's a little bit of time to work on a generic foamie.

Those of us who have made it through the giant thread already know the benefits of foam.

So what kind of a foamie do you think a generic foamie should be?

How long? How wide? What shape? You get the idea... What would you like to see?

Mike...

Mike, how about a foamie weekender on a northern tool 5x8?

Second that idea !!! Save the hatch and galley ... It’s "Generic” ... KISS !!! It will be enough for a beginner to put in a door and window ...

Ned B wrote:Mike, how about a foamie weekender on a northern tool 5x8?

I like the foamie weekender idea too. And the hatch could be left off like Glen suggested, but the hatch is simple enough, I think I will include it in the plans.

I remember doing the weekender mockup in just one weekend. It really was easy.

Let me mull over some of the details...

Mike...

Here’s the one we put so much thought into ... Worked out great but was too narrow @ 4’ wide ... 5’would have been great , 6’ wide would be SUPER and at 8’ long it’s almost to the magic 50 sq. ft. number of floor space ... (BIG)

QUOTE: “ but the hatch is simple enough” .... A “Bear" to hinge (sorry bears) requiring “reinforcing” and a locking mechanism , not to mention something to keep it up ... and always the first place to leak ... also it weakens the basic box structure and torsional integrity . A teardrop shape would be a fearfully STRONG ( and not leaky) if it weren’t for the hatch ... Don’t take me wrong , those littke rear kitchens on wheels are really well done by the members, but we’ve never had a need for one ... 60 years of camping ... even my Kustom Vans (8) had NO Kitchen or cooking implements built in ... camped everywhere in those...
Any design Engineers here that can confirm our calculations ??? ( Please no trailer EXPERTS )

if you want to keep it Simple , then best keep it REAL Simple ( your BASIC camper) . Human nature being what it is , let your readers come up with their own “improvements”.. As we all know they will anyway ...

This is the really simple one that I did a mockup of... If anyone wants to see the original weekender thread, it's here: viewtopic.php?p=4101#p4101



But I would probably close up the galley so that if water did leak in, it would just run out...



Simple is good Glen, but I'd like to have a galley...

Mike...

It’s all your call !!!

I think Glen's sketch is a good start, but perhaps shift the bed around forward (eliminate the front shelf or move it up) and have a flat back galley cabinet (no counter) similar to how Alaska Teardrop did his Northern Lite, except floor to roof so you can load a cooler on the floor.

Having the rear bulkhead close to the hatch opening, and perhaps a rim or frame around the opening would greatly stiffen the side walls enough. Yeah, you would need to add some wood for the hinge and latch, but those skills are already needed for the side doors, so it isn't a stretch.

The vast majority of users will want some form of galley or food prep area, even if kept very simple.

The longer I've been cooking up plans for a camper, the more I head towards simple. The last one I sketched up was almost pretty much a box.

Seems that two common size trailers that are easily available are the 4x8 from HF and the 5x8 from NT, it may be good to try and cook up easy plans to fit those two sizes.

The hardest bit of info for me was finding info about how to attach the foam to the floor reliably. The big thread is great. I have some attention dysfun-defic-whatever its called and a hundred page dig can be tough.

Being relatively new still, for me the forum seems to have all the information one may ever need for building a camper. Its finding all of it, and stitching it together.

Just ask , someone will help !!!

Ah the trailer...

I tend to gravitate towards the HF 4x8 because it's so easy to get, and the price is always right. The trade off is that I always have to build a box around the wheels...

And another note...

When building out over the wheels on a HF 4x8, the trailer ends up being 66" wide, which is perfect for towing behind my vehicle...

Mike...

GPW wrote:Here’s the one we put so much thought into ... Worked out great but was too narrow @ 4’ wide ... 5’would have been great , 6’ wide would be SUPER and at 8’ long it’s almost to the magic 50 sq. ft. number of floor space ... (BIG)

so, this is my baby. I camp in it. I love the extra spacious feel. I sleep head to the front. Plenty of room for me. My kitchen is external. I am plotting adding on to allow some chuckbox type storage. I am planning on an extended trip and want to take my new Whynter FM-45G 45-Quart Portable Refrigerator/Freezer, Platinum with me. That requires some sort of storage area. At the moment, that means adding onto the box and frame. I am hoping to do it this season, but it may not happen that fast. I am torn, because while I love the traditional shape of a teardrop, I love the extra head room this tear gives. Now I'm the first to admit I'm a short person, but it's almost a standy for me.

i have always liked your weekender, really like the weekender nano. but just not enough galley space,
although I think it would be a great solo, one or two night camper. Would just have to haul some
containers of kitchen ware in the tow vehicle. I don't think I have seen a dimensioned profile drawing for
the nano. (would be nice)

I do think it would be harder to build a weekender than a traditional tear drop profile, due to keeping
all the panels square and plumb.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see what you come up with.

My most recent thread has been about a minimalist trailer on a 4x8' HF chassis. the usual design waffling then ensued and I changed that to a 5x8 NT, and now I'm back down to a 4x8 on HF chassis. If I thought I could get 'away with it' I"d go all the way down to a 40x46" trailer and do a true sleeper only, but If I ever want Lori to set butt in the trailer, I know I need as much volume as possible. so back up to a 4x8 I go.

I'm really fond of the classic Benroy and Kenskill trailers, so 'easy' or not, I'm going to go with a modified kenskill profile on a 4x8.

I Like the wheels/fenders hanging out on the side of the trailer, gives it that vintage look. and with Foam, I should be able to easily make a pair of fenders which will look good, be lightweight and 'blend' with the trailer's vibe without breaking the bank.

My decision tree is now down to the basics... Bed yes, galley, MAYBE. I'm going to put in the bulkhead and shelf for one, but truly I plan on using this trailer as a sleeper, not as a camper. I'll plan it out, and have the bulkhead there, but I doubt I'll need it unless Lori chimes in and asks for it. I'll just make the galley space where my storage goes, and the lower section will hold my minimal 12v battery setup. If I get the body put together and the build is going easily, I'll think about putting a hatch out back. I'll also have a wooden support up top to help with the framing/rear hatch.

I bet that pretty well aligns with most 'beginner' builds. I've been following and learning from y'all long enough that I HOPE to knock this out in a few weeks. My last trip taught me that I'm not as young as I think I am anymore, and that this is not a luxury item, but a necessity if I'm going to pull the hours I have to for work, and maximize my time visiting my parents.

Still, I think a Weekender in foam would be fantastic!! For most builders, the straight lines and simpler construction should appeal to the newer builders. subsribed and following, Weekender! Weekender!!