Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

We play in the SCA (medieval group) and as we get older, tent camping is more and more difficult so we need a "tourney trailer". At first I was going to design something that folds out with a canvas roof but that seemed like too much set up. I finally talked my husband into making a kind of "tiny house" instead. Something we can just pull up with and the only thing we have to do is put skirting around it to hide the modern wheels. This is my design. It will be covered with PMF, painted white with faux boards painted on in Tudor House Style with roof painted to look like slate tile. Skirting will look like stone foundation. There won't be a kitchen in it or anything like that, just foam pads and bedding. Mainly we'll be sleeping in it at events and storing the period stuff in it when we're not at events (tiki torches, chairs, tables, kitchen box).

I was planning on building it with no wood except for the subfloor, luan over foamie for the floor, and framing for the door and windows. Husband is concerned about aerodynamics. It wouldn't explode on us going down the highway at 60 mph, would it?

That's how mine is built. If there is a way to break up the flat front a bit to reduce wind drag, you should be fine. Maybe a faux chimney on front?


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Yeah I know somebody who built a box big enough to stand in as a foamie http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=66240#p1173202to take their stuff to SCA events and vend from I think, and they were shocked how much it slowed down their vehicle, because it was just a big flat square in the front. Very last post in their thread. Turns out they know my partner who plays, (I do dog sports so incompatible hobbies as they both consume our entire weekend all the time). I've not seen the trailer.

How big is your tow vehicle relative to the trailer?

This weekend I saw an SUV/ Cargo Trailer with what looked like a stretchy tarp between them on the road to smooth out the transition. I don't know if that actually works or what the product was, but it certainly was interesting to see. (I couldn't get close enough to see/read any manufacturer info on the weird stretch tarp thing.)

QUOTE: “ Husband is concerned about aerodynamics. It wouldn't explode on us going down the highway at 60 mph, would it? “ JMHO, that’s a lot to ask for , maybe a more traditional design trailer (aerodynamic) , a mushroom house with a Hobbit door ? ... Painted to resemble something period ( mud and straw ) ... People build Vardos with flatish fronts , and do report drag ... But they are usually well constructed to withstand it ...
And we’re not even going to mention crosswinds ...

If you really want to pull something lke that , go real enactor and get a horse ... Or make a streamline Foam front end cap that could be detached for “show” ... Drag increases exponentially with speed .... you could drive slower ... Nothing is impossible , but you may have to compromise a bit ... stronger build ? sleeker design ? Slow down ....

GPW's command reminded me of this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfTv8Nt-x6o the difference a removable nose might make..

Maybe the nose cone could be camouflaged to look like something theme related when removed, like a haystack or water well?

I would think you could add a curved "chimney" on the front, ala the foam stream and it could hide all manner of things ( like a generator or A/C) or become a stand up changing room/privey. Expand the tongue to support it.
Tom

These are all fabulous suggestions, thank you all!!!

We'll be towing it with a 1986 Ford Bronco (I need a step stool just to get into it). Husband's first thought was to somehow rig something up for the airflow and you guys gave me a whole bunch of great ideas to work on. Thank you again!

The total height of the "house" is about 8 feet from ground to top of roof. The Bronco is about 6 feet ground to top. At the line where the roof starts, it's about 6 feet.

If we hinge it at the roof line we can fold the top half in and have the roof fold over. I'm short enough that I can get inside with the roof folded and push it up.



I'm trying to talk him out of this folding idea. I have arthritis and fibro. He has rotten knees. I'd rather go with a removable cone. The trick now is getting him to "see the light". I want to get as close to "zero set up" as we possibly can. Would that 2 feet that sticks up past the top of the Bronco really warrant this much modification to the design?

Particularly with Foamies I have long thought you are limited only by your imagination, outside bracing, go nuts.

You might look into a air deflector to attach to the rear of the Bronco. Might be all you need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMhjo4uWcaw

How about a Rimple Design using the Foamie Method and paint the canvas to suit your needs. Having folding roofs can be complicated and very hard to seal.

Oh, that airshield! Will have to check that out.

I could slant the roof on that end. That should pretty much take care of the problem?

In addition to the slanted roof, what if I added a removable canvas wind deflector, something like this?