Lowered Trailer

Ok, I'm looking for a camper of sorts to pull behind my bug. Well I ran across this.



No the Bug will not pull this but what a cool twist.

Might build one of these.....



Well it does have a Bug shape.......kind of.

rpm750 wrote:


Well it does have a Bug shape.......kind of.

Kind of fat-chick'ish. how the front comes down, then back in, like the front of a super:


notice the front of the trailer, and the super.

Bob, I've been toying with the idea of building one of those tear drop trailers for sometime now. I found a small trailer at Harbor Frieght for a reasonable price that could be used for a foundation.

i wonder how well a bug will tow a small pop up. i got a buddy of mine who is selling one, but not sure how it will tow. gotta get a hitch first, and test drive it just to see if it will be fine. tryin to get ready for BAP, lol.

Last year when we went to Bugapaluza our bug was draggin the road. I need a trailer to haul the gear in so why not go this route.

I would love one of these. Found this page a while back while surfing around for plans. Lots of scans from old 30's and 40's magazines with crude plans for building teardrops. Not really the best plans to go by, but the pictures are very helpful.
http://www.tinytears.cc/scans.html

there is a forum, about people who build and restore small travel trailers. most of them, do infact use the cheap harbor freight trailers, as a base, and build on top. they end up with some really nice trailers. if i find the link, i'll post it.

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/index.php
This is a forum I joined.

Here is what I'd like to build....
I plan on something like this only lighter... Loose the ragtop and most of the windows. Maybe even put a poptop on the roof.



I'm hoping to use a wood frame with fiberglass over that insulated and then finished on the inside. Use the rear door as the galley and room enough for a queen air mattress inside. Really cool, hope I could get it done before Bugapaluza!

Big plans! If you need any help let me know. So I am guessing Pikabuoy "Popo" wont be going to the paluza

Wow, what timming. I could not sleep last night and looked at pics and plans from 1am to 4am about teardrops. Looking at using a trailer I have now to convert. had made it into a pop-up a few years ago and it still works but time to replace the wood so figured I would go ahead and try a bigger one. If anybody gets started on one post some pics or where you got your plans from. More than likely i will wing it vs buying plans but only time will tell.

Here is the one from before, welded brackets on it to use bus jacks as levelers, had led lighting, used a bug headlight switch and fuse panel, stereo. The top is removeable using a pin/rod combo and the side canvas uses velcro so it can be rolled up. Worked pretty good but a fully enclosed would be better.

Jerome you were the first person I thought about when I saw these things. I've come up with some concepts.....

The Tintop


The Poptop


The Tilttop


The Galley would be in the back behind the hatch. This trailer is cut down below the band in the middle. The canvas tops would give better head room. I'm worried about weight. My thoughts are on construction more so than design. I found a teardrop trailer site that is all about design and construction. Most of the teardrops are made using plywood, aluminum, and or plastic sheets. I want to use a skeleton frame(Wood) with fiberglass on the outside. Kind of like the guys that make the speaker cabinets. (Remy, Unique Whips) Making molds would be a good way to go also.

rpm750 wrote:Jerome you were the first person I thought about when I saw these things. I've come up with some concepts.....

The Galley would be in the back behind the hatch. This trailer is cut down below the band in the middle. The canvas tops would give better head room. I'm worried about weight. My thoughts are on construction more so than design. I found a teardrop trailer site that is all about design and construction. Most of the teardrops are made using plywood, aluminum, and or plastic sheets. I want to use a skeleton frame(Wood) with fiberglass on the outside. Kind of like the guys that make the speaker cabinets. (Remy, Unique Whips) Making molds would be a good way to go also.

Weight is a big issue, trying to figure that one out myself. Love to use the aluminum all around but the coswt would be waaaay out there. Did think about using a bus nose sectioned into a standard tear drop but the weight and metal work again would be more than buying a pre-made.
I am looking to make one to pull behind the DC so already have more weight and a smaller engine than you do. I am leanning towards using shower board for the exterior on a 1x1 frame. If the project I want does not come thru in the next few days going to pull the trailer in the garage and start with the conversion. Have some plans on paper just need to pull the trailer in and see what will work.

If you go with your pop-top let me know, will not have a use for my fiber top anymore and should be close to your design if needed. Its a later top shortened by about 8" to fit the trailer.

I've been over on youtube trying to learn how to make molds for fiberglass. If you have a good mold it is really and easy process. I wonder if MDF will work then paint that finish it off really good, wax it for a release and then gelcoat and build layers of fiber. I could prolly make one side mold, one end and then the top section. As I glass the parts install the wood ribbing to give it strength, kind of the way they make boats. Inside out. Gelcoat maybe a waste, just glass it, sand and paint. I think this would save a good bit of weight, I'm thinking some where around 500lbs static weight when finished. Most of that is the frame and suspension. Interesting process that is for sure.

rpm750 wrote:Jerome you were the first person I thought about when I saw these things. I've come up with some concepts.....

The Tintop


The Poptop


The Tilttop


The Galley would be in the back behind the hatch. This trailer is cut down below the band in the middle. The canvas tops would give better head room. I'm worried about weight. My thoughts are on construction more so than design. I found a teardrop trailer site that is all about design and construction. Most of the teardrops are made using plywood, aluminum, and or plastic sheets. I want to use a skeleton frame(Wood) with fiberglass on the outside. Kind of like the guys that make the speaker cabinets. (Remy, Unique Whips) Making molds would be a good way to go also.

I like the trailer. If you move the wheel more to the center and construct it so that it is balanced front to back, it will put very little weight on the rear of the car since the fulcrum (wheels) will bear most of the weight. Then you need to consider your engine for up-hill driving and breaks for down-hill driving. That depends on how much it weighs and how it is loaded.

rpm750 wrote:I've been over on youtube trying to learn how to make molds for fiberglass. If you have a good mold it is really and easy process. I wonder if MDF will work then paint that finish it off really good, wax it for a release and then gelcoat and build layers of fiber. I could prolly make one side mold, one end and then the top section. As I glass the parts install the wood ribbing to give it strength, kind of the way they make boats. Inside out. Gelcoat maybe a waste, just glass it, sand and paint. I think this would save a good bit of weight, I'm thinking some where around 500lbs static weight when finished. Most of that is the frame and suspension. Interesting process that is for sure.

I might be mistaken on this, but when your building up that way with fiberglass you end up with more weight than if you used aluminum or another material. Like a boat, pick up a metal canoe and a fiberglass one, the glass one weighs more but is easier to shape and gives a bit under stress. Guy e-mailed me about the project car I was wanting, might have missed it, if so might buy the supplies and start on the trailer next week. So I can be the guinea pig and you guys can learn from my mistakes!!

I hear ya Jerome but I'm only putting 3 layers over the foam on the outside and maybe a heavy layer of mat on the inside. I saw a video that used 3 layers of fabric, 10oz, 10oz and a 4oz. The 4oz has a tighter weave and it will be easier to work out later. The inside will be covered so it will be mat not fabric. Also looked at the foam today and I think only a few MDF ribs will be needed. MDF around or close to the door frame for attachment and added strength. Also the back wall between the cabin and the galley will help keep it from moving left and right. I think I'll stay with the Tintop for now, the next one may be a bit more adventurous. I built about three of these in my last night. Got up this morning thinking it would be in the garage! No luck, can't wait to go back to sleep!

Here's what I plan on doing to make one side.
1. Find a Bus and make side, end and roof profiles.
2. Make two patterns of the profile. This will be used to cut the foam sections.
3. Make a Foam heat knife.
4. Cut the Foam in 6" strips. Will make two profiles.
5. Glue the profiles together. Alignment, I still have not figured out. A gig maybe?
6. cover with glass.

I think making the sections and then bolting them together will be the way to go on the assembly. I need to make the corners by them selves they will be complex to construct. May just glue the foam together and then carve those bad boys! I'll have to sleep tonight to figure out the attachment method!

Ok my head is smoking.
Later

dont forget to post pics of the progress when you start sounds pretty cool

I will be keeping an eye on this one!!

Does anyone know what the safe towing weight of a bug is? or has anyone ever towed a pop up with a bug before? it uses aluminum correguated siding. it has like zero tounge weight, lol. i can lift it up with like one finger. it weighs 1000-1200 lbs loaded. the wheels are very close to the middle of the trailer, thus the reason for the very low tounge weight. Thanks
-Mike

years ago i attached a ball to my bumper cage on 68 baja with a 1679 and pulled a 64 baja from austell to dallas ,probably wasn't the safest thing to do but worked fine.

i think the trailer idea would work better if you used two axles on the trailer instead of one...or you could get really crazy and use a pan from a bug as your base and tow it with the tow bar you can install a gravity brake on the tongue of the trailer like what u-haul uses and you can utilize the OG brake system of the pan.......just my 2cents

Bad thing with 2 axles is thats a lot of weight. Looks like mine is on hold for a bit, sold the truck and getting my old westy back so no need for a pull behind camper for awhile. Still need to replace the wood on it, so might play with it a bit when I do.

well, if i ever get a trailer to tow behind my bug, i will prolly just throw the turbo set-up back on my motor. Lots more torque, will really help out with climbing those hills. Normally with a stock motor, when i'm loaded down (me and 4 other people), the car just won't take hills without slowing down drastically, but when i had the turbo, you could bearly even feel the other people in the car........except when it came to stopping, . drum brakes SUCK. i would NOT recommend towing anything with drum brakes. they work good at first (assuming they are adjusted properly), but they heat up VERY FAST, so much so, that i had to stop to let them cool down

i really like this one - http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/rvs/1571922391.html

That's one bad azz trailer. Going to give them a call and see if the $2500 is in stone. I hope not