"TrailTop" modular trailer topper building components

[jscherb]

Jeff,

In another thread someone mentioned a similar camper/topper fiberglass system. So I ran a search for trailtop and came across the below link. Is this the company you were working with?

TrailTop

Build Something Awesome

trailtopcampers.com

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I haven't heard from them that they're ready to launch so I don't know if anything on the site is final, but yes that's the company that's doing the TrailTop components described in this thread.

 

[Randall Morris]

Here's another assembly animation... this time it's a teardrop shell on a Harbor Freight frame.

The frame is a 4x8, but I've made the shell 8'7" long. I've done this for several reasons - by doing this I can round the corners of the floor framing and drop the curved TrailTop vertical pieces down so the side panels will hide the Harbor Freight frame. Also it's nice to have an additional 7" to work with when planning the interior, and because of the 3.5" radius on the TrailTop framing pieces, the side panel inserts are still only 8' long for an 8'7" shell, so it's easy to add those inches and still use standard-sized 4x8 sheet material for the sides.

I've painted the TrailTop fiberglass side rail parts red on this one to complement the red of the Harbor Freight frame tongue. The side panels are aluminum-clad luan, which are available commercially. I painted one TrailTop part gray to blend with the aluminum - the 12" radius roof/side transition piece.

Where can I find these teardrop camper parts?

 

[jscherb]

Where can I find these teardrop camper parts?

The straight sections and 90-degree corners were picked up by a company and I believe should be available at https://trailtopcampers.com/ although I haven't heard from them since last summer so I don't know the current status.

The other compnents (teardrop hatch ribs, larger radius corners, radius outer skin to go with the large radius corners) have not been picked up, I don't know if the company will do them in the future or not but I have the molds and mold masters if they decide to go ahead with those parts.

I've been working on a new design for a fiberglass component offroad teardrop but haven't posted about it yet. When I get a little further along with the components I'll share some photos and design drawings.

 

[jscherb]

I haven't gotten around to finishing the interior of this camper because of other projects and also I seem to need it empty so often to help the kids move. But stay-at-home time has given me an opportunity to do a little work on the camper configuration so I installed a spare MORryde Trail Kitchen in it. The kitchen includes a slide for the fridge, several drawers, a sink with running water and a propane stove.

There's a drawer unit beside the base kitchen:

And the kitchen itself has a drawer:

Everything folds up and slides into the trailer as this anim GIF shows...

If the anim above doesn't work, here's a video:


The kitchen is mounted to nutserts in the floor of the trailer so it installs/removes in minutes for times when I need the trailer empty to haul things. Right after taking these photos I removed the kitchen because tomorrow I'm bringing the empty trailer to DC to help my daughter move.

Because MORryde borrows my Jeeps often for their shows, I have another Trail Kitchen that gets installed in either the LJ or the JKU as needed and both of those Jeeps include a mount for a kitchen battery and a charging system to keep the kitchen battery charged. I'll use the same charging system to maintain the trailer battery - there's a power connector on the bumper of the JKU that the trailer will plug into.

 

[john61ct]

looking fantabulous!

 

[jscherb]

looking fantabulous!

Thanks! Next I've got to make the sleeping platform. The platform will be above the kitchen/storage area and the end of the bed will swing down to provide standing space for changing, or for sitting on the edge of the bed. I'm 6'6" and I've got plenty of room to stand in it.

 

[john61ct]

Given that the little floor space where one stands will likely get at least partially occupied by possessions

might be best for that bed-end to flip **up**, a bit of extra vertical space accounted for, room between for bedding to rest on bedding.

Otherwise the floor temporary-storage area needs to be re-shuffled every time in order to swing the bed-end down.

And the usually underside "sitting edge" will need to be a finished surface, maybe padded?

 

[jscherb]

Given that the little floor space where one stands will likely get at least partially occupied by possessions

might be best for that bed-end to flip **up**, a bit of extra vertical space accounted for, room between for bedding to rest on bedding.

Otherwise the floor temporary-storage area needs to be re-shuffled every time in order to swing the bed-end down.

And the usually underside "sitting edge" will need to be a finished surface, maybe padded?

Thanks for the input.

The reason I'm thinking it should swing down is to make the interior more useful - to provide a place for sitting.

Even with the end of the bed swung down, there's still a lot of space under the rest of the bed for storage, and I envision things that would be stored under the swing-down section would be things that go outside - chairs, tables, things that would be outside when the camper is in use for sleeping, lounging, changing, etc.

I'll give some thought to swinging it different ways before I commit to a final design though, thanks again for the input.

 

[utherjorge]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but after seeing your update above, I went looking for information on that camp kitchen you installed, and the company's website doesn't show any of the sink additions...though reviews online of the product show it. Where did you pick up your version with the sink?

 

[ITTOG]

Thanks for the input.

The reason I'm thinking it should swing down is to make the interior more useful - to provide a place for sitting.

Even with the end of the bed swung down, there's still a lot of space under the rest of the bed for storage, and I envision things that would be stored under the swing-down section would be things that go outside - chairs, tables, things that would be outside when the camper is in use for sleeping, lounging, changing, etc.

I'll give some thought to swinging it different ways before I commit to a final design though, thanks again for the input.

Another option would be to make the first two sections a-frame up and then the third slides back into position two. This will give you a bench with a back. Of course this is a bit more difficult but would be slick.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[jscherb]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but after seeing your update above, I went looking for information on that camp kitchen you installed, and the company's website doesn't show any of the sink additions...though reviews online of the product show it. Where did you pick up your version with the sink?

MORryde hasn't released the sink option yet, I am told the stay-at-home situation has delayed a number of their new products. The one in the trailer photos I posted is an early prototype, the Trail Kitchen I use in my Jeeps has a later prototype sink option with a collapsible sink that takes less room to store.

They showed the sink option with the collapsible sink at SEMA last fall, that showing may be the source of the reviews you've seen.

Since the sink option isn't on their site yet and I've been testing both prototypes I should be able to answer any other questions you have about it.

BTW MORryde was also showing the upcoming Trax Kitchen in their booth at SEMA. Developed in partnership with Tentrax, it's a kitchen with similar features to the Trail Kitchen including a collapsible sink option but in a format designed to mount on the tongue of most trailers. At SEMA it was displayed on a Tentrax trailer:

I've got more photos of both kitchens if anyone has questions.

 

[utherjorge]

Well, since it might benefit others, I'll start here, and I don't want to hijack this great thread.

I'm sorting out the electrical and more for the back of my little rig. But the door opens on the opposite side to what Jeeps have. Driver's side swing open instead of passenger. Is that kitchen set up to have it be interchangeable for either side, or is how it opens here the only way it opens?

I worry that even if I mounted it far right I would have less usable space for the sink, etc.

 

[jscherb]

Well, since it might benefit others, I'll start here, and I don't want to hijack this great thread.

I'm sorting out the electrical and more for the back of my little rig. But the door opens on the opposite side to what Jeeps have. Driver's side swing open instead of passenger. Is that kitchen set up to have it be interchangeable for either side, or is how it opens here the only way it opens?

I worry that even if I mounted it far right I would have less usable space for the sink, etc.

The current production Trail Kitchen is set up for the sink to attach as shown, there's no provision for mounting it on the other side. I know MORryde is looking for more applications for the basic kitchen components (hence the partnership with Tentrax for the Trax Kitchen) and is about to release another version of the kitchen that supports most 2-burner stoves on a slide-out under the fridge, but that one doesn't have a provision for a sink. I don't know what their plans are for other versions.

 

[utherjorge]

I looked at the Tentrax after your post, and I think that would work as is. Of course, price will matter, so we'll see what it is.

 

[jscherb]

If you've followed my threads over the years you've seen me design and build dozens of fiberglass, metal and fabric projects to enhance my Jeeps and trailers. Some of them have become commercial products but many of them were just one-offs for my own use.

I'm running out of storage space so it's time to downsize. Over the past few weeks I've been offering lots of parts, molds and projects in this thread: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/...sign-and-fabrication-time-to-downsize.240135/

Next to go will be the molds for the TrailTop components and the TrailTop teardrop proof of concept.

A few photos of the proof of concept:

Any of the TrailTop molds or the teardrop proof of concept are free to anyone who wants them. Too much trouble to ship though, so they'd have to be picked up.