Adventure Trailer Horizon in the LA Area

[paulbgardner]

I am thinking about the possibility of building something akin to the Horizon by Adventure Trailers. Does anyone have a newer model Horizon that they would be willing to show off to me? I would like to see a few construction details and measure a few things for my knock off. I live in Pasadena, CA but will drive as far as San Diego (same distance north or east too) if need be. Thanks.

Paul

 

[Martyn]

I am thinking about the possibility of building something akin to the Horizon by Adventure Trailers. Does anyone have a newer model Horizon that they would be willing to show off to me? I would like to see a few construction details and measure a few things for my knock off. I live in Pasadena, CA but will drive as far as San Diego (same distance north or east too) if need be. Thanks.

Paul

Why not come up with something original?

You are willing to put some effort into trying to knock the Horizon off, why not use the time and effort to come up with something creative of your own?

Copying a product doesn't move us forward, creating something new does.

 

[mvbeggs]

I am thinking about the possibility of building something akin to the Horizon by Adventure Trailers. Does anyone have a newer model Horizon that they would be willing to show off to me? I would like to see a few construction details and measure a few things for my knock off. I live in Pasadena, CA but will drive as far as San Diego (same distance north or east too) if need be. Thanks.

Or save yourself a whole bunch of time, effort, and $'s and just pick this one up:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/76924-2006-Horizon-Adventure-Off-Road-Trailer-For-Sale

 

[paulbgardner]

Martyn,

You all build a super high quality trailer. I have no idea how to fabricate boxes and put the finishing touches on a trailer so it would be worth my time to see how the pros do it before diving in. I am a mechanical engineer and know better than to try to reinvent the wheel on some aspects of design. The horizon meets my needs in a trailer but I want to take a stab at designing my own. Who knows where this project will take me but I have to have some kind of starting point. Your design seems like a good place to start and I would like to learn from what you all have already done.

 

[Martyn]

Martyn,

You all build a super high quality trailer. I have no idea how to fabricate boxes and put the finishing touches on a trailer so it would be worth my time to see how the pros do it before diving in. I am a mechanical engineer and know better than to try to reinvent the wheel on some aspects of design. The horizon meets my needs in a trailer but I want to take a stab at designing my own. Who knows where this project will take me but I have to have some kind of starting point. Your design seems like a good place to start and I would like to learn from what you all have already done.

Paul, we are one of the few companies making trailer who do not use an internal frame for our component parts. If you don't have a large brake and the skills needed to make complex bends you would be better off making an internal frame work and skinning it.

The reason I replied to your thread is I place a high value on innovation. The hardest thing you face is thinking about your trailer and not seeing it in terms of all the other off-road trailers you have seen on the web. If you start your design with a clean slate you move us all forward.

 

[paulbgardner]

Thanks for the advice. I work at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, up at the observatory we have several large breaks and other sheet metal equipment that I can use. I have not had any first hand experience with working sheet metal but I am looking forward to learning how to.

I agree it is very hard to see past what has already been done. I have faced that with my own designs in other arenas. I have spent months designing and re-designing parts only to end up with something similar to the previous iteration and then having to really force myself to forget all the other ideas.