AND YET AGAIN: Paul and Mike Try to Build a Hard-Sided Do-It-All ADV Trailer

[PaulJensen]

Post #134 has a couple pictures with the walls folded out...

With a pair of jack stands at the rear, the trailer is rock solid... Forget about needing anything else...

I was crawling around in the RTT and it is solid and not all the bolts in yet... It's not going to 'rack' enough to be a concern...

More next week...

Happy New a Year...!!!...

 

[scramfan01]

Great design!

I love this build. Well thought-out, unique design, and great craftmanship. This is "out of the box thinking".

 

[Ford Prefect]

How will you seal the RTT when the top is down? ( if I may ask...)

Thanks

 

[mhiscox]

How will you seal the RTT when the top is down? ( if I may ask...) Thanks

Not sure if I'm understanding the question, but the Autohome is unmodified, so it still seals when folded principally by the top shell overlapping the bottom shell. My experience has shown that setup to be quite watertight.

 

[Ford Prefect]

If I am not much mistaken, you have or intend to cut a hole in the bottom of the RTT so you can stand up through it, yes? Ergo, how will that be sealed when driving?

Cheers

 

[Ford Prefect]

(above) Before the rear doors are installed... I like all the glass...

An he's, this would be the hole to which I am referring... How will you seal that against... Well... Everything.

Thanks

 

[mhiscox]

This would be the hole to which I am referring... How will you seal that against... Well... Everything.

The cutout in the RTT sits over a lip around the matching cutout in the platform. That should work to seal it.

 

[shack]

The cutout in the RTT sits over a lip around the matching cutout in the platform. That should work to seal it.

I think he's asking if you are going to put in a trap door or panel to cover the hole from the bottom. Otherwise you could be getting road debris and whatever else coming up through that hole into the tent.

 

[mhiscox]

I think he's asking if you are going to put in a trap door or panel to cover the hole from the bottom. Otherwise you could be getting road debris and whatever else coming up through that hole into the tent.

Ahh . . . thanks. Yes, there will be a "trap door," both to keep stuff from coming in and to provide the base for anyone who's sleeping in the tent on curbside.

 

[southpier]

what will prevent the tent & platform from torqueing about on the (4) uprights? not when parked, but when subjected to dynamics of towing. are they stable enough to keep all the folding bits aligned with their respective openings? seems like only a little distortion will make everything not quite fit together.

 

[mhiscox]

what will prevent the tent & platform from torqueing about on the (4) uprights? not when parked, but when subjected to dynamics of towing. are they stable enough to keep all the folding bits aligned with their respective openings? seems like only a little distortion will make everything not quite fit together.

I guess we'll see once it's on the road. Paul reports that it seems pretty stable with him in the RTT, which makes me optimistic that it'll be okay when being towed. If it proves not to be, though, I'm fairly certain that adding additional strength will be straightforward.

 

[GR8ADV]

ok, bar none, this is one of the most unique builds I have ever seen. I am amazed at how many of the details of potential issues have been thoughtfully considered and addressed. Far and above most manufactures, who seem to rely on beta testing by their customers for concept control. Quite a project I must say. Well done gentlemen.

 

[southpier]

..... testing by their customers for concept control. ....

what means this (simpleton terms, please). neither google nor bing was willing to help me.

 

[GR8ADV]

what means this (simpleton terms, please). neither google nor bing was willing to help me.

what means this (simpleton terms, please). neither google nor bing was willing to help me.

Well I assume you understand quality control. Concept control is that of vetting out new concepts to see if they are viable, no matter how well they are built. A example might be the concept of BMW not putting the drain at the 'bottom' of the rear drive on their early shaft drives of their motos. Well made, but poorly conceived. After many problems/complaints and years, they finally put it at the bottom DOH! Come to think of it, I had a tv cabinet that had hinges were not offset like Paul has done, and thus the doors never did sit flush when opened; the next model got it right. I once had an unbreakable headlight protector on a motorcycle. It was awesome, except that one could not get behind it to clean the dirt of the lens and the inside of the protector rendering it worse than not having it. I recently walked through a very expensive factory made expo vehicle. They had a deep storage area and decided that the best concept was to put two drawers in it; one behind the other. YMMV on that one. I am sure others here could chime in on 20-30 more concepts that were sold, used and the customer feedback got the concept right a few models down the road.
.
What I am impressed with is, in this one off trailer, they have proactively thought through hundreds of issues big and small, many of which have been asked by the peanut gallery throughout the thread. Did they get them all? Of course not.
.

 

[southpier]

I get "concept" & "idea" confused regularly.

did the doors sit flush when closed? how'd they do at 65 mph?