"TrailTop" modular trailer topper building components

[jscherb]

I decided to install a t-handle with slam latches in the hatch.. I didn't have quite enough time this morning to finish the job, but here are some in-progress photos.

First photo is the hatch sitting on the workbench, you're looking at the inside bottom edge of the hatch.

Next on the left is a closeup of a latch, and on the right is the outside of the hatch on the workbench showing the locking t-handle.

I should be able to get it finalized and back on the camper shell tomorrow.

 

[grimbo]

Another great use for this concept would be as a canopy for a flat bed on a truck or as we like to say a tray top for a ute.

 

[jscherb]

Another great use for this concept would be as a canopy for a flat bed on a truck or as we like to say a tray top for a ute.

If you've got a photo of a ute that you're thinking a TrailTop could be made for, send it to me and I'll do a concept drawing.

Perhaps like this concept? Same idea could set on a ute tray, and be removable when the ute was needed for other cargo...

 

[grimbo]

 

[jscherb]

Here are a couple of quick concepts.

A slide-in Ute camper:

A more basic box:

Other shapes/styles are possible with the basic TrailTop framing parts, these are just two quick concept drawings.

 

[jonnyquest]

A REAL utility vehicle!

 

[jscherb]

I finished up the basic assembly of the teardrop hatch latches today. There's still some final adjustment/trimming to be done on the hatch and latches when the shell assembly gets beyond the clamped together stage, but for now it works fine.

An inside view - I added stainless sheet metal striker plates to the fiberglass side rails of the shell to protect the fiberglass from the slam latches.

In this open view you can see the striker plates.

 

[grimbo]

Here are a couple of quick concepts.

A slide-in Ute camper:

A more basic box:

Other shapes/styles are possible with the basic TrailTop framing parts, these are just two quick concept drawings.

Great that was what I was thinking for the slide in unit

 

[jscherb]

Since the TrailTop hatch is a moving part, here's a video of it moving .

The gas struts assist opening enough so I don't have to lift it the entire way. Also it latches simply by closing the hatch.

 

[klb67]

That looks and works great, Jeff. It looks like a buyer of the kit could even easily conceal the latch hardware behind a panel for a cleaner look (how thick is the center jeep latch mechanism?).

What's next? You probably don't even need to install the sides to prove the concept.

 

[jscherb]

That looks and works great, Jeff. It looks like a buyer of the kit could even easily conceal the latch hardware behind a panel for a cleaner look (how thick is the center jeep latch mechanism?).

Thank you.

The latch mechanism I used is low profile enough so that it fits within the design for finishing off the interior of the hatch. The hatch is designed so that insulation can be added, followed by a cover panel of 1/8" plywood. The interior panel would hide the latch mechanism and cables. For illustration purposes, in the drawing below I'm showing insulation in part of the hatch, but of course you'd want to insulate the whole thing:

I'm showing fiberglass insulation in this drawing because it would be easier to fit to the curved interior of the hatch than styrofoam panels.

What's next? You probably don't even need to install the sides to prove the concept.

You're probably right, I could stop right here and declare the concept proven. All of the TrailTop parts have gone together easily and exactly as designed and the hatch was straightforward to assemble, fit and outfit with the hinge, struts and latch mechanism. Nothing more than ordinary DIY tools were required to get the assembly to this point, and no special skills were required either.

I really haven't decided how far I want to take the proof-of-concept build. I may stop here, or I may install side and roof panels. It's very unlikely I'll finish the build to full completion (as in "ready to camp") because I really have no desire to own a camper. This was mainly a design project for me. Maybe I'll see if there's anyone who does want a TrailTop camper who'd like to finish this one .

I'm thinking I'd like to do one other TrailTop proof-of-concept - I think it would be fun to do one of the clamshell concepts I showed earlier, perhaps one of the RTT-style ones:

Since I've now learned to sew (well, still learning), I'd also sew up the side fabric to prove my modular design for those parts. And if I were doing a clamshell, an intermediate point along the way would be proving that the top half of the clamshell plus the fabric parts could be installed without modification on a Jeep-tub to turn it into a pop-top camper:

So instead of finishing the teardrop, maybe I'll mold up some more TrailTop parts and start a clamshell. Or maybe I'll take the teardrop concept build a little further... anyway, I'm open to suggestions on where I go next with this design project...

 

[jscherb]

I've been doing a little more design detail work on the TrailTop pop-up/tilt-up idea. Here's a simple tilt-up camper top concept for a Dinoot/Jeep-tub trailer, made from TrailTop parts.

The mechanism is very simple, it's pretty much the same as the hardware I installed on the my military trailer cover - hinges, two struts with some simple brackets to mount them to, and a couple of latches. Except the cover would be hinged from the front rather than the side as it is on the military trailer:

The fabric parts would snap on to the cover and the tub.

 

[jscherb]

Using the same parts as the previous post, here's a clamshell roof top tent made from TrailTop parts. The only difference between this and the one in the other posts is that it's got a bottom half of the clamshell instead of sitting on the Jeep-tub trailer, all of the other parts would be the same.

Closed:

 

[Finatic Angler]

Would it be possible for a rack on top of the pop up?

 

[jscherb]

Would it be possible for a rack on top of the pop up?

Yes, although depending on the strength of the gas struts used and the weight of the cargo in the rack, you may not want to open the clamshell with a load on the rack.