"TrailTop" modular trailer topper building components
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Here's what I'm planning for the pop-up tent panels. There are three panels - two sides and an end. At the top edge, all of the panels attach to the inside of the cover with snaps on the inside edge of the sill board. At the bottom, since I built this trailer with the standard Wrangler soft top retainer rails, the panels will have a plastic strip just like the Wrangler soft tops; this strip slips underneath the retainer rail just like the factory soft top panels do. The end panel zips to the side panels.
There will be windows in each side; these follow common tent practice and have a solid panel that zips/rolls up to keep out the elements, and an inner mesh panel that also zips/rolls up. The door on the back will also have the same solid and mesh panels. It will secure to the tailgate with snaps on the inside of the tailgate, and there will be a flap that hangs a bit over the outside to prevent leakage. The door panel can be zipped/snapped from the inside.
I'll be ordering the fabric in the next day or two, I'll post more on fabric choices soon, you guys can help me pick the color.
I'd like to hear any comments, suggestions and criticisms you might have of this design.
There will be windows in each side; these follow common tent practice and have a solid panel that zips/rolls up to keep out the elements, and an inner mesh panel that also zips/rolls up. The door on the back will also have the same solid and mesh panels. It will secure to the tailgate with snaps on the inside of the tailgate, and there will be a flap that hangs a bit over the outside to prevent leakage. The door panel can be zipped/snapped from the inside.
I'll be ordering the fabric in the next day or two, I'll post more on fabric choices soon, you guys can help me pick the color.
I'd like to hear any comments, suggestions and criticisms you might have of this design.
Ace Brown
Retired Ol’ Fart
You may need to do the roll-up flap on the rear door but I'd prefer to see a D window on the sides. Roll up flaps are all or nothing with no way to ventilate at the top as is common practice on modern tents. Also the roll-up style can be very tedious to operate from the inside.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Can you show me an example of the type of D window you're talking about? I'm not sure I know exactly what you mean.
Ace Brown
Retired Ol’ Fart
Not sure where I'd find a picture but check a few modern nylon tents in a camping store. Usually the screen is fixed on the outside with a D shaped door or flap lying on it's back on the inside. When zipped down fully the flap can drop into a pocket or be tied off. The advantage is easily full open or almost closed with a small opening at the top so one can have some venting with minimal rain intrusion.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
compactcamping
Explorer
Jeff, a few thoughts:
- Having the side window solid flaps on the inside is much more convenient. Want to be able to adjust / open / close it at night without get out.
- From a ventilation in rainy conditions standpoint, you want side window to zip down from the top.
- Triangular shaped side windows with two straight zippers will be a lot easier to sew and cause less puckering.
- To handle fabric stretch / shrinkage and because TrailTop components for other applications and Dinoots do not have soft top retainer panels I would propose a bungee and knob bottom attachment method.
- For the door flap, make it hang down 4-6” pass the top of the tub and sew in a sleeve that a piece of ½” conduit can slide into. This will weight it down nicely without the need for snaps and makes it easier to roll up
- I would sew the three sections together, that zipper would likely end up being a leak source.
- Having the side window solid flaps on the inside is much more convenient. Want to be able to adjust / open / close it at night without get out.
- From a ventilation in rainy conditions standpoint, you want side window to zip down from the top.
- Triangular shaped side windows with two straight zippers will be a lot easier to sew and cause less puckering.
- To handle fabric stretch / shrinkage and because TrailTop components for other applications and Dinoots do not have soft top retainer panels I would propose a bungee and knob bottom attachment method.
- For the door flap, make it hang down 4-6” pass the top of the tub and sew in a sleeve that a piece of ½” conduit can slide into. This will weight it down nicely without the need for snaps and makes it easier to roll up
- I would sew the three sections together, that zipper would likely end up being a leak source.
compactcamping
Explorer
Here are some shoots showing how I do inside flap windows. Notice how with the inner flap zips a few inches above the screened opening so you can leave the top open for ventilation when it's raining out.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the second post with the photos of how you do it, that's helpful.
I don't think the Jeep-style retainer and a bungee method are mutually exclusive. Because this tub has the Jeep-style retainers, I'd like to use them. If I proceed with a roof-top clamshell prototype, I can add a bungee/knob setup to the bottoms of the panels.
Will consider that.
Borrowing again from Jeep soft-top practice, there would be a flap over the zipper to prevent leakage. I also used this method on the zip-together Safari Cab roll-up soft sides, and that works great in the rain at highway speeds
.There are several other reasons for three separate panels -
- For prototyping, I can change the design of one of the panels and just zip a new panel into place without having to unsew/resew everything together.
- For modularity - different end panels can be used with the one set of side panels to fit different length tubs (within limits).
compactcamping
Explorer
Yes, I can see how a velcro'ed flap over it would protect the zipper.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Here are the fabric choices I'm considering, shown against the trailer tub:
And close-ups of the camo samples from the website that sells the fabric:
There are other colors, like blue, red, black, and white winter camo, but I'm thinking it should be one of the ones above.
I'd like to pick a color that will look good in all of the applications I might prototype - the tilt-up on top of the trailer, the clamshell on top of the Jeep, maybe even the pop-top camper. The canvas image I've been using for the concept drawings below looks like the taupe above, and olive for the awning.
What color would guys go with?
And close-ups of the camo samples from the website that sells the fabric:
There are other colors, like blue, red, black, and white winter camo, but I'm thinking it should be one of the ones above.
I'd like to pick a color that will look good in all of the applications I might prototype - the tilt-up on top of the trailer, the clamshell on top of the Jeep, maybe even the pop-top camper. The canvas image I've been using for the concept drawings below looks like the taupe above, and olive for the awning.
What color would guys go with?
screwball48
Explorer
Taupe and olive combo is my vote.
Expedition.Report
Explorer
compactcamping
Explorer
With yellow and black as a base colors to go with, the taupe or flooded timber seem to look the best.
bonomonster
Adventurer
This is my vote also. I'd stay with neutral colors for anything used as a demo.
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