"TrailTop" modular trailer topper building components

[ikk]

This is cool but I'm waiting for the chuck wagon.

 

[jscherb]

This is cool but I'm waiting for the chuck wagon.

The chuck wagon/rtt platform does seem to be one of the more popular ideas in this thread. I've done a bunch of concept drawings of them for people over the course of this project.

 

[ikk]

Whats nice about the chuckwagon is it is small enough where you maybe a few hooks on the side you can park it in the garage and left it with a hoist, hopefully without removing anything inside. for those times you need to use your trailer for something else like putting in a sheet of plywood or something.

 

[jscherb]

Whats nice about the chuckwagon is it is small enough where you maybe a few hooks on the side you can park it in the garage and left it with a hoist, hopefully without removing anything inside. for those times you need to use your trailer for something else like putting in a sheet of plywood or something.

Agreed - the chuck box could be made removable so it could be stored separately up on the ceiling of the garage and the trailer used for other hauling purposes in between camping excursions.

 

[jscherb]

Next I'll be putting in the side windows. I've mocked up the approximate size and shape with tape. The actual window size will be slightly smaller, the tape represents the length of the zippers I have on hand for this. There will be two zippers and they'll meet at the peak at the top. That way, it will be possible to unzip both zippers a few inches to just get a small vent at the top, or unzip them both to the bottom to fully open the window panel. There will be a fixed screen on the outside of the window, the zippered panel will be in the inside.

 

[southernraised]

I love the idea of the chuck box add on!

 

[borison]

I've conceptualized this same design for a regular pickup bed w/ a commercial fiberglass tonneau cover. You should create/license the tent portion and adapter kit for those already owning/buying the truck and tonneau cover. Awesome work!

 

[jscherb]

I've conceptualized this same design for a regular pickup bed w/ a commercial fiberglass tonneau cover. You should create/license the tent portion and adapter kit for those already owning/buying the truck and tonneau cover. Awesome work!

Over the course of this thread I've posted a number of different uses for the TrailTop parts and the tilt-up canvas design, for example as a roof on a camper to make a tilt-top camper and as a "clamshell" roof top tent. I've also drawn the TrailTop parts as a hard cover for a Brute pickup and as a pickup camper top, so there's no reason what you suggest couldn't be done.

 

[ikk]

I know there is a lot of interest on this forum for the trail top system, and I know you are still working on the final designs. Is there interest by dinot or any other manufacture at this time. Will we see it coming out anytime soon?

 

[jscherb]

I know there is a lot of interest on this forum for the trail top system, and I know you are still working on the final designs. Is there interest by dinot or any other manufacture at this time. Will we see it coming out anytime soon?

The basic set of TrailTop parts is done, and as far as I'm concerned the design is final. This includes all of the parts you've seen in this thread that I've used to build the proof-of-concept teardrop and Jeep-tub hard cover/tilt-up camper. Both proof-of-concept builds went together as planned and the parts worked as designed, and I'm confident any of the concepts shown in this thread could successfully be built with the TrailTop parts as designed.

I have had conversations with two companies interested in marketing the system but no commitment has been made yet (by either company or by me).

Right now I'm working with a company that's signed up for several other designs of mine; they want to have them production ready in time for this year's SEMA show, so I've been focused on that lately instead of whether or not the TrailTop system gets to market.

 

[jscherb]

I got one of the side windows completed today. In this first photo, the inner panel is zipped closed.

The inner panel zips down from the top, so if you want just a small opening for ventilation, it's easy to do:

The inner panel fully open:

And from the inside. Not the best photo...

I'll get the other side window done tomorrow.

 

[jscherb]

I finished sewing the side windows this morning.

 

[bonomonster]

Extremely cool looking

 

[14JKURX]

I am really liking this trailer!
It would be really great if it had folding hard panels like a Aliner. It would be great in bear country.

 

[jscherb]

I am really liking this trailer!
It would be really great if it had folding hard panels like a Aliner. It would be great in bear country.

I think one could be built. Here's a concept view, some engineering still would need to be done, but it could work like this. In the first view, two solid sides and a solid end:

In this next view, I've omitted the end panel to show how the side panels would fold up:

And in this final view, you can see one of the side panels folded up against the inside of the cover, and then the end panel would fold forward from the bottom, also up against the cover.

That's just a rough idea, but I don't see why it couldn't be built.

Or maybe instead of all that "transformer stuff", a hard sided camper top that doesn't fold using the same basic TrailTop parts...