"TrailTop" modular trailer topper building components

[screwball48]

I think that a fair way to calculate the price of the trail top kit would be to base the price off of the price of the Dinoot tub kits. Compare the material/man hour cost of the tub kits to the trail top kit. If it cost a specific amount per square foot or hour of production then use the same formula to calculate the cost of the trail top kit. Love the work by the way. Keep it up!


Sent from my iPhone, just ignore all errors because the phone did it.

 

[jscherb]

Affordable to me would be like a couple hundred bucks...

Are you saying you'd expect to pay $200 for a complete set of fiberglass TrailTop parts necessary to build a camper?

 

[jscherb]

I popped the new molds off the mold master parts this morning. Here are the molds next to the mold masters they were made on. I've trimmed the rough edges off the molds but haven't washed off the mold release yet.

Once I wash the mold release off, then they'll be ready to make parts. I plan to make parts tomorrow.

 

[jscherb]

I think that a fair way to calculate the price of the trail top kit would be to base the price off of the price of the Dinoot tub kits. Compare the material/man hour cost of the tub kits to the trail top kit. If it cost a specific amount per square foot or hour of production then use the same formula to calculate the cost of the trail top kit. Love the work by the way. Keep it up!

The Dinoot kits have done very well in the market, so apparently there are a lot of people who consider them a good value. Applying a similar cost of materials + cost of labor + amortization of the mold costs is probably exactly how the TrailTop pricing would be arrived at. But since I'm not an employee of the company that sells the Dinoot kits, or of either of the companies that's interested marketing the TrailTop parts, I can't say for sure though.

 

[jscherb]

I wonder what this would look like in Flat Dark Earth with a roof rack?

Here you go...

 

[lam396]

This looks great! The possibilities are almost endless with a few interchangable parts. I would be very interested in this concept for a multi-use modular type utility trailer in the future. Regarding pricing and affordablity, it obviously needs to a fraction of what a production model would cost but the real comparision should be to the cost of a true DIY project. If the fiberglass framing components could be acquired for much cheaper than what the equivalant wood framing would cost, you would have a winner. I haven't done enough research on costs of DIY but I would think that if the framing components and required skining materials (assume cheap option of plywood) could be had for $1000-$1500, you could have a winner. The time savings plays into it slightly but I think the majority of folks that would be interested in this type of thing wouldn't necessarily value time saved over $$ saved.

 

[jscherb]

This looks great! The possibilities are almost endless with a few interchangable parts. I would be very interested in this concept for a multi-use modular type utility trailer in the future.

Thanks!

RRegarding pricing and affordablity, it obviously needs to a fraction of what a production model would cost but the real comparision should be to the cost of a true DIY project. If the fiberglass framing components could be acquired for much cheaper than what the equivalant wood framing would cost, you would have a winner. I haven't done enough research on costs of DIY but I would think that if the framing components and required skining materials (assume cheap option of plywood) could be had for $1000-$1500, you could have a winner. The time savings plays into it slightly but I think the majority of folks that would be interested in this type of thing wouldn't necessarily value time saved over $$ saved.

One of my design goals since the beginning has been that it should be possible to assemble a basic but usable TrailTop shell on a Harbor Freight frame for less than $1500 (including the frame). Depending on what you do for the windows and doors, whether you use a Harbor Freight frame or a custom welded one, how you outfit the camper, how you finish it off, etc., will affect the cost.

 

[jscherb]

I'm not sure why there's so much interest in the camper concept I posted earlier today, but now someone's asked me for an xray view to see how much room might be inside it. The space inside is pretty much the same as the average teardrop. The shell on this one is 8'7" long, and 4' high, which means the sides are cut from a single sheet of plywood with no joints required.

I've drawn some dashed lines indicating where a rear-access galley might go, and a small storage cabinet at the back.

 

[Glenn D]

As a manufacturing Engineer working on Composite aircraft, your tool making skills are GREAT!... do you want to move to California and make airplane tooling??... we need another great Composite Tool Expert...

But that may slow down these great projects so on another thought, keep up your work!... I have followed most of your projects, and find them very interesting, and great documentation of the build process... Will the Safari top fit onto a TJ, and is someone making them??..

 

[jscherb]

As a manufacturing Engineer working on Composite aircraft, your tool making skills are GREAT!... do you want to move to California and make airplane tooling??... we need another great Composite Tool Expert...

Glenn,
Thank you very much. The very last thing in the world that I want to do is turn this hobby into a job, that would take all the fun out of it. Right now I design what I want, I build what I want, and I do it to my own standards, schedules and satisfaction. If what I do never becomes a production product, that's fine with me, I only do this to satisfy my creative self.

But that may slow down these great projects so on another thought, keep up your work!... I have followed most of your projects, and find them very interesting, and great documentation of the build process... Will the Safari top fit onto a TJ, and is someone making them??..

Thanks again; yes, I've licensed the Safari Cab hardtop to Gr8Tops; they've released both the LJ and TJ versions of it. Here are pictures of both Gr8Tops production versions. LJ:

TJ:

Now back on topic to the TrailTop project...

 

[dcollier32]

Here you go...

Man, that looks great... I wished I could get my hands on one

 

[jscherb]

Many of my TrailTop teardrop concepts have only had curves on the top of the camper shell, like this verison of the classic Benroy:

Using the standard 12" radius curves on the bottom, the other day I posted this shape:

Here's another subtle difference in the shape you could do with the standard parts:

The curves on the bottom are 36" radius; the two parts for each side are cut from one standard 36" radius TrailTop curved part.

I've made this camper shell as long as is possible while still using a 4x8 sheet as a side panel, so it's about 8'7" long (the TrailTop framework adds about 3.5" at each end). And it's 4' 3" tall, again using the extra height afforded by the TrailTop framing while keeping the side panel a maximum of 4' high.

The side panels are 0.045"-thick aluminum diamond plate (http://www.rvsurplus.net/catalog/display.php?product_id=2887) laminated to 5mm luan plywood with contact cement.

The door is one I found in an eBay listing; the window is a 14x21 Radius-corner slider unit I found at Li'l Bear (http://www.lilbear.teardrops.net/parts4.html#windows).

I added art deco "wings" on the side just for fun.

 

[yj-hank]

Here you go...

This is my favorite so far. Looking Great Jeff. Still amazed as I check on your progress daily. Have you ever shared where you got your knowledge of working with fiberglass? I would be interested to hear your background if you ever wanted to share. Thanks again for keeping the pictures coming. Love this thread. Really hope this becomes something we are all able to get some day.

Henry

 

[jscherb]

This is my favorite so far. Looking Great Jeff. Still amazed as I check on your progress daily. Have you ever shared where you got your knowledge of working with fiberglass? I would be interested to hear your background if you ever wanted to share. Thanks again for keeping the pictures coming. Love this thread. Really hope this becomes something we are all able to get some day.

Henry

Henry,
I taught myself fiberglass, mostly by reading books and experimenting. Here's an excellent book I recommend to anyone interested in working in fiberglass:

Fiberglass and Other Composite Materials, Forbes Aird, Book - Barnes & Noble

Most libraries have a book or two about fiberglass, even books about fiberglass boatbuilding published in the 50's and 60's are still very relevant to someone interested in doing fiberglass at home like I do.

Jeff

 

[yj-hank]

Henry,
I taught myself fiberglass, mostly by reading books and experimenting. Here's an excellent book I recommend to anyone interested in working in fiberglass:

Fiberglass and Other Composite Materials, Forbes Aird, Book - Barnes & Noble

Most libraries have a book or two about fiberglass, even books about fiberglass boatbuilding published in the 50's and 60's are still very relevant to someone interested in doing fiberglass at home like I do.

Jeff

Now that I looked at that book I can't help but think of how cool those pieces would look in carbon fiber.

Henry