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Old 02-11-2013, 10:46 PM   #39 (permalink)
christofoo
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00C - '00 Toyota Corolla
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turbothrush View Post
Excellent project !

Have you finalized the techniques/ materials you will use for the "box" part ? What makes this especially nice is all edges radiused with no visable seems and a compound lid (as your sketch) . All possible with one-off fiberglass/epoxy and a foam core. Light weight too. You could build all the panels except the lid on a flat table and use 1/8" birch plywood for the inner skin for impact resistance and then fiberglass the outside after you glue the panels together and do the radius. I bet if you used epoxy with a filler to glue the panels together and also to glue the plywood skin you could go without a fillet in the interior.... For the lid I would check out the Teardrop Trailer guys and see how they deal with the hinges and weatherstripping etc.

Just a thought if you haven't already decided on the method/ materials for the box.

Also thanks for the videos on compounding sheet metal. Some of those techniques are new to me .
Thanks!

Honestly I've got a bit of analysis paralysis on the skin and lid. I think I need ribs at the midpoint on the body and around the lid. Starting to favor wood ribs, not a bad method. Still leaning toward aluminum skin for most of the box.

... and still not totally finished with the frame either. UHMW slip pad(s), rubber stop, angle reinforcements on the acute joint, test runs...

I'd never heard of teardrop trailers! Those should have never fallen out of fashion.

My free-time is going to slow down a bunch... Still hopeful about having this done before spring.

About all I got done since last time:

No huge surprises. It looks like over an inch clearance, but it only takes about 100 lbs on the trunk to put the double joint on the ground.
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