[4862forestgrove]

Hi all. I am new to this forum but have spent several nights reading old posts. I am building a teardrop trailer and am in the design / materials purchase mode. I will note several of the choices I have made so far and materials I have acquired, and then pose some design questions.

* I have read here that the traditional teardrop design is not really that aerodynamic, so I am trying to design in aerodynamic features that are not associated with a traditional teardrop as seen in the TNTTT forum.

* I will pull this trailer with a 2004 Jetta TDI Sportwagen.

* I have acquired sheets of 5052 aluminum sheet with a clear anodized gloss finish that is 12 feet long that I will use for the skin. I hope to attach this to the frame using 3M double side ultra tape to minimize rivets.

* I have acquired a Harbor Freight trailer with 1720# capacity that I will stretch to be 4x10 foot frame. I plan to skin the underside of the trailer with a sheet of continuous aluminum hiding the axle within the skin and place the axle on top the springs to lower the profile and reduce area under the trailer.

* I plan a Kamm back design using your AST template for the top surface, running out to the 50% to 60% bulkhead.

* The front of the trailer will lift up, hinged at the rear to increase headroom and interior space, while minimizing height while traveling. (Picture a car hood or hatchback.)

Now for the questions...

1. ? For the front of the trailer profile, I am thinking of several options.

a. try to recreate the shape of the rear of the Jetta, making the front of the trailer concave to try to match the convex profile of the rear door of the Jetta and matching the shape of the Jetta as seen from the rear. (although I wouldn't be able to run the trailer THAT close to the rear of the Jetta.

b. make the front traditional with a rounded front like the leading edge of a wing and the sides of the trailer flat (very easy to construct with flat panels.)

c. use the superellipse or square half body plans documented by freebeard... (the square would be much easier to construct.)

d. try to reproduce schlorwagen shape and raise the top half of the trailer with pop up trailer jacks.

2. It there that great of a benefit to round / slope the trailer sides from bottom to top or are straight sides acceptable?

3. How great a benefit are rounded edges at the corners.

I thank you in advance for some discussion and apologize for my newbie questions :-)

Once I am further in the design process and make some decisions I will post some drawings and pictures...