[4862forestgrove]

I'm working on a rear profile, floor plan / top view, and other details this weekend. At some point I'll put it on Sketchup or Blender.

Your train of thought and then reasoning at the end of the post followed mine... I only need it to crush and won't worry about even large gaps when turning, since almost all turns at highway speed are very gentle. The gaps will occur in town when aerodynamics is not needed. The application doesn't seem too daunting with my proposed method :-) :

1. Needs to crush / deform very well, 2. can not be abrasive or solid enough to dent things, but, 3. needs to have a "slick" rigid surface, 4. needs to be easy to shape (cut to form), and scalabe 5. Must be easy to attach and will not detach when needed but easily removable. I think my method meets all criteria and seems rather simple to apply.

1. Foam crushes very small, especially low density, 2. rubberized surface is "soft" and should be non-abrasive, 3. Rubberized surface is "slick" and "rigid" (like a wrestling mat), 4. can shape foam with hot wire adn make it big or small (like pillows, mattresses or couches). 5. Velcro attachments should be easy to install and remove.

Major problems might be... uh...storage bulk, (I also thought of air, because of deflation but that causes other problems, such as difficulty of manufacture, and not as "crushy" without popping, might have to attach to air reservoir or pump).

Can you think of other possible problems or engineering criteria?