Travel Trailer/Camper help

[slowmover]

Google Books: January 1982 Popular Science for pic of Fibrelock press release.

Now that is an excellent idea! Modifying the nose of the trailer is otherwise counter-productive as it is almost always the "lounge" or sitting area of a trailer and outward visibility from there is crucial. The rear -- bath or bedroom -- would be easier to mod (removable boat-tail) as use of the space is different. A detachable inflatable "nose" would be outstanding.

Interesting about Airstream. One of the men who worked the Airstream in-house Carvanner Insurance Co years ago stated that, by contrast, that flat-faced travel trailers tend to have a resistance to sway due to that face (nose). Experience of most all aero aluminum trailers is, however, that cross-wind resistance (yaw due to winds) is far greater, so the Hucho statement doesn't make sense. In fact I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone, owner or RV hauler, who would agree with that (as there are those with several hundreds of thousands of miles of experience, in nearly all kinds of weather, climate and terrain). I can see the amount of wind pressure varying on a rounded trailer wall, say, versus the increasing loads against a flat-walled trailer accounting for this given some time/distance stuff. (I'll request the Hucho book via interlibrary)

Closing the gap between TV and TT is without remedy (as I see it) for the majority of us. Not at all knocking anyone who tries. On my rig that gap is a full 60". I see treating each vehicle separately, mechanically (rolling efficiency) and with some aero as being most fruitful. A 5'er is more likely to see gains with truck/trailer gaps addressed.

I'm going to assume that the CM Trailer Co. in question is not the one in Oklahoma (who make an otherwise nice trailer I'm told), but cannot find otherwise a reference to these dimensions.

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[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Blu3Z3rg

Here is a picture of my actual camper front
I attatched it - front of my trailer. I don't know how good it is, but it's better than the one I actually posted.

That pic bears a nice resemblance to the AWARD line of trailers. Note the V-shaped roof:

[Ecobalt]

We are going to buy a travel trailer that will be built to order. I would like to tell the builder to put a wall air conditioner into one of the walls instead of putting a big honking air conditioner on the roof. I am sure the aerodynamics will be better. Comments?

[skyking]

Anything you can get off the roof will help. I have a custom design cooking in my head that will be flush fitted everywhere, with no awnings or vents protruding.

[Ecobalt]

Originally Posted by skyking

... I have a custom design cooking in my head that will be flush fitted everywhere, with no awnings or vents protruding.

Put the vents, the TV antenna, and all the "uglies" on the back wall where they won't ruin the slipstream. The refrigerator vent has to be whereever the refrigerator is, but that screen does not protrude significantly.

It would be preferential to have the "crank up vent" and the "fantastic fan" mounted on the ceiling, though. The hot air absolutely is up there at the very peak. The TV antenna would not be aimable if it was on the back wall.

[skyking]

I'll have a fan system at either end with a flush hatch like an aircraft landing gear door. One will clear out the bedroom area and the other, the bathroom/kitchen.

[slowmover]

The advantage of the RV roof air conditioner is:

a] simple to mount & install
b] centered over axles
c] easy to service
d] great air distribution

The last is the critical piece to address. The cost, complexity, etc of other types keeps them relegated to small trailers, overall due to cubic volume and distances. That is not enough to overcome what is not that great an aero penalty.

This comes up on RV forums. Look up Smokeless Joe on Airstream Trailer & Motorhome Owners Community for a custom installation that will be of interest to you.

Here's an introductory thread:

Ducted AC?- Crazy idea? - Airstream Forums

[skyking]

The split mini is what I'm going with. It will be located right in the middle of the living space so no ducting needed, just like a roof air unit. The compressor/condenser is 75 pounds light, and can go at either end. I especially like not having a huge hole in the roof, it is one of the more common starting points for leakage and rot.
The most common one is the old crank up antennas. They are often installed poorly.

[Ecobalt]

I installed a mini-split system two years ago. Don't be afraid to tighten those pipe fittings! I tried to follow the "torque spec" in the manual and put them on too loose. I had to pay to have the system recharged. It did not need to be evacuated, though.

Use two real wrenches, not adjustable wrenches, and tighten them enough that the nut grabs the tubing and starts to twist the tubing with it.
***
I am still not sold on the roof top AC. Perhaps an aeromodder could build a teardrop shaped fairing that tapers back for a long distance.

It occurred to me that a minisplit AC may not have the vibration rating that a real RV AC needs. If you go that way, I would recommend shock absorbers on the axles.

[skyking]

I'll mount the compressor unit on engine shock mounts, and use a flex line from the compressor over to the trailer frame. The copper lines from there will be fine, as that is what all the gas piping is on trailers. This will also reduce transmitted noise from the compressor.
The cool thing about the mini splits is the inverter tech on the motor. It does not have that huge locked rotor amperage of a conventional unit. This means a 2000 watt generator will start it fine, and it will be fine on a common extension cord.
It is a 12,000 BTU unit and will work well on the smaller trailer I am designing. It will have plenty of passive heating and cooling features to help out.