Roof Choppy vs Integrity

[Native]

Personally, I like the first one. Better aerodynamics and much easier on they eye.

[Joe45]

Originally Posted by Native

Personally, I like the first one. Better aerodynamics and much easier on they eye.

I like it better as well, but I'm concerned with screwing up the structural integrity of the body and having a dangerous situation.


It seems to me that, using steel tubing, like 2x2 with a 16gauge wall, riveted and welded, running the full 20 feet back, would be sufficient. That's lets say 3' of overhang with 17 feet of the same tubing attached to the bus. But then I'm not an engineer.

I'm not too concerned with the overhang weight, because it would be about 3' or less and I would brace it up, either to the bumper, or more likely with a triangular brace to the body.


Here are some quick mock-ups I did, just to play with it.

[Joe45]

Another idea.Attachment 38333

[gs1949]

I hope this doesn't sound sarcastic, I just throw it out as something to think about, but this could be done something like a hardtop tent trailer.

And I'm sure it could somehow be powered up and down; that would be simple for a mechanically inclined person with metal-fabricating skills.

[Joe45]

Originally Posted by gs1949

I hope this doesn't sound sarcastic, I just throw it out as something to think about, but this could be done something like a hardtop tent trailer.

And I'm sure it could somehow be powered up and down; that would be simple for a mechanically inclined person with metal-fabricating skills.

Not sarcastic at all.
That was in fact my first idea: a hard sided, telescoping system.

I may still do a version of that-but in the back.
I'm trying to find the best method, and maybe driving myself crazy doing it.

[gs1949]

Yeah, there are all kinds of possibilites, anywhere from just a big mosquito net under a hard roof all the way to something with interlocking, insulated hard sections for a skin. It would depend largely upon what and where it will be expected to do and the degree of complexity.

I drive myself crazy with complicated ideas sometimes too. I usually end up simplifying things at some point, though.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by gs1949

Yeah, there are all kinds of possibilites, anywhere from just a big mosquito net under a hard roof all the way to something with interlocking, insulated hard sections for a skin. It would depend largely upon what and where it will be expected to do and the degree of complexity.

I drive myself crazy with complicated ideas sometimes too. I usually end up simplifying things at some point, though.

thinking hardtop tent trailer caused my mind to picture fold out sides that would create a whole other room when in use - using that method, you could create a bedroom 24' wide and 10' long, or as long as you wanted it to be - in other words, a whole other bus would appear at the press of a button - lol

[Joe45]

A slide out with a murphy bed would probably solve this to an extent.

But that's whole other can of worms!!!