Need Math Help

Need more info on shape of the arc, how verticle you intend to be coming off the trailer, and do you want to come all the way back down to the trailer in the rear, or have a lifted boattail shape..

BTW.. steam bending a kiln dried 2x2 *probably* wont work. I will say I have never tried it, but I have done some steam bending, and kiln dried lumber has it's lignin set by the heat of drying, tends to shatter rather than bend, a small bit it will take, the curve you are talking.. doubtful. Maybe a better plan to use either a lamination (you are going to build a jig anyways.. or cut from sheet goods(what I would do).

Most teardrop builds support the roof with rafters running from the sidewalls..

Some good info here: http://www.teardrops.net  even some plans pages in there somewheres..

It's very simple really.  Draw a flat line the is 8' long.  Go to the center of that line.  Go up 3'.  Now draw a line from both ends up to the 3' mark.  There is the curve.

Steam bending isn't very difficult really.  It takes either 1 hour per inch thickness or 2 hours per 1" thickness.  All I need is a PVC pipe and 2 end caps, steam source and connecting hose.  I have everything except the pipe.

I will be using 4 24" bicycle tires with 12 gauge spokes.  The back end will open up to get in.  It will have 2 air vents and an LED light inside.  Maybe a window.  One option is a mount on the inside wall for a 9mm handgun.

Terry

Originally posted by David and Danette    Terry would you be able to take a length of wire 12 to 18 inch's in length, bend it to the shape you would like the trailer, then multiply that by 12. If you were to cut strips of thin plywood and glue them together would that give you more strength.          David

Sandwiched plywood would be stronger.  If I had a table saw it would be easier also.  But I don't.  I only have a hand saw.  The 2X2's are cheap and more than strong enough.  The top and sides would have 2X2 studs in them.  The whole thing would be covered with very thin paneling with a plywood floor.  Covering the outside, over the paneling would be aluminum or some type of plastic sheet.

Remember this is something to be pulled by a 2hp. motorized bicycle and it would only be for sleeping.  Nothing else.  The inside width is only 24".

Terry

Well, I never was very good at cypher'in (unlike Jethro Bodine) but....

I actually did the trigonometry to find the radius of the circle and the angle subtended by the arc because I figured I'd need it to plug into an arc calculator. Should've googled first. The arc will be 10.72502' in length. (My calculated values for angle and radius plugged in worked out to 10.72513', with a 8.00007' width and a 3.00004' height, FWIW (which is nothing, really...)).