paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Ok. I've already been dreaming of adding an observation deck to the top of my Dolphin. The idea in this quick work up is that the railing would fold flat as would the ladder. The support would come from the side poles dropping and then being cranked down to remove all the weight from the roof. Is it pretty? No. But I've been wanting to ruggedize my Toyhome since the moment I purchased it. Thoughts? Suggestions? Insanity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 The design to keep weight off the roof would give the overall idea minimal risk. Sounds good. Now driving your Dolphin out onto the beach, well..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 I can see you still have Burning Man on your mind. Saw a Crew headed that way last weekend with a very similar platform. Disc Fish? looked like a DJ platform. Fun. As long as support is on the ground before anyone gets up there I think it's completely doable. I'm kind of weird but I love sitting on the roof of my Sunrader. Wouldn't bring a crowd with me but it's so peaceful up there. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Funny. Yes, Burning Man is on the mind. Bummer I'm missing it. Thank goodness for this: http://www.ustream.tv/burningman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 If you extended the supports all the way to the lower edge of the siding, then weld them to the frame, you wouldn't need to have anything touching the ground. You'd lose just a little clearance, though. The way I'm understanding what you're going for, it would be like a slide in camper for a truck? How the supports slide down to the ground once you're parked? That would be easier than welding them to the frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 what are you going to use for the decking material? Extruded aluminum flooring, light duty? Like the stuff for light weight trailers? Your deck could double as solar panel surface if you get the walk on solar panels used for boats. Of course that would add a lot to the cost of the project but it would add some good use to the concept and year around cost savings for electric. You can get folding ladders that collapse into a compact flat section that can lift up to create railings. Commercial ones at RV store are aluminum. But they are based on an old design and they used to make them out of wood. They were teaching it as a class at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking this last year. http://www.ptwoodschool.com/elephant_ladder.html Antique version of same concept http://ancientpoint.com/inf/77552-fine_english_regency_antique_mahogany__brass_folding_nautical_or_library_ladder.html Port Townsend is a great place to go and visit for a while. Year around Burning Man kind of fun, sometimes if feels like half the citizens are of that mind set. Wooden Boat Festival weekend after next. Kinetic Sculpture race October 5 and 6 Hope to spend a lot more time there next summer after my Sunrader remodel is completed. Great suggestions. My thought was that I'd use aluminum, though in the form of a mesh. I love the solar idea, but I was thinking mesh made more sense than a solid floor because of aerodynamics. I'm worried a solid floor could provide too much lift and wind resistance. I've never been to Port Townsend, though it's on the list. My wife and I might have to head up that way for the Kinetic Sculpture Race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 If you extended the supports all the way to the lower edge of the siding, then weld them to the frame, you wouldn't need to have anything touching the ground. You'd lose just a little clearance, though. The way I'm understanding what you're going for, it would be like a slide in camper for a truck? How the supports slide down to the ground once you're parked? That would be easier than welding them to the frame. My thought was that it would be free standing. That way maintenance on the roof would be considerably easier than were it welded. I also think it would benefit from the added stability of extendable legs. I'd like to minimize the load on the vehicle itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 If you make your way up to Port Townsend there is a nice camp ground (Fort Casey State Park) on the Coupeville side Whidbey Island. Grab a spot on the beach, site #12 is my favorite, great views of the sound and having a fire beach side is killer! Keystone Ferry is on location. Leave the camper and take the Keystone walk-on ferry over to Port Townsend or drive right on. There is a killer pizza shop over there we constantly patron, can you say heaven? Picture are the sunset on top of the hill at the fort and the Toyhome as seen from the ferry returning to Coupeville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 A friend of mine just left port Townsend after living there for quite a while. She loved it there but I think the people finally started getting to her...I think it's one of those places that is a little "too cool", and attracts too many trustafarians or something Yeah, I think your idea for the legs and it being free standing is the better way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 We're leaving for a 12 day trip to Glacier NP and Yellowstone beginning this weekend. If anyone has been to either in their Toyhome, suggestions would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 We're leaving for a 12 day trip to Glacier NP and Yellowstone beginning this weekend. If anyone has been to either in their Toyhome, suggestions would be appreciated. So I assume your engine work finally worked out all right. Keep track of your mileage. I'm sure we would all like to know how good it does Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Watch out for the fires! And enjoy the crowds... If you can, drive out of Yellowstone through Cooke City, up over Beartooth Pass and into Red Lodge. If you like micro brews, Montana is full of great breweries. Also some not so great...I'm biased, but my favorite is the Blackfoot River Brewing Co in Helena. Red Lodge has a good one, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 So I assume your engine work finally worked out all right. Keep track of your mileage. I'm sure we would all like to know how good it does Linda S Yeah. It's running really well. At least it was before I let a buddy of mine borrow it for Burning Man this week. At least I got a nice inverter generator out of the deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Your framing is going to need to be a welded up assembly that bolts in place. Seems easy enough to take down every few years or so for renewing caulking. The alternative of taking it down after every use is the more difficult of the two choices. You will need to beef up the structure inside the rig to support the lateral loads on your post. It is not not just downward loading that will happen. Think about the diagonal bracing on scaffolding. In other words you will be wracking your rig' framing every time someone climbs up to the platform. This is not a situation like putting a platform on a schoolie or steel jeep where the platform is tied into steel framing. You are only tied into some very thin wood framing and thin siding for that lateral load stress. I was hoping that the structure would be light enough to not require beefing up the vehicle itself. My plan is to design a 'freestanding' platform that can support 100% of the weight of up to four adults + small table / chairs. The legs of the platform will integrate jacks to remove the load from the vehicle entirely. At least that's the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 You are one brave man or just plain crazy.I would trust no one with my rig at burning man Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Paulnptld, Enjoy your trip to Glacier. I live about 40 miles away from West Glacier, the first entrance you come to eastbound on highway 2. If your Toyhome is one of the shortys, you can easily take the Going To The Sun Road. If you rig is one of the 20-21 footers, you can still do the GTTSR but coming back down the same way is a little tight since the sheer, rocky cliff, sometimes overhanging, is on your passenger side but it can be done. I've taken my 21 foot Dolphin up there a couple of times. You can make the trip an all day by continuing over Logan Pass at the top of the GTTSR and down the other side (easy to do) into Browning, MT. The Museum of the Plains Indian is in Browning and is worth stopping at. From Browning you can continue south east to Yellowstone. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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