General Manager Dominique Nadeau Discusses Engineering Advances That Allow For New Possibilities In Design
Traditionally recognized by its tapering rear and rounded front, the teardrop camper has become an iconic option for those seeking a minimalist and economical approach to RVing. Over the years, many iterations of the teardrop have evolved, but almost all have maintained the compact size and aerodynamic benefits that initially sparked its acceptance into the RV market. Conversely, the very simple framework that first attracted consumers is also a deterring factor that leaves some campers feeling cramped and uncomfortable in such limited space. The team at Safari Condo, a Canadian-based RV manufacturer, has aimed to address this issue with the aircraft inspired, Alto Travel R-Series teardrop travel trailer costarring a retractable roof.
The overall design of the Alto R-series combines lightweight materials, aerodynamics, and durability delivering adequate hauling capacity with most compact cars and small SUVs. The 17-foot unit is around 1700 pounds and built on a weld-free, aluminum frame. The structural platform for almost everything from the roof to the floor is a construction of aluminum sandwich panels with a honeycomb inner core made of lightweight plastic.
The Buzz spoke with Dominique Nadeau, Safari Condo’s General Manager and also the daughter of Daniel Nadeau, the company founder and brainchild behind the creative engineering. Dominique contends her father is the type of person that’s always “inventing and creating” things. “He’s been a pilot since he was sixteen years old [and even] built his own plane in our basement.” Daniel’s love for aviation and fascination for aerodynamics was a motivator for engineering the Alto R-Series.
“The idea behind the Alto was to try and make a truly aerodynamic and very light travel trailer,” elaborated Dominique adding that her father “thought that aerodynamics were very undervalued in most travel trailers.” When Daniel began the engineering process for the Alto, he was so intently focused on aerodynamic precision that he created “three [separate] 3D computer generated drawings of [potential] prototypes, and then went to an [engineering] firm to do computer-based wind tunnel testing.”
With solid data backing his designs, Daniel determined the teardrop was the best design of the three models. “The winner was clearly and by a very significant margin, the teardrop trailer [which] shape is obviously the closest thing we have to a water droplet, which is air forming water,” elaborated Dominique on the design. “So, as close as you can get to [a water droplet] is the most aerodynamic shape.”
The teardrop shape had won out, but the traditional designs of the teardrop had been stagnant “since the 40s” and required some modification to accommodate Daniel’s 6’2” height. He then, “spent the next three years developing the retractable roof system.”
The roof itself is a single piece of curved aluminum sandwich panel attached to crescent-shaped tempered glass windows mirroring the entire outline of the teardrop structure. With the push of a button, the roof silently extends upward in a matter of 40- seconds to an interior clearance of 82 inches and the surrounding windows create a sunroom- like effect inside the unit. It can then retract back down to a height of 64 inches in that same time frame.
“It’s a very simple and reliable mechanic system [that] uses a pair of electric linear actuators,” explained Dominique on the unique technology behind the retractable roof. “An actuator is a small electric motor that turns through inside a cylinder. So, as the screw turns one way, the cylinder is pushed up, and as the screw turns the other way, it brings the cylinder back down.”
Concurrently, as the roof is extending upwards, the back wall of the Alto R-Series also has to lift up. To accomplish this, Safari Condo has implemented a gravity-based system that utilizes two cables connected to the roof. “The back wall will naturally want to fall inwards [as the roof begins to raise]. Since it’s attached to the roof, the wall holds up as long as the roof is up, but as soon as the roof begins to lower, gravity makes that wall fold inwards.”
Dominique expounded how the R-series camper also pulls inspiration from a car’s sunroof to ensure no leaking. “It’s very difficult to have seals that are completely perfect and that won’t let water come in, so a sunroof has gutters all around the [opening] with drains that go in all four corners.” The same concept is implemented on the travel trailer, “The gutters collect water that might trickle down the window and send it all the way to either end on either side of the trailer so it [can] drain from all four corners” and deter water that might try to come in around the seal.
In addition to the sleek interior and modern finishes prominent in the Alto’s interior, it also includes additional features not common in teardrop trailers such as a fixed flushable toilet and optional stand-up shower. Other qualities of the Alto include an interior kitchen space and movable table that can be arranged to seat five people or outside to double as a picnic table. It can sleep 3-4 people comfortably with accommodations just shy of a king- size bed as well as options to convert into two- single- bed sleeping arrangements.
As one of the more prominent teardrop evolutions to-date, the Alto Travel R-series’ unique achievement addresses the design’s functional drawbacks and pushes the appeal of teardrops a step forward in the market.
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both for FOX and ASA Electronics. She enjoys traveling and whitewater rafting.
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