Mobile Tiki Bar For Twenty.

So a funny thing happened today. I’d been daydreaming about building a mobile Tiki bar from a pop top trailer camper thing or what ever right minded people call them. I was at a friends house for lunch talking about it, explaining the problems of a soaring peaked roof that would fold down, tarp up and be roadworthy, (we are both landscape architects, well he is I’m close, anyway we are both well trained designers). Anyway we decided to call a friend , Scruffy, and ask about his trailer, and low and behold he said he was buying a new one and I could have the old one if I wanted it. So… now I have a solid base. The inside is trashed but the “works” are in fine shape. I’ll start the designs this week and expect to get the trailer in the next few weeks. I really hope that this project works out as I would love to have a Tiki bar that I could bring all over So Cal and share with the TC faithful, “beach party anyone”, “J Tree lost weekends”, whatever. In any event I’ll most likely be sniffing around about stuff to outfit it with as I want to go way over the top with this. My target is to accommodate 20 people plus a bartender, within the bounds of the unfolded origami bar and lanai, (the thing slides apart like a puzzle box). Wish me luck as I’m gonna need it. It’s a big project and I’m still not certain I can pull it off, but hey, may as well dream big, so keep your chisels sharp, and the bamboo and such flowing, I’ll start breakin open my piggy banks and keep my fingers crossed. Any ideas on where to use the thing, it departs from Fullerton CA.

Document the whole project with pictures please!

sOunds very cuel! Bamboo ben mentioned a traveling tiki bar, but made out of a teardrop trailor. I've been working on a kind of traveling A frame hut for quick set up for tiki shows. I'll post pictures of the design, maybe it might relate to your project as well. Mines set up on a 4x8 utility trailor, used for haulinig my palm trunks around. I'm hoping to debut this at Oasis, but we'll see. I have a few animatronic ideas, but they may stay ideas. GOod luck, and document the process! and don't throw out the shag carpet. ha

A roof design popped into my head:
Graduated, hinged peaks that, when unfolded, form an A-frame roof.

Or something like that...

Patrick McNeal,
Lurker Extraordinaire

[ Edited by: Biotron2000 on 2004-03-15 19:08 ]

[ Edited by: Biotron2000 on 2004-03-15 19:08 ]

TCers
The thought of how to design the high peak roof is a major concern. I am set on a high peaked roof twice as wide as the trailer. When unfolded it would provide a roof for the lanai which would utilize the ground as a plain for 2 tables and eight chairs along with 2 tall counters and 4 tall stools. Support poles, and faux tapa cloth ½ walls would define this space and direct guest through central opening bisecting the lanai towards the bar proper. This axis runs through the side of the trailer and the door is already on this axis. The tall counters would face toward the interior of the trailer and are on either side of a 1/3 door leading to the interior floor one step up, (the tall bar stools will be outside on either side of the door with their respective counters). When traveling the bar proper resides in the center of the main room. When set up the bar and bar back slides out on rails like modern RVs, it’s like a big drawer and you sit it on jackstands at the floppy end. This frees up the main floor in front of the bar. To either side, (that would be the front and back of the trailer, remember we came in through the side from the lanai) are slide outs that were the beds. They run the entire width of the trailer. With slide out foot wells they could be turned into booths for four to six, plus you would be sitting up high, almost eye level with people standing on the main floor. By the way all the tent canvas will be gone. The roof covers this entire set up and is mounted onto a hard flat roof that is part of the “works” of the trailer, the whole thing cranks up to height. So the whole thing needs to fold in on itself to travel. To make it even worse is the form I want from the roof. Nothing short of a soaring peak will do. It should scream TIKI BAR from a quarter mile out. As if that’s not bad enough I need to see something that is passing for thatch but can take all the folding better. The whole thing needs to be light and flexible as all get out. Some bamboo struts and support poles can thread in during set up but I need to keep bamboo “aloft” to a minimum. Then I’ll need a good canvas to tarp the roof down and out of the wind for travel mode, furniture travels on racks under canvas covers on top of the roof. Of course I left room for lots of golf cart batteries, propane, Ice, fridges, blenders, stereos, and RUM… plenty of space for rum. In fact I think I’ll skip the keg to make more room for rum. I may resort to paper models for the roof, but still no idea what to make it from. I’m thinking of using something built on sturdy fishing net. I’ve seen that used with real thatch in beach huts in Mexico. Maybe I could get rolls of plastic taffeta skirts like table skirts or Chinese hula skirts. But its gonna be a lot of linier feet of the stuff as it is a big roof. I’m thinking so hard that smoke is coming out of my ears, If anybody has any ideas to make this thing trick, please feel free to jump in and let me know. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the creativity I’ve seen at TC is just over the top, and I’m jazzed to have tapped into it. The So Cal guys have been great fun at recent events and I’ve got a good Tiki charge going. I’m inspired to build because of the work of the many exceptional artists and while I was hoping to motivate to carve, looks like a Tiki bar rolled up on me, so I’m off on this new adventure.

ROAD TRIP!!!!!

I tried to think of a foldable version of the Waikikian's A-frame lobby:

What exactly do you mean by "I need to keep bamboo “aloft” to a minimum?" I was thinking a cargo netting A-frame covered with canvas or burlap "Palm Fronds" & Bamboo or PCV-boo supports (Instructions on how to make fake PVC Bamboo can be found here). You can get cargo/fish netting in sizes large enough to cover a semi truck from surplus companies like Major's in Gardena. Sew a canvas strip around the edge & another diagonally across from corner to corner to keep tie-downs from tearing the netting. Cut palmetto shaped "fronds" from the canvas/burlap & die varying shades of green/tan/brown with RIT, sew on tie-downs (4-6 inch strips of canvas, died to match it's frond or the netting). Attach the canvas/burlap "palm fronds" to the netting, "up" is the canvas diagonal, "down" the corners furthest from there. Attach bamboo/PVC-boo to all edges & 2 to the center with gardening twine (tie the boo to the canvas with twine or canvas tie-downs, cover the tie-downs with gardening twine lashings), the 2 attached to the center should be the same length as the sides & only be attached 1/3 of their length from the corner toward the center. Bolt & lash the "down" corners (the 2 away from the center diagonal) together @ a 60 degree angle (I think you should drill through both pieces of boo & thread a bolt through for strength, but I'm not certain how to keep the boo from cracking from the strain of repeated twisting, maybe a grommit? The bolt should then be covered with the lashing) using small diameter Manilla rope. Do the same with the "up" corners. position the 2 boo pieces attached to the diagonal so 1 end can be bolted & lashed to the "up" corner & the other ends can be bolted & lashed to each other, do the center then the outside (sorry, but my Solid G is too rusty to figure the angles, but it should work out to aproximately 120 degrees in the center). Tie a good lenghth od strong manilla to each "up" corner, stake down the "down" corners & the manilla attached to the "up" corners (it should reach out @ aproximately 30 degrees from a vertical line from the ground to the "up" corner). Cover the inside with reed fencing & you're up!

You can tweak the design to make it from a "down" corner to the 4 corners of the bar, with another short A-frame coming off each side to cover the booths, or however you want. This's just a rough idea, use it or not, but I'm going to keep it in my own head as a patio cover.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2004-03-17 11:11 ]

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2004-03-17 11:18 ]

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2004-03-17 11:19 ]

WOW,
Thanks for the info, I’ve not had a chance to fully digest it but I can tell from a first read that it is the kind of advice I can make good use of. After I wrote the bit about nets I came to believe it was the way to go and I’m looking into it. I also heard about a faux thatch product out of Costa Mesa that sounds like it may hold promise. The bit about bamboo aloft refers to weight more than anything else; I want to keep it light up top with just a few struts to hold shape.
If anyone knows of any good resources on traditional pacific architectural types I could really use the lead. The Kingfish, (a friend o mine) said he would help with construction, so I’m off to a good start. Got trailer, got Kingfish, got motivation, hey it’s a start. Thanks for chiming in, every little bit helps.

Just how many people live in this piano anyway,

Bwana, let's take it to Burning Man Festival. Perfect fit.

never been to burning man, hmmm.... if we go we'll need a post hast pond w/ solar powered waterfall for out front don't ya think. I don't think burning man is my scene really but who knows. must build MTB.

Have Tiki Bar will travel,

You 2 would be perfect TC reps at Burning Man!!!

I attended Burning Man in '00, '01, & '02 and had some of the greatest experiences of my life there. The last year I found a mobile tiki bar built on a small trailer that was pulled around by a tractor. It had a nicely thatched roof with a built-in misting system in the roofing framework - very slick. It held about 15 people.

They just cruised around, "no worries", and picked up and dropped people wherever. There was also a large water tank on the tractor to hose people down - an extra bonus in the 110 degree heat. Had nice music, too, as I recall. Even had bike racks on the sides to hang your bike while you kicked back to enjoy some complimentary rum punch.

I got an email from someone in SF who's doing some kind of elaborate tiki bar this year, but don't know who it is or any details. Is it TC ohana?

http://www.burningman.com/

Just a quick update:
Sounds like I may be getting the trailer for the MTB this weekend! I'm all antsy to get started, while I have a few design drawings at this point I need to get at the thing with a tape and get some good dims. more news as it happens,

I would suggest you mock it up with some cardboard or chalk it out on the ground. Ive welded up a few things in my day and some of y'all have seen my off-road tiki trailer I haul to Oasis every year behind my landcuiser. I was trying to make time to fabricate a new TEARDROP tiki trailer last year for oasis III but ya know how that goes. Now that I have an old ford truck I wil have to make it. Oh yeah mock up the folding top with stiff paper,tape and straws or something, I usually make a scale model to check visual proportions and function. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice,
Funny I’ve been thinking about models this week, I’ve been sketching a bit and its time to lift it up. I’ve been known to build study models from time to time and it looks like this may be a good time to build one, now that someone else has brought up the subject without prompting I’m convinced it is the way to go for a start. That and getting the trailer over here. Nothing can firm up till I am able to grab dimensions at will as new ideas sprout to check my thinking.
I was up late last night working out roof systems and believe I’m close. Looks as if I may get a 20’ peak that extends around 11’ beyond the front of the bar,( the side of the trailer) helping to define the lanai. I’m still pretty jazzed and even got a new volunteer who asked if he could help on the project, ya gotta love that. I’ll post my first set of photos ever on TC when the rig arrives, and some design sketches at the same time. I scored a retired surf board for one of the booth tables and think I may have a trashed short board somewhere in the garage for the other booth,(skegs up). Thanks everyone for the feedback it makes the project more fun when you have people to share it with, can’t wait to get it on the road and bring the party to the Tiki faithful.

Oh I got a brand new pair of rollerskates….

Yeah baby, rollerskates, matching terrycloth wristbands, headband and some Dove shorts! One of them tuxedo t-shirts and those big radio antenna headphones! Oh........ I have to go to the store now! Oh yeah, don't forget to keep the weight towards the front or she is gonna sway like Princess Pupule's grass skirt. Mine has no sway 80mph.

THE BEAST HAS LANDED!
thats right, you heard right the sad little tent trailer that will become the mighty MTB has arrived! Bit of thrashed canvas, (its not staying anyway) and more than a bit of grodalator action but its here, parked back by the volleyball court and ready to mutate. first up it turns out is not the roof system but the bartender station behind the bar, as it serves a function in the roof system, low end support point and all. I'm giddy!giddy I tell ya. let the pain begin!

Bwana Tiki

[ Edited by: Bwana Tiki on 2004-03-27 17:41 ]

you go bruddah!

Did you ever get this going ?

Mr. Bwana Tiki, please note the dates above, according to my abacus it has been approximately 7 months since you started the so-called "mobile tiki bar" project, and 2 months since Mr. Bike Shack questioned its progress...what gives? Did it turn out so good that you can't bring yourself to share it with the rest of us for fear of plagiarization? Or was it a miserable failure that you are ashamed of? We gots to know. Fear not...update the masses.

Just wanted to get in on the conversation, since my buddy had a mobile tiki bar designed and built. The bar will soon be in production.

I'll start selling this unit in about 2 weeks. We're shooting the demo video for the website next week with 2 hot models, so as soon as everything is up and running, I'll post it on here. Our first trip out west will be the Buffet concert in Las Vegas in October.

Cheers,
Tropical Todd
Time to Tiki

[ Edited by: timetotiki 2009-03-31 08:30 ]

should be "interesting"....

Which buffet will it be?
I heard the Santa Fe's is pretty good!

It has arrived...................The hottest new mobile tiki bar is on the market. Please go to the following link,

http://timetotiki.com/

Click on towable tiki bars

Enjoy,
Tropical Todd