Frame material for DIY job?

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Postby Leon » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:28 pm

One major difference between channel and tube, the tube (if mitered corners are used) won't hold mud and water as much as channel will. The wood set into an angle better be well sealed to prevent it from rotting because of water held by the angle. A trailer on top of a tube chassis has less place to trap water and dirt.
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Postby Nitetimes » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:13 pm

shoeman wrote:Now I see what you did. Brilliant! Place the angle such that the nailer strip (which I think takes the place of the long side floor subframe strip) is exposed on the outside of the frame. Screw the floor sheet to the top and the wall base to the sides of that strip and you've got a tidy simple joint. Is this correct?


First question.... You got it exactly.

shoeman wrote:
I see you used square tube for the end of the frame too. How do you attach the floor there?


Second question.... That would be with these, Deck Screws, very easy to use and strong and effective. Also available in various lengths.

shoeman wrote: One more question, aint I a pain, typically how many cross pieces are needed or used for an 8' frame? Seems the two end pieces and two more in the middle would do, along with the axle.


X-members are entirely up to you. I prefer the 2 front ones to be tubing, it's not really necessary but I prefer it. I also did the rear one tubing so it was a little stronger so I can mount a bumper on it.
How many you use is pretty much determined by the thickness of your floor, if it's thin you may want to use 3 like I have but you could get away with just 2 with 1/2" or thicker floor.
I put mine where they are because that's where the spring hangers are located, just gives me a little more mounting room but not totally necessary either.
The trailer is only 5x8 but my cabin is 5x10 because of the front and rear radius'. You could use the same frame for a Benroy style trailer by just lengthening the side 2x2's and adding a 2x2 wood X-member between them front and rear. You really don't need the frame under the entire length of the box.


shoeman wrote: One more question, aint I a pain...


Not at all, that's what we do around here. How else ya gonna figure it out???
Rich


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Postby Nitetimes » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:18 pm

Leon wrote: The wood set into an angle better be well sealed to prevent it from rotting because of water held by the angle.


Not really, the wood isn't tight to the inside of the angle so there is no place to trap water. Any that does get in there will dry out rather quickly.
Rich


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Postby Leon » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:29 pm

Out here it doesn't have to be tight to trap water. I restore old cars and one of the biggest places a car can rust is under trim. There is always plenty of room for water to drain, but when the fine dust gets in there, it plugs up any space that would allow for drainage, and the trapped moisture now attacks the metal behind the dirt.
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Postby shoeman » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:11 pm

Second question.... That would be with these, Deck Screws, very easy to use and strong and effective. Also available in various lengths


Straight through the floor into the top of the crossmembers? That would make life simple. [/code]
99% of the way done with a Generic Benroy. Only because these might never be done if you like to tinker. But it's on the road!
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Postby Nitetimes » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:48 pm

shoeman wrote:
Second question.... That would be with these, Deck Screws, very easy to use and strong and effective. Also available in various lengths


Straight through the floor into the top of the crossmembers? That would make life simple.


That's how they work. Just drill a hole thru the board and the steel, just the top, or in the case of the angle, the bottom, run the screw in, it's self tapping and the screws will countersink themselves.
Rich


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Re: Frame material for DIY job?

Postby sr5bidder » Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:25 pm

So I am new and looking for the right trailer to build the benroy as described in the free plans, or build my own trailer and was wondering if the water problem with angle steel could be dismissed by turning the angle so it is flat on top and still have a "nailer on the side instead of setting the floor into the angle it would be on top.

Then my question is 16 gage too light for a frame in 2x2 box?....seems the northern tools trailer c channel is not 1/8th
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