Just wondering if a Harbor Freight trailer would be hefty enough to build a foam standie, roughly 6.5' wide by 10' long. I've heard they are a bit light weight, but my foam camper should be fairly light weight, too. Any opinions?
Don
Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailersor t n ttt for short (tnttt.com) |
Foam Standie Frame
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Foam Standie Frame
by donrebyct » Tue Sep 30, 2014 6:26 pm
- donrebyct
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Re: Foam Standie Frame
by KCStudly » Wed Oct 01, 2014 7:10 am
Some regions and conditions are going to be more sensitive regardless of the type of construction.
Wheels under on a 5 wide trailer should work fine provided you don't build super tall. IMO, even using traditional construction, on a 4 wide you would be pushing things with regard to stability. Sure, some folks will tell you that they have done it and never had a problem, but you have to factor in the conditions that you intend for; their situation may differ.
More information is always useful. What features do you plan on adding; recessed floor, under floor battery and/or water tanks, cast iron cookware, 500 gal of beer, fridge, A/C, etc.? All of these things could help mitigate a top heavy situation if configured carefully.
Resist the urge to "build a house" on wheels (think airplane not tank), then ballast and/or act accordingly if and when required.
If the weather calls for severe winds with trailer warnings, hunker down. Anchor it like an airplane using tent stakes, sand anchors or other fixed objects to tie off to, park near a wind break... a building, bluff, down in a protected valley, etc... angle into the wind, and/or ballast up.
In less severe conditions where caution is still advisable while traveling, every Walliemart, Ho-De-Po, supermarket, etc. has cases of bottled water for something in the range of $3 a 30 pack. A twenty dollar bill will get you over 200 lbs of consumable/configurable ballast that can be placed low on the floor in mass, or individually anyway you can tuck them. To lighten the load later just use the water (don't forget to recycle the bottles!).
I would rather build lighter for the 99/ct of the time that the wind is not a big deal, and act accordingly during the 1/ct of the time that it is an issue; rather than haul around all of the excess "I built too heavy" weight 100/ct of the time.
Wheels under on a 5 wide trailer should work fine provided you don't build super tall. IMO, even using traditional construction, on a 4 wide you would be pushing things with regard to stability. Sure, some folks will tell you that they have done it and never had a problem, but you have to factor in the conditions that you intend for; their situation may differ.
More information is always useful. What features do you plan on adding; recessed floor, under floor battery and/or water tanks, cast iron cookware, 500 gal of beer, fridge, A/C, etc.? All of these things could help mitigate a top heavy situation if configured carefully.
Resist the urge to "build a house" on wheels (think airplane not tank), then ballast and/or act accordingly if and when required.
If the weather calls for severe winds with trailer warnings, hunker down. Anchor it like an airplane using tent stakes, sand anchors or other fixed objects to tie off to, park near a wind break... a building, bluff, down in a protected valley, etc... angle into the wind, and/or ballast up.
In less severe conditions where caution is still advisable while traveling, every Walliemart, Ho-De-Po, supermarket, etc. has cases of bottled water for something in the range of $3 a 30 pack. A twenty dollar bill will get you over 200 lbs of consumable/configurable ballast that can be placed low on the floor in mass, or individually anyway you can tuck them. To lighten the load later just use the water (don't forget to recycle the bottles!).
I would rather build lighter for the 99/ct of the time that the wind is not a big deal, and act accordingly during the 1/ct of the time that it is an issue; rather than haul around all of the excess "I built too heavy" weight 100/ct of the time.
Last edited by KCStudly on Wed Oct 01, 2014 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie
Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie
Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
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KCStudly - Donating Member
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