First time Irish builder

[Irishexplorer]

Hi from Ireland. I am about to start a complete build from scratch and would be grateful for any knowledge you could impart, particularly tips on chassis.

Thanks to all, Tristan.

[tony.latham]

Dia dhuit! (or did I blow that Irish hello?)

...particularly tips on chassis.

Here's my chassis:



It's constructed from 2" square .120" tubing. In the end, I didn't add the tongue box support since it wasn't needed.





Tony

[Irishexplorer]

That's great thanks! The greeting was spot on.
I'm planning on an 8x4 floor plan using these stub axles https://www.trailerstuff.ie/unbraked-su ... sion-units
Do you think 350kg is enough?

[pchast]

That's mighty close to the minimum weight for a 4 by 8. What are you planning
to build with? What are your kitchen ideas? Do you intend to carry water and
grey water?

Check out: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56787&hilit=trailer+size+and+weight+chart+list

search for a few of the builds and check their interiors..........
Then decide...

PS, Don't forget to add in your clothing and food supplies and maybe your personal
weight to the axle loading.

[MickinOz]

That's great thanks! The greeting was spot on.
I'm planning on an 8x4 floor plan using these stub axles https://www.trailerstuff.ie/unbraked-su ... sion-units
Do you think 350kg is enough?

n my opinion, which I guess is worth about as much as every other keyboard warrior's opinion, i.e. not much, 2 inch by 2 inch at 0.012" (3mm) tube is overkill for a [i]road-going[/i] teardrop.
A common size here in Oz is 50mm x 50mm x 2.5mm wall, and I wouldn't worry one bit if I had a frame made from it. (depending who welds it - I vote for a boilermaker or some other tradesman)
I wouldn't go for 3mm wall thickness unless I was specifically building a serious off-roader.

If you use 3mm instead of 2.5mm, you automatically build in 20% more weight.
I'm not an engineer either, though, so like I said..........

I haven't weighed my camper yet, but 350kg is pushing it, I think. By the time you put some camping gear in, you'll be over 350 kg I think, even with an 8 x 4

[tony.latham]

is overkill for a road-going teardrop.

I'm no engineer but I would be worried about welding axle brackets to the thin gauge. Thoughts?

I was looking at a friend's utility trailer that had thin-walled tubing for the frame and they had bolted angle on to it that the axle brackets were welding to...

Tony

[MickinOz]

is overkill for a road-going teardrop.

I'm no engineer but I would be worried about welding axle brackets to the thin gauge. Thoughts?

Tony

Don't really consider 2.5 mm to be thin gauge, myself.
One trailer builder here offered to make me a frame from 2mm wall thickness.
Can always reinforce in the area, I guess.
I've never really liked the way those axles bolt up, actually.
I'd probably be looking to run a second longitudinal so that the most inboard bolt holes are bolted to something with a bit of length.

[MickinOz]

P.S. My thinking is that the ideal frame material for any camper that is an all roader, not a rockhopper, is 3 x 2 x 0.10" tube with the wide face vertical.
Or 75 x 50 x 2.5 mm.
And I ain't just saying that coz that's what I've got.
Not that happy with the drawbar design on mine, but it can be changed if necessary later.