Deediggler wrote:darrellbeck wrote:Just a note of caution. We used to use shelved trailers to carry my wife's displays and products, all fairly light stuff. In total we put on around half a million miles with trailers on behind. I learned on the first one not to count on the walls for any support, because on that first one, with shelves on both sides and an aisle down the center, I supported the back of the shelves by screws into the "studs" in the wall. I soon learned that if you do that, the movement of the trailer combined with the weight of the shelves and product (at that time dried floral arrangements) broke the welds at the point where they joined the floor. Very nasty to repair.
Needless to say, all the weight of all the structure in the CT I am just starting will get its support off the floor. The walls in a trailer are designed to support the walls and roof, nothing more.
Darrell
Can you tell us a little more about the trailer you were hauling? What measurement between studs, what kind of studs, steel or aluminum etc. I have one side of the trailer i was planning on mounting the cabinets starting at 30" up the wall. I needed this to clear tires for a RZR side by side. If mounting cabinets to the wall is going to be a big issue, I might have to rethink my whole plan!
When framing a wooden stud wall, we always use anchors through the bottom plate. Maybe as a precaution I can fire some lag bolts through the bottom plate? Or maybe before I button her up I can get a welder to add some more support?
Number one: I am not an authority on how to build or modify a trailer. I spoke of a single incident that happened to me. It was a Pace 20ft with steel studs on 16in centers.
I supported 32in shelves off 1x4s glued to the wall and screwed to the studs. The shelves had a 2x2 1/8 angle perimeter with 1/2 plywood glued in. I supported the front of the shelves with 2x2 angle every 6 1/2ft, with a 3x3 metal pad welded on for a foot. Other than the weight of the shelf itself, there was usually a couple hundred pounds on a 20 foot long shelf. After about 20,000 miles I started having a dust problem, but could not see where the problem was. After another couple thousand miles, the area of cause became apparent because of the dust being heaviest there. It took close inspection to find that FOUR studs were broken loose. From that time on I made sure that the back was well supported and I never had another problem.
I have gone a lot of miles towing a trailer, and have become competent at towing a trailer. However, this makes me as much of an authority on trailer construction as it makes me an authority on building the roads I drove on.
The only reason I put this on is BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME and I wanted others to be aware that it COULD happen.I know what I will do on my new conversion. It's up to you how to do yours.