An Odd Question About Frame Height

[RunnerDuck]

I've got sort of an odd question about frame height from ground.

I know the trailer use has a lot to do with how high a frame might be like for off-road it would probably be quite high.

What is a "general" frame height from the ground to the bottom of the frame for an "on-road" use?

Curious minds need to know

Thanks,

[Redneck Teepee]

I think it mostly depends on how easy you can or want to enter and exit the tear for sleeping. Mine as an example has a 4" drop axle that sets it lower than most, plus with a 4" skirt below the plywood floor gets it another 2" below the top of the frame.

This first pic if you look behind the shackle, that is the skirt hanging below the 2" square tube frame.


This pic gives you an idea of how high it sits, keep in mind that it has 17" wheels also


Hope I was of help

[Redneck Teepee]

I actually went out and measured my teardrop:

The bottom of the frame is 14" +/- off the ground when level which puts the top of my frame and ball height at 16"

The bottom of the side skirt is at 12". Hope this helps

[noseoil]

The frame I found was made out of 4" heavy channel. The bottom of the frame sits about 13" from the pavement with the camper in place & loaded. Top of the frame is at 17" & the trailer sits on top of the frame. With a 47" wall height for the cabin, my whole rig is about 64" tall. With the vent it's closer to 68" (the highest point off the road).

Detail shot showing the frame. This is about an inch higher now than with the full load in place. The axle has about an inch of drop, but it's hidden in this view. I was worried about the spring travel (2000# axle & not a lot of room), but they seem to do the job well enough with a load & travelling.



Here's the trailer when I found it. Nicely made & very solid. If anything it's much stronger than it needs to be, about 500# stripped & ready for the cabin.



Finished height as it sits behind the truck.

[halfdome, Danny]

At the bottom of my frame, at the axle, it's about 15" and I'm running 15" wheels.
Try to match it the tow vehicle as close as possible so you keep everything in the same slipstream.
It looks better that way and your gas mileage will be better than something unmatched.
Danny

[RunnerDuck]

Thanks everyone, this really helps.

Now I need to figure out how far the swing axle on my torsion axle will swing up when the full load of the trailer is on it.

I currently don't have any way of "Pre-loading" it sitting on the tires to check it.

Any thoughts? I think my TD will weigh around 1,600 pounds.

Thanks,

[halfdome, Danny]

My teardrop is around 1400# and I have a #9 TORFLEX, BRK Dexter AXLE with 22.5 DOWN TRAIL.
If you don't have an axle yet you could contact SIX ROBBLEES INC. for more information.
They have several locations in Washington state.
Danny

[halfdome, Danny]

I saved this quote from Grant Whipp in my computer from several years ago, it may be of some help to you and others.
Danny

NICE JOB, Andrew! Lots of technical stuff boiled down to layman terms! However (and you just KNEW there was going to be a "however" from me, didn't you ... ;-} ;-} ...?), 15 years of practical experience with Dexter tells a slightly different story. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see a spec'd Load Rating in your calculations. Load Rating makes a LOT of difference in "squish" factor and the initial "settle" of the ride height after the normal unladed (net) weight of the trailer is placed on the axle. If you put a 1,000# trailer on a 2,000# rated axle, you're not going to get much "squish" and/or "settle". Only spec your Load Rating at about 30-40% more than your spec'd or estimated NET weight. Here's what I've found using Dexter's #9 side-mount axle, rated at 1,000# under a 750# trailer with 195/75R14 tires: 10? Up Starting Angle (my standard) - 12-13" ground-to-frame clearance. 22.5 Up - 10-11" clearance 0? - 14-15" clearance 10? Down - 16-17" 22.5? Down - 18-19" A while back, I started on an off-road teardrop to go behind my Ford Ranger 4X4 ... I wanted the trailer to ride at about the same ground clearance as the truck and use the same wheel/tire combo (235/75R15) ... through my calculations and experience with Dexter, I spec'd a #8 side-mount, rated at 1,100# (max for a #8), with a 10? Down Starting Angle. The trailer will net out at about 800#, and SO FAR, my calcs are spot-on ... 18" of ground clearance, straight & level with the rear bumper of the truck. (Unfortunately, the trailer has been put on the back burner - need to take care of the paying customers, first, ya know - and since the truck went out of commission with a severely wounded engine, it will be a while before I can get 'round to completing it ... ;-{ ;-{ ...) One last thing: unless there has been a DRASTIC change in the rubber specs on Dexter axles, there should be NO DIFFERENCE in the ride quality of equally load-rated axles between the 10? Up and 10? Down Starting Angles, and only SLIGHT differences in the 22.5? Start Angles (with a 22.5? or more Up angle, there is a marked reduction in the trailing arms ability to make full use of the available/useable arc travel of the spindle). It has been my experience that the factory makes minor load-rating adjustments during production to compensate for these radical angles. This, of course, has been MY experience with Dexter Torflex axles over the last 15 years. This qualifying disclaimer, however, must be made for obvious reasons: YOUR experience may differ ... GOOD LUCK, Everyone! and, in the meantime ... CHEERS! Grant

[aggie79]

I have pretty tall tires - P235-75R15 - and with a 10-degree up #9 Dexter axle, the clearance from the road to the bottom of my frame is 12".

[tony.latham]

Okay, Kenny. Give it up! How much time do you spend staring at the darkened ceiling and thinking about your build after you've gone to bed?

Tony

[RunnerDuck]

Okay, Kenny. Give it up! How much time do you spend staring at the darkened ceiling and thinking about your build after you've gone to bed?

Tony

Back in my working days as a "Process Engineer" in electronics manufacturing our company did one of those "HR Programs" that get sold to companies to make everyone work better together. This program tested everyone to see what kind of person they were so other people would know how to approach you.

My test results came back that I have an "Amiable - Analytic" personality. -

All this to say that I'm afraid the "Analytic" part of me has taken over on this project. Some nights are just like this

I see people who just cobble their trailers together and then correct problems as they go. They come out looking pretty darn nice and appear to work for them.

Me, I want it to be perfect out the gate!

Amiably yours,

[RunnerDuck]

My teardrop is around 1400# and I have a #9 TORFLEX, BRK Dexter AXLE with 22.5 DOWN TRAIL.
If you don't have an axle yet you could contact SIX ROBBLEES INC. for more information.
They have several locations in Washington state.
Danny

Thanks Danny for the information. I've already got my axle and it's a Flexiride. It's a 3,000 pound axle derated to 2,200 pounds. It's set at 22% down from the factory.

I still don't have an idea as to how much distance it will travel once all the weight is on it. I've asked the question of Flexiride but have not gotten an answer yet.

I'd really like to know two things, 1. How far will it move when loaded? and 2. How far will it travel over the road?

I really would like to set the fender height so I can put in mounting "T" nuts in the wall core since I want to have the inside wall sheeted and finished before I install the walls.

Grant's information was helpful, I really appreciate that.

Thanks,