What to give up? I need it REALLY lightweight.

[mikeschn]

I'm not familar with the straight spindles... only the tapered one...

but I found a website, where I think we can start our research...

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm ... goryID=170

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Ah yes, that makes sense... so we can upgrade to 1" bearings, with a 5 on a 4.5" Bolt circle...

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm ... goryID=187

Now the wheel choices are...

5 on 4-1/2 (114.3 mm)
AMC Gremlin, Hornet, Pacer, Javelin, Matator, AMX
AMC - most models (exc. Jeep) '40-'89
Chrysler/DeSoto - all full size RWD cars (exc. Imperial) '37-'89
Datsun/Nissan - 1600-2000 '65-'73
- 300ZX, 200SX V6 (some) to '89
Dodge van
Dodge 1/2 ton P.U.
Dodge - all full size cars & P.U.'s '37-'89
- Dart, Demon, Swinger '73-'80
Ford 1/2 ton van
Ford Granada, Monarch
Ford - All full size cars '49-'72; '79-'85
- Fairlane '62-'79
- T-Bird '55-'71; '77-'79
- Mustang 5-bolt '65-'73
- Maverick 5-bolt all
- Mustang SVO '85-'86
- Ranchero '68-'84
- Aerostar, Probe, Bronco II/Ranger to '89
Jeep Wrangler
Hudson - all '48-'56
Lincoln - all '70-'72; '80-'89
Mazda - RX7 Turbo, 626, 929, MX6 '86-'89
Mercury - all full size cars '52-'54; '61-'72; '79-'85
- Cougar '67-'79
Mopar '73-up "A" body
Plymouth - all full size cars '37-'89
- Barracuda '70-'74
- Duster, Valiant, Volare '73-'80
Pontiac - Tempest, LeMans '61-'63
Studebaker - all '51-'66
Toyota Crown, Hilux P.U.
Toyota - 2WD P.U. '69-'89
- Supra Turbo '86-'89
Volvo 122, 1800


Mike...

[asianflava]

Someone in the hall of fame built like this, I can't remember who though.

If you remember who that was, I'd like to know too!

Mike...

I found it:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/johngwalkerjr/my_photos

[Larwyn]

Understood, but there isn't like a higher grade of nylock to buy?

Is there? I don't know... I've never looked. But all the nuts are inside the c-channel, so you'd never see them.

If you find a better set of nuts and bolts at a place like McMaster Carr or something, please let us know...

Mike...

P.S. Larwyn, what did you end up using?

Mike,

My 2000 lb HF trailer did not come with nylock nuts. It did come with inferior hardware. Several bolt heads actually twisted in two abvove the shaft leaving a very thin bolt head remaining. I used grade 8 bolts, nuts, flat, and spring washers from Tractor Supply. I am not convinced that nylock is any better than a good lock washer. The washer digs into the frame and the nut making it very difficult for the nut to turn counterclockwise. In fact removing one will deform the lock washer. Torque...?? I just tightend till it squeaks.....

Though probalby not necessary, I did weld my frame after bolting. Good insurance in case my theory on lockwashers is flawed....

[wrangler tear]

Hello, I am new here, been lurking a few nights. Really enjoy reading all the excellent info here.
This thread has me thinking about wall weights too, as I had been wondering if say 1/2" plywood walls, with Filon or aluminum outer skin, would be any heavier than the standard stick build. Especially if one used thin carpet on the inside for a simple finish, and the slight additional insulation that would create.
I used to own a 13" Scamp (that I still miss), and it's construction was a fiberglass gel coat type outer, with finish carpet inside. It was simple and maintainance free, plenty warm we only used the heater briefly to take the chill off. I imagine a Tear would not really need much insulation either.
Anyway I should back up a little, we have a full size travel trailer that we will keep, but there are times I would rather have the simplicity of a Tear, not to mention we have probably seen the last of cheap gas in our lifetimes.
So anyway what I am up to is, I would like to build a Tear in an unconventional shape, similiar to the Grasshopper style, but I want to come up with a shape that will sorta look like my Wrangler. I am thinking maybe some Diamond Plate here and there, and it very well could have all straight sections, as oppossed to traditional rounded Tear shape. And back to my original thought about construction methods, if one is using all straight peices with no need to bend wood over ribs, does this allow one to take advantage of a particular type of construction?
I am a TIG Welder, Machinist, Fabricator, and have a small shop here at the house,....the woodworking though is the part of this I will dread.
I have been looking at all the nice Tears on this site, and would love to see any drawings or pics of a shape that would go well with a Wrangler.

[mikeschn]

Hmmm what looks good behind a Wrangler? I only recall one, and that would be Larry's Outback... http://www.outbackteardrop.com

Mike...

[wrangler tear]

That does look good, even though it is rounded it still looks right on the Wrangler.

[lmh222]

Hi Wrangler Tear - I think that some info that I got from my Kuffel Creek plans might be interesting to talk about here. They say that insulation is not necessarily about keeping warm but it is more about keeping the walls warm to prevent condensation. All night, your body is giving off moisture - lot's more than you would think. If it hits the cold walls and condenses, it will cause mold, mildew and rot to occur.

At first, I wasn't planning to insulate my walls either. Now, it seems like it would be the best option to keep the trailer looking (and smelling) nice for as long as possible.

Does anyone out there have an un-insulated trailer that is a few years old to confirm or contradict what was said above? I'd really be interested in hearing some "real world" experiences on the subject.

Lindsey

[john]

I went with the 3/4 inch ply wood with the big holes cut out for a couple of reasons.
-- Cheaper. When I added up all the pine that I would use to build up the wall I found it was slightly more expensive than a sheet of 3/4 inch ply.
-- Easier. It seemed to me that the pine would require alot more of my time for cuting, mounting , and glueing.
-- Strength. Plywood is tough stuff, and my wall frame would be one piece.
-- Flexibility. At the time I did not know my galley layout. I chose to leave the plywood solid along the sides of the galley for layout flexibility.


There are drawbacks.
-- Limited to the size of the plywood used. I was looking for an 8 foot long tear so this didn't limit me, but if I had wanted 10 or 12 feet in length I would have had to splice the ply. I saw this done like a puzzle some where on this site.
-- Waste. I thought I would find use for the holes I cut out. As of now I have not. I once did use a piece to spread the weight of a car under a jack.


john

[Joanne]

<snip>

I had originally planned to eliminate the galley alltogether, skip the additional battery (run minimal stuff from the car battery), and skip the water tank. Then, I started having second thoughts - I really like the galley - I'm OK with no water tank... but I also like the lights. HMMM, tough decisions.

So, my question is what you think the best tradeoff between weight and features?

<snip>

Lindsey

Hi Lindsey,

I have made an effort to simplify the construction of my trailer because I don't have woodworking skills. I believe that my design will be quite light since there won't be any real cabinets. I'm going to use plastic bins to create my drawers. I'm going to use a piece of kitchen counter from Home Depot for the work surface. Here's a drawing I did.



Inside the cabin I'm going to do something similar for my storage needs.



Depending on the type of camping you do, fill your ice chest and water jug as close to your campsite as possible. When I camp in Southern California I will do my shopping down there rather than hauling it all the way from Las Vegas. If you don't mind using an air mattress in your tear, that will save quite a bit of weight as well.

Just my .02 worth,
Joanne

[doug hodder]

Hey, Imh222...........Here's another idea to minimize weight and yet still have the power on the lights, without batteries. What about replacing the car battery with a marine grade deep cycle battery. Just run a couple of leads back to the trailer. It'll give you plenty of cranking amps on the engine, and if you ever leave the lights on in the car it'll last longer. The drawback is that if you run the battery too far down, you won't be able to start it. Just pay attention to how you use it. I had an alternator go out on my F250, pulled the battery out of the boat, stuck it in the truck, and had plenty of juice to get me home, several hundred miles. At any rate, it's an idea for you to have lights, fan, and a 12V outlet without adding weight to the trailer. Doug Hodder

[wrangler tear]

I also like the idea of a simplified galley, for me it is just storage accessable from the outside, and then move my stuff to the picnic table. I do enjoy seeing the craftsmanship of the galley on the traditional Tears though.
I was also thinking of using a Motorcycle sized AGM battery like I have in some of my bikes. They are leak proof, and hard to kill. With a lights only load, they may work fine for a night or two. If I was running a heater fan and water pump, I would probably go with a typical larger deep cycle.

Anyway I think I will start rounding up parts, and maybe a few months from now I will feel confidant enough in the building process to get started.
Maybe I will order a Tork Flex axle with the down arms for more height, as I want it to be at least 4 or 6 inches taller than normal.

Now my wife wants one for her PT Cruiser, this could get exspensive.

[JunkMan]

What about replacing the car battery with a marine grade deep cycle battery.

I didn't think that you could use a deep cycle battery in a car for any length of time, that it was designed to be slowly discharged and recharged, not rapidly, like a car would do. I have also put my boat battery in my truck when my truck battery died, and it got me home and around for a couple of days until I could get a new battery for the truck, but I was told that it was bad for the deep cycle.

[angib]

I didn't think that you could use a deep cycle battery in a car for any length of time, that it was designed to be slowly discharged and recharged, not rapidly, like a car would do.

Nope, there's no problem in using a deep cycle battery this way - the only problem is that they won't be able to deliver the same CCA (cold cranking amps) as a similar sized car battery, particularly in winter.

And remember that plenty of boats' batteries actually are used just like a car battery - they start the boat's engine and the engine is running much of the time the boat is in use.

Andrew

[toypusher]

Check out the Optima batteries, they seem to have a lot of CCAs.

http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/#deepcycle

Kerry