Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

My plans arrived today. Kinda lame for the money(about 12 pages of actual build info) but oh well. The best plans available anywhere are right here! My question is, I have the Tractor Supply trailer that is 49 inches wide and its L channel designed and bottomless. I'd really like my frame to be hidden and I'd like my side walls too be even with the bottom of the frame to give it a lower, cleaner look. Do you think I would be able to put my side walls directly on the outside of the frame and drill thru the frame every six inches or so and screw thru the frame and into the wood 2x4 framing for the floor? This would give me an overall width of 50.5 inches. What are the disadvantages to not keeping it at 48 inches wide overall? I'd also like to upgrade to a narrow 14 or 15 inch rim and tire but I think I will have room. Thanks for any info and I'd really love too hear from people who have dealt with this TSC trailer and how they built their floor. I hope too start building this weekend. Ken in CT.

Ken - You can still build within the frame and then trim to cover the frame. That's my plan. As for width - keep in mind that when you go over 48 inches you start using more material with potentially more waste as you've gone over the magic 48 inch number. (4X8 sheets) Myself, I'm using this trailer as well but plan on making it 54-56 inches wide. Thought hard about the extra expense but that is where I ended up. Personal preference.

Mind if I ask who you got your plans from?

Fred

First the Benroy plans call for the cross members to be cut back to allow for the sides to drop over. This is done to give you room for fenders. The Harbor Freight frame is bolt together so it is easier to modify.

You will want to check to see if the fenders will fit with the wall in there.

Take some measurements.

I cut the fenders off of mine and will install aluminum ones when I get that far with my build. There are numerous post and a sticky about this trailer around the forum.



I strengthened the tongue on mine and lengthened it by about a foot to allow me to accommodate a PetCool in the galley. I also added shocks to avoid some of the bounce of spring suspensions.

As a lot of people on this forum have found out, the Tractor Supply and Harbor Frieght "Carry On" trailer frames are never perfectly straight and true. It might be better to build over or around the frame to get it nice and square.

I've used 2 h/f trailers, but have welded them, so they were always straight.

If you want to use bolts and the trailer is bowed, just move the x-member an inch or two and drill new holes to get it straight.

If you have a good floor, you don't need any of the x-members in the middle. You are not carrying a ton of cord wood.

Actually, if you look at the link below , you could do the same thing I did and still use bolts... it just wouldn't look as neat.

I helped my friend Kate with her convertible td. The walls are build within and we kept the TSC fenders. The trailer was a little uneven but we were planning on trim anyway. Borrowed another idea from a forum meber and included trim around the fenders too.



Barb