Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I,m new to trailer building, but have worked on my RV,s for years. I want to construct a small trailer, a little larger than most teardrops. Somwhere between the Midget (1947 mechs. Illustrated) and the new T @ B units. I love the T @ B design, but not the price or construction, I can,t imagine these units not having problems withinn a very short time.
I,m puzzled on frames and wheels. I have been thinking about using a frame from Tractor supply, 4 x 8 with 13 inch five lug wheels. They have these units for 279.00, which is hard to beat.
I plan to beef up the frame with some 2" x 4" floor joist, and probably have a welder beef up, and extend the tongue. It has a stock straight one piece tongue.
My concerns began, after reading your postings on frames. I,ve notice a lot of the members, are into some heavy duty frames, and are very critical of any wheels less than 14 inch. This is where I,m cofused. I,ve examined some fairly heavy trailers out there with small wheels and light frames. Pop up units that weigh over 3,000 lbs. with 12 inch wheels, and hardly any frame.
Please enlighten me,is the tractor supply frame a very poor choice for a small trailer, approximatley 1000 lbs. and whats the low down on the 13 inch wheels? This unit will not be used for any backwoods, offroading. Thanks Dick Johnson

I think the TS trailers would be fine with a little tongue work. As far as the wheels, there is nothing wrong with the 13" ones, particularly if you put radials on them (the standard trailer tires tend to ride a little rough with a lite load) 14" & 15" wheels just tend to look better on most trailers that have fenders, they are more in proportion than the small tires.
The only other real concern with the small tires is that the bearings spin more due to the circumferance of the tire although as long as things are maintianed and bearings kept greased this isn't much of a problem either.

Most agree here that most people tend to overbuild. The consensus seems to be that the plywood deck as well as the box construction provides adequate rigidity and support. There was an excellent thread covering the chassis dilemma - I just can't locate it right now.

I've looked at the TS trailer and it seems far more than adequate with a 2000 lb Dexter axle. AT least one guy on the forum is using the TS Chassis.

Geron

Nitetimes wrote:I think the TS trailers would be fine with a little tongue work. As far as the wheels, there is nothing wrong with the 13" ones, particularly if you put radials on them (the standard trailer tires tend to ride a little rough with a lite load) 14" & 15" wheels just tend to look better on most trailers that have fenders, they are more in proportion than the small tires.
The only other real concern with the small tires is that the bearings spin more due to the circumferance of the tire although as long as things are maintianed and bearings kept greased this isn't much of a problem either.

I'm going with 14" wheels for the look (plus I have a set of tires and wheels laying around gathering dust). They fit the fenders I am using better than a small tire.

I have pulled small trailers (campers and cargo) with 8" wheels 1000's of miles without any trouble, but I also believe that the larger tires do give the bearings a bit of a break.

Like everything else about a teardrop, it's all about what YOU want. Most of us use what we have or what we can afford, some go for a specific look. There's really no right or wrong, just whatever you want to use (as long as it's safe).

I wonder how my spare Unimog tires (12.50 x 20) would look on a tear

Hey R. Johnson.........Junkman makes a good point. Everyone builds according to what they want and what their experience tells them, budget, tools etc..... I'm probably one of the worst at overbuilding, but I don't care, it's what I want. I am building according to the look that I want. It doesn't really matter as long as you are happy with what you are building. Just think about how you want to use it, and build around that idea. When you take it out and everyone ohhs and ahhs over it, that makes it all worth while. Anyone here on this forum can answer just about anything you may need. Gather up all the info you need and get going. It's an incredibly rewarding project. Doug Hodder

Hi Ya'll! I've ghosted this site for a long time. You all provide great information - I love you!

Like Dick, I've settled on 13" wheels - mostly because I'm short and want to add height to my galley cabinets. I've got my frame materials and I'll start to build after I take a welding class!

I have a question about wheel offset. I've studied half dozen trailer sites and all emphasize sticking with zero offset. I can get really great light truck rims cheap but the offset varries. Did all of you stick w/ zero offset?
Did anyone use what they had or what matched their vehicle?

Toolie wrote:I can get really great light truck rims cheap but the offset varries. Did all of you stick w/ zero offset?
Did anyone use what they had or what matched their vehicle?

Probably Blazer rims? They have a severe offset. The offset shouldn't be a major problem providing you can get the axel to fit. If you can get the bolt pattern on the hub the same as the wheel you want to use, and you are ordering a custom axel, then no problem. Unfortunatly, most 5 lug axels are only availible with a 5 lug on 4 1/2" diameter hub. If you are trying to use a standard HF trailer or other similar axel, the stub will probably not be long enough for the wheel offset. I have heard of some people making their own axels, using spindles or a rear axel from a front wheel drive vehicle.

The reason most people say to stay with a 0 offset is that it is stronger. Considering how light most tears are, I doubt if that should be a concern for us.

i took a pop-up for my frame it was 6 foot wide and 5.6 long i used 2 2x3 3/16 angle for the sides and back and used bed frame rails for cros supports. yes thats right you could buy steel at salvaiton army . lol i plan to use 12 wheels on mine. my frame may be a little beefy but it will work.

I've got room on the axle for my Nissan rims. I sure would like to share a spare tire between the two.

Thanks Guys!