Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I JUST GOT SOME PLANS IN THE MAIL FOR A TEARDROP AND THE UNIT IS BUILT WITHOUT USING A METAL FRAME. HE BOLTED THE SPRING HANGERS AND THE TONGUE TO THE 3/4 PLYWOOD FLOOR. SAID HE HAD PULLED HIS TEARDROP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. ANYONE BUILT ONE THIS WAY. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD CUT SOME COST THIS WAY. THE TONGUE WENT THE LENGTH OF THE TEARDROP WITH THE AXEL PLACED AT 12" BEHIND CENTER.

Not my idea of being safe.

I'm not entirely convinced that attaching the tongue and springhangers to the "cabin" without tying them together for rigid alignment is a good idea.

I believe a light cabin that is built to be stiff, light, and rigid would work well on a frame like the one pictured (pulled from Angib's album). Maybe sandwiched walls (like a hollow core door) that are very light but very rigid. A sandwiched roof and a sandwiched deck. 1/4 inch ply on both sides with 3/4 to 1" spacer would be very light and rigid.I'd just ensure that any where the chassis or tongue is bolted is solid (the sandwich filled in with solid wood).



You could build a trailer that might weigh as little as 500# or less if you really worked at it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

Ask Roly Nelson, I think he built an all wood woody tear!

Cliff

A lot of the older trailer manufactures did this years ago. The Serro Scotty Teardrop comes to mind first.

And a fair amount of them are still around!

Not really my idea of good method either. First off I don't think a single sheet of 3/4 is enough for a floor.

I have built trailers on what I call a limited "A" frame, as shown in Gus's post but with a "Stick built floor" built out of 2X2's and bolted that to the frame.



As Gus has pointed out, this aligns your axle and tongue in a more permanent manor.

Happy Trails

Len

BUB has a torsion box floor and the tongue is bolted to the floor. There is no frame. I towed it from Michigan after buying it and it was just fine. The torsion axle is bolted to the floor. While I may opt for an aframe arrangement eventually, I think the trailer is sound in it's present form. There are others who have done similar builds.

I bolted my tongue and torsion axle to my floor (3/4 in. marine plywood) and have had no problems.

I'd only recommend this method if:
- using marine plywood - is much stronger and more waterproof than non-marine
- the trailer gross weight is lightweight - less then 750 lbs.
- you use #8 bolts, nuts, and lock washers
- check and retighten the bolts periodically - I do once or twice a year. The first time they will need the most re-torquing.

See the build journal in my signature below for pix and details.

Thanks.

I FIND MY TRAILER A LITTLE TOO SMALL. I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF MINE LAST MONTH ABOUT BUILDING A BIGGER TRAILER. I WAS WHINGING THAT I HAVE TO SET ALL MY GEAR UP UNDER A SHELTER OUTSIDE MY CAMPER AND BECAUSE OF THAT IT SEEMS TO TAKE AS MUCH EFFORT CAMPING IN MY TRAILER AS IT WOULD IF I WERE TENT CAMPING. I HAVE A SMALL CAR AND WEIGHT IS A REAL CONSIDERATION, HE SUGGESTED A TRIANGLE FRAME WITH A TORSION AXLE MUCH LIKE THE ONE LIKE JON'S. IN FACT, HE MENTIONED JON'S AS AN EXAMPLE.

I AM THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT BUILDING THE NEXT ONE THAT WAY, SO I WOULDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POD BEING BOLTED TO THE TONGUE.

jonw wrote:- you use #8 bolts, nuts, and lock washers

Using grade 8 bolts on "grade zero" wood is overkill IMHO. Even grade 5 might be overkill. Making all of the accessible for periodic inspection and tightening is a good idea.

Cheers,

Gus

Yes, any bolt grade will do if it's bolting to wood. As bolt grades have a number, people get hooked into the idea that bigger numbers are better. But that's only true if the bolt strength is the weakest link in the chain.

One thing that really matters is the size and thickness of the washer used under the head of the bolt. 'Washers' made of 2" square pieces of 1/8" steel strip are the best - unless you want to go to 3" squares!

Another thing that really matters is what wood you are bolting it to - good quality plywood is good, as are harder woods such as oak. Best of all is to be bolting to a frame on the bottom of a vertical piece of wood - people do love to fix to weak horizontal pieces of wood (possibly because they have a incorrect gut feel that floors are strong).

A better plan is to use spacers or sleeves in addition to the large washers. The sleeves should be slightly shorter than the thickness of the floor. Drill the holes for the bolts through the floor and the frame. Re drill the floor to the diameter of the sleeve, insert the sleeve, the bolt and washer and tighten it down, The floor will crush, slightly, until the washer contacts the sleeve.This way, all the clamping pressure is metal to metal and any further tightening will be unnecessary. If you can find some shoulder bolts, they will accomplish the same thing

CarlLaFong wrote:A better plan is to use spacers or sleeves in addition to the large washers. The sleeves should be slightly shorter than the thickness of the floor. Drill the holes for the bolts through the floor and the frame. Re drill the floor to the diameter of the sleeve, insert the sleeve, the bolt and washer and tighten it down, The floor will crush, slightly, until the washer contacts the sleeve.This way, all the clamping pressure is metal to metal and any further tightening will be unnecessary. If you can find some shoulder bolts, they will accomplish the same thing

...or you can do what I did. The bolts go through the floor and a 2x2 "cleat" that attaches to both the floor and the wall. On top of the cleat is a 1.5x2.5in rectangular metal washer with a regular #8 washer and lock nut on top of it. No floor crushing going on here...

You can see the bolts and nuts on the cleat along the far wall in this panorama picture of the interior:

CliffinGA wrote:Ask Roly Nelson, I think he built an all wood woody tear!

Cliff

He still used a steel frame.

This whole "Frameless" thing comes up from time to time. I figure that people do this when they don't want to or unable to weld. Just pay someone to do it!

asianflava wrote:This whole "Frameless" thing comes up from time to time. I figure that people do this when they don't want to or unable to weld. Just pay someone to do it!

That's not it at all. I know how to weld and I payed someone (with better equipment than me) to weld the tongue for me.

Not having a frame if you don't need it saves weight, money, time painting and re-positioning the axle, etc.

Nothing wrong with a frame - I just didn't want or need one.

jonw wrote:...or you can do what I did. The bolts go through the floor and a 2x2 "cleat" that attaches to both the floor and the wall. On top of the cleat is a 1.5x2.5in rectangular metal washer with a regular #8 washer and lock nut on top of it. No floor crushing going on here...

Yep, that's a perfect example of what I meant by attaching to the bottom of an immensely strong vertical member, the sidewall, and not a vertically-weak horizontal member like the floor.

I must one day do the calculation of plywood versus steel tube, but for now my gut feel says that 4ft high 3/4" thick plywood sidewall is probably stronger than a 6" deep steel tube. People assume frames support teardrop bodies, but really it's the other way around if the body is properly built.