Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

How much room is adequate between the inside tire surface and the outside trailer wall? I currently have 3.5" and want to reduce it, but don't want to go too far.

Thanks

Some people say that as little as 3/4 inch is enough, but I tend to think they are using torsion style axles that don't articulate the same as leaf spring axles.

I will have a bit over 2 inches running large 31 inch off road tires on Jeep XJ leaf springs, but that has more to do with the stock size axle hub-to-hub length, my 64 inch cabin width, and my aftermarket wheel choice. Also makes for some pretty wide fenders on a 10.5 inch tire section width.

Stand by, I'm sure you will get plenty of answers. My research and $.02 thought is that anything over an inch should work ok.

I will have 2.5 inches clearance when my TD is finished. I consider anything less than 1" is far too close as it's so easy for a stone to be picked up/thrown up and lodge between the tire and the side of the cabin. This would do nasty things to your cabin side. My tires are aprox. 7 1/2" wide (185 x 14) which will result in a mudguard (fenders) 10" wide. This is fine by me as I will be utilizing the width to build in a storage area withing the guards for carrying light and quickly needed stuff, eg. toilet rolls, soap, rags etc. I am also planing to build the guard by the strip plank technique similar to building a strip plank canoe and displaying some nice curves.

Kody

There should be two different answers depending on what type of suspension you have.

With a torsion axle there won't be any sideways movement of the wheel, so clearances can be less. Some people have gone as low as 1/2" but that runs the risk of Kody's stone problem so 1" is probably the minimum.

With a beam axle on leaf springs, they will be some sideways movement when only one wheel is moved, so something like 2" seems a sensible minimum.

On my first teardrop, I had 3/4" walls bolted directly to the outside of the HF trailer frame. Had about 3/4"- 1" of clearance if I recall. The one tire rubbed slightly every now and then, but never had any issues through 2 years of camping and thousands of miles.

Best pic I could find.... the plywood side was notched right at the leaf spring bracket, so the tire only had an inclination to occasionally rub when the spring was compressed a lot (very rough dirt roads)



This pic below is the trailer I built last winter. Kind of addresses the 'tire clearance' question. When I was building it, a few different people PM'd me telling me that I didn't have enough clearance, and I was crazy, and blah blah blah. I did cut the wheel openings with a 45 degree bevel cut to allow a little more clearance, but its still pretty close. Radius for the wheel well arc was 12", centered on the axle.



Well, after a solid year of camping and state forest boondocking, the tires haven't rubbed. And when I say boondocking, I mean dirt forest service roads that have plenty of rocks and ditches that have put the trailer through its paces. I am not gentle on my trailer, and it has held up incredibly well. Would I build another? Heck yeah! I'm actually working on a design with a friend right now, and his wheel well arches will be just as close as mine.

If you don't push the limits from time to time, you'll never know whats possible. Just don't step over the edge.