Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I had planned on picking up an aluminum diamond plate truck bed tool box to use as a tongue box for my tear. I see them on craigs list occasionally for $100 - $150. Here is what a new one looks like

http://www.amazon.com/4460-Challenger-Low-Profile-Slant-Bottom-Utility/dp/B00029WXI6/ref=sr_1_163?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1373252951&sr=1-163&keywords=Truck+tool+box

At 60 inches wide, it would match the width of my tear. My tear is going to be skinned in aluminum, so the aluminum diamond plate would match. I think the diamond plate tongue box would also help protect the front from flying rocks.

I have seen the aluminum diamond plate trailer boxes with the V shape, but they are harder to come by used and smaller and more expensive new.

But I was just checking out the hall of fame and I couldn't find any tears using these as a tongue box. All the ones there either didn't have ah box or they made a custom box. Will the truck tool box be too ugly? Any other reason not to use one?

Too wide as the A frame starts to narrow. Not enough corner clearance with the TV.

... and the appearance thing, too.

Tho has worked for some.

$.02

KCStudly wrote:Too wide as the A frame starts to narrow. Not enough corner clearance with the TV.

... and the appearance thing, too.

Tho has worked for some.

$.02

I replaced my trailer tongue with one long enough to accommodate the box and turning. My tear has a single tube tongue, I had intended to attach the box to it with u bolts through the bottom and around the tongue. I was also going to bolt through the back of the box through the front of the tear. I have extra spars in the front wall for that.

But, yes, maybe ugly. Maybe a good reason to make my own custom box.

I agree with KC. The pinch points created by a full width tongue box might make you reconsider using the tool box as a tongue box. I recently added a canopy on the tongue to cover the battery and propane tank and I had it follow the tongue. No worries about pinch points

I just saw a V-shaped one at Pep boys for around $100, though I cant remember if it was the plastic or diamond plate.

I have one of those that came off of CR (not quite big enough) and I am wanting to sell it, not a clue how to ship it however. It has a couple of mounting holes and hole for electrical but is unused.

Although the width of my tongue box extends beyond my a-frame tongue, it stays inside of the "interference line" from the center of the hitch to the outer edge of my teardrop.

Pardon my abbreviated reply above. What I had intended to say was that perhaps the reason more people don't use this style of box is the potential for clearance issues with the TV. I did not intended to say that there would always be a clearance issue.

On a single tongue frame securing such a wide box to the front of the cabin seems to be mandatory, but, as I have said before elsewhere, I would have a concern about the interaction between the somewhat flexible tongue and the mostly rigid cabin. Wouldn't want the tongue box or cabin to get broken up by the repeated flexing action of the tongue. Maybe it is an invalid concern of mine as there do seem to be several successful builds that have the tongue box integrated into the cabin front wall. It would be interesting to hear back from some of these builds to see how they are holding up.

On TPCE I intend to make a tapered box that hangs off the 'A' members some, but am holding off until later in the build when I can get a better feel for the fit with/clearance to both of the TV's.

I'm very happy with this one from UWS. It's beautifully made in Florida, is extra tall, and doesn't get in the way of anything. However, if your trailer has a single tube tongue I reckon it's not really for you.

woodywrkng wrote:

I'm very happy with this one from UWS. It's beautifully made in Florida, is extra tall, and doesn't get in the way of anything. However, if your trailer has a single tube tongue I reckon it's not really for you.

If I can't find a better deal used, I could go for that one. I like everything about it except the price!

I got mine at Northern Tool, a little cheaper than UWS

Got tired of waiting for a used one on craigs list. Building my own...

KCStudly wrote:On a single tongue frame securing such a wide box to the front of the cabin seems to be mandatory, but, as I have said before elsewhere, I would have a concern about the interaction between the somewhat flexible tongue and the mostly rigid cabin. Wouldn't want the tongue box or cabin to get broken up by the repeated flexing action of the tongue.

KC- You're aware of my "outside the box" build, and that I have a tongue weight adjustment in process. Since I was trying to keep the tongue weight low (at first, now adding more), I planned on a small tongue box (actually a toolbox) in front of the spare tire (which sits on top of the single beam tongue, but pulled tight against the front wall for vibration control). The box is spaced 5.5" in front of the spare (to make room for de-'mounting it), and to make additional room for the weight distributing hitch chain hanger (not yet installed) in between them. Of course, the tongue box (now holding the battery, and ballast...total weight 80lbs), needed outriggers to support/stabilize it on the 3" square tube tongue, so I added pre-drilled galvanized steel angle (un-painted, for my exposed hardware look) as supports to the front of the trailer. These supports (and the box) are within the turn-interference line, and are 1/4" Tek screwed to the frame under the cabin in two places, and clamped to the tongue beam in front of the box. I know there is some flexing of "most" single beam tongues, but mine is .187 thick walled 3" square tube, connected to three cross-members, with additional 2"x3" rectangular tubing welded to it (for the length of the trailer), so I don't think there should be any (especially since I'm spreading the load with a WD system). But, just in case, I chose the angle steel outriggers because they have a little "give" in them (torsional twist), the box is bolted to them with load-spreading washers to prevent pull-thru, and the securing clamp is able to slide along the tongue (just a little) if there is fore and aft flexing. The clamp is just backed off from tight, and secured with nylock nuts; fore-and-aft flex won't rip the Tek screws from the frame. My only concern about this arrangement is that someone may try to stand on the outriggers...I may need to label them "NO STEP". Citylights- you could do something similar, but yours could be totally hidden under the box, just to spread the load.

working on it wrote:fore-and-aft flex won't rip the Tek screws from the frame. My only concern about this arrangement is that someone may try to stand on the outriggers...I may need to label them "NO STEP". Citylights- you could do something similar, but yours could be totally hidden under the box, just to spread the load.

Dude... If you are worried about stress ripping the screws out or someone stepping on it and bending... Then you are using the wrong materials. The last thing you want is for a weakened structure to fail going down the road!

Don't use screws, use a bolt through clamp, or bolt through the frame. Don't use pot metal side brackets, get some real angle iron or tube steel. You don't have to weld it if you use a good bolt setup. I don't weld, so I get real creative when it comes to bolting. On top of that, I would throw a diamond plate metal or even 3/4 plywood shelf (bolted through at multiple locations across the setup too, just to tie it all together.

When I extended my trailer tongue from 4-foot to 6-feet, I used 3/16-inch thick tube steel, rather than the 1/8 inch thick that came with the trailer. Then I cut the hitch off the old tongue and bolted it in as a trailer cross piece to reinforce the new tongue. Trust me, mine is rock solid.

citylights wrote:

working on it wrote:fore-and-aft flex won't rip the Tek screws from the frame. My only concern about this arrangement is that someone may try to stand on the outriggers...I may need to label them "NO STEP". Citylights- you could do something similar, but yours could be totally hidden under the box, just to spread the load.

Dude... If you are worried about stress ripping the screws out or someone stepping on it and bending... Then you are using the wrong materials. The last thing you want is for a weakened structure to fail going down the road!

Don't use screws, use a bolt through clamp, or bolt through the frame. Don't use pot metal side brackets, get some real angle iron or tube steel. You don't have to weld it if you use a good bolt setup. I don't weld, so I get real creative when it comes to bolting. On top of that, I would throw a diamond plate metal or even 3/4 plywood shelf (bolted through at multiple locations across the setup too, just to tie it all together.

When I extended my trailer tongue from 4-foot to 6-feet, I used 3/16-inch thick tube steel, rather than the 1/8 inch thick that came with the trailer. Then I cut the hitch off the old tongue and bolted it in as a trailer cross piece to reinforce the new tongue. Trust me, mine is rock solid.

I had thought of reinforcing the ends with frame brackets (and probably will do so before travels) to supplement the Tek screws (the 1/4" diameter screws are strong enough for what I need), and the steel angle iron, though perforated, is steel not pot metal. The 3/8" squared u-bolt on the front is not going to fail, though just snug-tight. As you have said your tongue is the same 3/16" thick 3" square tube as mine

Trust me, mine is rock solid.

, you have probably read the data, posted by angib, on materials and tongue strength. The 3" tube far exceeds those others listed in strength. I have no doubts about having no appreciable flex; but just in case, the u-bolt can give a little (never say never can happen). The concern is mainly for some 300lb-er (or even me at 220lbs) jumping up on the angle bars to look at the top of the trailer (for reasons unknown). The force incurred may or may not bend the angle bars, or even rip the perforations. The Teks probably won't give. At the present time, I have no need for a platform at the front, so no diamond plate. If ever I detect looseness or instability from my box, I will indeed use stouter materials, but as I am still aiming for as light a trailer as I can get, and still achieve balance, I'll have to wait to scale it for my final decision. Thanks for your suggestions.