Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Dear Frame Masters,

One of the least expensive and most available sources for steel angle is discarded Bedframes. The steel is much thicker than the angle used on my pop up camper frame.

Given this ready source is there something I am missing as to why it cannot be used for part of the trailer frame? BTW it would be easy for me to be missing something.

Guy wrote:...... One of the least expensive and most available sources for steel angle is discarded edframes...................

Guy,

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is edframes???

Sorry All,

I meant BEDFRAMES not edframes. I keep trying to type and did not use the microphone.

I never thought of using bed railing for a trailer frame before.

See that's why you should read this board. Lots of good ideas and cheap ways to save money on building one of these trailers.

Good idea Guy. Very good idea indeed.

Bufordt

I think that I would have a real hard time finding a 9 foot long bedframe! Dang it!

I think bedframes are plenty good enough for a tear, given that once it is built, the box shape of the tear makes it very strong..

Bed frame angle is quite cheap stuff. Steel had different qualities, and bed frame angle is near the bottom of the quality heap... but again, for what we need in a tear, probably fine......

The exception might be if you are welding to it. I'll let others give their opnions of how the welds might hold up, or if they might be crack prone.

Dear Kerry,

That is why I said "part of the frame" and not all of the frame. Thank you for teaching me about the difficulties in finding 9' edframes.

Dear Arne,

That is one of the things I wanted to know. But they do hold up to some serious weight and movement And if you remember my size, I oughta know.

Buford,

There is a place I saw this morning that sold used frames for ten dollars.

I can't recall for sure, but think I tried drilling an angle from a bed frame once, and it was hard to drill, and therefore probably brittle. That would be okay for joining walls to floor, but not so good for the suspension mounting or trailer tongue.....

Howdy Guy.

Being a retired soul and on a fixed income. I'm always looking for a good deal.

Used bed frames are one of my favorite items.. I use them for non structual purposes.. I've used them for battery box brackets. counter supports etc. Name it, I've done it.. I usually find them at Good will or second hand stores for next to nothing. Some times people just give them away just to get rid of them. As far as a frame is concerned, I'd be interested to see how they work out.

Crankshaft

I built a Battle Robot out of bed frames and computer tower skins. It ended up weighing 152# and was very strong (welded). It did survive a pummeling from a 210# robot!!!

bedframes aren't exactly the most weld friendly material.

Guy, Use the bedframes all day long as secondary framing but I wouldn't use it as the main frame. Teardrops weight a lot more than a mattress.


Have a good day.

Dear Gage,

Did you use any bedframe material on the secondary framing in the picture?

It looks like my tongue weight will be well below the 90 lb limit for my particular HF trailer. Before I knew that, I used a couple of bedrails bolted together as reinforcement, just in case.

Guy wrote:Dear Gage,
Did you use any bedframe material on the secondary framing in the picture?

No, but my cross framing is about the same size as bed rails. I also added wood stringers lenght ways. Only have 1/2" ply floor.


Have a good day.