Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Got a couple, (1) Whats a good length for a tongue on a 5x10? (2) I have to lengthen axle, my width will be 60'' outside to outside on the frame. I'm usein' 15X8 Ford Ralley's with 205-78-15 tires. Whats a good measurment inside backing plate to backing plate? Thanks Weasel

1 The tongue on my 5x10 if just under 48in. It is longer than what is needed because I was going to put a tongue box on it. I nixed that idea though.

2 Here's how I cam up with my hub to hub measurement.

a) I put my wheels (tires mounted) on the ground, then put a yard stick thru the hub to find the exact spacing my particular setup had. (double this, one for each side)

b) added the sidewall to tire clearance (double this, one for each side)

c) added the overall body width

Mine ended up being 74 inches hub to hub.

Weasel, measure from the center of your rear bumper to the outside of your vehicle...add a couple of inches...just because, and that is your MINIMUM tongue length...the cabin/front box/accessories should all mount behind that point...we ended up making the tongue on ours almost 5' long to accommodate a tongue box and propane tank...if you have a tailgate, you will want to position(if possible) items on the tongue, to allow you to open the tailgate while the trailer is hitched up...
AF's method of finding hubface measurments is as good as any and it's accurate to boot
madjack

weasel,, if ya measure from the back of the wheel hub to the outside of the tire this will get your backset, double this and add at least 2 inches of clearance from tire to box and then add your overall box/frame width and this will be your overall minimum hub face to hub face axle length,,,

chipper

There's not much to be said against a long tongue,...............

except if you double the length of the tongue, you pretty much double the bending load on it and so you need to double its strength.

(For the length of the tongue, I mean the unsupported distance from the frame to the hitch.)

Andrew

Thanks guys!!!!!!!! Thats what I needed.