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Floor widening supports from under the trailer

PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 9:42 am
by Cruzn
Anyone ever widen the floor of a HF 4x8 from infront of the fenders going forward and support the extra floor width from underneath the trailer frame? If yes, what did the supports look like? If no please feel free to design them.

Re: Floor widening supports from under the trailer

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:54 am
by Pmullen503
Depending on how your floor is made and how big the overhang is, no additional trailer support is needed. How much overhang are you looking at?

Re: Floor widening supports from under the trailer

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:40 pm
by Cruzn
Out to beyond the tire / fender at least. Not sure that distance, but not more than 10 inches. And that's only in front of the fender to the end of the trailer framet at the tongue. There may be a lifting roof over the front of the camper too. I was thinking 1/2 inch plywood for deck. Probly use the same for the walls.

Re: Floor widening supports from under the trailer

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:50 pm
by Pmullen503
A 1/2" plywood floor is not the best choice.

I have an 18" overhang at the front of my foamy. But the floor is a sandwich of 1/4' plywood, a perimeter frame of 1x4 pine with cross members every two feet (half lapped joints) with another 1/4" plywood layer on top of that. All glued and screwed together. Google "torsion box". That makes the floor very stiff and makes it unnecessary to extend the frame. The loads are effectively transmitted to the frame without the body flexing. Five years now and no sign of flexing.

The other way loads are transmitted to the frame are via internal walls (like the galley wall in a traditional build). If the connection of the interior walls (over the frame) to the side walls are good, either tab and slot or well glued dado joints (NOT just dry wall screws), that will also help.