Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi everyone!

First off, thank you all for building such a great community. I have been lurking here for a while and have poured over the amazing stories and builds and have enjoyed it greatly. I am breaking out of my "lurking" zone as I am stuck in my journey and need your help. I've outlined my situation below as it's one I haven't seen pop up here yet.


The Situation: I am very fortunate to have been offered a FREE 4x6 trailer to embark on my new journey building a tiny trailer. The trailer (pictures below) is older but is built like a tank. The family member who has offered this to me (along with new tires/wheels!) checked the pinkslip and said the unladen weight was 800 pounds (!!). My current vehicle (GMC Terrain) has a tow capacity of 1500 Lbs so over half of this is just the trailer. While I am excited by the low upfront cost to get into this hobby/lifestyle, I don't want to set myself up for immediate regret.

The Current Plan: I am currently planning to build semi-permanent "slide in" trailer which would be ~5x7 to allow for comfortable sitting and sleeping. I do not need to stand (I'm 6') but would like to have a place to sit and eat if the weather turns. I think this would fall in the 'slouchie category".

My questions for this community: 1) Given the smallish size of my build, would I be OK with taking the trailer and building on that? 2) Should I scrap the "slide-in" capability and tear off the walls/flooring to reduce the weight? 3) what type of tires/wheel should I put on if I do move forward with this option? (I plan to keep this mostly on gravel/potholed roads and asphalt, nothing too extreme but who knows:))

I have include a few photos of the (very rough) sketch up plans as well as the trailer itself. While it is a single tongue, I would not that I am fairily certain its a 3x3 tongue (basing it on the 4x8 blocks off wood in the photo)

Thank you all in advance for your guidance and insights!

If the sidewalls and everything on that trailer is as it appears to be, a robust gauge of steel, I would think 800 pounds is a reasonable guess. If you construct a slide in cabin as in your picture out of rigid foam and skin it with painted canvas or fiberglass you can easily stay under 300 pounds. ghcoe has built a 4x4x8 squaredrop on a Harbor Freight type bolt-together chassis with painted canvas skin and the whole thing is under 400 pounds.

I think it could be done but reality might be a little different. Be very careful or else once loaded for travel you will be at weight. Also consider that being near tow capacity will stress your vehicle a bit. I am rated at 9,000 pounds but would never want to tow that very far, I like my truck and want to keep it.

> Should I scrap the "slide-in" capability and tear off the walls/flooring to reduce the weight?

No and yes.

Do the latter first, then design your slide-in to fit.

My answer is going to be a little bit different from the others. It's about the bed and dining area. I made my bed in pieces so I could tear it down like your picture and have a dining area. Except for display or in pictures, I have never, ever used it. I have been to other sites where this question was asked and the answer was a resounding 'No!" It is too much effort to make and unmake the bed and then set up the table plus wasted space to store the bedding. Even if you use sleeping bags, bedding is bulky and a pain in the neck to deal with. Making benches like your plan also means your mattress has to be in pieces and be upholstered which I have found is another waste.

I'm not saying don't have a dining area, but do it a little differently. Raise the bed area up 30 inches and make the last 29 inches or so of your bed into a 3 piece platform. Hinge the two side pieces so they can fold down and be lifted as needed for seats as well as a place for reclining feet or leave them loose so they can be slid under the mattress when not in use. Add in 1x2 boards along the wall to rest the loose, removable pieces on. The small middle section should be removable and have a removable table base or fold down legs or whatever to support it in a table or bed position. If you can, make that middle section swing-away, with hardware on the bed so you can easliy get out if you need to. With this method, you'll only need to upholster or cover the last roughly 15x30" cushions (or use pillows with purchased pillow shams). Because of the removable ends, you will have a way to get into your "bedroom", a place to stand and dress as well as a place to sit and eat and a place to sleep or recline, as needed; plus storage under the bed (hinge part of that bed platform, too!) ...Win-Win. Of course, you would still have to figure out where you're going to cook but, with a small awning or Easy-up at your back door, that would be pretty much solved. Best Wishes with whatever you decide.

PS. Shoes fit nicely under those removable sections when set up and ready for bed and, if you don't need that middle section, you have a place to stand even in the middle of the night.

If you are somewhere in a area with hunting, 4 wheelers don’t cut the sides off.
Two different people I know built or polished slightly and made more then I believe, with simular.

I have a homemade hydraulic dump trailer that holds 6” to 8” of water backed in where I park it and it rains, I have decide to cover that, one way I am thinking is over the top edge like your drawing; and a big trailer manufacturer uses a hinge on the sides, sound familiar? they have a table very much like your drawing in a tent.

The front edge, I believe will be much easier the way you have drawn vs a rounded front.
I may try it this way before covering my dump trailer

Is there a way to get the heavy bed off the frame and build from there?
Also, the axle appears in the middle of the frame. I would be careful of getting the tongue light as this can lead to the trailer weaving and crashing.
Tt

Also, the axle appears in the middle of the frame.

If you put a 7' cabin on that trailer, it'll be dangerously unstable. The axle has to be moved back.



Tony

tony.latham wrote:

Also, the axle appears in the middle of the frame.

If you put a 7' cabin on that trailer, it'll be dangerously unstable. The axle has to be moved back.



Tony

The axle appears to be a little bit towards the back but not enough for a galley. (I am assuming that the metal gate and the 2x4" wood frame outside the trailer have nothing to do with the trailer.) According to your sketch, you don't plan to have a galley. I can't tell how you plan to add that extra foot of length on the trailer. Axles are normally moved farther back to balance the weight when there is a galley in the back. However, you do show that you will be storing things under the bed. Lightweight things, like clothes, are okay but remember to keep 60% of your weight up front and no more than 40% of your weight behind the axle. That includes both the weight of your build and anything you store within the trailer. Try to keep your weight fairly even from side to side. You will probably have to keep a record of all weights and where they are as you plan. I would suggest that you plan on putting your food, liquids, and galley equipment in your tow vehicle and not store a lot in that trailer. (Blue Sky Kitchens offer plans for grub boxes for purchase or just to view for ideas, if you're good at mocking things up.)

The entire trailer appears to be rusted metal. Do not cut it but do be certain that there are no weak spots. You've got a lot of work ahead of you, just sanding, preparing, and painting that. Use a good Rust treatment to bond any rust you can't sand off, before painting. You can use JB Weld to fill small drill-sized holes after you've sanded and cleaned the metal. I would not add a wooden floor as that would add unnecessary weight. Use the metal floor. However, I would add a thin piece of foam and a remnant of lightweight carpeting or something like that to buffer the cold. Maybe you could use those foam floor blocks that are sold and omit the carpet? Metal transfers heat and cold really well and you'll feel that cold unless you do something.

One more thing....I noticed the tires are flat and it looks like it's been stored outside for a very long time. As soon as you can, borrow some tires or better yet, load the entire trailer up into/onto something and take it to a mechanic to to check out the axle, bearings, etc. (I wonder if the wheels will even turn!) Get a professional opinion.

When you are all done, the ball weight must be around 10% of the total weight, loaded wet.

8% is OK, 12% is OK

too light is more dangerous than too heavy.

One other thought... find a better foundation to build on.

The axle needs to be moved back, the springs are probably wrong for your planned weight, and the rust is deep. And it's awful narrow.

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news. But it's something to consider. Free doesn't mean it's cheap.



Tony

p.s. Here's my wife welding a chassis for her son:



It was her first welding project. (But her mentor claimed he knew what he was talking about.)

Hello all!

Thank you so much for the feedback and input! I had some fears that the weight/rust/etc. would be an issue and appreciate you all confirming it. Next time I visit I'll take an in-person look to see the shape it's in, but for now I'll look into other options. Back to square one.

Thank you again!