trailer advise

[Cliffmeister2000]

I don't know many who could sleep well on a 5' bed. I'm 6'4", myself, so I tend to prefer 10' trailers.

However, I have been playing with a 5x8 idea. This profile shows the 76" bed (minimum for me) and 18 inches of lower galley space. My plan is to have the counter slide out so I have 20" depth below the cabinets, which would be positioned right up to the face of the galley.

[synaps3]

Cliff is right, you can't sleep on a 5' bed. I'm 5'10", and I need at least 6'6" to be comfy.

Let's say you went with a 8' trailer. That leaves you with 1.5' at the bottom of your galley... You can then do an inner cut-out for the countertop about two or three feet up (so that your feet are in a "cubby hole") to make the galley space larger.

Like I said before, you need to read the plans for the Benroy here: http://www.mikenchell.com/images/GenericBenroyPlans.pdf -- it will answer most of your questions! An image of what I was talking about above is on page 39

[eaglesdare]

i was just using the 5' mattress as an example. just to try to understand the insides.

i however, am only 5.2, and normally do not sleep striaght. i haven't measured yet, but plan to just use an air mattress inside. so whatever space that requires is what i am going for.

i know the air mattress isn't 7 or 8 foot long, hence my question of the extra space.

thanks for the reply's, that does answer my question.

[eaglesdare]

Cliff is right, you can't sleep on a 5' bed. I'm 5'10", and I need at least 6'6" to be comfy.

Let's say you went with a 8' trailer. That leaves you with 1.5' at the bottom of your galley... You can then do an inner cut-out for the countertop about two or three feet up (so that your feet are in a "cubby hole") to make the galley space larger.

Like I said before, you need to read the plans for the Benroy here: http://www.mikenchell.com/images/GenericBenroyPlans.pdf -- it will answer most of your questions! An image of what I was talking about above is on page 39

thanks! this has given me another idea.

but it has helped me to come to my first decision. i am going for a 5x8 foot trailer.

now i did not read that whole pdf yet (i will), so if this was already in there, i am sorry.

do you have to paint the trailer? or is this just for looks? i don't have a problem with the painting, but just wanted to know the reason for that.

[Cliffmeister2000]

do you have to paint the trailer? or is this just for looks? i don't have a problem with the painting, but just wanted to know the reason for that.

Paint is primarily to protect the wood. You can paint, Fiberglas, Epoxy, or skin with aluminum or varios types of plastics. There are probably other things you can do, but if you have bare wood (or bare steel) exposed to the elements, you can expect a very short life for your project.

[eaglesdare]

sorry, i meant the hf trailer frame. the metal or steal part, not the tear part.

[bobhenry]

I shot mine with 2 cans of truck bed liner spray about $8.00 a can

But It isn' t necessary in my opinion.

My frame was a hybrid and had some bare weld spots so I decided to seal it.





Yes it was a dock handrail but the price was right ~~~ FREE

[Cliffmeister2000]

I would paint the points on the frame that had been scuffed in transport. It will be a lot easier to paint in the beginning than it will be with a teardrop sitting on it.

[gullywompr]

The Carry-On trailer from Tractor Supply is the one that has caused problems with weak tongue mounts to one or two forum members - the tongue itself is strong enough but the two angle cross-members it's bolted to are too close together and they can be bent by high tongue loads - in one case by the builder standing on the tongue.

Andrew

Andrew is correct.

I generally correct this problem by doing 2 things.

First is I install 2 angle iron struts from the 2 outside rails just behind where the second cross member begins and run it up to the 2X2 square stock, these can be bolted and I usually use "Bed Rail"

This shortens the unsupported span on the second cross member by about a foot.

It makes the tongue look like a "Peace Sign".

Then when I build the platform I make sure that there is a full 2X4 on the flat directly over the 1st and 2ed metal cross member.

And that these 2X4s are bolted (5 each) to the cross members.

Then just "because" when building the box the first front rafter that attaches to the deck is a full 2X4.

The problem is at the second Cross member. By installing the Bed Rail it decreases the cross members span from 4' to 3' and with 4 mounts (2 factory welds and your 2 bolts) instead of just the 2 welds.

Make sure that the 2ed cross member is reinforced. Even another piece of bed rail underneath wouldn't hurt.

And don't jump on it until it is!

Crude drawing, red dots = bolts



Happy Trails

Len

Len,I dropped by the Tractor Supply near my house today to look at the "floorless" 4x8 trailer on the lot, and I couldn't visualize how you did it. I came away slight puzzled.

The perimeter of this frame (side rails and first and last cross members) is angle iron with the angle pointing up, and the cross members (except the first and last, which are part of what I called the "perimeter" above") are all angle iron with the angle pointing down, welded underneath the side rails.

It was easy enough to see how your "bed rail" would run from the square tongue back under the first cross member (angle iron pointing up), where it is bolted, and how it would run to the side rails (angle iron pointing up), where it is bolted. But because the second cross member is angle iron pointing down, you would either have to cut the cross member to allow the bed rail to run through, or cut the bed rail. I was also wondering how the bed rail was bolted to the tongue - I guess you must bend the bed rail to the proper angle (cutting a notch?).