Is this too close for the floor to my tires?

[Thunderknight]

In trying to figure out how to overhang my TTT floor past the 4' width of the trailer, I know of two possibilties: Build wheel wells or build up my floor above the tire.

For option 2, I am trying to figure out how high I need to make the floor above the tires to make sure it never hits.
Since this is the 12" 1740# HF trailer, the tire top sits about 1.5" above the top of the frame...so I can't just go straight across flat like Steve did with his Puffin. If I use a 2x4 to frame the floor, I would clear the tire with my decking by about 2". However, that is without any spring compression. I measured 1.5" from the frame rail to the top edge of the u-bolt threads that are holding the axle to the spring. So i guess the maximum travel of the springs is 1.5" (which seems short, but I believe I correctly assembled the trailer). Then the question is, is 1/2" enough leeway "just in case" or should I build the floor with 2x6" or 2x4"s with 1x2 furring strips on top?

I plan to use a Forstner bit to create pockets on the bottom of the framing for the trailer bolts. And I'll attach the framing by bolting through the 2x in to the trailer frame and countersinking those bolts.

I haven't discounted the wheel well idea...especially since they would be hidden by cabinets on both sides anyway. But 2x framing does make it easier to frame my dropped floors.

A couple of pics...I just used scrap x4 and x6 material with a thin strip to represent the floor. It shows the clearances (no spring compression).



Thoughts?
Matt

[Mary K]

Bump,

Matt, I can not help you with your question, but I figured I'd give it a bump, for other who might have missed it.

Good luck, Keep us posted!!


Mk

[apratt]

First off I don't have a H/F trailer, so I may be off base. But I think I would want at lease 3 inchs of clearence. Could look at how much clearence you have between the axle to the frame and go with that. Just a though.

[GregB]

Matt,

I'm using the same trailer and I'm building wheel wells in mine. Really, it depends on the final weight of your trailer; more weight will mean more compression and wheel travel. I think that Nobody did a test (that is, several heavy guys jumping up and down on one side) on his springs and noticed very little compression. One good rule of thumb here is to mount the metal fenders temporarily and measure the spacing that HF designs into their solution. I believe that it is 3". I am designing 3" of wheel well travel in mine, just to be safe.

Arthur's point here is well-taken. If, as I have, you have flipped the axle and mounted it over the springs and cut out the perch flanges directly above the axle, that distance is all the wheel travel you are ever going to get.

GB

[Alphacarina]

Use a pair of clamps and compress the suspension until the top of the axle hits the bottom of the trailer frame - The tire can't come up any farther than that

Alternatively (and much simpler) measure how far the top of your axle is now sitting from the bottom of the trailer frame, add half an inch and then build the bottom of your floor at that height

I wouldn't want a teardrop jacked up into the stratosphere though - The added wind resistance would sort of negate the purpose of building something without interior standing room. Why scrunch yourself up in a low profile trailer if you're going to mount the floor above the tires and still suffer the bad wind resistance when towing it?

I would either opt for your Option 1 - Building in wheel wells inside the trailer so the floor could be made as low as possible, or (my favorite) start with a wider trailer and axle so you can have the best of both worlds - A floor as low as possible to keep the wind resistance as low as possible while still having full width living space inside the tear

The cost of the trailer you start with is a pretty small part of the whole equation, whether you buy a $300 HF trailer or a $600 trailer much better suited to what you want to build - Don't compromise your whole build trying to save a measly $300 on a cheap trailer

Just my personal advice, so take that for what it's worth

Don

[Joanne]

Matt,

I'd probably just grab a saw and cut the top of the tire off. Then you'd have plenty of clearence! (That's my blond answer for today)


Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

Keep on building!

Joanne

[caseydog]

I think that 2-inches is too close. It would only take one good pothole to possibly do pretty bad damage to the wood structure of your TD.

I just can't imagine your spring/axle having 2-inches or less of wheel travel designed in to it.

I would want to have a good 4-inches of clearance around my tires.

CD

[Nitetimes]

I try to get a half inch to an inch more than you have from the top of the axle to the bottom of the frame.

[Cliffmeister2000]

I, too am planning to build a 5' wide unit, a "Weekender", on a 4' trailer. I was looking for advice on the best underside coating to protect the weekender when I stumbled on this thread.

I am going with the "wheel well" approach. I just haven't solved the coating issue yet. Especially in the wheel wells.

Any suggestions?

[Alphacarina]

I've had really good luck using elastomeric roof coating from Lowes on trailer undersides - Comes in both 1 and 5 gallon pails

Coat everything with epoxy, scuff sand it and apply the black coating over that. Once it's dry, it's a really tough coating and should hold up well for years

Don

[Thunderknight]

I'll take a picture of the distance between the spring u-bolts and the frame...it's not a lot. That would seem to be the limiting factor...they are much higher than the axle.

[Cliffmeister2000]

I've had really good luck using elastomeric roof coating from Lowes on trailer undersides - Comes in both 1 and 5 gallon pails

Thanks, Don! I appreciate it (I answered this once, but it never made it here??)

- Cliff

[Alphacarina]

I'll take a picture of the distance between the spring u-bolts and the frame...it's not a lot. That would seem to be the limiting factor...they are much higher than the axle.

Sounds like your axle is probably under the springs - Unless yhou plan on off-roading with it, I would reverse that and install the axle above the springs. That will lower your ride height by about 3 inches and it may effectively lower your floor too . . . . closer to the ground anyway

Don

[Thunderknight]

My axle is under the springs. Metal working is not my thing, so I didn't want to attempt to notch that bracket and do the other things needed to flip it over. Plus, the ground clearance is a good thing. And if I flip the axle, then there is more tire showing above the frame line and I'd have bigger wheel wells (or a higher floor frame).

Here are 2 pictures showing how the u-bolts are mounted. There is not a lot of clearance between the frame and the top of the bolt. I think I put this together properly (ie according to the manual).



It is a little hard to tell in the picture, but if you look straight down, the top of the bolt is actually partially in-line with the frame member. And yes, the spring plate on the axle is not straight...it's slightly shifted from the other end's plate. I had to shim it to make it tight. (that end also had the axle threads messed up from the factory).



And figure F from the manual showing the U-Bolt installation (trailer is upside down in this step)

[bobhenry]

If you stand a 2x6 ripped to 4" maybe 4 1/4 " on edge and glue and screw your floor to it you should plane out above the stock factory fenders. I left them in place and framed over them. This allowes the stock fenders to take the brunt of the rocks and sand and water spray and helps protect the wood to a degree.
I have a 2 1/2 tube frame laid in the axle cradle of a HF folding trailer and laid my floor directly on it this required me to raise the wheel wells 1 1/2 "
to clear the stock fenders left in place. 2 1/2 + 1 1/2 = 4"