Split-level Chassis

[Prem]

Now here's a great idea: a split-level chassis with a torsion axle:




With the torsion axle located right behind the welded overlap, I'll bet that is one long, strong chassis that doesn't have any flop in it even using fairly light steel C-channel or rectangular tube!

Great idea. Might have to do that on my next build!

Prem

[Carter]

Prem,
I have one similar to that drawn up. The main advantage to me is being able to build it in the garage, Have 6'3" of headroom in the front of the standy and be able to slide it out under the 6'9" garage door header and bolt the axle on outside. I don't see any issues with strength.

[tinksdad]

I thought I had seen a similar design recently; but I couldn't put my finger on it right off the top of my head (CRS temporarily raising it's ugly specter again). Then it came to me. Somebody from the forums asked me recently if I could down scale the Cabin Car in the Design Library for them. Although not as big as the one in your pic, the Cabin Car uses the same theory on the frame. I'm not an engineer; but it makes a lot of sense to me for that ground hugging appearance.

[Prem]

Carter,

What technique do you use to get the finished, heavy trailer up in the air to put the axle on AFTER you slide it out the garage?

Prem

[Prem]

tinksdad,

Yeah, it's lower in the front where clearance is not needed as much as the rear by the height of the C-channel (4"?). But what's the advantage of a split-level for a cabin car's interior? (It's got less floor to ceiling height in the rear.)

Prem

[tinksdad]

Personally I don't see the need for it in the Cabin Car either; but it's there if anybody wanted to look. I was just commenting on the similarity to yours. I'm a pavement only (or at least hard packed gravel at the minimum) traveler and really like the lower the better look. That's only my opinion.

Not my intention to start any kind of debate over it, so I'll just go back under my rock now and come back out when this passes.

[Prem]

tinksdad,

Oh don't go away. I never argue. I was just wondering. (I've never seen the Cabin Car's chassis.) I love finding out new ways of building things. I appreciate your input.

Prem

[Carter]

Carter,

What technique do you use to get the finished, heavy trailer up in the air to put the axle on AFTER you slide it out the garage?

Prem

Long pry bar under the corners and 2x4 blocks until it was high enough to use a floor jack and jack stands. Just inched it up. You'll see how strong the Torque Box is. My frame is very light and I was surprised it didn't flex at all

Jim

[48Rob]

Personally I don't see the need for it in the Cabin Car either

The cabin car trailers used a steel chassis slightly longer than the springs, which was bolted to the wood body.

The tongue was also a separate part, bolted to the body.
It did not use a full steel frame as most trailers did/do.

I'd never looked at the Cad drawings closely before.
They did not use a dropped frame as indicated in the drawings.

Rob

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/1948rob/CABIN%20CAR%20PROTECTED%20IMAGES/cabincarframe1.jpg?t=1236087488">

[Prem]

Rob,

Whoa! How long do you think it took for the wood between the tongue and the separate chassis to dry rot away? I'll bet the wood only lasted a few years before things started changing shape. Scary, eh?

Thanks for the photo.

Prem

[48Rob]

Prem,

Some had "moisture" issues while sitting in the factory parking lot waiting for a transport to deliver them to a dealer...

Most did okay though.

The real killer was water leaking in the top and sides, causing the body to weaken where the tongue support rods were attached.
A loose/weak tongue put many off the road before water damage to the floor/carrier chassis became an issue.

They were constructed of 1/4" plywood.
The plywood was held together with the 1x "ribs" similar to old airplane construction.
Very strong, and very light.
A good plan until it got wet...

Rob

[Prem]

Rob,

Good grief. Sounds like guys working with wood for the first time and no understanding of semi-permanence.

I switched to an all aluminum cargo trailer conversion because I was so tired of wood maintenance issues and chassis rust issues on my teardrop and previous builds. No mo' issues, just camping.

Prem

[aggie79]

Carter,

What technique do you use to get the finished, heavy trailer up in the air to put the axle on AFTER you slide it out the garage?

Prem

As seems to be the case with everything I do in life, my build has been somewhat out of sequence. Instead of picking wheels and tires first, I built the teardrop walls and floor, then had the frame constructed, and built a dolly to roll the whole thing around.



Later, I assembled the teardrop shell on top of the teardrop frame. Even with the weight, it rolls around very easily.



I later decided to change the tongue on the trailer and removed the shell. Once assembled, the teardrop body does act like a torsion box.



A pry bar, cheapo bottle jack, and cheapo floor jack is all it takes to raise and lower the frame/body.

Geg'em, Tom