LWT42 wrote:Thinking about a first build, and I'm trying to figure something out.
I need to go light, both for fuel economy and because I don't have a heavy tow vehicle.
Most home builds seem to be built on a harbor freight or northern tool trailer, which has a metal frame, and then a wood floor frame on top of that.
Some have built custom frames to minimize the metal, and then used a "normal" 2x2 frame on top of that.
Has anyone gone the other direction? Bolted (lag bolts?) the plywood floor directly to the metal trailer frame? I know you'd need a 2x2 rim around the plywood floor to attach the walls, but it'd eliminate a fair amount of (redundant?) framing material, and it seems that it'd be very rigid.
Comments?
-- Lynn
Yes, I went the other direction!; both as to bolting floor directly to frame, and in other things. I intended a light build, but ended up overbuilding. Part of it was using a lot of heavy hardware, 3/4" plywood all around (with lots of oak inner trim and bracing), and adding as many features as I could. I got carried away, I guess. Anyway, back to the basic structure: I bolted (3/8" carriage bolts)and screwed (TEK screws) and glued (Loctite PL adhesive) my floor to the metal framing (spray-undercoating the bottomside afterwards), then bolted (1/4"-20 stainless carriage bolts) and glued (again, Loctite PL adhesive) the walls to the floor and roof (the 3/4" thick walls sit on the top of the 4x8 flooring, leaving 46.5" inside sidewall width). I used steel corner braces, Simpson Strongtie angles, and PL adhesive for every inch of joined surface. Later, I also used PL as a caulk, to seal the seams. A link to what I used:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=19442&p=1049201&hilit=tek#p1049201 Very strong, and very heavy. However, I
still recommend the method, but if 1/2" or thinner plywood was substituted, with less added items (the main culprit) or the (probably) unneeded oak bracing, I might've ended up with a light trailer...probably not, I overdo things, as a rule. And, knowing this, I've still increased my trailer's loaded weight from 1438 lbs at birth, to 1767.5 lbs a year later. In for a dime, in for a dollar, the saying goes.... Good luck with your build!