Cliff starts a Grasshopper / Weekender!

[Cliffmeister2000]

Miriam says:

I am not a trailer builder but I wonder why you are adding so much metal to the sides. Can you put the front angles through the front cross beam and find a way to add to the back without the side stuff.

Hi, Miriam!

A few reasons for the side pieces:
Added strength (the existing trailer frame is made of 2 x 2 x 3/16 angle)
Ease of building.

If your suggested design is both strong enough and easy enough, I'm all for it!

Again, I admit to being a woodworker, not a metal worker. I want to build the most efficient extension that is strong enough. I'm hoping the final trailer weighs in at about 750 lbs.

Thanks,

Cliff

[Cliffmeister2000]

I think I'm ready to shop for some steel. I have decided to hire someone to do the welding. Would I be better off buying steel separate from hiring a welder, or hiring a welder and letting them provide the steel?

[Cliffmeister2000]

It appears my thread is in cardiac arrest...

I'm still working on the platform. Now I'm thinking about using wood instead of steel to enlarge it. Like this:



I would use pressure treated wood. 2 x 4s would stick up above the 2x2 angle by 1.5 inches. I would put 1/2" ply on top and insulation below. 3/8 ply under the insulation that would be coated with roofing sealer to weatherize it.

What do you think?

The framed area in front of the axle would be a sunken storage area.

Cliff

[Miriam C.]

Cliff it sounds like a good idea. I am not sure you need 2x's to do it though. Secondly do you need insulation under in AZ? The bed will provide a lot of insulation. Course if you are wanting to keep the road heat out.......

[mikeschn]

Hey Cliff,

To add an extension of wood to the rear is fine. Once you have your body built, the whole thing will act like a torsion box, keeping things square, and rigid.

I wouldn't use pressure treated wood though. Just use pine or poplar, and when you treat the underside with roofing tar, it won't go anywhere in your lifetime.

Mike...

P.S. CPR applied!

[Cliffmeister2000]

Miriam says:

Cliff it sounds like a good idea. I am not sure you need 2x's to do it though. Secondly do you need insulation under in AZ? The bed will provide a lot of insulation. Course if you are wanting to keep the road heat out.......

- Desert camping is hot a lot! Of course, the desert can get really cold at night too! Then there's sound...

I plan to use this thing year round, and all over the place. I bought a Samsung 5050 btu air conditioner two weeks ago at Home Depot for desert camping. Gonna get a generator capable of powering it (Honda Wisper) too, for wilderness camping. I've gotta get started! The temperature is dipping below 110 degrees now, there's no time to waste!


Mike says:

I wouldn't use pressure treated wood though. Just use pine or poplar, and when you treat the underside with roofing tar, it won't go anywhere in your lifetime.

Thanks, Mike! The wheels are so far back on the existing trailer (19 inches from the rear) that adding 24 should be fine without moving the axle (which is fastened to leaf springs that have their pivot pin assemblies welded to the frame, so they would be tough to move).

Now I just have to control the urge to make it bigger, since I bought a new Nissan Frontier to tow it with (6,500 lb towing capacity).

[mikeschn]

Cliff,

Have you run the tongue balance spreadsheet on your design yet?

Mike...

[Cliffmeister2000]

Mike says:

Have you run the tongue balance spreadsheet on your design yet?

uh, ummm, not yet. (Guess I'll get on that little task).

Thanks, Cliff

[mikeschn]

[Cliffmeister2000]

Mike says:

Have you run the tongue balance spreadsheet on your design yet?

Mike, I know I've seen that spreadsheet, but now I can't find it. Could you help me out?

Cliff

[mikeschn]

Yes, it's in the design library, in the top menu...

Here's a direct link
http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t ... tear81.htm


Mike...

[Cliffmeister2000]

Thanks again, Mike!

[Cliffmeister2000]

Mike says:

Have you run the tongue balance spreadsheet on your design yet?

Well, I ran it. Does it look okay? The tongue weight is more than 10%, which I have heard is optimal.



- Cliff

[mikeschn]

169#. That's not that bad. Especially if you are towing it with a small truck or small sport ute.

My tongue weight on my Baja Benroy was over 350#, which caused it to porpise.

I think you'll be okay with that tongue weight. You just won't be moving the trailer by hand.

Mike...

[Cliffmeister2000]

Why is it that Teardrop builders always put their axles so far back? I have not noticed this to be true of any other type of trailer, and it seems counter intuitive.