Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey Del....spend a couple of hours here...I'm sure you'll come up with something... http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/htm ... _homes.htm


Have fun! Doug

doug hodder wrote:Hey Del....spend a couple of days here...I'm sure you'll come up with something... http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/htm ... _homes.htm


Have fun! Doug

I edited your post for you. Yes many good ideas here, still looking for the trolley top.

del

Good Grief Del, Do you lay awake at night thinking of the projects that'll cause the most headaches and then pick out the worst to start?

SamR wrote:Good Grief Del, Do you lay awake at night thinking of the projects that'll cause the most headaches and then pick out the worst to start?

yep

del

Del...another resource to check out is "Trailer Travel, a visual history of mobile America" the book. Tons of great pics there from trailer sales shows back in the 30's. I just got the idea for the trolley tops from what Craigs nephew had done and books etc...that I've seen. Nothing in particular. Doug

doug hodder wrote:Del...another resource to check out is "Trailer Travel, a visual history of mobile America" the book. Tons of great pics there from trailer sales shows back in the 30's. I just got the idea for the trolley tops from what Craigs nephew had done and books etc...that I've seen. Nothing in particular. Doug

Oh great another book to drool over still trying to finish the last one on teardrops (it will be easier when my mom gives it back).

del

Well I did some work today, caught the trailer on fire, but I did get further than I imagined.

Rolled the trailer on its side and torched the mounting bolts off.

Pile of unused pieces.

Left me with this.


Took some rough measurements all off the front cross member.
30" inches to the step that is 21" wide.
70" to the front of the leaf springs.
86" to the axle center line.
165" to the rearmost part of the frame.
The tongue is 45" long.
Most of the frame is 65" wide.
And the over all width is 94".
Yes the frame on the left side at the back takes off at an angle ( to clear the sewer tank).
Current tyre size p235/75r15.

to be continued...

Here is some dimentions Andrew gave me.

His plan calls for 167" my frame is 165", close I would say.

His axle is 72" from the back of the frame mine is 79". My frame is a little wider to, 94" compared to 84", Would fenders look ok on a canned ham?

Andrew am I going to have to move the axle or extend my frame? If I drop the frame what do I need to do length wise, a welder/fabricator friend will be helping so he will know how to do the work, but do I want to change the length while I have it cut apart?

Johnny what did you use to convert the rust on your frame?

del

Edit I think the tongue is too short for this profile, more to ponder, good night.

Looking good Del. Here's what I finally decided on for the rust...

http://www.ospho.com/

It works good and is easily avaible, I got mine from Ace Hardware. I also went with a primer coat after the stuff dried. Overkill??? it made it easier to tell where I was at when painting black onto black.

Anyways, I liked the Ospho because it is a liquid, and while the rattle can stuff I found at Wally World worked well and made it's own primer, it just seemed to me that a lot of it floated away in the form of overspray.

Is that a "trailer grave yard" you're working in? I found a place like that on the way back from Palo Duro Canyon, but haven been back to check it out yet...maybe when I get closer to needing windows and such.

Ivar the Red wrote:Looking good Del. Here's what I finally decided on for the rust...

http://www.ospho.com/

It works good and is easily avaible, I got mine from Ace Hardware. I also went with a primer coat after the stuff dried. Overkill??? it made it easier to tell where I was at when painting black onto black.

Anyways, I liked the Ospho because it is a liquid, and while the rattle can stuff I found at Wally World worked well and made it's own primer, it just seemed to me that a lot of it floated away in the form of overspray.

Is that a "trailer grave yard" you're working in? I found a place like that on the way back from Palo Duro Canyon, but haven been back to check it out yet...maybe when I get closer to needing windows and such.

Thanks Johnny. No not a trailer grave yard, just my friends 30 acres, and yes there is a lot of interesting stuff there.

del

Ivar the Red wrote:Looking good Del. Here's what I finally decided on for the rust...

http://www.ospho.com/

AGREES WITH JOHNNY. I have used this product on old metal containers and frames before. works as advertised

Hmmmm...... not that easy.

As you might have been encouraging me to do, having given all those dimensions, here is a quick sketch of what I think your frame looks like. Here I've positioned it so the axle is in the (guessed) right place - more work is needed to see if that really is the right place:



It's too long at the back and way too short at the front, but by similar amounts - so here it is with the frame slid 15" forwards, but leaving the axle where it was:



That's a reasonable fit, though the rear axle bracket is now well behind the kink in the left frame rail (leaf spring coloured red) - I think the only choice there is to cut the frame rail at the kink and build it back in straight. This is a fair amount of work, because that means re-making the joints further back too.

So that just about works.

Now comes the dropped floor question. This produces several glitches that need more thought:
- having a leaf spring pushes the back end of the dropped floor forwards by 9" or so (not ideal, but bearable);
- at the joints in the frame rail, the rails need to overlap by 9" or so, but there is no spare rail length available;
- ditto at the A-frame (where it 'un-drops' back to a normal frame height) with the added problem that the A-frame couldn't be overlapped even if there was enough material, because the A-frame has a fixed width.

It might be possible to add new material in at the drops, but that will make the joints longer and so it will make the dropped floor shorter. What are the frame rails and A-frame made of (depth, width, thickness)? Joining that C-channel isn't going to be that easy, whichever way it's done.

It might be worth thinking about only having the dropped floor between the frame rails, like on this replacement chassis for a Boler fiberglass trailer:



Note that in these trailers, there is some fancy work to kink one frame rail below floor level for the length of the door opening, so it's not necessary to step over the frame rail to reach the dropped floor.

Andrew

Thank you very much Andrew.

angib wrote:Hmmmm...... not that easy.

As you might have been encouraging me to do, having given all those dimensions, here is a quick sketch of what I think your frame looks like. Here I've positioned it so the axle is in the (guessed) right place - more work is needed to see if that really is the right place:


I am guessing the axle is unmoved and the tongue is lengthened "X" amount of inches

It's too long at the back and way too short at the front, but by similar amounts - so here it is with the frame slid 15" forwards, but leaving the axle where it was:



That's a reasonable fit, though the rear axle bracket is now well behind the kink in the left frame rail (leaf spring coloured red) - I think the only choice there is to cut the frame rail at the kink and build it back in straight. This is a fair amount of work, because that means re-making the joints further back too. I can make this strait and move the axle, I am assuming this way requires no tongue extension

So that just about works.

Now comes the dropped floor question. This produces several glitches that need more thought:
- having a leaf spring pushes the back end of the dropped floor forwards by 9" or so (not ideal, but bearable);
- at the joints in the frame rail, the rails need to overlap by 9" or so, but there is no spare rail length available;
- ditto at the A-frame (where it 'un-drops' back to a normal frame height) with the added problem that the A-frame couldn't be overlapped even if there was enough material, because the A-frame has a fixed width.

It might be possible to add new material in at the drops, but that will make the joints longer and so it will make the dropped floor shorter. What are the frame rails and A-frame made of (depth, width, thickness)? Joining that C-channel isn't going to be that easy, whichever way it's done.

It might be worth thinking about only having the dropped floor between the frame rails, like on this replacement chassis for a Boler fiberglass trailer:

I do believe we have a winner

Note that in these trailers, there is some fancy work to kink one frame rail below floor level for the length of the door opening, so it's not necessary to step over the frame rail to reach the dropped floor.

Andrew

I am thinking the straitening the frame and moving the axle back will be the better option, let me pass this by my welder friend. The large step outside the trailer scares me (and my handicap), so moving it inside helps.

thanks del

Keep it up Del!!!...I'm watching with great anticipation!!! BTW...I liked the trailer salvage pics. Reminds me of working with my Pop to drop the engine out of an old Plymouth...torch the mounts and linkages, cut some wires and hoses, and roll the whole thing over onto an old mattress with a loader. Instant engine and tranny. Sorta like your instant frame!!!

thanks for the explanation on the frame Del...when I first saw it, I thought "holy crap" what a bend in the frame....I thought it was a vertical bend!!! Doug