Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello Gals and Guys,

I have been hanging around here for awhile now and figured it was time to say hello and post. I have the bug to build a tiny or teardrop trailer with an atv platform in front of the trailer. I have come across two ideas that are of interest and close to what I am thinking. One being the Little Buddy teardrop trailer with platform in front, of which I attached a picture, the website states a 250-lb. tongue weight. And the second being the "Castaway" sunspot slideout tiny trailer build on this forum. I would like to know if anyone else here has attempted or dreamed up a concept of this style of build? How would something with this much tongue weight tow? Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated as I try to nail down a rendering.

Thanks,
Outdoorsman

Weight distribution would be an issue me thinks, All the weight of the ATV would be on the tounge my thoughts are ATV at back, tear at front

Easy enough, flipped around configuration would be fine too. I read on another post though that locating the atv in back could possibly be worse than the tongue weight problem and cause the trailer to fishtail uncontrollably, is this so? May help to know that my tow vehicle is a 2011 Jeep JK unlimited 4-door, V-6, Automatic. Max towing capacity is at 3,500 lbs. / max tongue weight is at 350 lbs.

Thanks,
Outdoorsman

acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 9 and 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. The ATV would likely be the heavier of the ATV / TEAR equation.
With the axel back and ATV's weight neutralized over the axel and the tear in front.
Think of a boat trailer, axel far back and main weight of boat...engines behind axel leveraging against foreward weight of boat.
If its a completely fresh build. building the tear separate to be mounted later, then scale the tounge with tear and atv set on frame in both locations, or keep axel movable like boat trailer so the rig can be set up properly. Movable axel would help later if you upgrade to a heavier ATV.

If you look at this mini toy hauler, the axels are way back

You have two options - ATV in front or ATV behind the teardrop. Either way, you want to build the complete trailer so that it's safe both with and without ATV on board.

If the ATV is put in front like Little Guy do, then half to two-thirds of the weight of the ATV will be carried on the tow vehicle's hitch - and that's in addition to the tongue weight of the 'empty' trailer.

Let's say the 'empty' trailer weighs 1,500lb so you want 150-200lb tongue weight. Add 300-400lb for the extra tongue weight of the ATV and you get 450-600lb - well over the maximum for your Jeep unless it and the trailer frame can take a weight-distributing hitch.

If the ATV is put behind the teardrop, then it must be slightly in front of the axle line if it's not going to reduce the tongue weight dangerously. Ideally you want the center of gravity of the ATV (which will be near its middle) 10% of the way from the axle to the hitch.

However that puts the teardrop body a long way forward of the axle so the empty trailer is going to have a high tongue weight (not to mention looking a bit odd). There's nothing major wrong with that as long as the tongue weight doesn't go over the Jeep's limit but I don't think that can be done unless you can build the body ultralight.

My first rough concept of what I am thinking, suggestions and comments would be greatly appreciated. Basically a spin off of the Castaway build in reverse. Sorry that the pictures are not orientated correctly I had trouble trying to get them to do so.

Thanks,
Outdoorsman