Chassis 85%

[Kaz]

Finally put together a rolling chassis. Still need to install coupler and tongue jack but that's minimal. Maybe I'll just put the deck on it bring some sleeping bags and be done!

[noseoil]

Are you planning on having stabilizer jacks at the rear corners? If so, is there enough room to mount them under the corners on those plates?

Nice job on the frame, what size & wall thickness did you decide to use for the tubing? Looks like a nice strong, simple layout. Do you know the rolling weight of this frame? Is it a 5' X 8' you're building?

[Kaz]

Wasn't planning stabilizer's figure I can add them if i need to later. Went with 2x2 by 11ga. steel tube. Went with leaf springs because I'm old school, used 27" long spring's vs the standard 20.25" springs. Hope they ride a little softer. Try to weigh every piece before assembly. Best guess as it stands its about 343Lbs. Going for a 5x9 and shooting for 1200lb range empty.

[working on it]

Wasn't planning stabilizer's figure I can add them if i need to later. Went with 2x2 by 11ga. steel tube. Went with leaf springs because I'm old school, used 27" long spring's vs the standard 20.25" springs. Hope they ride a little softer. Try to weigh every piece before assembly. Best guess as it stands its about 343Lbs. Going for a 5x9 and shooting for 1200lb range empty.

Looks like your trailer has a comparatively long rear overhang, as did mine, after I added 24" on the rear (+12" on the front) to the original frame I started with.

Rolling Chassis comparo.png (203.16 KiB) Viewed 970 times

I needed the extra length in the rear to house a generator and A/C system, and the vertical hatch design I chose required the extra length. I have been repeatedly reminded that the axle should've been farther astern, but I figured that the adding of features/cargo/weight forward would compensate. Sticking to that premise, I utilized angib's Trailer Balance worksheet at every step of the build, to ensure that I was not getting too far away from the "golden rule" of trailer balance for tongue-to-total weight ratio of 10-15%. I personally think that 7-10% is enough, but I'm in the minority there! I recommend its' use, to stay on track, especially since you are weighing the pieces as you go. I will also recommend adding stabilizers now, as you will find that the trailer will be easier to work on if it doesn't point skyward (ask me how I know!). As your trailer is now, at 343 lbs, you are at about the same weight as mine was w/o the 3/4" floor (mine weighed exactly 400 lbs with the 4x8 floor attached). My goal was <1000 lbs, but I greatly exceeded that, even using the detailed trailer balance sheet (I expanded it to encompass all items added, with 31 lines of data added). But, I'm known for excesses....

[Kaz]

I went with 37.5%/ 62.5% . I plan on installing a 7 gallon water tank so the placement fore or aft of the axle will depend on finished weight. I also plan on a battery on the tongue. No printed plans just building as I go. TLAR engineering (that looks about right) along with the GE engineers handbook ( Garage Engineer) I couldn't get the trailer balance worksheet to work. It wouldn't let me input my info.

[KCStudly]

Remember that a water tank is variable ballast, so you want that to be as near to the axle as practical. You wouldn't want a full tank causing a heavy tongue any more than you would want an empty tank causing a light tongue.

Much better to allow the tank to be full or empty w/o affecting balance (or at least minimize the effect). Just saying, if you rely on the tank to set your ballast, then you may not be able to fill or drink from it. (This, of course, assumes that you trailer ends up being sensitive to balance, which it may not be in the end.)

Just saying.

[working on it]

Remember that a water tank is variable ballast, so you want that to be as near to the axle as practical. You wouldn't want a full tank causing a heavy tongue any more than you would want an empty tank causing a light tongue.

Much better to allow the tank to be full or empty w/o affecting balance (or at least minimize the effect). Just saying, if you rely on the tank to set your ballast, then you may not be able to fill or drink from it. (This, of course, assumes that you trailer ends up being sensitive to balance, which it may not be in the end.)

Just saying.

Absolutely reasonable thinking, KC. My build was (initially) dependent on using a filled cooler and two 7-gallon water jugs, strapped to an E-track, between the doors, to reach the magic 10% tongue weight. When I created the 24" rear extension, and added the generator and A/C there, and the battery as well, I figured that the weight could be counter-balanced by the necessary cargo, placed as far forward as possible. But, I didn't figure in that the contents would be partially consumed before the trip home, thus throwing off the balance. Missing the obvious, obviously! Took me awhile to reconfigure the balance, moving loaded items forward to a larger tonguebox, and now have reached the point where I don't need that weight there for the balance (and why do I need to carry 14 gallons of water to a State Park with a water hook-up?). By the way, w/o the cooler and water, I have achieved exactly 10% tongue weight, @ 1518 lbs, though I may still carry something strapped to the E-track (the trailer is registered as an utility/cargo trailer, right!).