Wooden Frame

[Wobbly Wheels]

Check out the Canadian-built Orca fiberglass trailers - their shells are similar though they use a 2X2 tubular frame.

[TrailerEd]

I know it would make an odd shape, but you could avoid a tounge all together by making the four corners of the tear cross section taper in together to the coupler....

That's more or less what I did with this all-plywood design where there is a structural tongue box that becomes the coupler. Of course, it isn't structural if it has an opening (except in the back) so it just looks like a tongue box, but doesn't open like one.



The red bits are metal as it's hard to avoid using metal to provide very local reinforcement - metal bolts are also good, as timber bolts have a bad reputation.......

That is a really cool design. Thanks for sharing it.
I can see where I could put a ply laminated gusset off the tongue into the body structure as a tongue box and make it a usable tongue box by having it open on each side. The gusset would be a divider in the middle of the tongue box.
Thanks for sharing, as it prompts my mind to go deeper into an idea!
The vote is in! I am going to build an all wood tear with a wooden frame. I have begun doodling sketches and some design drawings to work thru some things in my mind.
I will post some stuff when I finalize a plan.

[TrailerEd]

Check out the Canadian-built Orca fiberglass trailers - their shells are similar though they use a 2X2 tubular frame.

That's cool and probably the most aerodynamic trailer I have ever seen!

[rowerwet]

I know it would make an odd shape, but you could avoid a tounge all together by making the four corners of the tear cross section taper in together to the coupler....

That's more or less what I did with this all-plywood design where there is a structural tongue box that becomes the coupler. Of course, it isn't structural if it has an opening (except in the back) so it just looks like a tongue box, but doesn't open like one.



The red bits are metal as it's hard to avoid using metal to provide very local reinforcement - metal bolts are also good, as timber bolts have a bad reputation.......

I love that! I thought if would need to be more radical than that. That design still retains the look of a tear. Thank you!

[Werdahekrwe]

Believe it or not, we had a "factory built" rig with a wood frame. Olny the tongue and suspension were metal. EVERYTHING else was wood. Suspension was the front axle and springs from a '34 Plymouth. Took DW, myself and three little ones camping for three years. It was a '51 'Zebra". Loved it. When we finally took it apart, we needed BIG hammers and a lo g time to defeat it. The frame was nesrly imosible to destroy. Hard as steel and just as strong - in 1978.

[TrailerEd]

Believe it or Not
That's cool. I am gonna build an all wood tear one day. I just started my first build this weekend, but opt'd to start with something simpler, so I can get a feel for all the ins and outs. Then I will tackle a real complete woodie!

[angib]

Before anyone thinks to build that all-wood Ultralight, I should stress that it is intended to be built from an epoxy-wood combination. Epoxy fillets on plywood are very much like fillet welding metals and are (can be) as strong as the plywood. Doing the same thing with screws and/or glue would be difficult.

[KCStudly]

I suspect that the spar schedule in the area where the tongue "box" integrates would also be somewhat beefier than usual, otherwise the front skin might buckle, even though it is arched out.