Tomorrow my new leaf springs should be delivered. It says by end of day, so it may be Saturday before they get installed. Once that is done I will have a "functional" cargo trailer. This has been a very long process, and honestly I would probably have been better off building from scratch, but I am nearly there. Well with the frame and wheels anyway. Just to bring everyone up to speed, I purchased a trailer made by a farmer hat had a utility truck bed mounted on it. This thing was a tank, super heavy. I started in Colorado to modify the existing build. Then I had to move to Georgia, where I stripped everything off the trailer, even the tongue, and basically ended up rebuilding the entire thing. The existing leaf springs I attempted to recondition, but after getting the rust off, many had been rusted through and were useless. I have fought with this trailer since I purchased it.
Now, thanks to a new welder, the frame is back together (including the tongue), and is waiting for the new springs to arrive so I can reattach the axle (the one really good component of this trailer). I have removed around 600-800 pound of metal (including the utility boxes) from this trailer. Once I get the new springs on I can begin work on actually building my first tear drop. (This has really been a lesson on what NOT to buy used LOL!)
I am really liking the shape of the Benroy. I think that is what is called. (This is the shape, though I am not building for offroad: https://www.moby1trailers.com/moby1-xtr) I seems to maximize space and I like the idea of a flat roof to put things in future. A cargo basket? Maybe? Maybe not, but I like the idea of having the space to use should I need it.
However, I also like the shape of the more traditional tear drop camper. The curves are great and much more a conversation piece I think. It just has ... style. I don't know, but I like it.
For design issues (of course there are issues, this whole trailer has been one after another LOL!), the size of the frame. The deck area is 4' 2 3/4" wide, and 8' 5" long. Weird I know, but I didn't build it, though I probably should have. Anyway, that's another issue entirely. So, I will probably build wider than the frame, 5 feet maybe? I have just under 6 feet between the tires, so plenty of room for 5 feet. I even considered going to 6 feet wide, but that just seems a bit much. I suppose I could cut 5 inches from the rear of the frame and move the cross member forward. This would effectively push the axle back 5 inches, it nearly centered to the deck now. Or, I could add a cross member close to the back, giving me a step, or other platform for future use, but that would push the kitchen farther away, so maybe not. Once I get the springs back on the mounts I will have a more accurate measurement.
So I guess my real questions are:
1) Is it safe to assume a roughly 5 inch overhang on either side won't be an issue should I build out to 5 feet wide?
2) Should I shorten the deck length for an easier build?
3) What are the pros and cons of Benroy vs a more traditional shape? Are their any real differences besides style?
So try to sound lie I am rambling. The problem with having so many choices, is having so many choices. Any advice or comments are more than welcome. Thank you reading.