I think this is where we are at so far...
The floor should be as heavy as it needs to be, without being any heavier! LOL, that doesn't say much, does it?
1a) A torsion box of some kind, with wood and glue construction, and a metal tongue going all the way back to the axle or
1b) a torsion box of some kind, with wood and glue construction and standard 5x8 trailer components bolted on
2) A standard trailer with some of the metal in the middle removed, and a laminated foam, plywood sandwich as the subfloor, with thicker plywood for walking on
1a)The torsion box chassis would require inspection in order to get it registered here in Michigan or
1b) The torsion box chassis with bolted on components comes with a certificate for registration
2) The standard trailer comes with a certificate, for easy registration
1)The torsion box chassis requires ballast to keep it from tipping over (500 pounds of beer).
2)The standard trailer doesn't require any ballast.
1)The torsion box chassis can be built with components from a 5x8 bolt together trailer
2)The standard trailer can be built by a custom trailer manufacturer
1)The torsion box chassis can have some cantilevered longitudal members, like that bal trailer, making it fairly stiff
2)The standard trailer could be built with 2x2x1/8" tube, which has quite a bit of flex, that would go away once a ridid foam body is attached to it.
1)The torsion box chassis would be covered with canvas and tb2 to keep it from rotting or delaminating
2)The standard trailer subfloor sandwich could also be covered with canvas and tb2
Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...