front box brackets

[KA]

Hi All,
If I build a chassis with only a 42 or 48 A-frame tongue and the 50 degree coupler and I want to put a front box on the tongue, will some brackets bolted to the front of the frame and the two angle pieces of the tongue be enough to support a box or should I have the type of tongue like the one Bledsoe3 built on his very cool trailer where there is a middle straight section (that runs back under the trailer) to the tongue as well? or would I need to weld a plate to the tongue where the box would sit, or could I just bold a wooden plate or grate to the tongue?

Thanks!
Kris

[bledsoe3]

Hi All,
should I have the type of tongue like the one Bledsoe3 built on his very cool trailer where there is a middle straight section (that runs back under the trailer) to the tongue as well?

Thanks!
Kris

Kris, you're making me blush.
The angle pieces are 2" X 2" X 1/8" angle iron. The tongue is 2" X 3" X 3/16".

[angib]

Kris,

I don't think there's any reason to add an extra member to your A-frame to support a tongue box. Beldsoe's three-piece tongue looks like it will work fine, but it isn't actually as structurally efficient as your A-frame - the job of the tongue or A-frame in a teardrop is to connect the coupler to the main structural member, which is the sidewalls, and the more directly it connects these two, the less metal is needed.

What you shouldn't do is bolt your tongue box through either an A-frame or tongue - the bolt holes will remove way too much strength from any of these members. Instead weld short pieces of angle to the inside of A-frame members and bolt to those (just like bledsoe has done inside his main frame), or use U-bolts that pass under the A-frame members.

Andrew

[KA]

Hi Jim and Andrew,
Thanks for the info. You guys are great.
I have more questions...hope I'm not pestering you too much. Do you think that it is better, if you are using 2 inch square tubing all the way around the frame to have the long sides bend as one long continuous piece on each side to form the A-frame tongue, or to have 2 separate tongue pieces and have them come back under the frame and be welded to the underside of the chassis in a couple of places? Is it difficult to bend 2 inch channel steel? If I continue with my build (rather than buying the perfect trailer that falls into my lap at the perfect price) I plan to have the main trailer chassis welded by a pro since this part of the build seems the most critical.
I'm still planning on a 5 X 8 Benroy style of trailer with a drop floor dinette, 14 inch ride height, 2000 lb torsion axle. I plan to go on some bumpy roads.

Thanks again! Kris

[JunkMan]

Hi Jim and Andrew,
Do you think that it is better, if you are using 2 inch square tubing all the way around the frame to have the long sides bend as one long continuous piece on each side to form the A-frame tongue, or to have 2 separate tongue pieces and have them come back under the frame and be welded to the underside of the chassis in a couple of places? Kris

I like using 2 seperate pieces that go under the main frame, and are welded to the front cross member and the side rails. This is how I build most of my trailers (normally car trailers) and it works out real good. It seems to give the trailer frame a lot more rigidity, and allow you to adjust the length of the tounge. Unfortunatly on a narrow trailer (4'-5') you might not be able to get the length you want due to the angle of the coupler/tounge.

[KA]

Thanks Jeff and Odie,
It is great to have input on building the chassis. Thanks so much.
Kris