aluminum trailers and other questions

[Aaron]

hey folks i am BRAND NEW to the whole tear drop experiance. i do not own one yet but have opted to attemtp to build my own. im not much of a capenter so i epxpect it will be fairly plain jane. any how i have a few questions regarding trailer selection. i will be towing my rig with a 1988 jeep wrangler i have concerns about towing with a vehical that has such a short wheel base. the engine is a beefed up six cylinder with big cam and header &c.

what is the maximum trailer length i would want if i use a Jeep?

also the tear drops i have seen do not really fit my needs (but could if i designed my own hence this project) is a 6x10 chassis an unrealistic tear drop number? will i catch all sorts of grief from the traditionalist for building one bigger? than 4x8?

also Chilton trailers offers a 6x10 aluminum trailer. being tow wieght conscious these sound like a good idea . anyone used an aluminium frame? or are these not durable enough for teardropping in? sorry for the barrage of questions but i had to start somewhere . thanks .

Aaron

[madjack]

Welcome Aaron...got any specs on that trailer or even better a picture with a link...a factory built Al trailer would probably be fine...building an Al trailer on your own requires certain skills and equipment as well as a knowledge of the limitations of building structurally with AL...
madjack

[Sonetpro]

Aaron
Welcome to the forum. I pull mine with a CJ7. mine is loong. I don't have a problem with it. I have a 304 4 speed.

[Aaron]

http://chiltontrailers.com/item122532.ctlg

thanks for the welcome madjack here is a trailer i have found i am still hunting for them . yea i know that welding aluminum requies special skills it is a tricky metal to marry. i am a jeweler i will stick to welding platinum gold and silver the metals i know best lol. is 6x10 over kill? i realise i am looking at some waste as this is out of rthe parameters of the common lumber measurements. thanks again

[Aaron]

thanks for the response steve. what size is your tear drop? how much does it wiegh? nice jeep too! your 304 will give you a better power to wieght ratio than my 4.2 its bored .040 has a clifford aluminum 4 bbl intake manifold soon to get a howel fuel injection. i dont like my webber anymore. its balanced and has an rv cam . i didnt want to go too radical the way gas has been but she has some toruqge future upgrades include the new advanced adaptors 4 sp transfer case and an ome 1.5 inch lift. also swapping out my stock TF904 for a reprogrammed towing/crawling tranny. again im not big on radical just imporvement over stock. i think my jeep will tow a tear drop just fine what is your thoughts on a 6 foot width . i imagine it will make it more road stable when towing.
thanks

[CHUCKLEHEAD69]

that a real nice trailer and it would work fine.but at 1600 dollars its outta my league (thats what i bugeted for the whole project)but if its in your budget i say get it and roll with it. cuz that trailer would shave alot of weight off of your build,and thats what you want right ,and 6x10 is a good size my trailer is 5foot3inx9foot but overall camper is gonna be 10foot 6in long.

[Aaron]

thanks chucklehead. you did your whole build for 1600 or so? wow maybe i better rethink my configureing hahah actually they way i look at it is that i could go out an buy a used scamp and have everything i want for around 3000-4000 or more. or i can spend about 2500-3000 and build it my way and not have everything but get pretty darn close. one reason i am trying to save wieght is that i kind of like the thought of having a generator. found one that wieghts 107 pounds. i have a lot of metal detecting gear to haul around as well, the jeep will carry the brunt of that.
i also prefer the lower profile of a tear drop over a scamp or casitia .(those arent dirty words on this forum are they ? hahaha

[CHUCKLEHEAD69]

i budgeted 1800 for the build.right now i have 270 dollars in my build and have a complete trailer except the fenders (got the metal for free)

[Aaron]

did you weld the trailer yourself? i don't really know how to weld i suppose i could try hahah but i want it to hold . a lot of you guys on here form LA i used to work for tidewater marine in morgan city LA knew a lot of good welders then. i am lookign for a cheaper or even used aluminum trailer. like i said im in the planning stages and i appreciate the input from you guys. i do have a 5x 8 covered cargo trailer but im a little leary of cutting it up i might need it some day.

[alaska teardrop]

Aaron, Welcome aboard

A couple of things that you might note about the Clinton trailer, if I'm reading it right:

The 2 1/2" tube tongue is probably steel. It already weighs 1000#. Will you need the ramps, treated wood and tilt for your build? Do you feel that 12" (opt. 13") tires are the right size for your project?

Welding aluminum isn't all that difficult, if you have the right welding equipment. It's surprising what can be done with the aluminum shapes available, a worm-drive skill saw, a carbide blade and some ingenuity.

However, as Madjack intimated, when comparing aluminum to steel, consider cost, size, weight, strength and susceptibility to vibration cracking.

It would be cool to see someone do an all welded aluminum TD. Not just the frame, but a complete monocoque cabin/frame. So go for it!

[Aaron]

thanks alaska,

no i dont need to ramps or tilt or any of that stuff. i took welding in high school i can weld we actually learned how to weld aluminum but this was in 1988-1990 we were taught to weld a one inch bead and then cool it completly then weld another 1 inch bead. but i am sure the technology has changed considrably since then allowing for more welder friendly alloys and such. at this point i am happy with a prefabbed frame but you are correct a all aluminum chassis would another consideration is a dropped floor i have a 1978 dodge xplorer class b motor home the floor is dropped to allow 6 foot of stand up room in the center. i bet some of these guys could take that idea and run with it. make your td 5.5 inside then drop the floor 6 inches most of us short guys could stand right up in there! one concept i certianly will be considering when i do my build.

the treated wood don't most of you guys use marine grade or treated wood for your bottom piece? something to hold up to rain? i havent even given tire size a thought really i would have to see it in person to be honest. what tires are you guys usually running?

thanks for your patients!!

[Aaron]

wow send me a link to the 2000w 50#er!! yea thats why i am here i am trying to get my vision in line with reality. i do appreciate your input. and will be doing a lot of research before i even put striker to torch for sure. glad you guys aint laughing me off the board . like i said i am brand new and i didnt want to spent 4k or more on a scamp so i don't mind getting a little over the top but would rather spend what i save on the build for the gas on my trips thanks again

Aaron

[madjack]

Aaron...if the price doesn't scare ya, sobeit. However, you can buy a 5' wide steel trailer for around 400 bucks, you can buy the steel, cut it up and fit it together and find someone with proper welding skill to come over and weld it up for dinner and beer(or 2)...you could add a good torsion axle to it along with 15"wheels and it wouldn't cost much more...these steel trailers would weigh in around 300#s or so, leaving you witha spare 1000 bucks or better in your pocket for the rest of your bild...that choice is yours..
Generators...107#s...how much AC do ya need...you can get a 2000watt(15usable amps) that weigh less than 50#s...
All I can say is to do lots of research before committing to ANYTHING....
madjack

p.s. treated wood is the last thing you want in the cabin with you....you can get by with a 1/2 ply floor and paint the outside with asphalt emulsion, house paint, polyurethane etc.

[madjack]

Aaron, the Kipors and Hondas both are under 50 pounds and sell for 650 and a grand respectively or you can get an ELIM (sold under many names) for around 200 bucks from PEP Boys, Big Lots, NAPA, Sportsmans Guide and more....
madjack

[Aaron]

ok thanks i will be lookign that direction any good books to recomend on building? been thinking of spending the 20-30 dollars to buy some plans just to have a look and gain some perspective on teardrops. i have already learned a bunch in 24 hours of posting here.