Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Ron Dickey** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:25 pm

How did you connect your teardrop body to the frame

Screw, bolt, U bolt, put wood above and below the frame, attached frame to the sided and floor to the sides. Drilled holes and tied wet rawhide strips around each bar? That might be worth a poll!! I will make one later.

Ron D.

by **Woody** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:31 pm

1/2" bolts into frame from body with locknuts

by **Joseph** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 2:34 pm

LOTS of stainless steel wood screws.

Joseph

by **SteveH** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 2:54 pm

I just attached my floor to the frame with eight 3/8" elevator bolts. Why do they call them "elevator bolts"? Do they go up and down?

by **Ross Wade** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:55 pm

Hey Ron,

I used grade 8 bolts, lock washers, along with nylon lock nuts to attach the insulated floor to the northern tool frame. OVERKILL??????? Well, maybe, but that sum-beach ain't goin' nowhere.

Ross

by **Arne** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:35 pm

A 1x2, vertically, runs down each side of the trailer. The walls were built with a corresponding slot in them. The walls dropped over the spline, and glued and screwed to it...

The 1x2 vertical spline is held down by 5, 5/16th bolts, each side. On the top side of the wood, I have straps, about 2 inches long, drilled, for 'washers'...

The front and back are similarly bolted to the deck, But, they are 2x3's.....

It has not blown off... yet.

by **mikeschn** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 4:12 pm

I used 3/8" bolts, nuts and washers. There were little plates with holes in them on the frame.

Mike...

by **tdthinker** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:50 pm

I pretty much have to use stainles steel screws, bye

by **Dave Nathanson** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:03 pm

hi Ron,
My 2x2 metal frame has long 1" tabs welded to it that stuck out along the sides. The 1" plywood sits on those tabs. So the plywood is not on top of the frame, it's next to the frame. The tabs help take the weight off just the bolts. The bolts go parallel with the ground, and they are counter sunk into the plywood. Lockwashers on every bolt and clear silicone squirted between just about everything.

You can sort of see the tab running along the bottom of the frame here:
http://www.roughwheelers.com/montego/TD/OurTearDropConstruction/Pages/18.html

There are 2 tabs on each side. One goes from the front to the edge of the side door, and the other is aft of the wheel, to the rear. My tabs also help protect the plywood from getting all messed up if/when I run aground on some rock or something that I shouldn't have.

Dave Nathanson
http://td.RoughWheelers.com

by **fornesto** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:06 pm

macmedix,

I'll be using a similar setup with tabs on the side. I've got 4 tabs, but they're only about 4" long. Did you use construction adhesive against the frame or connect it to the deck? I'm a little worried about it rocking away from the frame.

by **Dave Nathanson** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:12 pm

The plywood sidewalls are bolted to the metal frame from the side.
The floor is bolted to the frame to, but from above.
There is silicone sealer between all of those. Not so much as a glue, but a sealer.

All wood to wood joints are glued & screwed.

Does that explain it? If not, let me know & I can explain further. Check out my website, I have a lot of construction photos

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

how did you connect your body to the frame?

how did you connect your body to the frame?

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