Modify a HF trailer frame

[Steve Frederick]

Hey Dee!
I just checked out the progress of the Zephyr...Very nice!! You're really moving along, Looks great!!
You got the pocket jig at Home Depot??? I've been looking, but haven't seen one. Where in the store did you find it??

[Dee Bee]

Hey Dee!

I just checked out the progress of the Zephyr...Very nice!! You're really moving along, Looks great!!
You got the pocket jig at Home Depot??? I've been looking, but haven't seen one. Where in the store did you find it?? :thinking:

Thanks for your encouragemnt I never did anything like this before. But I am have a blast!

I looked several times. I finally asked Yeah I know I'm a typical guy when it comes to not asking. Anyway, at first the clerk didn't know what I was talking about. I stopped a few days later and there was a different clerk who did know what I meant. There was only one in the store.

Keep trying...

DEE

[Dee Bee]

In the pic above you can see the deck frame partially assembled in the background. It is propped against the shed wall. If you look closely you can see that the spacing of the cross members are not every 2', but that they do match the steel cross members in the pic first posted above in this list...

Here is the simple layout pic I have posted on my web. Anyway it also shows the placement and load bearing relationship of the steel cross members (red), and the 2x4 cross members (brown).



Hope it helps,

DEE

[TonyCooper]

The walls of your tear will strengthen the side rails more than any iron you add to the rail.... I think the rail is 3.75 inches tall.... the wall is around 3 feet tall near the axle.... the wall wins... even though it's wood.

I am loosely following the Cubby plans. The plans instructed to reinforce the sides of the trailer with the two center cross members and add an additional hardwood cross member across the center of the trailer where the two crossmembers were supposed to go. I elected to keep the original cross members in place and reinforce the trailer with the angle iron.

This isn't just about outer frame strength. If proper support does not exist under the floor subframe, the floor will sag. When I first built my floor I failed to add 1/8" to the top of the cross members of my HF trailer. The center of the floor sagged that 1/8". I took it off and added 1/8" aluminum to the cross members and rebolted it all down. Now it's level.

Anyway, the beauty of building your own teardrop is just that - building it your way. I'm simply reporting my experience.

Kindest Regards,

[Arne]

Tony, I wasn't throwing darts, I was pointing out that a lot of beefing up of the side rails wasn't necessary. The side rails need to be strong enough to support the suspension.

As far as the floor sagging, that was because the x-members are below the surface of the side rail. The floor sagged not because of any inherent weakness, but because the x-member top is lower than the side rail top.. and you only had to put a spacer in to bring it up so all was even (I used paint stirrers from home depot on mine).... it was not because of any frame weakness...

I wanted to be sure people didn't think the trailer would fall apart if they did not start bolting additional iron on... The h/f trailer is a great base for a tear drop trailer. If x-members are removed, though, other measurers have to be taken to support the floor.

[TonyCooper]

I didn't take your comments as dart throwing. Simply free exchange of ideas.

I was pointing out that strengthening the trailer was not my idea but came directly from the plans. The only reason I did it was because the plans directed me to. And I didn't like the idea of a hardwood cross member in the center of my floor.

I'm a first time builder and as such I am sure I'm erring on the overbuild side of things.

[BufordT]

I'm a first time builder and as such I am sure I'm erring on the overbuild side of things.

This I think is true for most if not all of us. When I built the mini-hopper I went a step more and had the parts welded to the frame where the supports were added. I will admit that I overbuilt the harbor freight frame now and I don't think that the wooden supports are needed at all.

Bufordt