Wooden Chassis

[brian_bp]

I don't have a frame, and no one remembers..so it must be good.

I see a lot of frame there. It looks like there's a central galvanized steel "spine" (the tongue extension?) plus a galvanzed steel crossmember just ahead of the wooden one. I'm not saying it's bad... just that it's not frameless.

[brian_bp]

CK, those are Dexter axles ordered for me by a buddy in the trailer business.
I'm sure any truck trailer place can order them for you, but it ain't easy...you have to fill in an engineering drawling of exactly what you want...

I'm not sure why it would be worthwhile to special order this setup. While the brackets are much nicer than the typical "half axle", a conventional Dexter axle would not be much heavier, would be stronger, and the trailer overall would be lighter if the massive wooden member were omitted (or reduced) as it could be with the complete tube of the conventional axle.

If this axle setup were readily available off-the-shelf, it would a good way to get a non-standard track width... but since they're special-order, it would make more sense to me to just order the desired width in a conventional configuration.

[caseydog]

I don't have a frame, and no one remembers..so it must be good.

I see a lot of frame there. It looks like there's a central galvanized steel "spine" (the tongue extension?) plus a galvanzed steel crossmember just ahead of the wooden one. I'm not saying it's bad... just that it's not frameless.

From where I sit, it looks like very little frame, as in steel frame.

I don't think I'd want to go with a wooden tongue. Sure, it would look cool, but certain elements of a trailer made of wood would make me nervous on a long highway trip. The tongue is one of them.

The cross member makes a good connection between metal and wood, IMO. The more you can spread that connection out, the stronger it should be.

CD

[brian_bp]

I don't have a frame, and no one remembers..so it must be good.

I see a lot of frame there. It looks like there's a central galvanized steel "spine" (the tongue extension?) plus a galvanzed steel crossmember just ahead of the wooden one. I'm not saying it's bad... just that it's not frameless.

From where I sit, it looks like very little frame, as in steel frame.

...

The cross member makes a good connection between metal and wood, IMO. The more you can spread that connection out, the stronger it should be.

CD

Okay, if not "a lot of frame" perhaps I should have said "far from frameless".

I think the cross-tube of the normal version of the Dexter axle would make a better connection than the extra bit of steel in front of the wood. To tie everthing together soundly, an A-frame extending from the coupler to the forward part of each axle bracket (as Andrew has described in earlier discussions of minimal frames) - instead of the straight tonque - would be more useful.

Much of the metal-to-wood connection stress taken by the oak crossmember would not need to be taken anywhere if the full Dexter axle cross-tube were in place.

[Jiminsav]

the axle isn't designed to be a structural piece, so if you tied to it with a frame system, it would more then likely fail.

and let me say here that my setup isn't a frame..it's a way to make the trailer follow the tongue. the tongue gets pulled by the TV, the force is put on the steel cross pieces..the steel cross pieces pull forward and the trailer moves.

a frame is something you build on top of.

[caseydog]

the axle isn't designed to be a structural piece, so if you tied to it with a frame system, it would more then likely fail.

and let me say here that my setup isn't a frame..it's a way to make the trailer follow the tongue. the tongue gets pulled by the TV, the force is put on the steel cross pieces..the steel cross pieces pull forward and the trailer moves.

a frame is something you build on top of.

Good point. Really, the way you built this, the whole TD is the "frame." It's a unitary structure that makes every piece share the burden, so to speak. I like it a lot. I'm now thinking of a similar concept for my next TD.

Really, all the steel is, as I look at it, is the tongue itself, and a safe, strong way to attach the steel tongue to the wooden "unibody" of the TD.

Thanks for the inspiration.

CD

[CaptainKram]

Sounds like my requirements... 2 people and 2 dogs...

Check out the Generic ET for some ideas...

http://www.mikenchell.com/Generic_ET_Photo_Album/

Mike...

Outstanding build, Mike. Really like the AC placement, and the space for the portapot. If I go the 12 feet I would like to, I might even have room for a small shower! I'll DEFINITELY be stea...uh, BORROWING some ideas!

[emiller]

Jim those axles look really close to the body, have you had tires and wheels on them. Seams like there would be a clearence issue there.

[Jiminsav]

Mr Miller, the tires have been on for 2 years..there is 2 inches of clearance between the wall and tire.

[mikeschn]

Sounds like my requirements... 2 people and 2 dogs...

Check out the Generic ET for some ideas...

http://www.mikenchell.com/Generic_ET_Photo_Album/

Mike...

Outstanding build, Mike. Really like the AC placement, and the space for the portapot. If I go the 12 feet I would like to, I might even have room for a small shower! I'll DEFINITELY be stea...uh, BORROWING some ideas!

borrow away... all we ask in return is some pictures!

mike...