How Low Is Too Low?

[KevinS]

From looking at the Dexter Torflex Axle info, you can design a trailer with pretty much any ground clearance you wish.

How much ground clearance do you need?

The bottom of the receiver of my Hidden Hitch on my car is only 10" from the pavement.

[madjack]

...well, that sound like a place to start...I get mine with a 0* start angle and use 26" tall tires, which gives me a 12" ground clearance...or get a FlexiRide and you can adjust the angle yourself, to give the ground clearance you need....
madjack

[asianflava]

You don't want it too low, although it looks better. If it is too low, you run the risk of dragging the back end on the pavement when exiting sloped driveways.

[Jst83]

You don't want it too low, although it looks better. If it is too low, you run the risk of dragging the back end on the pavement when exiting sloped driveways.

Boy I'll second that. The house I just moved into is so sloped I drag hitch every time I go in and out of the driveway.

[KevinS]

You don't want it too low, although it looks better. If it is too low, you run the risk of dragging the back end on the pavement when exiting sloped driveways.

Boy I'll second that. The house I just moved into is so sloped I drag hitch every time I go in and out of the driveway.

The thread title is How Low Is Too Low?, guys.


How high a curb do you need to design for?

[halfdome, Danny]

You don't want it too low, although it looks better. If it is too low, you run the risk of dragging the back end on the pavement when exiting sloped driveways.

Boy I'll second that. The house I just moved into is so sloped I drag hitch every time I go in and out of the driveway.

The thread title is How Low Is Too Low?, guys.


How high a curb do you need to design for?

You didn't specify what part of the trailer is "Too Low" and you did mention your hidden hitch is 10" off the pavement. I had a under mattress storage compartment (TD#1) that was so low it would scrape on pointed driveways. I since removed & rebuilt it. If you have a hitch receiver on the tail end of your teardrop for a bike rack it too can scrape depending on the bike rack and the position of your axle. The bike rack protrudes farther out the rear end. My #2 teardrop is 13" off the ground at the side walls and front & rear but the chassis is at 14 " which places the bottom of the rear hitch receiver at 11 1/2". The storage box is close to the axle and is 10 3/4" off the ground without problems. I would think anything 12" or higher from the ground would be the best choice overall. If you look at some of those steep driveways you'll see lots of scrapes on the pavement so their is no perfect height unless it's built for off road which is not what I'm after. Danny

[emiller]

My trailer is very low and I take it on some pretty rocky dirt roads and rarely if at all ever hit or drag. I also have some friends with low tears and never do they have problems. If you have seen my streetrod it's low and if it makes it so does my trailer.

[asianflava]

You don't want it too low, although it looks better. If it is too low, you run the risk of dragging the back end on the pavement when exiting sloped driveways.

Boy I'll second that. The house I just moved into is so sloped I drag hitch every time I go in and out of the driveway.

The thread title is How Low Is Too Low?, guys.


How high a curb do you need to design for?

True dat, my tear isn't here for me to measure. I wasn't sure what start angle to get also. 45deg to 0deg, I just split the difference and got 22.5. With 175/75-14 (auto) tires, it sits just about right (my body hangs down 3.5in below the top of the frame though). I've only scraped the tail once on a very steep drive. I also dragged the hitch on that same driveway.

[Alphacarina]

In actual practice, it's pretty hard to get a short trailer with the axle offset to the rear like a teardrop 'too low.' If the trailer was longer and/or if you had the axle more centrally located then the likelyhood of you dragging a rear corner would be greatly increased

I would shoot for your 10 inch number . . . . but it will be hard to achieve with 'normal' sized tires. Even if you wind up with 11 or 12 inches or so you'll be fine

Don

[Gary and Cheri]

You could always get dragster stye wheelie wheels for the back and a Rat Fink paint job.

Gary

[Mightydog]

Rat Fink paint job.

Man, that takes me back to my childhood of reading Hot Rod Magazine in my fort by flashlight.