Weight Guesstimation

[tinksdad]

Maybe somebody can point me in the right direction. I've just spent two hours trying to find the right thread with the information I'm looking for, and not having any luck.

On paper (actually in Sketchup) I think I finally have my design for "itty-bitty"s big brother to the point I want to be at. Right now I still need to determine the axle placement, so I'm trying to guesstimate the weight of the construction. Things like the battery and a/c units weights I can get off their respective websites. I know what the trailer frame weighs.

I need to determine a rough idea of the weight of the wood products, insulation, etc so i can plug the value into the excel spreadsheet to get an approximation of axle placement. I have most of the materials figured out in board feet, square feet or running linear length for things like spars and such. I seem to recall seeing a thread that either had the weight of the different wood products, or provided a link to an off-site page.

Can anybody help??

[planovet]

Here is one place:

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/weight-est-data.pdf

[starleen2]

Here is another:
http://www.hoganhardwoods.com/hogan/pages/technical/Technical_03/plywoodweights.htm

[2bits]

I always check the A-Z Index under the General Discussion section of this forum. You can spend weeks there..

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=12276

Scroll down to "axle placement" under the Axles section


Hope this helps!

[Arne]

Estimating the ply is fairly simple. The framing is my downfall. Both times I've gone too heavy. And it adds up surprisingly quickly.

Then, the battery, spare tire, mattress, lights, cooking stove and utensils... and there goes my lightweight trailer...

Maybe I should be happy it only weighs 1,100# with all the stuff in it.

[MOKI SEAKER]

Arnie, thats odd mine weights #1060 all up, Just weight it last week-end. Jim G

[tinksdad]

Using the information in the links posted in response to my initial inquiry, I was able to calculate that my design should come in a few pounds shy of 900 pounds (that includes a/c, battery, mattress and a 10% fudge factor to cover anything I might have forgotten).

Also using the axle placement spreadsheet, I found I had to give up some galley space to the battery. Putting both the battery and the a/c out over the tongue, I couldn't get a tongue weight percentage that I was satisfied with unless I moved the axle so far forward it would interfere with the door. Either that, or extend the tongue by almost 18".

But it's good to be able to figure all this out while still in the design stage and before construction begins.