by Grant » Wed Aug 11, 2004 2:15 am
Mike!
You never said what kind of axle you'll be using. If you're going to use a single piece torsion axle, four crossmembers will be sufficient (axle beam will act as another crossmember), but if you are going to use a leaf-sprung axle, go to five.
To simplify things, make the whole frame out of .120 wall, but if you really want to shave just a few pounds, make your middle crossmembers out of .083, maybe even your rear crossmember.
I've read a few posts mentioning twist and/or flex of the frame under the teardrop - Guys & Gals, the ONLY place you're gonna get flex in a PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED teardrop is in an insufficient tongue construction. A WELL BUILT teardrop body is a torsional box - you could mount it on bed rails (don't laugh, it's been done, and the trailers survived for many miles), as long as you connected those rails to a strong tounge assembly. Very early teardrops had chassis constructed of WOOD, with a few metal plates bolted at critical junctures. I know of at least two examples that have survived well over 60 years of regular use.
Don't get me wrong! I'm not advocating "underconstructing" your teardrop's chassis (that's why I recomended using .120 wall on Mike's side rails and tongue assembly), nor am I advocating "overconstructing" your chassis (I still give Larry S. crap over the heavy-equipment-hauler under his Outback Teardrop ... ;-} ;-} ...). What I AM advocating is the recognition of what is really going on under your teardrop and the application of a little common sense supported by some experienced advice.
The basic foundation for building a teardrop was laid over 70 years ago, and not much (fundamentaly) has changed ... this ain't rocket science, Folks (unless you WANT it to be!). But we can certainly apply what we've learned since then, and incorporate some of the newer materials and building techniques developed along the way. What I WILL wager, though, is this - that those two 60+ year old wooden-chassied teardrops will make it to Minden, NE, and back next June (if they choose to come out) just as easily and carefree as any other teardrop presently being constructed by either homebuilder or commercial crafter.
Just my humble opinion. In the meantime ...
CHEERS!
Grant
"Life Moves a Little Slower When You're on Teardrop Time" ... so kick back and focus on the Good Stuff!
