Real Beginner Questions...

[Jeff H]

Hi. I've been lurking for months now, as I approach a build start-date. I'm impressed with the amount of shared knowledge on this forum. (I'm on a few, and this one is very very helpful.)

I plan on building, and I've downloaded and read the generic plans here (many times already), and I have just a couple of questions re/the trailer itself. I've done quite a bit of woodworking, but the metal concerns me.

Here are my questions:

1. If starting with a HF or other 5x8 trailer, is moving the axle really necessary? If so, when and why?

2. I have concerns about pulling a teardrop and it getting damaged due to bad roads. Is the suspension sufficient in the HF and other trailers?

I really can't wait to start building, but I've found that the investment in information can pay off big in time saved spent building.

Thanks in advance to any and all who reply.

And yes, I searched the forums, but really couldn't find specific answers.

Jeff

[madjack]

Welcome Jeff...1) short answer is YES and NOW...if you build a "standard" type tear, they are tail heavy and the axle needs to be moved back to accommodate this...this is a safety while towing issue and has to do with trailer balance...you need somewhere in the 10-20% range of total weight on the tongue to prevent swaying of the trailer at hiway speeds and of course, it all needs to be moved BEFORE the build begins...a rule of thumb you can follow is axle 3' from rear, on an 8' cabin and add 3-4"s for every additional foot of cabin length...
2) my advice is get the heaviest duty rating HF sells(around 1700#s)...if needed Monroe sells a shock kit that will fit..........
3) have fun and don't forget the pics!!!!!!!!!!!
madjack

[Jeff H]

Jack, thanks for the very fast reply.


Yes, once I begin, I'll be taking a LOT of pics and a LOT of notes.

[Sam I am]

Jeff, I used a Red Trailers 5x8 for my tear, and I did not move the axle. However, my tear does not have cabinets (which are often heavy) in the galley, and the galley itself is only about 15" deep. Also, I have a tongue box up front with about 40 lbs. of stuff in it when towing, so the balance seems fine. No swaying or towing problems have shown up in 3 years of use.
There was a good trailer balance spreadsheet program on this forum several years ago from Andrew (user name angib), I believe, where you entered weights and distances from the end of the trailer, and it calculates the tongue weight for you. A search might find it for you. It is a handy design tool!
Sam

[Trackstriper]

This may be what Sam's talking about:

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear81.htm

[Jeff H]

Thanks for the spreadsheet. Man I'm itchin' to start building! !

[Trackstriper]

Jeff,

You may need to move the axle rearward from the stock location on the frame, or maybe not. A lot will depend on how you load the cargo weights such as cooler, battery, cooking gear (cast iron?), maybe an AC unit, etc. If you are somewhat cautious about doing the metal work to relocate the axle you might arrange your design to have a tongue box...maybe carry an AC unit or battery up there. With proper planning you can balance the load to have sufficient weight on the hitch ball without moving the axle.

One thing to factor in, will there be sufficient room for the doors to be located so that they provide good access. A very traditional teardrop will have the axle more aft as MJ indicated. On the other side of the coin, from today's post from Duane King under the topic of "When I do this again...." (General Discussion):

"One other thing I did not plan out very well was the tongue box. It was not a part of my original design (although it should have been). Since I did not allow for this extra weight on the tongue when calculating the exact axle position, I've got a lot more tongue weight than I really want. There is nothing to be done about it now and I deal with it as best as I can. But it would have been smarter to allow for a tongue box in the early design stages when all of the weights are easily accounted for using the design helps available on this website."

All I'm suggesting is that there is a certain amount of thinking and planning required and that there are workaround options if you don't want to move the axle.

[SmokeyBob]

Jeff
The 5x8 trailer I got from Northern Tools already has the axle moved back. Check out my link for Building the Alegria II

[TPMcGinty]

I didn't move the axle back on my 5x8 Northern Tools trailer either and the balance is just fine. Also the suspension is just fine on mine.

[Jeff H]

So... What I gather at this point is the answer is:

IT DEPENDS...

-- on how the trailer is weighted (tongue box/heavy galley)
-- on where the axle location is before any adjustments
-- on how lucky one feels?

I guess my only question is how one estimates weights of parts of the trailer before building...

Thanks for all the replies.

Jeff

[Mary K]

Hi Jeff and welcome!!

I used the 5x8 Red Trailer LINKY and built the Generic Benroy on it. Now, I went right by the plans, including making it rigid, narrowing the width by 2" and I moved the axle back. Took me longer than I planned, but I did it and it came out just fine. Just got to make sure its all square.

I did all this as a beginner and if I can do it, anybody can. Check out the first pages of my build pictures in the link below.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

[waffle]

I posted this elsewhere, but here somehow seems more appropriate as I am also just thinking about starting:

fresh newbie here:

The local Bi-Mart has a Victory Land Utility Trailer Kit for $199. It looks like the cousin to the Harbor Freight. I cannot find any other info on it (yet)

There is an image and link to it on the front of their circular:

http://adserver1.harvestadsdepot.com/po ... ss/bimart/

I may visit this pm and see if I can get the specs for it.

Yes, I know you get what you pay for but it sure does look the part.[/img]

[SkipperSue]

Hi Jeff,

Here is one of my old posts about the question of the moving of the axle.
I took pictures of the progress to make it easier to understand. I hope this helps a little.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=11635

Skipper

[boardhead]

I located the axle 3 ft from the rear on my 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer, and it tracks like a dream. It's not difficult, or that much work, to move the axle back.
Besides improper weight distribution, another disadvantage of NOT moving the axle back is you will have to climb over the tire and fender to get in and out of your tear.
I used the HF 90154 ($299) trailer with 12" wheels. You can use the more expensive model, but it is overkill in my humble opinion. The cheaper $200 trailers have tiny 8" wheels.

Good luck with your build!

[aggie79]

Hi Jeff, welcome to the wonderful world of teardrops.

While I'm not using a Harbor Freight trailer for my build, I have the 1700# HF that I use (and abuse) as a parts hauler. If you catch them on sale, they can be a real bargain.

By the way, there are a lot of us in the DFW area. If you haven't already, check out the South Central section of the forum. My wife and I've been to several gatherings to get ideas for our build. Everyone has been real nice.