Profile Advice Needed

[StPatron]

The chassis for my TTT build came from a salvaged pop-up camper. So, there are a few design limitations: wheel well location and structurally important framing external of the wheels.

Interior design calls for a transverse bed/dinette area (48" W x 76" L), aisle (22" W) and then a 24" W bathroom/shower/desk area,,,,, followed by a hatched galley at the rear. Galley depth will probably be 24". Interior max. height will be 64", a "slouchy". Wall construction will be sandwich-style with a 1/2" ply core and there will be a transverse bulkead immediately aft of the wheel-wells.

In order to achieve the bed/dinette width I need to add 14" to the front (12" + framing/skin). That provides 26" from hitch to the trailer body, is that too short?

Here's my rather crude SketchUp plan. The mid-roof line is a little bumpy, should be able to smooth that line out using a batten, etc. The dashed vertical line represents 48" from front (wall seam).


All advice, suggestions, comments and critique welcomed. Thank you.

[doug hodder]

Just my opinion, but I think the 26" is pretty short. I'd allow enough room so that the tow vehicle can't get into the body of the trailer. It's also nice to have some room to get into the back of the tow vehicle when they are coupled. If you have a pickup...it's going to be tight to drop a tailgate and load anything in the back of it...may or may not be important to you..but if you decide to sell it, it may help for a potential sale. As a test...back the tow vehicle up against a garage door or wall at the designed distance, tape off the width of the trailer on the wall and see how it works for you. Doug

[Arne]

a longer tongue keeps the tow from being bounced by the t/d as much....

Mine is short. the thing about long enough so the trailer won't hit the tow is not a consideration on the t/d... I never get out of whack so badly I would hit. My tongue is 26" long.. on my tightest going forward turn, I have 8" between corners of the tow and t/d... that is a concern, especially when going out of gas stations or driveways where the tow gets level and the driveway is downhill.

If I do get to a bad angle backing up, I would never be able to recover without first pulling forward. After about 15 degrees, I'm not going to save it without going forward.

[StPatron]

Thank you for your review and comments gentlemen. You prompted me to study the tow vehicle to trailer distance issue more closely. I took some measurements today and created this SketchUp drawing.

Black represents the bumper of my truck, Lt. Green is the hitch and Aqua is the tongue jack. Red indicates the danger zone, if I get into the white area I've contacted the frame and am in real trouble!

(I just noticed that the frame angle is slightly off. The jct. at the hitch should be just outside the ball perimeter and not at the bumper. However, that doesn't impact the danger zone distance to the trailer so I'm leaving it as is.)

The 14" extension "line" is shown and is worrisome, even more so when the diagram isn't tilted. Additionally, the propane tank space is lost. If I go with the 5" extension, as indicated, that puts me free and clear of potential bumper impact. That will create a bed width of 39" (twin) vs. the original 36" bed/dinette width. That'll have to do.



I also discovered that the tailgate on my truck, when lowered, will smack the tongue jack. Will need to relocate tongue jack.




I've got a plan now, thanks.

[Arne]

good luck with it...

my concern was that I be able to open the rear lift door of my minivan with the t/d that close, but as long as the tear is close to being directly behind my van, I have no problem.... makes life simpler.... I have about 4" of clearance...

With the t/d being close to the van, my mileage is barely affected by towing the t/d.... It helps with the aerodynamics.

[StPatron]

Thanks, Arne. More grinder wheels, more cut-off wheels, more steel, more welding, repriming, repainting,, you know how it goes. That's ok, though. I'd rather make adjustments now than listen to an awful crunching sound later. It would've been nice to widen the bed, but it just isn't going to happen. I'll have to save that for my next build.

[StPatron]

Just a follow-up in case anyone else encounters the short "tailgate-to-tongue jack distance" problem.

Instead of relocating the jack, merely purchase a ball mount of the appropriate length. Ball mounts for receiver hitches come in a variety of lengths and your measurements will need to be taken from the pin hole center to the center of the ball. This will give you the shank length to shop for.

Now, why didn't I think of that earlier? Doh!

[Arne]

My std. ball mount stuck out about 4" too far... I pulled the pin out, shoved the ball mount all the way in and redrilled the pin hole. The longer the ball mount, the more leverage the trailer weight has on the tow...

By reducing the the ball mount extension length, and adding pinch bolts on the hitch. I now have a ball mount that I can live with, and with no slop between the ball mount and the hitch, I don't get the rattle I used to get while towing.....