Help!

[TechnoTear]

Ok anyone,

I'm trying to get started on my buuild, but I've run into a snag, my BRAIN!

I'm one of those WHY Guy's. It's interesting to see so much information, here and what seems to be explained in laymans terms, but I still don't get it. I think the reason is I want to know why so I can make a sound reasonable decision. SOOOooo, I'll quite babbling here and get to it.

Is it me or does the first order of design half to be what size mattress you want, then it seems everything is all built around that. So I want a full queen size mattress 60"x80" . I'm wanting to build a 5'x10' Benroy using the Generic Benroy plans as a starting point and making some changes along the way. So, I want to have a custom frame built as I dont want the small tires and the frame of the HF or the RT or NT.

However, this has brought up a lot of questions in my pursuit of getting a custom frame built. So here are my questions

1. Is 2"x2" frame size Ok?

2. The axel info is overwhelming to me. What are the right answer's if you have never built one before. Wheel size, 14" or 15" offset ?Why the axel angle? Torsion or Leaf? Electric brakes or None? What size tires, why one size over the other? Hubface to Hubface, Why?

I do know I want a frame with an extended tounge, very much like the one that little Switzerland had built, I love his trailer. I'm looking for some strong suggestions so that I can communicate with my local trailer frame build guy. He seems knowledgeable because he's asking me most of the same questions, He also asked if the sides were going to come down over the frame? Why? Why Not?

Tell me why, and what would be the best suggestions, so I can give my guy the info and get started!

Amen!

Southerndude

[dh]

The first thing I purchased for my build was a set of rims (15", my taste, yours may vary). I got them at the junk yard off an old Chevy truck, and I just liked the way they looked, and they would fit a trailer hub (center hole big enough, correct bolt pattern, enough backset to accomodate a torsion axle.)

Then I purchased tires for said rims. Size is again, personal preference. Do you like a high profile tire, a lower profile tire, or something in the middle??? I just went with a common size that is cheep.

After this, I determined I wanted a true queen sized matress, pluss a few inches, and set my inside trailer dimension to 62" (This was a huge mistake, if you make your outside dimension 60", 5'x5' baltic birch can be used for the roof and save a lot of $$$) I next determined my walls would 1" thick. With all this information, I had the numbers to order my torsion axle. (Price spring axle kits, then price a custom Dexter axle, Dexter can not be beat, I saved a lot of cash with a custom Dexter compared to an off the shelf spring set up)

So, knowing that my frame would sit inside the walls (personal preference), I had an outside frame width of 62", 1" wall thickness, or 2" total thickness 1" tire clearance per side, or 2" total and I knew my beckset on the rims was 3.5", or 7" total SO, my axle hubface to hubface was 73", and the frame width was 62", halfway to ordering the axle. A estimate weight of the finished build, or #1500 in my case, and start angle to match desired ride height, and there you go, everything needed to get your axle.

Now, while my axle was on its way to me, I built the frame. 2"x2" tubing is alright, I went with 1/8" thickness, which has a little flex to it, but remember, a teardrop is basically a big torsion box that gets bolted to the trailer, so it will not be an issue when the TD is attached.

If your builder is experienced, let him worry about making the tongue work...

Brakes, well, can your tow vehicle stop a 1500# trailer SAFELY??? If you are pulling with a 1 ton truck, I wouldn't worry about brakes. A small passenger car, you need brakes. A quick glance at you vehicles owners manual under TOWING will be very informative.

Welcome to the playground, hope I didn't make matters worse...