by angib » Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:29 am
Assorted responses:
The idea was to use a standard 4x8 HF trailer because everyone can get one of those. The 5x8 would be much better but it costs twice as much, plus so much of it is then thrown away.
The last 12" of the trailer frame (and the last cross member) is cut off to give a 7ft trailer with the axle well back, but the axle is still in its original place. This needs only cutting and drilling, not welding, so I think most people would be happy to do that. I don't think the welders on the forum recognize how much of a barrier welding is to the non-welders!
I will experiment with a longer body on the original frame but then a new tongue will be required as lengthening the HF tongue isn't practical with a dropped footwell.
This is the same layout as the Lil Guy in the Vintage Plans. Back then they used a 48" bed, a 30" gap and 18" deep cabinets. But I reckoned with modern people sizes a wider bed was more important than good cabinets (plus I've used a double-skin roof), so this one is 54" bed, 24" gap and 15" deep cabinets. If it was for mainly solo use, a narrower bed and deeper cabinets ( 48/27/18 ) would be better.
There are two 'bumps' above the floor at the front and back. These are my preferred way of supporting the overhanging body without going the more popular method of throwing lots of heavy framing under the floor - these are two 1x6 boards on edge sitting on top of the HF frame and holding up the sidewalls. 1x4 might be enough, I'm not sure. Either has the problem that they will create a 'nook and cranny' behind which things will get dropped and lost!
I would hope for a finished weight under 1000 pounds, though that does mean building light (which some folk just can't do) and not using the space to fit lots of heavy stuff. In reality, this is a very small trailer which is not that apparent from the layout, so there isn't much opportunity to add too much stuff. For example, if a fridge is wanted then it has to be instead of the portapotty. This is really just a teardrop with enough height to put your pants on standing up.
There is a bit of Steve Wolverton's Puffin mixed into the design as well - I propose to use his single skin with insulation and fabric covering technique for the sidewalls. But the main inspirations were from the Vintage Plans and my copies of two of the designs are called Wander Pup and Wander Bug, so that's where the Wanderer name came from - I know names matter to some folks....