Floor construction question

[Stephen G.]

Hello,

I have been trying to figure out the best way to build the wood framework for the floor for the teardrop I hope to be soon start. Looking at the personal sites of people's teardrops has been very helpful in idea's for me but some don't show the way they construct the floor in some of them. I have seen the Mechanix Illustraded "Trailer for Two" way of doing it. The Outback teardrop site shows another way. The retroteardrop.com site's technique looks very interesting. And yet another way a gentleman told me is to split a 2x4 and to glue and screw to the bottem edge of plywood floor then glue and screw the sides onto the split 2x4's and the plywood floor is bolted down onto angle iron tab's welded to the inside of the 2x2 steel frame (I hope I said that right). I can't order my axle and have my frame made until I get this problem solved ( I have a 3 Tylenol headache as I write because of this lol). Oh I forgot to mention its a 4 foot high 5 ft wide and 10 ft long tear.

Sorry for the not so bright questions.
Your help is very much needed! And thank you for replying:)

This is my first post

Stephen

[mikeschn]

Hi Stephan,

The floor is really easy. Don't get confused by the details, or the options.

The only thing the subfloor does on today's modern designs is to give you a place to screw in the sidewalls.

You could use 2x2's for the subfloor, but on my last 1 I used 1x3's and it was plenty.

I glued and screwed the subfloor to the 5/8" plywood with gorilla glue, and voila', 1 instant floor!!!

Look in this photo... you can see the floor leaning against the garage wall...



Mike...

P.S. Check out the construction photos of the Baja Benroy to see my 2x2 floor. http://www.mikenchell.com/live/index-frame.html
Go to index page 4, and then look at 01_03_2004 :-)

[shil]

I used 5/8" T & G G1S ply, and screwed the floor right to the trailer framework, no subfloor.

[Stephen G.]

Thanks for the replies!
Mike you are very correct I am getting confused and kinda frustrated.
To many ways to skin a cat!
I just want to keep it simple and strong. I will have the teardrop off road some and I am concerned with lateral flexing and I don't want to look in the rearview and see the body sides pealed off the frame and laying on the ground lol.

What method do you all prefer to attach the wood subframe to the steel frame? What I have seen so far is a bolt that goes all the way through the plywood floor and wood frame to a metal tab with a hole in it thats welded to the inside of the steel frame. The bolt head and washer (if used) is on top of the plywood and left exposed. The mattress would cover it though.

Thanks for the replies! I hope they keep coming.

I have alot more questioned for you all in the near future I hope you will help me with

[Arne]

Flexing will probably be the least of your problems. I've never seen a shape so inclined to be sturdy. Small, with curves in a box shape. Glued and screwed and I doubt you will have any measurable flex...

[R Keller]

Stephen G.: if you use elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts, they will be flush to the surface (and bear on a larger surface area). If you can't locate them locally, try McMaster-Carr. I got my 5/16" stainless steel elevator bolts (and a lot of other obscure stuff) through them.

Rik

[Stephen G.]

Thanks Rik Do they have a website?

[mikeschn]

What method do you all prefer to attach the wood subframe to the steel frame? What I have seen so far is a bolt that goes all the way through the plywood floor and wood frame to a metal tab with a hole in it thats welded to the inside of the steel frame. The bolt head and washer (if used) is on top of the plywood and left exposed. The mattress would cover it though.

I prefer a bolt... errrr emmm. I mean, lots of bolts... I counterbore a hole in the floor and recess the top of the bolt head. My next one will be the same way, but since I didn't have tabs welded on, it'll be going all the way thru the frame. Actually it'll be going thru the joists, not the perimeter frame.

Mike...

[McTeardrops]

I'm using button-headed allen cap screws and rubber mounts in tabs welded onto the frame. I've never believed in building a sealed, strong and stout frame... and then filling it full of holes. I bought elevator bolts at Lowe's, but have never trusted carrage bolts either!