Frame clearance

[48Rob]

Paul,

It looks like these folks have the issues all worked out.

<img src="http://www.layflattrailers.com/images/Images-Benefits.png">

http://www.layflattrailers.com/gallery.html

Theyre a little too far away for me though...as they are in your territory.

Rob

[mezmo]

Hi Rob,

I agree with Andrew on the center and end clearance. A lot of vehicles
have undercarriage items that hang lower than the overall general
clearance. Some mini-van's rear axles seem to be @ 5in or so. I should
think 6-8in in the center and 10-12 at the ends should work - you could
even angle-up the rear somewhat too if you wanted.

Of course it's be more expensive than a straight tube or C-channel, but it
it suits the purpose it may be worth it.

Here's my first attempt at Paint with a couple possibilities I've always
thought might work:



Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[48Rob]

Hi Norm,

Thank you for the ideas!

The first drawing of the "Z'd" frame is of interest.
It is also what I was thinking about doing, though on a smaller scale.
I would want the main frame "lowered" in the area of the doorway, so you don't have to step up, then back down.

I hadn't considered dropping such a large section, it is an interesting idea that has a lot of merit!
(good job on the drawing!)

Rob

[mezmo]

Hi Rob,

You're welcome.

Here's another fast Paint rendition of a stepped frame with an entry step
well.



Here's a 1992 Wilk Amethsyt C'van from South Africa showing the entry
step well projecting lower than the C'van's body/frame:



Here's a Vintage [1950-51 Bondwood Type- make unknown] C'van from
the Aussie Vintage Caravans web site[

http://vintagecaravans.proboards.com/in ... hread=9484

] that has one of the lowest entry step wells that I've ever run across:



'Hope these help some.

Cheers,Norm/mezmo

[angib]

One corner that can be cut is to reduce the size of the chassis member that goes under the dropped floor entry. These photos show a chassis a guy built to replace the rusty one on his Boler fibreglass trailer and he said it is a replica of the original. Although a 3x2 main rail is used, only a 2x2 is put under the doorway to give maximum ground clearance - those sizes might be 3x1.5 and 1.5x1.5 as I know Scamp uses 3x1.5 for its main rails.

Other fibreglass trailers used a similar chassis design and went even lighter for the member under the doorway. The last photo shows a current-day Scamp chassis and you'll see that they've not only used a smaller tube but they've laid it on its side in its weaker orientation. I think this confirms that the chassis load at this point is nowhere as big as it is further forwards. Some FG trailers do have a reputation for cracking chassis rails but it was always in front of the dropped footwell, where the rails bent inwards to make the A-frame.

[48Rob]

Andrew,

Those are nice pictures, thank you!

I've had that though, but don't have the background to determine without a doubt the exact size I'd need to not stress the frame in that area.

Another thought I've had is to use a piece of plate as the floor and to tie the frame togeter on the bottom, and run an arched doorway, or "frame" from the top of the main frame, up, over, and back down to replace the lost strength?

Rob

[doug hodder]

Don't know if it would be of help Rob...but here's what Andrew and I cooked up on my standy with the dropped floor. Outer perimeter is all 2x2, angle cross members. Not real visible, but there is a 2x2 tube gusset on the rear of the door opening as well. Doug

[48Rob]

Thank you Doug,

I've been studying your frame, along with any other dropped floor design I can find!

Rob

[del690]

What about removing the wheels when not using and just let it rest on some homemade axle dolly's?

[48Rob]

Hi Del,

Thank you for your idea.

It would certainly work, and might be less expensive than mounting smaller wheels to go in/out of the garage.

My concern is that I like to go camping a lot, and want to do even more in the future. If I settle for, or design a system that is labor intensive (a pain) I will likely grow less and less fond of the trouble it takes to jack it up and set something under it, go camping, come home tired and have to do it all over again.
I think I would soon decide that camping (in that trailer) was not worth the effort.

Another benefit of having an easily changed trailer height is that someone less handy than myself might consider buying the trailer in the future, since it would fit in their garage for storage and wouldn't require physical labor, jacking up a trailer, removing wheels, etc.

A friend of mine did as you suggest, and build a set of dollies so he could remove not only the wheels, but the axle too, so he could roll a trailer into his garage for part of the restoration. Worked great!

Rob

[mezmo]

Hi Rob,

I came across this last night. They are very heavy duty, and I'm not
suggesting they'd make a good starting platform, but I thought their
suspension system is a very original approach - and interesting enough
in itself.

http://www.airtow.com/home.html

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[48Rob]

Hi Norm,

Thank you for the link!

I've looked at those trailers online.
They have a very good design, very sturdy and stable.

The problem I'm running up against with that, and some of the ice fishing trailers is that the lifting mechanism is outside of the frame rails, meaning that I have to limit my structure width to about 6'.
Not bad for a small teardrop type trailer, but as my design is 8' wide, I need the lift assembly to be inside the outher frame rail.

I'm excited about these trailers;

<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/htf.jpg">
<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/troller17.jpg">

It is a hydraulic setup on a single axle.
It can be had/built with 3500 pound axles in the 8x16 that I need.

For those more conservative than me, they offer an "outboard" system that would be perfect for a smaller trailer with fenders outside the body.

<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/obf.jpg">

Of course having the axle/body raise/lower is only half the battle, the tongue also must move or you won't get the needed clearance. They have a good solution there as well.

<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/troller7.jpg">
<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/troller8.jpg">
<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/troller9.jpg">
<img src="http://www.displaytrailers.com/images/troller10.jpg">

I'm thinking a couple steel rollers at each rear corner and one under the tongue, and it could be lowered and backed right into the garage.

Interesting possibilities for hydraulic leveling too, since unlike the flat level surface of a frozen lake, most campground spots are not flat or level...
Adding a lift on each corner would be easy enough.

Then, with just a short ramp, someone in a wheelchair or with otherwise impaired ability to climb in and out of the standard RV could have a decent chance of going camping.

Rob

[droid_ca]

wow, Rob48 do you have a link that you could share for pictures above, contact info for them would be greatly appreciated gives me some ideas for my tiny house design that I have been thinking about...sorry to sway a little off topic,but I'm trying to figure out a way that I could have complete headroon up in the loft but still keep the road height of 13-6 and this adjustable trailer might just be it

[48Rob]

wow, Rob48 do you have a link that you could share for pictures above, contact info for them would be greatly appreciated

Sure.

http://www.displaytrailers.com/index.php

[angib]

Rob, I hate to rain on your parade, but as far as I can see, all those ice house trailers don't have normal road suspension. So no doubt they're fine for moving an ice house locally at low speeds, but I don't think that's what you want.

I have been struggling to think of a suitable lowering method that leaves a conventional suspension operating when at normal ride height. The other way round is easy, but this way is hard. And keeping a clear floor for most of the width between the wheel boxes is even harder - I don't think you want a low-rider that loses a quarter of its internal space to boxes around the suspension system. All the off-road use of air bags always has the suspension under the frame.

I'm sure the answer is a separate Flexiride half-axle on each side, but even they will project 12-15" inside the inner face of the tyre, so that leaves just a narrow walkway through the middle of the trailer.