FoamStream...

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

The biggest challenge of retirement is not finding something to do with your time , but financing all the things you have time to do ...

S'my life writ large!

[GPW]

Well, as it turns out there were NO Art sales .... a lot of people expressed interest , but nobody came up with the coin ... A minor setback to the FoamStream project ...
Time for some creative financing ...

[eaglesdare]

oh i am sorry gpw.

[Ratkity]

It's ok GPW, when one foamie door closes gently, a little foamie window opens!

Something better will come along. Meanwhile, I've heard that planning is free.

Hugs,
Ratkity

[GPW]

.. a temporary setback at best ....

[GPW]

Whoa !!! It’s a good thing I measured my trailer as it wasn’t big enough for the FoamStream ... That would have been embarrassing ...

Looking at all the options , it might be easy to just Fab a custom trailer out of parts ... The FS won’t be heavy (roughly calculated at <1500#) and require anything overly substantial ... a little cutting and welding ... or even bolted together HF style ... I can get Steel (or Aluminum) easily around here ... That way , I’d get a trailer that’d fit the FS EXACT.. probably spend the same , or less, than buying one and having it shipped in ...

Considering what the Old Timers got away with makes me wonder if we need a conventional trailer “frame “ at all ...at least on the smaller Foamies ...

[loaderman]

I thinking a trailer isn't really needed.
Use the walls as box beams and hang the floor from them.
I have a thread going in the trailer making forum on this.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=48507

[swampjeep]

snip

Considering what the Old Timers got away with makes me wonder if we need a conventional trailer “frame “ at all ...at least on the smaller Foamies ...

I really think you want some frame to take the abuse of the road, having the axles or springs fastened right to the camper would have the camper taking a lot of abuse when going down the road, every bump and pot hole pounding away with nothing cusioning it but the tires... I do however think you could minimize the frame to only what would be needed for the axles, and out to the hitch, with maybe a couple cross beams, here's a scetch of a 2 axle, although I think you could even get by with one axle.

note: drawing is very out of proportion

[GPW]

SJ, yes, I see what you mean ...

[loaderman]

I was thinking much like Sj



Basically a sub-frame with uni-body design trailer on top of it. Could even use some rubber mounts between the trailer body and the sub-frame.

[swampjeep]

I read your other thread talking about 2 axles, that's actually why I put 2 axles on my drawing. lol

one question on yours, where would your springs be? or are you planning the more expensive torsion axles?

[loaderman]

Because I am looking at an 8'-4" or so trailer the wheels will be below the cabin of the trailer. If you are going between the wheels it is easy. do the angle iron triangle thing that is posted elsewhere.

For a double axle just make the boxed area bigger so 2 axles fit in - probably what I need to do.

The springs would be on the cross bar that is parallel to the wheels and just inside the wheels. The ones outside the wheels is where the cabin would bolt to.

[linuxmanxxx]

I'd recommend just getting the torsion drop axles from northern tool and then you just adjust them out to the width you want and mount them up. Since they are swing arm style you don't have an axle crossing to determine your width and then as long as you are in DOT guidelines width is not an issue at all for cabin sizing plus the torsion would give a smoother ride and not be near the stress on the structure. They are rated 500 1000 and 2000 and the upper two sizes are in stock not sure if the rating is per axle or as a pair.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_trailers-trailer-parts+trailer-axles+rubber-torsion-axle-suspension-units

Ok the capacity I finally found is for the pair not single.

So a complete setup with hubs axles bearings and even lugnuts is about 230 and for torsion axles at 2000 lbs that is a good price. Just need the wheels and tires to make it all complete.

[GPW]

Steve, those torsion axles ... I see they come in 3 different weights ... is that each or for the pair ???

[loaderman]

Steve - Torsion axle are a good idea if your cabin is narrrow enough that you can go inbetween the wheels. For me they are close to double the cost of a regular axle.