Travel trailer frame?

[SimpleGreen]

Hey guys.

I have been lightly considering building a 'tiny house' on a trailer of some sort. Just been kicking the idea around on paper to pass the time. In theory it would be something for me to stay in once I get a little piece of land in the area (rural) to call my own. Then I can work on a more permanent place. Granted, I could buy a travel trailer already together...but that's not fun. I also don't like how cheap they are built. Particle board and cheap fixtures galore, a pain to work on, and are generally set up for multiple people for a short period, not just one or two for an extended time. This would be more akin to a park model and would need outside support. I'm a pretty handy guy that builds custom emergency vehicles for a living, so this isn't that far fetched. I can find my way around power tools and know electrical, so what the hey...

ANYWAYS.

I spotted this for sale:



It's the rolling chassis of a Gulfstream travel trailer. 26' deck, 30' overall. How well are these frames built? I don't want to have something that would fall apart under me quickly. It looks like a perfect starting point. 3500lb axels with brakes (though it will stay stationary mostly). I'm not going to be building super heavy (I'm a simply guy) and once it's situated somewhere it will be blocked up anyways.

Thoughts? What would you pay for a rolling frame like that?

[danlott]

Free or as close to it as possible is best. I would not pay over $300 for it and that depends on the if it needs tires or not. Four tires is not cheap. Is the tongue jack and support jacks in good shape? This would also effect the price.

Dan

[SimpleGreen]

Free or as close to it as possible is best. I would not pay over $300 for it and that depends on the if it needs tires or not. Four tires is not cheap. Is the tongue jack and support jacks in good shape? This would also effect the price.

Dan

I've been busy with work and what not but I'm hoping to see it in person soon. It's not very far away.

[bc toys]

I would weld a angle iron brace down the center of it from front to back and where the big opening areas are put in cross piece there also but thats just me You can build a nice trailer on that frame just like it is

[pete42]

while the crossmembers look to be built like bridge trusses they seem to be far apart
which could lead to sagging floors, maybe a couple more crossmembers would be in order.
other than that I say go for it.

pete

[48Rob]

Cross members on some trailers are so far apart because (some) factories use a continuous sheet of OSB. which requires less steel support.

Rob

[SimpleGreen]

Well I sort of intended on framing up a regular floor? I figure the only down side would be the added weight. Otherwise there isn't much structure to build on when using wood as opposed to the aluminum frame and skin (or fiberglass) of a traditional camper. I was even considering if the axes are up to the standard. Seems I would be building heavier due to the wood, insulation, etc.

[48Rob]

Typical travel trailer floor construction is to bolt the plywood or OSB sheeting directly to the steel frame.
In order to use standard 4 x 8 sheets you'll need a little more support, but not a lot.
Using tongue and groove will make a large difference.
Once the walls go up and are attached to the floor, it will be surprisingly stiff.
The axles are likely 3500 pounds each. There should be a sticker or band on them that states the rating.

While certainly an enjoyable challenge if you want to build your own, it is much cheaper to buy a used travel trailer...

Rob

[SimpleGreen]

I never really considered the tongue and groove flooring. But that makes sense. Then I could just sling some floor down with a moisture barrier underneath and frame the four walls. Takes out the whole issue of framing a floor and mounting that down. I have never spent enough time around an actual travel trailer to study how they were built or how solid the floor was, lol.

Yep. Buying one would be cheaper, but like I mentioned earlier, this will be largely stationary and I don't care for how cheaply made most older trailers are, or the useless multiple persons arrangements (like extra bunks, etc). And I have a hankering lately to build something. Just deciding what.