How wide is too wide?

[Sgt Keel]

I'm in the early stages of planning my squaredrop build. I want to fit a queen size bed and I know a lot of people do it with a 60" teardrop and some mattress trimming, but I'm not a huge fan of that. I also don't want to regret not having gone bigger. With all that said, I'm looking at a 70" wide teardrop, which is obviously just short of 6 feet. I've landed on 70" because it's wider than a 60" queen mattress and that seems to be the next length axle (spring center) that's widely available. The overall width, with tires would be about 85-90".

So what's the plan for my square drop? I want to camp! I want to take it down trails and live out of it for a week or so every now and then. I want some storage inside and a full kitchen in the back with a top load, slide out fridge/freezer. I plan to tow it behind my glaidator, which has the max tow package and wider axles (width tire-to-tire on the gladiator is about 85").

So, what do the masses think? Is a 70" trailer frame width + tires too wide? Any glaring issues with my rough trailer plans?

Thanks in advance!

Gladiator and a few rough trailer plans that I'm playing with are attached.

[swoody126]

take YOUR mattress ... the one you want to sleep on

add 2 walls

then decide if you want the lower or higher CG's

if you want the higher CG's then build your box over the wheels

if you want the lower CG's then build your box between the wheels

if the outside dimensions exceed the width of your TV you will be able to see it in the side mirrors

if knot you wont

IMHO you design frum the inside out if all options are open

rememberize the inside is where creature comfort is either created ot ignored

if you are building to include a SO then ask yourself if you want company on your adventures or knot

i finally learned that last little trick ;-)

sw

[tony.latham]

So, what do the masses think? Is a 70" trailer frame width + tires too wide?

For us, that would be too wide. And you mention trails... If you're single, you'll get lost in a 70"-wide cabin, and your body heat won't cut it on
cold nights. (But put a Propex propane heater in and you'll be fine. Save your quarters...)

I know a lot of people do it with a 60" teardrop and some mattress trimming,

Our 60" teardrop is 57-3/4" wide inside, and a foam queen fits fine. They're foam. No trimming needed.





Tony

[MickinOz]

I would not build on a frame 70 inches wide.
Maximum legal width here in Australia for towing night or day is 2.5 metres. (Can go wider in daylight hours with permits, etc.)
That's just under 99 inches.
So a 70 inch frame only leaves about 14 inches per side for wheels and tires. knock off a couple inches for clearance, and you are limited to maybe 11-12 inches to fit your choice of wheel into.

Then, 70 inches wide is not long enough to enable sleeping across the trailer rather than in line.
So the extra width doesn't have a benefit in that regard.

Then of course, very tight slipping down the trails.

On the positive side, should be no problems seeing the trailer in your side mirrors.

Of course, if you are using a narrower trailer and building out over the wheels so 70 inches includes the wheels. that would be different.
(And not particularly aesthetically pleasing to me.)

[twisted lines]

Any thing that is wider then the ride, is too wide.

[S. Heisley]

Any thing that is wider then the ride, is too wide.

I agree. Remember that:

- Some forest roads and other dirt roads can get verrrry narrow and also, unruly trees and bushes love to scratch, gouge, and grab.
- If the trailer is wider than the tow vehicle, you lose much of the wind blocking factor, making the engine and transmission of your tow vehicle work harder, as well as causing an increase in the amount of fuel used.

If you still think you need 70" wide, consider in-setting the wheels into the chassis frame instead of having them outside the frame. That would help some. Use a little thoughtful creativity with that, being careful with your wheel/tire access and your trailer's weight, and you'd have it. Many of the small, folding trailers do that. Another idea is to curve your front outside corners to improve wind resistance. There have been a few trailer companies that have done that, too.

Additionally, if you are very tall and need the length for your bed, consider building on a 5x10' chassis. This would give you an extra 2' to stretch out yet would be less weight than adding more width. Another option for a bed across the width is to add a weather-proof pull-out drawer area for your feet.

You'll find a way.

[Modstock]

Ya might wanna go to a cargo trailer lot and test tow a few different trailers just to see how your jeep will tow certain widths/lengths.


Sent from my SM-A115AP using Tapatalk

[KCStudly]

Don't forget, you can't fall out of bed in a TD, so you can comfortably sleep closer to the wall than you would the edge of a free standing mattress.

I built 64 wide with 1-1/2+ thick foam walls. Just over 60 inches inside. If I had it to do over I would probably stick to the standard 60 inch outside dimension. Less work and material waste working with available material sizes.

I'd much rather be able to sit on the mattress when sitting in the doorway, than sitting on a bare spot of the floor (remember to keep your door sills at or below 1/2 the thickness of your mattress so it doesn't dig into the backs of your legs).

[Sgt Keel]

Thank you everyone for the replies! I think going 60” wide is probably the right call, especially if I plan to take it down some trails. I guess also part of my confusion is on axle length. It seems as though the standard length for a 60” wide frame is 58” spring center axle, but I had assumed the outer edge of the frame would be where spring center is?

[KCStudly]

Nope, most chassis are made of 2 inch or larger stock, and, IIRC, most small trailer leaf springs are either 1-3/4 or 2 inches wide. The 58 inch spring center is so that the perches land under, at least nearly centered on, the main frame rails.

[twisted lines]

Any thing that is wider then the ride, is too wide.

Funny thing is; my ride is 75"

[philpom]

64" wide worked for us. The queen mattress we chose required no trimming and fits snug inside. We built over the wheels so needed 64" to get the wheels up under it fully with room for no interference. No regrets. 70" seems like it would be odd since there would be a gap all the way around the mattress.

Enjoy your build!

[rjgimp]

Any thing that is wider then the ride, is too wide.

Funny thing is; my ride is 75"

My Hummer H2 is 83" wide and 79" tall.