Opinions wanted on my fender design

[48Rob]

I'm having trouble seeing how jacking under the axle at the spring perch is more dangerous than the trailer sitting on both wheels. Assuming your jacking just high enough to change a tire you've actually constrained the motion more than the tire does.

Many times a wheel must be changed that will not clear the body, requiring that the body be lifted.
Jacking under the spring makes the problem worse by pushing the tire further into the well.

Jacking under an axle puts a person much further under the trailer than jacking on the frame.

Yes, you have constrained the potential motion of the spring, but you've done so by compressing the spring.
If the jack slips, the stored energy of the compressed spring can push the jack out with great force.

I didn't bring this up to imply that anyone who jacks under a spring is not smart, but to point out the potential for an accident.

IF a person was jacking up their trailer, to change a tire, to fix a wire, for a little more clearance to do some work, or whatever reason.

If the trailer was not hooked to a tow vehicle (or it was but the coupler was not locked) if the trailer was jacked up under the spring, the tongue could/can come up because the jack is lifting the trailer at or ahead of the balance point.

By jacking behind the balance point, even if you make a mistake with the coupler, the trailer won't move sideways, causing the jack to pop/fly out, bringing the trailer crashing to the ground.

Perhaps I'm wrong? It's happened before but my thoughts are well intentioned.

I was taught 30 years ago when I first started jacking up trailers that it was much safer to jack on the frame, behind the balance point.
Maybe not always necessary, but why take chances...
In those 30 years, I've seen a few trailers come crashing down because someone jacked in the wrong place.
I did so once, I was lucky, the trailer went the other way.
Of the other two, one fellow crushed his foot, the other died.



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I don't claim to be an expert on vintage bumper jacks...but I'll agree they were dangerous; I had more than one let the car down unexpectedly...

They raised the car no further than a jack placed under the frame, but they did place far too much weight very high up on an unstable pole, which would become tipsy very easily.


Rob

[cracker39]

There's one common theme here...common sense and caution. I would still say it's OK to jack up the axle IF you are sure the coupler is locked securely to the tow vehicle. If you have a jack that lifts high enough, then put it under the frame behind the axle. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Mitheral]

Wheel chocks are your friend.

Also it should go without saying but I'll say it anyways never stick any part of your body under anything held up only by a jack.

If the trailer was not hooked to a tow vehicle (or it was but the coupler was not locked) if the trailer was jacked up under the spring, the tongue could/can come up because the jack is lifting the trailer at or ahead of the balance point.

I see where you're coming from now. When talking about trailers in general, especially those where the axle is close to or directly under the CG, jacking at the bumper actually increases the size of the support tripod. It'd be pretty impossible for the trailer to tip over backwards.

This should be a pretty rare concern for most teardrops I'd think. The CG being too far forward is probably a lot more common.

Back on topic, go for the closed face if you can swing it, looks better and keeps things cleaner.

[cracker39]

It looks like everyone agrees with my closed face design. I still do like it better than the open, but I wanted to see what others thought.

As soon as I am at the point where I can't work any longer under the canopy frame, I'll drag the trailer out, jack it up (BY THE FRAME) and put the wheels and tires on it. Then, I'll put a piece of plywood on some stand-off pieces of wood and clamp it to the side to simulat a fender side to find out if I can remove the wheel with it on. That will tell me whether or not I need to make the fender removable. I just assumed that I would and ordered my taper connectors for that purpose. I may have gotten ahead of myself. I should have checked first to see if I needed them.

[Gaston]

I vote for OPEN I think it looks like a fat lady with fender skirts in the closed version. open lightens it up and axcents the interesting lines of the body. of course thats just my opinion and I was wrong once before

[waywardson]

Hello Dale,
Of the 2 you show, i like the closed face the best,
But, could you also show us a drawing with round fenders ?
I for one would like to see another option,
that is, unless you have already decided to use the ones you show,
(that shape)

george / waywardson

[asianflava]

I say open. I never have liked the wheels covered up on any car. Doesn't matter if it is a Caprice cop car, old school Caddy, hotrod, or vintage car...Yuck.

I just don't like'em but that's just me. I'd rather have no fenders at all, of course that's not very parctical.

[doug hodder]

Sorry Cracker...I gotta agree with Asian on this one... I would not cover them completely up..maybe try putting some of the angles into the skirt rather than just making it flush with the bottom of the tear...while I'm no expert, you have more straight lines throughout the trailer, as opposed to curves, why not meet it half way and put the profile into the bottom of the fender skirt somehow, and only cover up the wheel partially...don't go totally round/curved, you have more straight lines as opposed to curved on the profile...just maybe a small angled/ curve thing in the fender, to accent the wheel, and not to try and cover it, it's there, you can't hide it, try to accent it...just my opinion.. Doug PS I spent a lot of time looking at Deco/Streamline designs lately, so maybe I'm biased....

[cracker39]

On the last 3 comments, first, George, I will stick with the shape I have. Of course, I am biased...it's my first design. Curving 1/4" Ply wood isn't easy, and the curve I have on the top is about the most I can get it to bend, unless I kerf it. I tried both rounded and streamlined fender designs this morning and neither looked right with the shape of the cabin. Practically all TDs are rounded, so a rounded fender fits them...not so with mine.

Asian and Doug, I tried a couple of different approaches to the cut-out area...on one, making the cutout more like the overall shape with angles, and lower in height than my open face design posted above. It still just didn't look right to me.

From all of the posts here, the majority think the closed fender looks better and I have to agree. Any type of cut-out seems to conflict with the shape I am using. The fact that more people agree with it than with the open design just convinces me to use it. Maybe my being biased towards it won't let me view any other approach as looking better...who knows. I think the only way any cut-out would look OK is if I had made the darn thing wider and put the wheels inside the walls. Next time, if there is a next time, I will do that.

[Ira]

I like the closed better too, and something tells me you WILL be able to remove the tires without removing the fenders. Karma.

But if you do have to remove them, and again just my OPINION, I agree with making the face plates removeable.

But again, there's an underlying assumption here amongst all of us that it will be harder to remove the entire fender than just the face plate…and this might be just plain wrong. Your original way might be EASIER.

Which leads me to a question, Dale:

What do you call those cylindrical metal "things" that, after you would drill into wood, you would place them into the hole and then be able to screw a regular bolt into it? Small ones of those would work if you went for removeable faces, but I think I'm going to be using something like that to attach my COMPLETE fenders to the sides.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Cracker, I am with Doug and Asian, if the wheels are out side of the body I like an open fender. If the wheels are inside the body than a skirt is acceptable, (still like an opening, however). just my opinion.

[Chip]

Cracker,, another "opinion" try a couple less angles in the fender,,, same profile as the top but one less angle in the front and rear maybe,,, and open wheel,, bottom line is build it like it is gonna make you (or the boss) the happiest,,, If she happy, you gonna be happy with it,,,

chipper

[48Rob]

What do you call those cylindrical metal "things" that, after you would drill into wood, you would place them into the hole and then be able to screw a regular bolt into it?

Tee nut.

[Ira]

Thanks, Rob. Do those come pretty large? I'm thinking for mine, I would need like a 1/4" if not 3/8" bolt (diameter), use 4 of them on each.

???

(Dale and I have a reciprocal amnesty agreement to hijack each other's threads...to a point.)

[48Rob]

Ira,

You're welcome.

Yes, they come in those sizes.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/pr ... s,Tee.Nuts

Rob