Trailer Chassis: What Do You Think?

[Eagle]

Greetings,

Well, may be back in the TD/TTT project.

Found a trailer that is 5 by 7 with the axle at 36 inches from the back. Was thinking of lengthing both ends 6 inches to make it a 5 x 8 and the axle would be at 42 inches. I think it was built to be a Harley Hauler.

The big question: it is made with a lot of 1 x 1 steel. It appears to be about 1/4 inch thick. (It is raining and could only take so much soaking)
The wheels appear to be about 13 inch ones. Lot of rust but for an asking price of less than $100, do you think this would be a good start or would I be buying a pile of rust?

If you think it would be a good start, do you think the 1 x 1 would be alright to keep. Would lengthen with same.

Thanks,

Eagle

[WarPony]

Is it made of 1" x 1" angle or square tubing? Either way, it seems that it might be kind of flimsy for a trailer. It might take alot more $ to make it strong enough.

[Eagle]

1 x 1 tubing. The tongue is 3 or 4 inch. It was raining and I did not get that measured. Going to talk to the guy tomorrow if I can. I figure the wheels and tires would be worth the $75 he is asking. Not to mention the axle. However, if you think it is going to be too much trouble for the bargain, I will pass. May pass anyway, got a leaky roof at the office.
OUCH $$$$$$$

Thanks for any further input,

Eagle

[BufordT]

I don't have any pic of the chassis of the original Benroy but you can find them on the web. The original Benroy uses angle iron.

I'm from the point of view on this that most of these chassis are over built. Using all 2" tubing all the way around. The way I see it is we are building a teardrop trailer! Not a trailer for a teardrop. With that in mind my next tear is going to put the chassis and the tear together as they should be. http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?image_id=578

That's it. Not much else to the chassis itself. I'll use 1 1/2 wood boards for the outside frame rails. Other than that that's it. No cross members. No lateral support. No extra metal. What you see it basically it.


Going to use this design. A simple "T" type frame. The main beam is 2x2x1/4

The two beams going off the side are the same. The axles will be bolted to the two 22.5" side beams.

I'll use a 1/2 plywood floor and the whole thing will be solid.

Cost for materials so far 140.00 all I have to do is get the axles which I hope to do in the next few weeks and weld it up.

Bufordt


P S so in answer to your question. If you are not going to rock crawl your tear. No need for a heavy duty chassis

[Arne]

If it looks like it could carry the weight, I see no problem. Even if the frame is skimpy, the trailer (box shaped) would add a lot of rigidity. So, look closely at axle, springs, spring mounting......

If I build another tear, it will probably be a box with a torsion axle bolted directly to the box with no metal frame.

[angib]

To support what Buford says, you might want to look at this:



The chassis is 1" square tube with a 2" square tube drawbar. The builder's site is here.

Andrew

[mikeschn]

Arne,

What will you do for the trailer tongue?

Mike...

[BufordT]

Arne,

What will you do for the trailer tongue?

Mike...

The main 2x2x1/4 is 11 ft long. This gives me a 3 ft tongue.

Bufordt

[BufordT]

To support what Buford says, you might want to look at this:



The chassis is 1" square tube with a 2" square tube drawbar. The builder's site is here.

Andrew

That about covers it Andrew. Except I don't believe that you need the cross braces nor the steel square tube around the outside.

Bufordt

[angib]

Except I don't believe that you need the cross braces nor the steel square tube around the outside.

Agreed. And while we're having the "mine's lighter than yours" boasting contest, I'd question whether a strong central tube is as efficient as two angled chassis members:





Same weight - just spilt the 2" tube into two 2" angles.

Andrew

[BrianB]

My main concern with a t-shaped frame is the lack of bolt points. I'd prefer to be able to bolt my wood frame down at each corner as opposed to having a a single anchor point in the center of the trailer. If you're sleeping alone on one side of the mattress, there will be a lot of stress on that one anchor point.

I'm going to be getting the trailer made in the next couple of weeks and I'll probably use the 1" square tubing on top of the angled chassis members. I'd be hesitant going under 1.5" square tube, but it looks like that 1" tube is pretty sturdy.

Of course, that 2" drawbar down the center is a great place to store the fishing rod like the guy in the Mechanix Illustrated article did.

[Arne]

That V-shaped tongue is a great idea.

Mike, the plan is to use a torsion axle. The tongue (or maybe v-tongue) would go back and attach to the axle.

The cabin would have a 3/4 floor, with 2x3's layed sideways under it around the perimeter and a x-bars where needed... At the mounting points, there would be doubled up 3/4 ply (size to be determined, but maybe 1x2 feet). That would put the mount bottoms down level with the bottoms of the 2x3's. The tear sides would run to the bottom of the 2x3's, covering them up.

Those would be at each side to mount the torsion axle, and at the front to mount the tongue.

The V tongue is good. It would add rigidity and be a box mount point... I like it.... but, my tongue would end at the axle.

The rigidity would come from the box shape of the tear.

[BufordT]

My main concern with a t-shaped frame is the lack of bolt points.

BrianB,

I'll be using angle Iron 3 ft from the end of the tongue. Two small ones that I'll be able to attach the 1 1/2" sq wood to. then I'll use two small angle irons on the ends where the axles go. That will give me the support I need for the sleeping area.

You have to remember that when building these trailers from what I've read and learned over the past two years it that all the stress and all the support is above the kitchen area.

Bufordt

[BufordT]

Good job Andrew. I like them. Haven't thought of that one.

Bufordt

[mikeschn]

I was thinking about the v-tongue today too. And I was so hoping to be able to use a 50* coupler, alas, unless you are bending the tubing somewhere, there is no way to use a 50* coupler.



So Andrew, what kind of a coupler do you have sitting on your tongue?

Mike...