Modifying Chasis

[57Dan]

Hey there, newbie here. And of course I'm coming at you with a question right off the bat. I'm wondering why as depicted in the generic benroy plans they say to cut down the trailer width from 60" to 58". They say this to allow the side walls to cover the frame. I don't understand the need for this step. Can't you just make the deck 60 inches wide and then the sides will cover the frame, if that's what you want?

[tony.latham]

Hey there, newbie here. And of course I'm coming at you with a question right off the bat. I'm wondering why as depicted in the generic benroy plans they say to cut down the trailer width from 60" to 58". They say this to allow the side walls to cover the frame. I don't understand the need for this step. Can't you just make the deck 60 inches wide and then the sides will cover the frame, if that's what you want?

If your walls cover a 60" frame and they are made of 3/4" plywood, your width will be 61.5" wide, right? Aluminum comes in 4' and 5's sheets. Baltic birch plywood (what I use for the ceiling and roof) comes in 5' wide sheets. So... it depends on what you are going to use for materials.

You don't have to have the side walls cover the frame. I build my frames a half inch narrower than the cabin so the trim doesn't ride on the steel and sits on top of the frame.



T

[57Dan]

Thanks that clarified things.

[noseoil]

The trailer I found (used, a very good deal) is "about 60" wide, so I grabbed it. Once it was home and I had a chance to actually measure it along the sides from front to back, I found out it was actually made at 60 1/2" wide at its widest point. It is very well made & plenty strong, but that 1/2" has had me sitting & thinking about the top skins & aluminum I'm going to have to install. I'm having to make the deck fit over the frame, but this means I will have a top skin of aluminum which is 1/4" short along the entire edge. Not really to big a deal, since the molding will cover it and I can deal with it, but it's just one of those "little things" which makes it more difficult & time consuming than a 1/2" should really matter. Better if it was 1/2" smaller than 60" instead of bigger by 1/2" like it is.

It was just too good to pass up for me, $600 with the 1/8" aluminum deck, tongue box, nose wheel & jack & ready to build....... Here's how it looked when I got it home. I still like the basic trailer since it's well made. The down-side is that it weighs about 500# with everything stripped & all of the extra stuff removed.