Spars (roof supports)

[GPW]

Rob , Thanks for the advice.... I talked to my local steel man today , and he said he has mostly 2.5x2.4x1/4 angle stock , various size pipes and some channel ...I've read of some others built using angle iron (mechanics Illustrated design /1947) but that was only 4' wide and 10' long ... mine will be 6' W and 12L x5 H.... big like yours , so guess I'll have to look around for bigger material .... That layout is really SUPER , can't show Herve'...hahahahaha
I'm going back and study your pics for ideas...
mad Jack says the trailers don't have to be THAT strong once the "unibody" gets together... I think I'd rather overbuild , like everybody else...
My brain is fried from all these decisions...

[cracker39]

My comments on some of the above:

"One by" lumber is better quality when you buy wider and longer pieces. Making children's play furniture for craft shows, using spruce, I always bought 16' long 1 x 8s or 1 x 10s and got relatively knot-free wood without spending $$$ for clear grade. Long, wide pieces are cut from taller, straighter trees.

When a roof is curved, the plywood has very little tendency to sag. That would mean that it would have a compound curve (from two directions), and plywood inherently resists compound curves. Just try bending it one way, then the other, at the same time...very difficult to do. I used 1x2 spruce framing in a 12' boat with 1/4" luan skin and had no problems with flexing. I am using spruce 2x6s, from which I am ripping my spars. "Corner" spars where front meets top, top meets back, etc. will be two 1 1/2" x 2" ripped at angles and glued together to form a single corner spar. Other front/back/roof spars are 1" x 1 1/2" for a 1 1/2" thick front, rear, and top. Sides are 3/4" framing, in 2" and 3" widths, ripped from Spruce 1x10s.

JMHO.