Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have a couple of good weeks into my version of the Ultralight. It is enough different from Mike's design I think I need some sort of a qualifier.

At this moment the inside skins are on the sides as well as the pan. I wanted the inside to be painted (except for the cabinet work), so I have primed, textured and painted two coats of oil enamel on the inside panels.

I'll bolt the sides to the pan in the next couple of days. No screws, bolts! The stringers/ribs/joists will fasten with a hidden nut system.

Yes, it frameless. It is all wood and there is no steel in the "frame" since there isn't one.

I'll add reinforcing to the axle mounts and there will be gussets on the tongue, but it will stay light and simple.

Other than the sides, which are made of 1/2" Obeche plywood, all the other plywood is 1/8 Meranti.

More pictures soon.

dave

Looking good Dave!!!



Makes me want to get back to working on mine...

Mike...

Thanks Mike. And thanks for your preliminary work.

Retirement has some time advantages!

dave

Dave,

That looks nice.

The one bit that makes my blood run cold is that at the point of maximum loading on the tongue - just under the front edge of the body - you've halved its height so that it fits inside the floor. So although most of the tongue is around 3"x3" (?), the critical bit is just 3"x1-1/2" (with the 1-1/2" vertical)? Eeek!

Are the "gussets" you mention braces to the front corners of the body like on this wood-framed 'Wander Bug' because, if so, my worries disappear:



(Style of dress optional - diagonal braces will work with all styles.....)

Andrew

The two front horizontal ribs will be reinvorced with an additional run of plywood. Those two will tie in to with a torsion box (I know you don't like that term, but that is what the cabinet makers call it around here, sorry) to the tongue. That would equallize any upward thrust to two ribs and the plywood that supports them.

It could still break, but it would take a real thumping.

The ribs in the pan are connected to the side and center oak with stub tennons. That mortise continues up the sides of the tongue. The horizontal gussets will include a stub tennon to tie it together.

I'd like all three gussets to be open at the point of the triangle, so it won't be so easy to catch and hold water.

My plan is to coat the oak with resin and urethane varnish. Gotta show off that wood!

dave

Dave, I don't understand your description so can't comment.

Andrew

Describing a design in words can be wild!

You drew a design once with a tongue box to support a light weight tongue. There was just the side view. Just imagine that being a flat panel rather than a box.

That panel, 1 or 2" thick, would attatch to the top of the tongue, going almost to the metal hitch, with the other end would be scribed to fit the front contour of the tear, and bolted to the front horizontal ribs, which will be reinforced.

Two similar, but smaller horizontal panels, attatched to the tongue on one end and to the pan on the other, will stabliize the horizontal movement of the tongue.

The double braces that were used on the vintage wood trailer would work fine, but joining the braces to the tongue and the body would be harder with wood than with pipe, and I want to use wood.

My tongue is quite short, about 26" from the base of the tear. I know how to back carefully, and as light as it is, I could unhitch the trailer and push it back, by hand, if necessary.

Thanks for your guidance.

dave

Yup, OK, I got you. Here is the design that I think you're talking about:



I understand your alternative as three triangular panels, one going up and the other two going left and right from the tongue. Sounds fine though, as you say, you need to reinforce where the vertical one meets the body. I'll be interested to see the photos as they come.

Andrew

I'm workin on it pretty steady, but I have a 50th wedding anniversary this week with all the kids and grandkids here so progress will slow.

dave

[/img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?image_id=11801

I was working inside the cabin today. Since I built inside out, I haven't spent any time in there. I was amazed at how roomy the cabin is. I built 5' wide, but stayed with the 8' length.

Here is the latest photo, more my album.

dave

OK, I thought I had the pic thing figured out. Oh well.

dave

Thanks John

dave

In front of your www. you have to have [img],%20and%20at%20the%20end,%20you%20have%20to%20have[/img]. If you don't click it right, you can manually fix it before posting. If you preveiw it first, you can see if it worked or not, and then play with it until it does.

Could we rename this thread: Frameless and all wood?

The only iron/steel is the axle/wheels and the hitch (not counting a bushel of fasteners).

That is the reason for the tongue.

dave