Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey everybody. I'm fairly new to this site so I hope this isn't answered anywhere else.

I've just started a conventional 4X8 td on a HF trailer, mainly for the ease of plywood coming in 4x8 sheets. So far I've finished up the frame and bolted on the base.



I recently finished cutting out the walls (1/2" birch) and am not quite certain how to attach them to the trailer base. The way I've been reading the Generic Benroy plans and looking at pictures of the other tears on here, it looks like you attach the walls to the side of the baseboard; however, doing this gives you a 4' 1" wide trailer.

Now, I hope this isn't a dumb question, but how do you skin the roof in such a way as to allow it to sit on top of the walls, since a 4' wide board would sit between the walls, leaving a seam on the roof?

Any help would be...very helpful. Thanks!

~Mitch

I cut my floor 1" smaller to allow for the width of the roof.

1/2" wall + 47" floor + 1/2" wall = 48" width.

It also allow to set the walls on the frame for support.

Welcome to the board!

If you notice on the Generic Benroy Plans they cut the trailer down before it was put together to allow them to bring it down over the side of the trailer.

Elmer out

Welcome to this wonderful world of teardroppers!!! Congrats on your build, I'm doing a 5' wide so I can't help with your question.

Good luck and git er dun!!!

Julie

Welcome Mitch.
Here is a little drawing of How I attached the walls to the floor. You can do the same thing just put the walls on top of the floor. Then if you skin the outside with alum you can run that down to the bottom of the frame. Good luck.



Edit: Steve, you forgot the pic so I added it for you! Kerry

Pocket hole screws would do a good job as well, combined with a good quality construction adhesive like PL Premium.

Mitch, welcome to the board...you will haveta sit the walls on the floor...a cleat will allow you to do this just fine...either wood or as we did a 1" Al angle...click on my WWW button and look at "glue and screw" to see some pics of this technique in action...
madjack

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will probably set the walls on top of the base board and attach them with either wood or angle iron.

Thanks again for your help!

Oh, boy....

I took a piece of 1x2 (3/4"x2" nominal) and attached it to the floor (glue/1/4" bolts), flush with the outside of the bottom. That stood up and became a 'key'. The wall had the outside long enough to extend down to the bottom of the floor. The inside was 3/4" shorter to compensate for the floor height. If you looked down the bottom of the built up wall, you would see an inverted U.

The wall unit was constructed and slipped over the 'key' on the floor. It was glued and braded in place. The bottom of the outside wall panel was even with the bottom of the floor... the inside of the wall panel was flush with the inside floor.

I plan on doing something similar on my next one....

Good luck with it....

I copied madjack. Used 1" al angle and made brackets to screw into the sidewall and floor. Heres a photo. Not real clear but you can get an idea on how I did it.

Folks,

I am always amazed at the variety of creative solutions offered to problems--makes Radio Shack's 'you have questions, we have answers' look
ummm pale by comparison.

I like MJ's solution looking downstream at my construction issues. My question is: Where do you get 1" angle? Another: does it come pre-drilled or do you drill it?

Thanks to all,

Jim

kayakrguy wrote:...... My question is: Where do you get 1" angle? Another: does it come pre-drilled or do you drill it?

Thanks to all,

Jim

Jim,

You should be able to get it at the box stores (HD or Lowes, etc) or a metal supplier. The stuff the box stores carry will not be predrilled. OH, Tractor Supply also sells it.

Yep, got mine at Home Depot. Not predrilled so you'll have to do that. Be sure to check out mj's album, I "borrowed" a lot of his build for my trailer.

I have a similar question. My wall will be sitting on the floor, but the ouside will extend below the frame. The "skirt" will be a separate piece of 1/4 " backed by a length of 1x4 poplar. It will be glued and screwed to the side of the floor. Can I also screw it to the side of the trailer frame, or will that cause a problem if the trailer bends and twists when driving on uneven roads or pathways? I don't want it to crack or break the outside wall.

1" angle should be commonly available...all the building supply stores around here carry it and I bought at my local ACE Hardware 'cause they had the best price...none of it was predrilled and that was fine with us...we could put holes where we wanted......

John, if everything else is connected to the frame then why not that side...the trailer that flexes together.........
madjack