The Northwestern

[wlivesey]

I think I may have finally settled on a design I can live with. It's not exactly tiny but it will fit in my garage, keep my better half happy, and hopefully be something I can build and enjoy for many years to come.

-- Requirements --
Queen Bed
Fits in my garage
Plenty of storage
Air conditioning
Large enough to ward off clausterphobia
Potty

--Options--
Dinette
Shower
Interior Kitchen

Here is what I've come up with - The shell, as pictured, is 144'' long, 84'' wide and 60'' tall. Though I don't have it designed yet, I'm planning a popup section that will allow roughly 72'' of interior height.







As always, I look forward to your feedback.

Bill

[xrover]

Generator by your head? Ouch! Might was to consider moving your bed and kitchen, or locating the generator near the kitchen where the most power is required.

[wlivesey]

Generator by your head? Ouch! Might was to consider moving your bed and kitchen, or locating the generator near the kitchen where the most power is required.

Ha! That wouldn't be so good! I wasn't really planning on running the generator there.. I've got a little Honda generator that is easy to unload, so I really just need a safe place to store it. Even still, a tounge box is probably a better place for the generator. From there, I could run it without unloading it...

[stomperxj]

I like the profile. It sure is wide though. Whats your tow vehicle?

[wlivesey]

I like the profile. It sure is wide though. Whats your tow vehicle?

I've got an FJ Cruiser. It's got a 5K towing capacity.

I know, the trailer is wider than I would like but the layout makes my wife happy. I'm thinking that I will need to recess the wheels underneath the body.

[S. Heisley]

Nice! Both the TV and the camper layout! Looks do-able. The only thing I see is what you probably already know: You'll most likely need brakes on your trailer.

Happy Building!

[wlivesey]

Nice! Both the TV and the camper layout! Looks do-able. The only thing I see is what you probably already know: You'll most likely need brakes on your trailer.

Happy Building!

That's a good point. Fortunately, I've already got a brake controller setup on my TV so I should be good to go there.

[wlivesey]

I've got a question... Whats the minimum (reasonable) ride height for a 12 foot trailer? I'm really hoping this design will fit in my garage... The shell itself is 60 inches high. I've probably got to add a few more inches to that for the poptop.

[Trackstriper]

You'll get different opinions on this but I'd vote for a quick answer of 12". It looks like you will have a flat simple floor which makes life easier, the pop up roof might be payback but is a cool idea.

You will be a foot wider than a 6x12 box cargo trailer but the ground clearance and frame structure could be somewhat similar. Cargo trailer manufacturers usually go with deeper frame sections when they build 7' wide but you won't have that need, that's why I'm making the comparison.

One of the things that you have to plan out is your running gear. With a trailer that size I'd go with 15" wheels and be done with it, yes 14" will also carry the weight just fine. I have a 6x12 cargo trailer and it has 2"x3" frame rails, 4" drop 3500# axle located over the springs with fairly short spring hangers....12" under the frame. That's about as low as they could get it with standard hardware...and the axle travel is only about 1-3/4" before if hits the frame, which I'm not totally wild about, but I guess it works. I looked at replacing the spring axle with a torsion axle but to keep the same ride height you have to use an axle with a 10 degree "up" starting angle and that also wouldn't allow a whole lot of axle motion. Mind you it will work, it's just far from ideal. So some of this comes down to how you rig your suspension.



My brother has a 6x12 cargo trailer that has drop-down supports at the rear corners that have only about 10" of clearance and he doesn't seem to drag them in normal use. I've seen some motorcycle trailers that were really slammed but I'd worry a bit about dragging a corner with one of those.

Hope this gives some food for thought.

[Mark McD]

Did you check out Andrew's designs in the design library for the Compact 3? He has plans on there for a relatively simple hardside pop-up. And it should fit in your garage.

[wlivesey]

Thanks for all the good info on running gear for my frame. No doubt it will be helpful...

Yes, I have checked Andrews Compact inspired design. In fact, that is where I started. As my requirements grew, so did my trailer design. One thing led to another and here I am with this design - which I like a lot.

I've been doing a lot of research. I think I've settled on a poptop design. Now I just have to put it in sketchup and see how it looks.

[brian_bp]

You'll get different opinions on this but I'd vote for a quick answer of 12"...

One of the things that you have to plan out is your running gear. With a trailer that size I'd go with 15" wheels and be done with it, yes 14" will also carry the weight just fine. I have a 6x12 cargo trailer and it has 2"x3" frame rails, 4" drop 3500# axle located over the springs with fairly short spring hangers....12" under the frame. That's about as low as they could get it with standard hardware...and the axle travel is only about 1-3/4" before if hits the frame, which I'm not totally wild about, but I guess it works.

That's the same setup as is under my 17' travel trailer (a Boler, stock factory configuration, 205/75R14 tires), and yes, it puts the bottom of the frame 12" off the ground. It's what you get when you put the most common 3500 lb bits in an underslung configuration on a 4" drop axle.

While the available wheel travel doesn't seem like much, and more would be better, all of these trailer suspensions seem to be really stiff and short-travel... the axle never hits the frame and it behaves as well - or as poorly - as other conventional trailers.

The ground clearance at the rear of the frame on my trailer has never been a problem, and with a shorter rear overhang (the body on mine is about 14', with the axle about a foot behind centre) even less clearance would work (in normal road and campground conditions).

[brian_bp]

Much of the heavy stuff in this design is right up front. With the rear storage packed (especially with heavy stuff such as a generator), the mass is out near the ends, which is the standard formula for an unstable and difficult to control trailer. That doesn't mean it won't work - there have been a few front-kitchen designs like this - but I think that it is something to keep in mind as the details are worked out.

[brian_bp]

I know, the trailer is wider than I would like...
I'm thinking that I will need to recess the wheels underneath the body.

I certainly would. At 7' wide before the fenders, entirely external wheels would put likely the unit right out past the legal maximum width for a trailer. Max width is okay for 35' fifth-wheels, but seems extreme for such a small trailer.

I think that tucking them mostly in but having a few inches of fender flare would look good, and slightly reduce intrusion into the interior.

[wlivesey]

...the mass is out near the ends, which is the standard formula for an unstable and difficult to control trailer.

Short of a complete redesign of the entire trailer - what is the solution to this problem? Do the wheels need to be located further back than usual????