Red Folding Trailers--any experience with these?

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Postby kayakrguy » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:00 am

Ramp,

I saw that but two questions jumped up at me from the earlier discussions:

1) The vets on this board universally recommend moving the RT axles to 33 inches for safety reasons (keeping weight on the tongue)

2) The 37 inches on the 4x8 TSC rig might be seen as ok, or marginal and so I was curious whether those who have those have gotten them with the 37 inch placement or had that changed when ordering????

Being new to this I don't want to see the trailer lifting my rear end off the asphalt <g>

Jim
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addition...

Postby kayakrguy » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:02 am

Ramp,

My earlier post didn't make clear that I meant the TSC folks who ordered the 5x8--I was wondering if they had changed the axle placement....I realize the 4x8 comes that way stock and that's the way you buy it...

Jim
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

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Postby madjack » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:03 am

32" to 36" onna 8fter and 40" to 44" onna 10fter built with a standard design will be close enough for most TD's...remember this isn't rocket science and you have about a 10% range for saftey considerations(10% to 20% total weight should be on tongue)...our 8fter has the axle 36" from the rear...we estimate 800#w total and with a good grunt one person can still pickup the tongue...
madjack 8)
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Postby larryl » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:27 am

My TSC 5X8 is in storage and I have not had an opportunity to measure the distance between rear end to the axle center.

If memory serves me correctly, it is the same as the TSC 4X8 (36"). I did not specify any difference in location. The teardrop tows and tracks great. The weight on the tongue feels just right and I can back up the trailer by its tongue with little effort.

Hope that helps,

Larry
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Re: addition...

Postby rampage » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:11 pm

kayakrguy wrote:Ramp,

My earlier post didn't make clear that I meant the TSC folks who ordered the 5x8--I was wondering if they had changed the axle placement....I realize the 4x8 comes that way stock and that's the way you buy it...

Jim

Kayakrguy,
Thats a good question. If you can order it with the axle where you want it that would be nice. The reason I went with the bolt together is because i wanted some control over things like that. I dont weld and I jumped into this TD thing head first. I wanted to get started but wasnt sure what trailer mods I might do.
I looked at the TSC trailers when i first got the TD bug. I got a bad feeling about them because the 4x8 I looked at had a bend in the frame. It looked like it was pulled sideways with a chain, and I was just up there this weekend and I took a look at thier new shipment of trailers just for the heck of it and I noticed the tongue on one of the trailers wasnt straight. I had a combo square in the truck so I checked it to see if I was seeing it right and the tongue was not square at all.
It is probably just a fluke that i would see 2 messed up trailers at my store because some of the guys here love them.
By the way, can you believe all that Mike did for me! Pretty cool. I hope it helps you as well.
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Postby kayakrguy » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:20 pm

MJ, Ramp, Larry,

Thanks for the info, suggestions etc...

MJ, I notice that the TSC trailer at 37" is just outside the 33-36 inches you recommend <g> Yeah, I know this isn't rocket science but I want gravity working FOR me not AGAINST me <g> But it sounds like 1" shouldn't make THAT much difference (?) hmmmm...

Ramp, I wish TSC and RT were closer. It would help to eyeball some of the them. One differece I noticed in the pictures was that the RT is C channel and the TSC seemed to be simple L angle. Not having the tongue straight is really a no-no--! Like you, I don't weld...I am just a bit uncertain about moving the axles on the RT--gottta get the tools to do it cause I'm not hacksawing my way through that if I go that route <G>
And you're right, Mike's help was great and I am learning from your stuff, which is great. cause this will be the biggest build since shop 101. Did you know that schools are dropping shop? Bad idea, I think.

Larry, your experience is reassuring re: the TSC. I may just run over to Quakertown and look at both trailers, talk to some people before I order one of these things. Wife wants to go to the flower show anyhow <G>

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the info and advice,

Jim
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

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Postby rampage » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:34 pm

kayakrguy,

I dont think that installing the hanger at a different location will be that hard, just some drilling. As far as the cutting goes. I cut off the brackets that hold on the plastic wheels for folding with a $17 angle grinder. I've noticed that some people just leave them on.
I'll attach the hangers this weekend and take some pic as I go. Right now i have them clamped on. I've been moving them between 33" and 36". I'd like to use at least one existing hole...lol.
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Funny story...

Postby kayakrguy » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:36 pm

I called Carry On trailers today and talked with a lady there about what has to go down to order one of theirs from TSC.

She says, 'Is something going on here? I had a young guy call in today to ask about a 5x8 and he wanted to build a trailer big enough for him and his wife and two kids, but he wanted it with 15" wheels'

So, I asked her if she ever heard of 'Teardrop Trailers?' No, she said.
So, I directed her to our website told her to check out the generic Benroy build, the hall of fame and the chassis discussion and she would understand why she is getting all these calls <g>

Mike, these people might be approachable for sponsorship $$ of the board?

Jim
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

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Postby mikeschn » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:11 pm

Jim,

That's an interesting idea...

Did you call TSC directly or one of their distributors?

Mike...
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Postby angib » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:21 pm

It seems to me that it would be useful to devise a 'standard' specification for a teardrop chassis that TSC could hold - then customers could approach dealers with a TSC part number, or whatever, on which they could get a price and/or place an order.

Maybe TSC could even have a trailer spec with its axle in the right place for a teardrop, though I imagine they might see some product liability problems with doing this.

Andrew
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Postby larryl » Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:40 pm

Ramp:

You raise a good point about the tongue not being square to the frame. When the trailers are shipped, the tongues are not installed. The local TSC is responsible for final wiring and tongue installation.

I simply loosened the bolts, added several washers and squared the tongue to its frame. No big deal.

Also, the frames can fill flimsy but firm up quickly once the floor and sides have been set.

Larry
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Postby kayakrguy » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:07 pm

Hi guys,

Mike, I called Carry On Trailers directly (not TSC) and that was who I was speaking with about a 5x8. And, just a bit more info...the order# to talk to TSC about is 5x8NF--that's what you tell them you want to order from Carry On. Andrew's thought about suggesting a 'standard' TD frame to them is an interesting one. Maybe call it the TTT frame <g> I don't think sponsorship is far fetched--good will and all that...

Larry, what you said about the steel is reassuring. I thought that the floor frames would certainly 'reinforce' the angle stuff on the TSC, and add some to the C channel on the RT, though perhaps not so much.

I was surprised, I guess, by what you said about TSC being responsible for final assembly.I had assumed the frame, including the tongue was welded. Would have thought the lights etc would be factory installed...but then for all I know final assembly at destination my be the norm in the trailer business.

And, I owe MJ an apology. His perfectly sensible reference to 33-36 inches being acceptable for a T build got messed up by my reply about a 37' measure on the TSC. Where the hell did I get that number, you ask?
Well, 5 years ago I had a benign brain tumor (not sure what good it did me, I would ditch the term 'benign' and substitute 'nasty' which isn't as bad as malignant) which,though I got it fixed did do some damage...and I can get numbers, letters wrong sometimes if I hurry...in short there are some shorts upstairs that I gotta be careful of....<g>

Thanks again for the input,

Jim
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

Edmund Burke
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Made a decision and have a question about Tire size?

Postby kayakrguy » Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:49 pm

Hello again,

Ok, tomorrow I am going to order the TSC trailer! A decision! I would break out a beer but have given that up for Lent. So, if I'm grouchy from time to time you will know why. I will have to wait for the trailer...but that doesn't bother me. I will start on the floor and the walls and get some of the other equipment I will need together etc.

One practical question. The tow has 15" wheels. Should I order 15" wheels with the trailer or go with the 12"? Years ago we had a small Canadian Tire tent trailer. It was super light--I could lift it when we needed to change a tire. I think the tires were 10 or 12 inches. The tow had 15 inches wheels The trailer seemed to ride pretty level...I'm wondering if I put a class 1 hitch on the car will the 12" wheels which are standard on the trailer be ok as far as towing level goes?
Twisted Evil

Great to be getting started!

Jim

[/img]
A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman...

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

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Postby rampage » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:50 pm

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if placing the axle on top of the springs instead of the bottom was for only getting the low profile look, or is there a handleing issue as well. Thanks
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Postby Nitetimes » Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:03 pm

rampage wrote:Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if placing the axle on top of the springs instead of the bottom was for only getting the low profile look, or is there a handleing issue as well. Thanks

It's just to change your ride height.
Rich


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