I want one :)

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I want one :)

Postby DougH » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:43 pm

Hi everyone. I was camping in the Sierra foothills over Labor day weekend and a couple of campsites away was a teardrop. I have always thought they were pretty neat and spend some time talking to the owner/builder. Now I'm now hooked and want one!

Of course I have a couple of problems. One, no place to store one easily. (that's why I sold my Coleman tent trailer a couple of years ago) Two, I have a Chey Astro, but no hitch. This is easily fixed but I plan on getting a replacement vehicle in the spring. (Other car is a Scion XB and don't think I really want to tow with that). Third, would have to talk my Dad out of the garage for a couple of months to build.

I've thought about building a small camping trailer for years and am working to overcome these obstacles. Guess I can keep planning for a while. Current design is a slightly modified simple, I like the square design to maxamize interior room. Guess that's why I have the Scion XB!

Travel alone so 4 X 8 is fine, like the angled front to add a sunroof/window for light. Back of trailer would have lower 2/3 as storage accessible from the outside, upper 1/3 from the inside. This would give me a 4 x 4 x 6 1/2 box for the interior. Don't really want a galley as cooking I usually do on the campsite table. Do you think with this setup I'd need to move the axle towards the rear on a HF trailer? Wouldn't have much forward weight, but the rear would with the gear stored. (I plan on built up walls with insulation)

Actually just finished building a 4" x 4" X 8" scale model out of balsa wood.
Guess I'm officially addicted.

Doug
Concord, CA
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Re: I want one :)

Postby angib » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:17 am

DougH wrote:Do you think with this setup I'd need to move the axle towards the rear on a HF trailer?

That's actually a very tricky question! It's really a marginal issue and the answer depends on how you want to load the trailer. If you will put lots of heavy stuff in the rear locker and you don't want to put anything on your bed (like boxes of food or cooking stuff) then moving the axle would be a good idea.

But there are people who have left the axle where it comes, added a full galley and not had any towing problems. So it's not a black-or-white thing.

Andrew
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Postby Ira » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:58 pm

Oooohhhh...

I love the fact that everyone here patronizes me on these threads and allows me to make THIS simple observation time and time again. It's kind of like letting the retarded kid in the class clean the erasers:

If you leave your axle dead center, it can interfere with your door position.

By moving the axle back a bit, you can put your door in a "better," more convenient place, and not crack your shins and groin on the fender getting in and out.

I don't care much about my shins, but my groin is pretty important to me.
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Postby asianflava » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:59 pm

Ira posted something about about axle positions recently. I remember because I was thinking the same thing.

If you decide to keep your axle in the factroy position, you may run into door-fender clearance issues requiring you to have a skinny door.
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Postby Ira » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:56 pm

I guess I hit the "submit" button one second before you did!
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Postby Gerdo » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:30 pm

DougH
Build one you will love it. Welcome to the sickness. It is a good sickness.
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Postby DougH » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:48 pm

Hi

Thanks for the replies. Will probably move the axle back, I can see the benefits even on my scale model for both door position and weigh issues.

I can see how this could become an obsession. My other addiction is to cruising and that can be an expensive hobby. Have cut back on camping trips and taken more cruises recently (leave on #33 in 2 1/2 weeks) but would like to do more camping next year

Doug
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Postby Sam I am » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:41 pm

I left the axle in the factory position on my Red Trailers 5x8 frame, and put ina 28" wide by 42" high door with no problems. It towed easily, but I hauled almost nothing in the galley area. I carried food and cooking stuff in the truck bed.
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Axle position

Postby boardhead » Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:24 pm

Would leaving the axle in the original position increase the liklihood of fishtailing? I built mine with the axle moved back and it tracks like a dream, but don't know if that has anything to do with it.
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Postby madjack » Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:40 pm

...leaving the axle in the stock position can contribute to an underweight tongue and that can contribute to fishtailing
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Postby Miriam C. » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:50 am

Welcome Doug,
I used an old pop out frame so I can't speak to axle but I would hate to find out the hard way.

I am still trying to get my galley heavy enough sooooooooooo.
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