A Restart and a Change of Direction

[Stargazer]

Seven or eight years ago I built a homemade bolt together trailer for a small 5’ wide teardrop but had to stop due to a health problem.

Now I am back and have decided to build an 11’ long and 5’ wide (inside) Foamie TTT similar to the Rimple. There will be no plywood used in the construction except possibly part of the inside foam floor to distribute the point weight.

Other than in the trailer I claim no originality on the ideas and methods I plan to use. When I returned to the forum in early January and found the foamies section I started reading the Big Thread, then the Big Pink, the Foamstream, #1 and numerous others. I have borrowed ideas from them all and I thank you for spreading the knowledge and techniques.


Trailer – (Complete)

The first step was to strip the trailer of the previously built wooden floor and add 32” to the length of the “bed”. I did this with a 14” extension to the front and an 18” extension at the rear to keep a reasonable tongue weight. The extension was made of the same 2” x 2” x 3/16” angle iron used in the initial build. All steel to steel attachments are made with 3/8” Grade 5 steel hardware.

Being concerned about the tongue failures that were being discussed on the forum back then, I decided bigger was better so I built the tongue using an 11’ long, 2” x 3” x 3/16” steel tube that runs from the hitch back past the cross pieces used to attach the stub torque axles. It is attached to the trailer frame on both sides at 6 points along its length. It is overkill for a Foamie, perhaps, but there are some advantages for the running gear to be built like a tank.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

This is the trailer before the extensions.

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And here it is ready for the TTT.

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The dark color on two of the cross members is transferred evil black goo that was painted on the earlier wooden floor that transferred to the trailer and dripped onto the garage floor during the mid South Carolina summers while it was sitting. I will not be using any of that goo on my TTT.


Sub-Floor – (Under Construction)

The perimeter of the sub-floor is being constructed of 1” x 6 in. SYP. It will extend 2” beyond the front and rear of the frame and 1-1/2” beyond the sides of the frame. The cross members will be made of 1 x 4 except for where there is a seam in the foam floor. There, I will use 1 x 6 to provide extra support.
I plan to saturate the sub-floor with “The Mix”, then rough sand it. It will be attached to the trailer using ¼-20 flat head screws at the front (4), rear (4), sides (6 ea.), and on all cross members (2).

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In addition, I plan put a liberal bead of ALEX Plus between the full length of the steel and the sub-floor for additional adhesion.


Floor – (In-Planning)
I am planning to make the floor of sections of 2” foam with the edge joints running side to side supported by the sub-floor boards. The outer edge of the floor will be glued to an SYP 1-1/2” x 2” board for the total perimeter.

The bottom of the foam will be covered with canvas and Titebond ll that will wrap around the perimeter wood and up onto the top. The top will be covered with FRP or possibly thin luan to distribute the weight loading on the floor.

I am considering using the Dap Alex Plus Latex Caulk to join the sections, but need to run a few tests before I decide. One possibility I am considering for the floor and wall joints is to make a jig that will allow me to drill mating ½” holes into the adjacent edges and insert grooved ½ inch dowels liberally coated with Alex Plus caulk into the holes to better lock the caulked edges together before wrapping it in canvas.

Another approach I want to experiment with is one I saw in a thread. Drill the holes in the edges then over-fill the holes with the caulk creating caulk “plugs” in both pieces that will harden as they cure instead of using dowels.

I realize the caulk is slow drying and would add delay periods in the build, but I suspect that, at least for the summer here in central South Carolina, it will harden enough in 4 or 5 days to add the next piece without risking damaging the previous work with reasonable care in handling it.

Time to start testing.

[KennethW]

polyurethane chalk is a lot stronger and stickier.

[bonnie]

polyurethane chalk is a lot stronger and stickier.

Do you have a preferred brand?


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[Alan_H]

What type of stands are those that your sub-floor is sitting on?

[KennethW]

polyurethane chalk is a lot stronger and stickier.

Do you have a preferred brand?


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PL S40 Become's like rubber. A lot better glue the silicon(that one can peal off)

[Bob Hammond]

Southern yellow pine is a strong and hard wood, but also heavy. Sitka Spruce would be a better choice if you can find it at a reasonable price. i've used western red cedar for my subframe, with 2x4 for the 105" longitudinal spars and 2x2 for 66" crossmembers, and then glued foam panels into the grid. The bottom is painted with Zinsser Premium 123 oil primer, which is compatible with the cedar and not destructive to the foam. I've used this on outdoor sheds, and the primer alone has held up for many years.

i haven't decided whether to put a bottom panel or canvas the bottom on for stone protection, or just hang a couple of deflectors/mudflaps instead.

[Stargazer]

The stands are actually folding workbenches from the Orange box store, Husky X-Workhorse Workbench Model# 17185155.

I bought them back when I started working on the Teardrop trailer. ... Gene

[Stargazer]

Southern yellow pine is a strong and hard wood, but also heavy. Sitka Spruce would be a better choice if you can find it at a reasonable price. i've used western red cedar for my subframe, with 2x4 for the 105" longitudinal spars and 2x2 for 66" crossmembers, and then glued foam panels into the grid. The bottom is painted with Zinsser Premium 123 oil primer, which is compatible with the cedar and not destructive to the foam. I've used this on outdoor sheds, and the primer alone has held up for many years.

i haven't decided whether to put a bottom panel or canvas the bottom on for stone protection, or just hang a couple of deflectors/mudflaps instead.

Yes Bob, SYP is a bit heavy but I chose it for its strength and lack of knots plus the more exotic woods just aren't available without a driving trip.

I am planning to go the canvas and Titebond ll route on the underside of the foam floor and am considering installing 1/2" grid heavy wire fencing attached to the angle iron about 2 inches below the foam as rock protection if I find it needed. Although a layer of the mudflap material hung instead of the fencing is an approach I had not considered.

Hmmm Another branch on the decision tree. ... Gene

[Stargazer]

I weighed the trailer today using a set of electronic scales under each wheel and one under the tongue. The bare trailer shows as 560 lbs. with 110 lbs. at the tongue. This makes the tongue weight 19.6% of the total weight so far.

I then put 36 board ft. of the 1 x 6 SYP I am using for the sub-floor on one of the scales and found it totaled 32 lbs. Calculating the weight of the 59 board ft. of SYP that will comprise the sub-floor I estimate it will add about 55 lbs. to the trailer weight.

I hope to finish the sub-floor this week in spite of the hot weather then on to the foam floor. ... Gene