off road camper build in WV

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Sat Apr 02, 2016 8:18 am

I started with a full scale mockup to get the height and the axle were I wanted.

Image


Yesterday I started the frame for the camper, I think I already broke a few rules it seems like it's getting heavy fast... :NC

Image

Image
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby daveesl77 » Sat Apr 02, 2016 5:48 pm

If you are building for off-road you might want to consider putting the axle under the springs. I might be seeing it wrong, but only looks like about 2" or so of travel and reducing ground clearance to a certain extent.

dave
*******
Dave and Regina - Enjoying old age, a LOT!

Build Journal - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62386
User avatar
daveesl77
Donating Member
 
Posts: 871
Images: 273
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:33 pm
Location: Pocahontas County, West Virginia

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby alchemist77 » Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:53 am

I like the mock up. Need to do it with mine. I agree with daveesl77 vertical travel will probably be an issue. I suggest you match or exceed the travel of the tow vehicle.
David Campbell
KF7SFU
RaDAR
SOTA
alchemist77
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 63
Images: 10
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Location: Middleton Idaho
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby KCStudly » Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:12 pm

The trailer will articulate off of the three points with no resistance from the hitch (provided it doesn't bind... good reasoning for a multi-axis hitch), unlike the TV that has four points in contact with the ground (... most of the time...) which react differently.

So travel in the springs is important for absorbing bumps, but doesn't have to be as great as the TV.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9609
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:43 pm

I have 2 1/2 inches of clearance between frame and axle and that's more than my car trailer has. I "Believe" "not 100% sure" that the camper will lift before it ever gets close to the frame. If it hits I'll flip the axle but I don't want to if I don't have to. Here's were it sits now with the cabin off the mockup on it to see how it all lines up, It's headed to my buddy's body shop tomorrow to get the frame painted.

Image
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby lfhoward » Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:10 pm

Looks good! I always like to see off road teardrops behind Jeeps. :thumbsup:
My off-road camper build on an M116A3 military chassis:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62581
Tow vehicle: 2008 Jeep Liberty with a 4 inch lift.
User avatar
lfhoward
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1369
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:10 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Wed Apr 13, 2016 6:25 pm

Thanks and I'm moving along, I got the frame into the paint booth today. Can't wait to be done with metal and move over to the fun stuff... :D

Image

Image
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Sat Oct 22, 2016 8:07 am

This has been on hold all summer, I was on my way to Vintage Technology back in the spring to get my doors/acc and blew a brake line in Lima OH and had to limp back home. Well it's getting cold so I'm going to start the sawdust this week and thought I would update, I can't believe that this is the last home I built and I'm nervous about starting the wood work....UHHGGGG

Image
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby dmdc411 » Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:14 am

That frame looks great!
User avatar
dmdc411
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 258
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:39 am
Location: Nfld, Minn
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby noseoil » Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:28 am

Like the design for your frame. It looks very well thought out & functional. Should tow well & give you lots of good miles for travel.

I would also thing about the spring mounting & height at the axle. Since weight will be creeping up on you during the build, the actual amount of spring travel available will be way under the 2 1/2" you now have. Once it "squats" a bit under the load, you may end up with less than 2" total. Is that enough for what you have planned in travelling on bad roads, rocks & bumps?

Looking forward to seeing this one on the road!
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

137905
User avatar
noseoil
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1820
Images: 669
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:46 am
Location: Raton, New Mexico, living the good life!
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby KCStudly » Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:10 am

I know it is apples to oranges (sorry for going a little sideways on topic), but I was surprised by our recent experience on the new trailer for our ballista. We wanted the tops of the fenders to be flush with the top of the deck and thought we had plenty of clearance built in with the axle under spring; I could put my fist in between the top of the tire and underside of the fender with thumb up and heel down, so about 4 inches of clearance.

However, after loading the heavy ballista on I could just barely fit my fist in there going the other way; so only about 2-1/2 inches. We checked to make sure there wasn't any scuffing of the paint under the fenders, especially after a few good jarring road "hits", and were relieved to find that the tires never hit.

Again, these were tandem 7k lb axles with about 10k lbs gross, but I was really surprised that it didn't hit. I guess once the leaf springs are squatted down it takes progressively more to move them.

YMMV, just saying.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9609
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:28 pm

I worry about it too but if I spring over this things gonna be super tall, I'll never get in it without a stepladder. So I'm going to soldier on and if it gets to close then I'll order the swing axles with air bags. I'm heading to Vintage Tech on Monday to get my doors, trim, hurricane hinge and vent. I gotta have this thing done by spring or my wife will have me living in it permanently ...
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 12:06 am

a month later and I still haven't got to Vintage to get my startup stuff, life just keeps getting in the way.. I have completely reconfigured my garage to remove all my metal working and mechanic tools and moved in all my woodworking stuff... It's gonna get started this week one way or the other.
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby jonb8 » Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:51 am

Sawdust is flying FINALLY!!!! feels good after the year of looking at pictures and reading build threads, to finally start on mine. Lots of questions to work out but time to make it happen right or wrong... :D


Image

Image
jonb8
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 95
Images: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:54 am
Top

Re: off road camper build in WV

Postby MadMango » Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:03 am

Looking good!
MadMango
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating." ~Quentin Stafford-Fraser

You can see my design planning, The Mobile Mango.
You can follow my TTT build here, The Mobile Mango
User avatar
MadMango
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2016 3:40 am
Location: Space Coast, FL
Top

Next

Return to Build Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests