floor overhang

[KA]

Hi All,
I asked this question once before but still am not clear as to why some builders leave a gap between the outside of the steel chassis perimeter and the plywood sidewalls. I know that lots of builders leave a gap, but am not sure why some do and some don't. In other words, why is the plywood floor often cut a little bit wider than the steel chassis frame? Would I run into any problems if I let my plywood overhang the sides of my chassis, butting tight against it? Is the gap left to allow for any slight inconsistencies in the frame?
Sorry if I'm repeating myself here. Sometimes I need to hear information more than once or in a different way before it sinks into my teardrop-builder-overloaded brain.
Thanks for any help.
Kris

[doug hodder]

Kris...there may be a variety of reasons for people doing this...I know I do it...and the reason is.....that when I mount the spring hangers onto the frame, I need to build the sides out so that I end up with the wheel spaced correctly in relation to the body...I use a 4" drop axle and the perches for the springs sit inboard on the axle, like 8" from the hub face to the center of the hanger...so a narrower frame, 3" each side...I also bring the sides down to cover it up so that from a side view...no frame can be seen...If I built the frame to the edge...the wheel wouldn't tuck in the fender...Doug

[KA]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for your reply. It makes perfect sense.
Kris

[madjack]

Kris, we built our side(3/4ply) so that it was right against the frame...with our torsion axle(0*start angle) if we had not done so, we would have had to notch the sides for clearance on the torsion arm...what you need to do is what works for your build
madjack

[GPW]

And for something completely different , we made our floor/frame shorter(narrower) than the steel trailer frame and let the TD sides rest on the steel trailer frame , flush with it ,after liberally coating ALL the mating areas with roofing cement ...

[Jim Marshall]

One thing to consider when planning the over hang of the floor is how much clearance you will have between your tire and the sides of the tear. You need at least 1 inch clearance and I don't have that much clearance and I hold my breath each trip but so far my tire hasn't touched the side of our tear.

[KA]

Hi Madjack, Jim, and GPW,
Thanks for your replies. I guess what I'll do as a double-check on my measurements, is to wait until the chassis is welded and the wheels are on before I finally decide how much overhang to leave with the fenders that I have. Being a beginner mechanic, I can't quite visualize how much space the spindle (swing arm?) will take as it spins near the chassis.
Once again, thanks for your help. I can't do this build without you.
Kris