Brianj5600
Member
I'm interested in how well the small rectangle pieces of floor will be utilized. Will the rear door be full width to allow easy access? What is the LxWxH of the box? What will you pull it with?
Why fenders instead of wheel wells?
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CampStewart
Observer
When style wins over practicality
dreadlocks
Well-known member
I've seen a few campers severely damaged with wheel wells and having blowouts, I've also seen blowouts w/just fenders and it just takes the fender out.. Popups for example seem to put alot of vitals around the wheel well, electrical wires, plumbing, etc.. and all that got destroyed when they lost a tire and the thing was pretty much a write off by the insurance company.
Dances with Wolves
aka jk240sx
So much this. Tires fail and the damage they reek is amazing. I lost a front left tire on a 911 after hitting a pothole. $5K later I was whole. Out of pocket. The few cubic feet gained is not worth it unless it is occupied by non essentials.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
gatekeeping much? a legit expo guy going to be packing on some serious miles and wearing out tires left and right, murphy's law is always in effect..
If anything a big 33in jeep tire is gonna do even more damage if it lets go.. just something to consider in the OP's question I hadn't seen brought up.. if a blow out on a single axle trailer can take out a heavy duty fender like it was never even there is a pretty good chance of high damage if you use wood, composite or sheet metal construction and try encapsulating the tire.. its just physics.
CampStewart
Observer
If you are building a off road trailer and you can't figure out how to build a wheel well that will withstand a blowout the rest of your build will probably be suspect also.
NuclearFreeZone
Member
@dreadlocks, physics doesn’t come into play until probabilities are met. There are millions and millions of vehicles on the road, almost all of which have tires tucked into wheel wells, and there is generally little mayhem and shredded wheel wells as a result of exploding tires. Plenty of flats, but blowouts, not so much. I’d hazard a guess that most blowouts are a result of under inflation and overloading (especially on trailers), which has to do with the person overloading the vehicle and little to do with physics. I have hit chunks of metal and potholes at speed, and gotten flats, but never an exploded tire in 40 years as a licensed driver. I accept that it happens, and that you have seen examples, but the possibility that a tire explodes and takes out the fiberglass bodywork on my trailer is low and, consequently, very low on my list of things to factor into the build of my trailer. I speak only for myself.
ottsville
Observer
Catastrophic blowouts seem to be more common on trailers than cars. Probably for a variety of reasons like overloading, improper inflation, heat from improper brake adjustment and bearings that are not correctly adjusted and lubricated, lateral loads on dual axle tires, failure to replace tires when necessary, etc. Also don't forget speed. Many trailer tires are not rated for the speeds most people drive.
I agree with @CampStewart though; designing a wheel well that can withstand or at least minimize damage in a blowout scenario should be relatively easy to do.
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Brianj5600
Member
Tires fail catastrophically more on trailers because it is harder to tell they are flat while driving. Tire pressure monitoring is getting cheaper and can save wiping out the side of a trailer. Tires usually don't fly apart instantly. They overheat from a puncture and then come apart. Ever see a semi tire come apart? The ones I've seen are smoking right before they shred. You don't see it much any more because of tire monitors give them a heads up. My dad put them on his 5th wheel and measures temp too.
rebar
Adventurer
I'm guessing because most trailers are usually outfitted with the smallest cheapest tires.
There are a few valid points by the pro fender offroad crowd, but some of them are funny and ridiculous. What if, what if... And I personally don't want a dinky off road trailer.
I'm guessing most of us want the trailer track width to match or be less than the tow vehicle, and we will call that distance X. But then some people (probably the ones who already own trailers with fenders) want to subtract 1.5' of cargo carrying capacity from distance X by building with fenders? Wow.
Count me out and its the reason I cant locate a used "narrow track" enclosed trailer to buy. Its to expensive of a design to mass produce when you dont have the 102" limitation..
I'm going to beat the piss out of this narrow track enclosed when I do, but who cares for $2-4K because I will have allot more "secure" glamping gear carrying capacity than a offroad trailer with gear strapped to the side or even a 6' wide enclosed with wheels and fenders on the outside, yet narrower.
I just wish 6' narrow track enclosed trailer's with wheel wells were made, other than custom. As the 84" total width trailer Im looking for is still a bit wider than my 80" truck. Who wants to build me one?
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CampStewart
Observer
Id add add that the tires commonly used in these expedition trailers will never see half the load they are rated for so overloading them to cause a blowout is very unlikely. Most of the builds I see have LT tires in higher load ranges, how many examples of blowouts with these tires on expedition sized trailers can you guys cite?
rebar
Adventurer
Exactly.
I immediately replaced the cheap stock tires on my featherlite with LT tires, which survived a 95 mph test run.
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Louisd75
Adventurer
Count me out for building you one, I've got too many projects going as it is
You are more than likely going to have to go custom though, since I think that what you're wanting is a bit of a niche within a niche market. Something to keep in mind though, if someone were commercially producing one for the masses, would it work for your tire size? I've rarely seen utility trailers from the factory with tire sizes as large as what most of us run, so odds are that if there were a commercially made one it still wouldn't work for you unless you were ok with the stock trailer tire size. On the same side of that coin, how big of a tire size should the plan for? Not everyone runs the same size and while my 32s fit fine, I couldn't go to a 35 without problems and there are plenty running that size and some running bigger. I will say that my experience with building my fender/wheel well is that it ads a bit of time to the project. It wasn't rocket science, but I spent probably as much time getting all that stuff lined up right as I did on the rest of the trailer body (minus the doors and hatch).
If you're looking at an 84" trailer, have you checked out the surplus M1101 trailers? They can be found for relatively cheap, they come stock with a 37" tire and you can get a pretty nice canopy for them from. Something like this: http://www.expedition.supply/featured_item/m11-adventure-trailer/
Brianj5600
Member
It sounds like you plan on sticking to less challenging routes. Wide, heavy and long package could be a hindrance if the road or trail is unexpectedly narrow and rough. I don't plan on seeking difficult routes, but would hate to backtrack if it gets a little dicey.
Not everyone needs a big box, but still wants the stability of axle width. Many people find 4x6 is plenty of room but 48" track width could make for an uncomfortable situation if the road has some camber. My box will be 48x80 and will hold everything I need. I also have an RTT and having a box the same width as track width, 75", would make it more difficult. Having fenders and running boards can help packing everything and putting the cover on. I also like the running boards/fenders to protect the trailer if I get a little too close to a tree or rock. Think nerf bars. We want different things from our trailer so our trailers will look different. For what I want fenders make perfect sense.
rebar
Adventurer
Yes. As long as I can drive cumberland pass in colorado as a bench mark, I'm good.
Don't let the video's mislead you as there are some tight and steep switchbacks on that road.
Count me out for building you one, I've got too many projects going as it is
If you're looking at an 84" trailer, have you checked out the surplus M1101 trailers? They can be found for relatively cheap, they come stock with a 37" tire and you can get a pretty nice canopy for them from. Something like this: http://www.expedition.supply/featured_item/m11-adventure-trailer/
Understood.
I have a quote from featherlite for a 7x16 single axle for around 10k, but I'm glad Ive drug my feet procrastinating this purchase because its given me time to think.. 16x7 is to big, even though I would happily use the space.. 12x6 "narrow track" is probably a better size if custom built and a 32" tire is fine as long as the rim is 16".
M1101 trailers have to much ground clearance, to short, and I need 6.5' of ceiling height and a 6' high ramp door. The main goal for this trailer is a comfortable shower and space for a motorcycle and gear. I will spend time and sleep in a wall tent connected to the enclosed trailer.
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