Frame design for squaredrop overland trailer, light to medium offroading.

[jthmeffy]

Here's what I have planned:


Outer frame: 2" square, 1/8th or 3/16 thickness (thoughts?).
Ribs and gussets/leveling mounts: beefiest 2" structural C-Channel I can get
Tongue: 3" square, 3/16 thick (getting a piece of this spec tonight for $75 at 11ft long)
Tongue bracing: 3" structural C-channel.

Are the extra tongue supports necessary? Or will the square tube at the longer length be fine on its own?

Any thoughts? I'm happy with overdoing it to an extent.

Thank you!

 

[jthmeffy]

I should clarify: It is a 6x10 trailer and the ribs are at around 22" centers

 

[1000arms]

Welcome to the forum!

You might look at a couple of my posts for some ideas that might be useful to you. See my posts in:

Trailer Frame Feedback Request

Would love to get some feedback on the design below. Constructed with 2" steel tubing, 1/8" wall everywhere except the tongue, which would be 2.5", 1/4" wall. Overall plan will be a pretty fully loaded expedition trailer, 40 gallon water tank, RTT, kitchen, batteries, etc. Right now Timbren...

expeditionportal.com

off-roading with hard side camper

So.... with a DIY camper like this... what do people think of things like this? Will this just rattle itself apart on a rough road? I'm not even talking about crazier off roading.

expeditionportal.com

 

[jthmeffy]

Welcome to the forum!

You might look at a couple of my posts for some ideas that might be useful to you. See my posts in:

Trailer Frame Feedback Request

Would love to get some feedback on the design below. Constructed with 2" steel tubing, 1/8" wall everywhere except the tongue, which would be 2.5", 1/4" wall. Overall plan will be a pretty fully loaded expedition trailer, 40 gallon water tank, RTT, kitchen, batteries, etc. Right now Timbren...

expeditionportal.com

off-roading with hard side camper

So.... with a DIY camper like this... what do people think of things like this? Will this just rattle itself apart on a rough road? I'm not even talking about crazier off roading.

expeditionportal.com

Will do, thank you!

 

[1000arms]

You are welcome!

In case you have been searching this forum, you might try searching for things on this forum by going to your preferred search engine, typing the terms you are searching for (possibly in quotation marks), and then including "expeditionportal.com/forum" (including the quotation marks).

The above tends to work much better than the forum search engine.

 

[jthmeffy]

You are welcome!

In case you have been searching this forum, you might try searching for things on this forum by going to your preferred search engine, typing the terms you are searching for (possibly in quotation marks), and then including "expeditionportal.com/forum" (including the quotation marks).

The above tends to work much better than the forum search engine.

Yeah, I initially was using the forum search; that was my mistake!

 

[high-and-dry]

Okay my answer.

Side rails and center tongue from 2x3 .120, cross frames and tongue angle from 2x3 .085. You wont need the angle pieces on the front as the tongue angles do it for you. And really you dont need the rear ones either but it wont hurt.

2x3 085 is stronger than 2x2 .120 and lighter. The above steel sizes will handle serious offroad as long as you dont go airborne and it weights under 3k lbs.

 

[opp]

overbuilt frame will cost you when you build it when you drag it around and wear and tear on your tow vehicle I suggest you go look underneath a tent trailer they've been around forever very little support from the box that is bolted on. Go look at some of the military Trailers you know the one that have real Engineers that design them that are meant to be used in a combat situation. To many have become mine is bigger than yours. for are off road trailers we had an engineer from Lawrence design them. he's a big fan of c-channel. just using common sense why would you have more steel in a trailer that is being dragged than your tow vehicle. Common Sense went out of the window when Facebook came along

 

[1000arms]

Yeah, I initially was using the forum search; that was my mistake!

@Teardropper is a member here, and has published the book Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper. You might find it useful.


.............................................

His book thread is:

Eighteen months in the making... here's the book: Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper

A long-term project that I'm quite pleased with. I have watched so many teardrop builders struggle (which is probably just part of the process). I hope this takes some of the angst out of creating one of these remarkable campers. 192 pages, 221 photos and 31 pencil biting chapters...

expeditionportal.com

 

[john61ct]

we had an engineer from Lawrence

Please ask them if they mind their contact info forwarded

PM is fine if not in the public forum

TIA

 

[opp]

.as we are lifetime friends he never has to worry about me suing him. Doing designs for someone else's has a lot liability. the best is to look at some of the m416 military Trailers m1101 real ones. look at your tow vehicle it has a motor rear ends all sorts of torque and look what a little bit of Steel it has for a frame. you'll see most of them just use a light C folded steel for their frame

 

[billiebob]

Here's what I have planned:

View attachment 667698
Outer frame: 2" square, 1/8th or 3/16 thickness (thoughts?).
Ribs and gussets/leveling mounts: beefiest 2" structural C-Channel I can get

The perimeter needs more beef than the cross members.
Gussets, I'd just do smaller, lighter triangular plates.

Tongue: 3" square, 3/16 thick (getting a piece of this spec tonight for $75 at 11ft long)
Tongue bracing: 3" structural C-channel.

Are the extra tongue supports necessary? Or will the square tube at the longer length be fine on its own?

YES ! definitely triangulate the tongue !! Me I'd pass on the front corner reinforcement, the tongue triangulation does it.
If you want to save a few pounds, eliminate the central 3x3 tongue and use a factory hitch piece.

Any thoughts? I'm happy with overdoing it to an extent.

Thank you!

Best reference, go look at some retail, manufactured tailers and just copy. For the use you list, you might be overbuilding

Any trailer I build, this would be my go too hitch.
I added the cross member for the jack to clear the door on the back of my Wrangler.

 

[Teardropper]

This plan works using 2" square .120" tubing. If you are not using a torsion axle, you'll need another cross-member at that point. The rear cross-member is placed there to support heavy items in the galley.)

You can certainly use 2 x 3" rectangular .083 tubing for the frame but the .083 is a bit more of a challenge to weld. 3/16" for the frame is overkill.

Tony