Sunset Landing
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Introduction
Design Criteria
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Profile and Dimensions
Trailer/Chassis
Framing and Skin
- 1
Framing and Skin
- 2
Windows and Hardware
Exterior
Finish
Interior Design
Stocking the Trailer
Test Results
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Teardrop and Related
Links
Teardrop Web Ring
Teardrop and Tiny Travel Trailer Forum
Trailer for Chassis
The
trailer for this project is a Rance Rough
Rider 5X8 utility trailer.
Parts
Li'l
Bear Tagalongs
Awning
windows, hatch hinge, and drip molding.
Harbor
Freight
Trailers,
etc.
Reid
Tool Company
Lots
of cool hardware.
Northern
Tool
Similar
to Harbor Freight.
TJ
Trailers
Trailers
and parts
Teardrop Cargo/Camper Trailer
Trailer/Chassis
About the trailer
The trailer is a Rance Aluminum 5' X 8' tilt bed model. Rance make these trailers in several sizes that might be useful for larger teardrops. Follow the link at the left to visit their site.
Chassis
with deck and vinyl flooring in place
Detail
of wheel and fender
View
of axle from front
I hope to use the trailer with as little modification as possible. When the pod is attached and loaded in its most likely configuration, I may find it necessary to reposition the axle further back. The fenders will be raised one inch in any case to allow for suspension settling with the weight of the pod and gear. There will usually be two recumbents in the forward compartment as well as lawn chairs, etc. With luck, all will achieve a cosmic balance.
Two jacks to solve one problem
Here's a solution to one of my problems that might be of use to someone else. My trailer rides quite low. It is an aluminum tilt bed trailer so the tongue mounts under the frame and only has eleven inches of clearance from the bottom of the tongue to the ground. I have been unable to find a bolt-on swivel jack with a caster that will retract to the ten inch minimum that I need in order to lower the hitch onto the ball. In the meantime, I've been using a kick-up jack stand with a footpad but it has been a poor solution.
I talked with our local builder of aluminum trailers about the options of raising the axle and/or modifying the tongue. Wow! Custom aluminum work is expensive.
While shopping at Mills Fleet Farm today, I came across a Fulton TJ100F bolt-on, top crank, swivel jack with a footpad. Wonder of wonders, it retracts to exactly ten inches. Didn't solve the wheel problem but the pad slides pretty easily on grass.
As I was mounting it to the trailer tongue, I happened to glance over and notice that my small boat trailer had a Fulton TSC350 fixed length, bolt-on, swivel caster wheel stand. After trying fruitlessly to figure out how to saw the caster part off and weld it to the shortend leg on the TJ100F and still have adequate clearance, I noticed that they both used the same bolt-on swivel plate. Eureka! All I had to do was to bolt a TSC350 opposite the TJ100F using the same bolts and my problem was solved.
Now the trailer rests on the footpad when I don't want it to move around too easily. When I do want to move the trailer around, I simply swing the caster unit down and retract the footpad a bit and away I roll. For the highway, both swing up and back -- well out of the way and don't bottom out where my downhill driveway meets the uphill street.
Both of the units are fairly light so the combined setup doesn't add much more weight than a single, bigger, jack would. Careful shopping should let you do the whole thing for about 50 to 60 dollars.
NOTE: You will probably have to cut the bolts shorter with a hacksaw so that the units will swivel properly.
TSC350
in dropped position.
TSC350
raised and TJ100F in dropped position.
TJ100F
raised and trailer supported by TSC350.
Looks complicated but works fine. Someday I may find the perfect single wheelie jack but until then this will do.
Updated June 15, 2004
Updated
July 21, 2004