Step 4: The Assembly Begins!

Step 4

The assembly begins. Trailer assembly is pretty straight forward. There is a base made up of 2 side rails and 5 cross bars. This is bolted together with 20 bolts washers and lock nuts. These get hand tightened so that you can square everything later.

Next up to build is the axle assembly. This consists of a 2 brackets per side leaf springs and axle and hubs. The original plans call for mounting the leaf springs on top of the axle. For my purposes I wanted the trailer a few inches lower so I decided to flip the axle. Flipping the axle means mounting the leaf springs hanging below the axle. This axle has notches that fit into the leaf spring. So step one in flipping the axle is removing the bolt holding the leaf springs together and turning it over. After that every thing bolts right up with U-bolts. 

Up next is installing the tongue. This is two bars mounted under the trailer in a V and the hitch attaches to that. Here is also where squaring up the trailer comes in. Turns out that the axle being bolted in severely hinders being able to moving things around so its time for that to come out. 

So far off from square I can't get the tongue bolts in 

Almost square

With 20 bolts hand tightened and it being basically a long floppy box it took a very long time to get it square and tightened down. I was being a bit of a perfectionist but after hours of swearing and tapping, accidentally bumping it and more tapping I got it square to withing 1/16th of an inch over the 10.3 foot diagonals. 

Finally square

Once it was square just had to get the tongue finished, axle bolted back up and wheels put on. I have different plans for the lights and because of the the lowering of the trailer I have to mount the fenders differently but other than that the trailer frame is set to go! 

Step 3: The Trailer Arrives!

Step 3

The Trailer Arrives!

Northern tool offers free shipping on this trailer as long as you have a way to unload it from the truck it comes in. Otherwise there is a Lift-gate fee. A fancy way of saying its $80-$125 for them to unload it for you. Luckily I work at a place with a shipping department so I had it shipped to my work. And wouldn't you know it, out of the 10 hours I am at work every day it arrives in the 30 minutes I am out to lunch. I get back from lunch and the shipping department calls me up. They have taken delivery but note on the bill of lading that "many pieces could be damaged or missing." This trailer comes completely un-assembled with the exception of the hubs (which they require you to disassemble and repack). So it is in 2 boxes from the manufacturer. Now when I say it is in 2 boxes it likely started that way but by the time I get there the frame rails are kind of in one box and the other pieces are piled up in a mostly torn box.

This does not seem like the happy start to my project I was hopping for. I get home and decide it is time to do an inventory. I figure the best way is to lay everything out the way it will be assembled and check to see if it is all there. 

Luckily it all works out and everything is there. With the exception of the Manufactures Origin slip that you need to register the trailer. There is a slip in the box reminding you not to forget to take this paper out. Turns out Northern Tool takes it out themselves and mails it to you so it doesn't get lost. As a pleasant surprise they were smart enough to mail it to my billing address instead of my work address where I had the trailer shipped. 

Step 2: The Design

Step 2

The design. While waiting for the trailer to arrive what is a guy to do. First I spent a few days patiently waiting. After I got notification it would be a week and a half until it arrived  I decided to draw up some potential designs. To the store for graph paper a compass and a straight edge. My first drawings were that of a rimple design. A combination of the words simple and rounded the Rimple is curved equally in the front and back and looks like a box with the top corners rounded. After much thought and deliberation I finally decided on what is known as a Beneroy. I chose the Beneroy for a few reasons mostly cause the back has the classic teardrop shape and partly because it has my first name in it. Next to decide is how long to make it. My trailer base is 5'x8' but being 6'2" I wanted a full Queen size bed (80" long) Which with the thickness of the walls only left about 12" for cabinets. Even though it adds a bit to the materials cost I decided to go with a 9' long trailer. As of now here is my proposed plan:

Step 1: It Begins

STEP 1

It all started with wanting to have a way to camp with my MINI cooper. After much research I decided I will take on the challenge of building my own tear drop trailer. I have been thinking of doing this for about 2 years now. I knew I wanted to go 5' wide with it and have been looking at the Northern Tool 5'x8' frame as a base. ( http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200356494_200356494 ) I finally had decided in September to go with this trailer. I watched the website every day for weeks hoping for a better price. Finally the day I got paid and when I went to purchase it online it went from being available to back ordered for 30+ days. In December it finally became available and I ordered it. $449.00.

BUILD TOTAL: $449.00