Jeff's Teardrop Frame Page
I've been building trailers of various types for over 20 years. Most have been utility trailers or car trailers, the closest
I have come to a teardrop is an enclosed motorcycle trailer I built a dozen years ago. Since I have the ability and the tools
to build it, there was no question that I would make my own trailer.
Many people building teardrops swear by Harbor Freight or other "red" trailers. They say they are a cheap and easy way to
get started on your teardrop, much cheaper than paying a welder to build you a custom frame. If I didn't have the ability to
build my own frame, I still don't believe I would use one. I want my tear to fit a full sized mattress, which is 54" wide.
The "red" trailers are only 48" wide. Sure, they can be widened, but then you don't have clearance for your tires. An
speaking of tires, do you really want those little tires and wheels on your teardrop? And how about those little fenders?
You'll have to replace them if you go to larger tires and wheels. The couplers on many of those trailers are pretty
strange. While they obviously work, I don't really trust them, and many who own them have upgraded them to a standard
type of coupler. And last, I really think that a torsional axel will give my teardrop a better ride, not to mention, allow
it to sit lower than a spring axel. The "red" trailers only come with a spring axel (which by the way, has to be
re-positioned for most teardrop applications). So, what are you really using from the original "red" trailer? The bolted
together frame and tongue? How much money will you have spent after all of your modifications to the "red" trailer? What
would a custom made frame have cost you? Is the "red" trailer really a bargin? Obviously, for many people, the answer is
yes, but for me, there was only one way to go, a custom built frame.
I am using 2" x 2" x 1/8" square steel tubing for the perimeter of my frame. I don't believe that the frame needs to be
this stout, considering that the walls add strength to the frame, but I had it left over from a previous project. My cross
members will be 2" x 1" x 1/8" tubing, also something left over from another job. Using my Makita chop saw, I cut out my
materials and mitered the corners. I'll weld it with my wire feed welder.
After welding the preimeter together, I mocked up the frame to see how it lines up with our VW that we plan to tow it with.
When I ordered the axel, I had to guess at the torsion arm setting based on the tire height, the car's hitch height, and the
estimated tongue height.
I originally planned to have the tongue welded straight out from the front of the frame, but after
mocking it up, I think I will have to "stack" the tongue, to get the trailer to ride level. Here's a shot of it after I
finished welding, but before primer.
Here are a couple of shots after it's primed. Even though it sits low, the VW sits a lot lower!
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