Huntindog wrote:
vtraudt wrote:
GrandpaKip wrote:
As said by HDog, frames are cambered and you really shouldn’t be screwing around with that.
No plans on screwing around with the frames, or change anything if they are cambered (need to check, haven't noticed; if so, would only be in the axle area, certainly not forwards/backward from there).
I would not be certain of that. They can induce cambering wherever they feel it is needed.
Typically trailer frames ARE precambered slightly before the trailer floor is installed.
Once floor and walls have been placed, much of the camber will have disappeared or flattened out.
Without precambering the weight of the trailer box would cause the frame to sag in unsupported areas adding additional stress to the trailer wall structure.
Travel trailer frames are also built with lighter weight materials than what you will find with say a open flat bed trailer. The wall structure acts as additional structural reinforcement to the steel frame. The two parts become stronger when married together than what they would be separate.
Because of that one must take into consideration that everything on the trailer is structural and supporting it in places that were never intended to be supported (like the ends of the steel frame) it will cause racking.
Granted, some racking will not cause harm, but how much is too much is the problem. Unless you are a structural engineer and are able to properly assess the materials in use, How it was assembled and what stress it can handle, it is best to stay away from adding additional stresses that it was not designed for..
I know that on one of my trailers, it was very easy to rack the frame enough that the entry door would not open or close. So, I learned from my mistake, and never repeated that mistake again by moving my stabilizer further away from the frame ends and only add enough stabilizer to stop up and down bounce cause by walking.
It is yours to do what you want, do as you will, damage it, don't blame me, you have been warned.
