Why fenders instead of wheel wells?

[rebar]

It makes no sense to me..

If the distance from the outside of the left wheel to the outside of right wheel is 7' for example.. Why narrow the the trailer to sit between the wheels?
Your already rolling over 7' of real estate.. Design the trailer body to maximize space and throw those stupid fenders in the dumpster..

 

[SOLAMF]

Weight and wind resistance are two factors. Looks would be another, as well as ease of construction.


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[pat bowen]

No place to put your beer.

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[Dances with Wolves]

Like this?

Nope!

 

[amenges45]

wind resistance?....what vehicle are you towing it with. How fast do you tow it. Easy to make with minor skills? this is most likely the best bet. Tradition? another possibility. The potential storage volumes lost around the fender are astounding. Few fabricators and companies in the USA take advantage of this area. Those that do are ahead of the game. AUS and ZA and EU do a better job in that area. If you are building your own, it's easier to do open fenders.

 

[Teardropper]

I've towed teardrops for fifteen years, have built three, and in the planning stages for #4. Here's my is my answer:

• Building challenge
• Interior fenders swells would be a pain
• If you build with the tires inside and add floor height it'll be a pain to get in and out of
• Decreased stability in high crosswinds

I don't know if you are thinking of a gear trailer or a teardrop, but have at 'em. They may suit you.

T

 

[ottsville]

Building around a wheel well is more complicated than building a box and slapping fenders on it. So, cost, ease, tire blowouts do more damage, people are more likely to hit things with a trailer as wide as the axle....

 

[tte30m3]

I designed my trailer around the dimensions of my tent. It's extremely hard to unzip a tent cover if the zipper is not around the edge of it's platform. If I had made my trailer as wide as the edge of my tires, it would be much more difficult to set up and take down my tent.

As much as you say having a full size box is the same as having fenders.... it's not. Some of us didn't need that extra space, didn't want the extra weight, don't like the look, and didn't want the higher center of gravity. After towing mine for thousands of miles, there's no way I'd want it any larger and to ditch my fenders. Plus, I have a few things mounted to the outside of my trailer (like propane tank, shovel, ax) that I didn't want inside.

 

[FireMedic82]

If I was doing a gear trailer, it would seem like quite a bit of wasted space to me. I do prefer wheel wells on teardrops though. However, everything Ottsville said are very valid points to consider when going that route.

If it's a teardrop, you end up have the following two options:

- Have fender tubs in your way on the inside of the teardrop.

- Build up from the tubs with solid walls, or make use of the open voids behind the walls with compartments.

Either way, the ease of going that route is much less than going with no wheel wells.

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[old_CWO]

Sort of like stepside vs fleetside pickups?

I believe as previously said, some of it is tradition (that's the way Uncle Sam did it) and some is for ease of construction. The stepside style is certainly easier to unload when hauling certain things like dirt, gravel or mulch. I personally just think they look better with fenders out - and as mentioned; where else would I set my beer?

It is interesting that many of us have fender side trailers and then bolt a bunch of crap to the outside that could just as easily be carried safely inside within the same footprint. If someone wanted a full box trailer you could just use fenders on the inside as wheel wells. That would solve for some of your construction complexity, especially if you used M416 fenders.

Either way you arrive at the same conclusion: your junk is at your camp site.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

With the wheel wells you still are limited to what you can haul due to the space they occupy. You don't get a lot more usable space.

 

[Louisd75]

I did a mix with mine. I can see definite advantages to both styles. When I built my trailer I had two design criteria that influenced the wheel placement. I wanted to fit a queen size bed inside and I wanted to match the trailer's wheel track to the truck. I wound up somewhere in between fully inside and fully out. There are advantages and disadvantages to both:

The biggest (and only real) advantage of wheel wells is the additional space you get by building the trailer out over the wheels. You might also have a slight aerodynamic advantage. There are significant disadvantages though:
-The trailer is wider aft of the axle. Not a big deal freeway cruising, but it's easy to forget that the rear end of the trailer will swing wide when maneuvering slowly in tight places
-It's harder to see behind the trailer, especially if the trailer is close to or wider than the tow vehicle width.
-Wheel placement is trickier because you can't see the wheels as well
- Construction can be much more involved. There's less leeway when it comes to axle placement. For example, if you build the trailer and then realize that it likes to sway, moving the axle is not really a feasible option, your only choice is to move weight around. Going to a different tire size can also present problems.

That's not to say that fenders are a superior way to go either.
- They can stick out. You might be able to drive the TV straight between obstacles, but that doesn't mean that the trailer will necessarily make it without a wheel or two going over an obstacle.
- Some people are apparently extremely offended by the fenders on the outside
- You do lose cargo volume compared to the track width.

So why didn't I just build my trailer completely over the wheels instead of halfway? My trailer is stored in the garage alongside a car when it's not in use, a wider trailer would be that much less space for getting around it. The width when towing is great. I can see the wheels if I angle my mirror down slightly, I can pull up alongside a curb without worrying about the trailer trying to climb up, and if I cut a corner around a tree too close I'm hitting tire and fender first, not the body. Reward visibility is great to the point that I don't need tow mirrors. Inside is just right. The queen size bed goes from wall to wall, making it sleep much bigger than it would seem because you're not going to fall off the bed. There's enough room for me, my wife, and the 2yo to sleep side by side. My 5yo can also fit on the queen size bed, but then it starts getting a bit snug. No biggie though, there's a bunk bed up forward that is downright spacious for her. There's another bed underneath it for the 2yo when he gets a little bigger. We've got plenty of room for all the crap that a family of four brings camping.

@rebar Have you got any pics of your trailer build? Mine is in my sig line.

 

[Keith B.]

I had the exact thought and did partial wheel wells. You actually gain quite a bit of space when you include the lid space. Most people dont do is that way as it is harder to build.

 

[pat bowen]

Just make sure its not to wide to see around. Don’t know how tall your making it.

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[NuclearFreeZone]

This is the Dinoot J-Series Extended trailer I am building. The pictures give a good idea of the amount of extra space you get with a full width trailer with wheel wells.