Camper Dollie

[Riverrunner]

Spent yesterday building a dollie for the Grandby. My truck bed is 37" high and my dollie is 36.5". Since I have a dually, I didn't want to have to raise and lower the camper much. The extension brackets I'm having made are 10" wide and that is going to put some added stress on the front corners so I figured there is no reason to raise/lower it much and height isn't an issue. It'll also double as good work table as the height is about perfect. I've got a smooth floor and should only have to move it a few feet to shove it a corner when not is use. Brackets for the jacks should be done on Tuesday and I'll post photo's of those when done for anyone that is interested.

 

[Espresso]

Looks good. Do you have enough shear strength?

 

[Larry Perry]

I don't want to tell you what to do I am not an engineer but I would add some cross bracing on sides from top front to bottom rear and on the ends left top to bottom right. You did not use any lap joints all the strenth is with the metal plates. Shifting weight can create a lot of pressure. Just a suggestion it is cheap insurance. Larry.

 

[Lighthawk]

Looks good. Do you have enough shear strength?


A quick way to add shear would be to attach some 1/2" plywood panels to the frame. Ideally all four vertical sides could have at least a partial shear panel. Attach the ply with some construction adhesive, wood glue or what have you, and screw it on.

My dolly is a different framing design, resting on 4x6 girders which sleeve the casters. The girders kept shifting until I put plywood gussets on the ends with gorilla glue. End of problem.

 

[Riverrunner]

No worries if someone thinks it won't work. I had something more elaborate in mind and then decided it was way over kill. I was going to try it out and see how it would take the load and add to it if needed. I was going to add cross members to the ends or use plywood on the corners for shear but wanted to see how it would do like this. I only have to move it a few feet and I don't plan on having this support the entire load. Once in place the jacks will take some of the load as well. If I didn't have to roll it into a corner, I would have just built some simple saw horses. I'm lazy and don't want to have to raise or lower it more than a couple of inches.

 

[bsharp007]

I think it will work fine and a good idea to make it higher...wish I had the right garage clearance for that. I way over built my dolly using a liberal amount of 4x4's.




No worries if someone thinks it won't work. I had something more elaborate in mind and then decided it was way over kill. I was going to try it out and see how it would take the load and add to it if needed. I was going to add cross members to the ends or use plywood on the corners for shear but wanted to see how it would do like this. I only have to move it a few feet and I don't plan on having this support the entire load. Once in place the jacks will take some of the load as well. If I didn't have to roll it into a corner, I would have just built some simple saw horses. I'm lazy and don't want to have to raise or lower it more than a couple of inches.

 

[ntsqd]

I'd like to see diagonal 2X2's across the middle two stations in both planes (length-wise and cross-wise). I do not think anything more would be needed.

 

[badtoytrd]

Can anyone tell me what is the lowest I can build a dolly? Our garage is rather short/small and I am trying to be able to keep it popped in storage.

 

[drumwood]

Your dolly has to be a little higher than the distance from the floor to the camper bottom when the camper is as low as it will go sitting on the jacks. So it depends on the length of the jacks fully retracted.

 

[PackRat]

It looks like you probably don't have a storage problem in your garage, but most of us do....so here would be my suggestions:

1) I agree that the metal plates do not provide enough sheer strength.
2) I would screw on a sheer panel at each end.
3) I would put another sheer panel in the MIDDLE bay on one side and on the other side, put one in each of the OUTER bays.
4) I would also put a "floor" or shelf in the lower level to utilize otherwise wasted space. You can keep camper-related items on the lower shelf close to the camper and not "lose them" in your garage.
5) Your idea to use it also as a work table is a good one...
6) If you wanted to...you could recess in a duplex Edison box on all four sides so power would be available no matter what side you were working on
7) Then add a light or two inside the storage area so you can actually find anything you put in there!

 

[ckent323]

Badtoytrd,

I built a low camper dolly so I could pop my camper open in my 8 foot tall garage. I made the frame out of doubled 2x4's (oriented 3-212" in the vertical) with cross bracing and plywood top and bottom. I attached 5" casters from Harbor Freight, each rated for 350 pounds, in four corners. This is about as low as I could make it. I would not go with a smaller diameter wheel unless you will only be using the casters on a smooth floor with no gaps or step downs (such as the typical step down from inside a garage to outside that is there to keep water out).

My dolly worked fine on the smooth garage floor. However, my driveway is made of textured pavers (to simulate stone) and after about three moves across the driveway the pavers not only ripped the polyurethone off of the wheels when they swiveled but also caused two of the plastic hubs to fail.

After doing a fair amount of searching online I called Caster City. I spoke with Greg Howard at Caster City and he explained a lot about the materials and choices after I explained to him the camper wight and surfaces the dolly (casters) would be used on. Greg was very helpful.

He recommended I go with 500 pound capacity or greater casters with metal hubs and high quality poyurethane tires as well as large of diameter wheel as possible.

He also recommended getting swivel locks (not brakes) and I added them onto the two casters on one long end of the dolly. The swivel locks, as the name implies, lock the caster so it will not swivel which prevents "crabbing" and allows me to push it in one direction when moving it. They are easily engaged or disengaged by pressing or lifting a small tab with the toe of my shoe.

Unfortunately the smallest caster with the recommended capacity and tread material is 6" and now that I have solar panels on the top of the camper the whole stack up would be about about 2 inches too tall to fully pop the top. So I decided to go with 8" casters to make rolling the dolly with the camper on it easier for me to do alone.
I will figure out how to hold the top partially open when it is on the dolly in the garage (a couple of 2x4 frames or something - not sure yet).

I installed the new casters today and they are really STOUT compared to the old casters. I am certain they will be fine but have not put them to use yet (that will happen starting tomorrow).

I do heartily recommend Caster City and if you call and talk to them you may get a discount over the prices listed on the web just as I did.

http://www.castercity.com/contact.htm

BTW: My camper jacks are not long enough to raise the camper high enough so I can get it in the bed of my truck so I use 6x6 blocks under the feet of the four jacks.

When putting the camper on the dolly I have to first use the 6x6 blocks and lower the camper onto a pair of 8x8x4' long boards laying across the width of the dolly then remove the 6x6 blocks from under the camper jack feet, raise up the camper, remove the 8x8 boards and lower the camper onto the dolly.

I don't think longer camper jacks are a solution because they already start to feel a little unstable when I get them to full height when putting the camper on the truck.

One of these days I may engineer a steel framed lift/dolly assembly to make getting the camper on and off the truck easier. I have an idea sketched up but it needs some refinement and engineering before going foerward with it.

Hope that is of some help.

Craig

 

[James T Kirk]

Keep it simple...kirk out

 

[CougarCouple]

Capn Kirk

How might ye be turnin the ship, Capin!
Thanks could not resist. Seriously I’m sure there is a reason for non steering, just wondering?

Russ

 

[badtoytrd]

Badtoytrd,

I built a low camper dolly so I could pop my camper open in my 8 foot tall garage. I made the frame out of doubled 2x4's (oriented 3-212" in the vertical) with cross bracing and plywood top and bottom. I attached 5" casters from Harbor Freight, each rated for 350 pounds, in four corners. This is about as low as I could make it. I would not go with a smaller diameter wheel unless you will only be using the casters on a smooth floor with no gaps or step downs (such as the typical step down from inside a garage to outside that is there to keep water out).

My dolly worked fine on the smooth garage floor. However, my driveway is made of textured pavers (to simulate stone) and after about three moves across the driveway the pavers not only ripped the polyurethone off of the wheels when they swiveled but also caused two of the plastic hubs to fail.

After doing a fair amount of searching online I called Caster City. The fellow I spoke with at Caster City explained a lot about the materials and choices after I explained to him the camper wight and surfaces the dolly (casters) would be used on.

He recommended I go with 500 pound capacity or greater casters with metal hubs and high quality poyurethane tires as well as large of diameter wheel as possible.

He also recommended getting swivel locks (not brakes) and I added them onto the two casters on one long end of the dolly. The swivel locks, as the name implies, lock the caster so it will not swivel which prevents "crabbing" and allows me to push it in one direction when moving it. They are easily engaged or disengaged by pressing or lifting a small tab with the toe of my shoe.

Unfortunately the smallest caster with the recommended capacity and tread material is 6" and now that I have solar panels on the top of the camper the whole stack up would be about about 2 inches too tall to fully pop the top. So I decided to go with 8" casters to make rolling the dolly with the camper on it easier for me to do alone.
I will figure out how to hold the top partially open when it is on the dolly in the garage (a couple of 2x4 frames or something - not sure yet).

I installed the new casters today and they are really STOUT compared to the old casters. I am certain they will be fine but have not put them to use yet (that will happen starting tomorrow).

I do heartily recommend Caster City and if you call and talk to them you may get a discount over the prices listed on the web just as I did.

http://www.castercity.com/contact.htm

BTW: My camper jacks are not long enough to raise the camper high enough so I can get it in the bed of my truck so I use 6x6 blocks under the feet of the four jacks.

When putting the camper on the dolly I have to first use the 6x6 blocks and lower the camper onto a pair of 8x8x4' long boards laying across the width of the dolly then remove the 6x6 blocks from under the camper jack feet, raise up the camper, remove the 8x8 boards and lower the camper onto the dolly.

I don't think longer camper jacks are a solution because they already start to feel a little unstable when I get them to full height when putting the camper on the truck.

One of these days I may engineer a steel framed lift/dolly assembly to make getting the camper on and off the truck easier. I have an idea sketched up but it needs some refinement and engineering before going foerward with it.

Hope that is of some help.

Craig

Great info. Thanks, Craig! I think I am going to build one that is 2x4 with 4x4 on ends and middle with wheels that are 8". This should give me a total of 13.5-14" of height. Hoping that is still low enough.....we will see.

 

[ckent323]

badtoytrd,

Be sure to use the full height for the caster in your calculations. An 8" caster with mounting plate is about 9.5" tall (this may vary a small amount from model to model). Also, since you are making a 4x4 frame be sure that you get a 3-1/8" x 4-1/8" or 4" x 4-1/2" mounting plate.

Here is an image with bolt spacing for a 4" x 4-1/2" mounting plate

 

[James T Kirk]

How might ye be turnin the ship, Capin!

grab onto the front of the camper, pull down and pivot. also, strategically park the camper so to minimize the need to steer it...kirk out

 

[ckent323]

JTK,

Unfortunately some of us do not have that option.

I have an FWC Keystone that is 9 feet long in the bed and 12 feet over all - a lot bigger and heavier than an ATC Bobcat.

What you have looks like a good solution for your space.

;-)

 

[CougarCouple]

Kirk
Thanks for that, simple and effective. I knew there was something missing Forward Thrusters.

Russ