After we leveled the foundation with the scissor jacks, we fastened a series of pressure-treated 2 x 6 to the frame of the trailer with heavy duty screws. This initial step gives us a perpendicular structure to the steel cross members of the trailer so that the floor system will be more secure. Later we will share how we unitize the home and trailer framing. Looking forward to floor framing!
A layer of 3/4″ pressure-treated plywood is fastened to the 2 x 6’s below. As you can see, we have decided to cantilever the floor framing out to the exterior edge of the fenders. This amounts to an 18″ increase in the width of our structure, bringing it closer to 8′ x 16′ overall. Next we will frame the floor and anchor the system to the trailer with additional measures. It’s really satisfying to see the extra space fore and aft of the fenders come into play!
Our 2 x 6 floor framing system went in without a hitch today. We essentially made three different boxes and tied them together. The gaping hole in the foreground is for the porch that will go in much later. Below you will see how we chose to anchor this system to the frame of the trailer…
We opted for a 10″ foundation bolt that essentially grabs the notched 2 x 6 and bolts it to the metal frame below. The nuts you see are securing a U-bolt that hugs the foundation bolt to the 2 x 6. We repeated this at 12 total locations throughout the footprint of the home. Although time consuming, this step is critical to creating a secure foundation for the home. Both wind forces (highway speeds) and road turbulence (new term?) can actually detach the home from the frame of the trailer if not done properly. Super solid!