Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Full-boat-tail trailer with gap-fillers for Toyota T-100 pickup

aerohead · 05-30-2009, 01:50 PM

I've got 26.5 man-hours into the trailer project and thought I'd post an update.The critical dimensions are fixed now and completion will be a matter of integrating all the bits together.I've made many concessions now(compromises)which I don't think will sacrifice performance terribly,although the final product will be far from ideal.-------------- The trailer required a 6-inch (150mm) gooseneck offset to the tongue for the two "bellys" to plane out on the bottom.------------ The shackle/leafspring/axle/wheel orientation does not allow the trailer bottom to follow the diffuser angle of the truck without moving the C.G. higher,something I'd rather not do.Anyway,the bottom will be more level,with adequate approach/ramp/and breakover clearance.----------The stinger is at 12-feet from the back of the truck.Aerodynamically,it's much longer than needed,however,I made some concession to "swing" space and interior volume,as I may be "living in there" on the road.--------------I removed my 2-inch ball and moved the smaller ball hitch to truck center.--------------- This morning I purchased 48 linear feet of new 16-gauge square mild steel tubing to begin the boat hull-to-trailer integration.-------- I also hit some thrift stores and yard sales before the copy center opened,and scored some in-line skates (to rob the wheels off of for the movable gap-fillers) and also two aluminum pot lids to make smaller versions of MOON covers for the trailer wheels.-------------- My deadline for testing is in the third week of September.Both "World of Speed" at Bonneville and" World Human Powered Speed Championship" at Battle Mountain,Nevada will be happening almost simultaneously and I'll shuttle between the two,with digital camera,tape measure and hoy batteries.------------- I'll be able to visit friends and family,racking up mileage to the West Coast and back.---------- By the time I get home,I should have a good real-world data set to share with everybody.I'd love to see 40 mpg HWY and 36-mpg Interstate.-------- Going for an LSR is out.At 300,000 miles on the engine,and needing the truck for work,I'm just not in a position to risk blowing the thing up,and so very far from home.I should be able to deduce the theoretical top speed from the mileage data.Should the Bureau of Land Management be looking the other way,the rig could accidently find its way onto the salt at WOT for a "handling-run."But I never said that!

05-30-2009, 01:50 PM	#13 (permalink)
aerohead Master EcoModder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A. Posts: 16,228 Thanks: 24,375 Thanked 7,357 Times in 4,757 Posts	project update I've got 26.5 man-hours into the trailer project and thought I'd post an update.The critical dimensions are fixed now and completion will be a matter of integrating all the bits together.I've made many concessions now(compromises)which I don't think will sacrifice performance terribly,although the final product will be far from ideal.-------------- The trailer required a 6-inch (150mm) gooseneck offset to the tongue for the two "bellys" to plane out on the bottom.------------ The shackle/leafspring/axle/wheel orientation does not allow the trailer bottom to follow the diffuser angle of the truck without moving the C.G. higher,something I'd rather not do.Anyway,the bottom will be more level,with adequate approach/ramp/and breakover clearance.----------The stinger is at 12-feet from the back of the truck.Aerodynamically,it's much longer than needed,however,I made some concession to "swing" space and interior volume,as I may be "living in there" on the road.--------------I removed my 2-inch ball and moved the smaller ball hitch to truck center.--------------- This morning I purchased 48 linear feet of new 16-gauge square mild steel tubing to begin the boat hull-to-trailer integration.-------- I also hit some thrift stores and yard sales before the copy center opened,and scored some in-line skates (to rob the wheels off of for the movable gap-fillers) and also two aluminum pot lids to make smaller versions of MOON covers for the trailer wheels.-------------- My deadline for testing is in the third week of September.Both "World of Speed" at Bonneville and" World Human Powered Speed Championship" at Battle Mountain,Nevada will be happening almost simultaneously and I'll shuttle between the two,with digital camera,tape measure and hoy batteries.------------- I'll be able to visit friends and family,racking up mileage to the West Coast and back.---------- By the time I get home,I should have a good real-world data set to share with everybody.I'd love to see 40 mpg HWY and 36-mpg Interstate.-------- Going for an LSR is out.At 300,000 miles on the engine,and needing the truck for work,I'm just not in a position to risk blowing the thing up,and so very far from home.I should be able to deduce the theoretical top speed from the mileage data.Should the Bureau of Land Management be looking the other way,the rig could accidently find its way onto the salt at WOT for a "handling-run."But I never said that!