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Originally Posted by orbywan
You're a busy guy Phil. : ) Can't wait to see the finished boat tail on the T100 and see the trailer finished. I read somewhere there the trailer weighs 750 pounds, is that because the original boat hull was so heavy?
I'm working on some front mods and wheel pants for the Aero RV but there just isn't any free time lately. After those two items are finished I'll test it again and see where it's at. I'm considering rebuilding the boat tail to conform more to the template you guys are always talking about.
I know everyone thinks the current shape is all wrong but it made such a big improvement I'm not sure reshaping it to the template would make much of a gain. Would you hazard a guess on that one? Thanks.
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Yep,she's plenty heavy!
HALLIBURTON and Slumberger did seismic shots over the original Viking boat hull and the Troposphere showed a large pool of oil there.So I thought she'd be an okay 'project' boat based on her curves.The thick fiberglass was a turn-off,although in light of losing the original aeroshell to goats,the added strength had some allure.
The trailer she's bonded to is actually the original boat trailer she came on (much more robust than an entry level utility trailer kit) and while very strong,sure taxes with high mass.
By the time I got the major gap-filler mechanism cobbled together the weight had really grown to black-hole status.
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I'd never do it again,although I could conceivably cast split molds off the finished body and lay up a lighter shell to bond to a lighter trailer.The compound curves are terrifically strong for wall section thickness.There's no reason for the entire trailer to weigh more than 200-lbs.And it would be strong enough to carry a second battery pack for a plug-in EV,or a gen-set for same,as a range extender.
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I've camped in it.And it would be safe for Grizzly territory at Yellowstone.It's a bit like a rigid tent.With a PV,charge controller and battery she'd make some nice white noise while moving air for restful sleep.