AeroTrailer from Scrap Materials
 

Moving from CA to FL soon. Plan to haul my essential belongings by trailer. Hope to make it as streamlined and inexpensively as possible. Whatever is light weight and I have been able to find for free or at reasonable expense is determining the main components and some of the design. This has led to both Engineering and Design challenges.

Outer skin to be made primarily of those dense foam sign boards laminated between thin sheets of special plastic. The plastic is said to be surplus from the Israeli Embassy and was applied to the windows to keep the glass from becoming lethal projectiles in case of a bomb blast. They are not bomb proof but are the toughest plastic I have ever come across.

Frame to be made of fiberglass sheets. Framing to be minimal due to the strength of the skin.

General Design:
V nose to reduce negative pressure area betweer Tow Vehicle (TV) and trailer and to allow for a way to enclose that gap if I have the time.
Follow the streamlined template as much as possible with a Kamb back.
24" verticle sides to round to the top with a 29" radius. (Think more curvature than an Air Stream).
Due to small diminsions of TV, width of trailer axle, and need for carrying capacity, the trailer will be both wider and higher than the TV.
Would like to connvert to a rudimentary hard walled popup camping trailer at some point.

My Tow Vehicle (TV)is a 2002 Subaru WRX (turbo) Sport Wagon
Automatic (unfortunately)
220HP claimed (at engine)
Width at rear: 69" at bumper
56" at base of rr window
40" at roof
Height unladed: 55"
Distance from ground to bottom of bumper: 14"
Max Tongue WT: 200 lb, (10% of towing wt recommended by Subaru)
Max Towing capacity: 2000 lb

Here is the infor on my trailer:

Bought a used 8X6 flatbed trailer that used to be the base for a popup tent trailer:
Wt: 360 lbs, 150 each wheel and 60 TW (tongue wt).
Wheels: 8"
Distance of ball receiver from front of trailer base: 45"
Axle location: 59" from rear of trailer.
Width of Axle, bearing cover to bearing cover plus .5 " clearance on each end: 72" This defines the shortest width possible.
Height from pavement to top of floor unladed: 16
inches

I've attended to the bearings and alignment and have purchased Led tail and side marker lights.

Just in case you did not know about this thread, it may hold some food for thought.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ile-12376.html

A word of caution about 8" wheels. Build time into your schedule, go slow and stop to monitor hub temps OFTEN! Small diameter wheels rotate much faster. The bearings may be light duty, and the small hubs may not hold much reserve pack. If they start to heat they go quick. Spin welding sucks. Voice of experience here. I'd seriously consider going to 12 or 13 inch wheels, for higher load rating and margin of safety as well.

Cheers
KB

Thanks for the caution. I have read some of the info on 8" wheels on trailer forums and the experience varies a great deal. I would prefer larger wheels but do not have time to acquire them for this trip. I will however follow your precautions. What sort of hub temperatures are normal on a hot day?

If you are going to use the 8" wheels, then you would be wise to fill them to the highest possible inflation amount, they will handle. You want to get the pressure high enough that the sidewalls won't flex, which in turn causes the tires not to build up as much heat, internally, which in turn leads to a lot fewer problems with blown out tires.

Good traveling.

The gauge is your hand. Too hot to hold is a problem.

Agreed. Check the side wall not only for max PSI but load rating. I have a set of 8" wheels I only use to squeeze a 16' Scamp under my 7' garage header. I think they are stamped 500# each.

Cheers
KB

Tires on trailer are Nango's, 910lbs at 70psi.
But spare is a Duro, only 590lbs at 60 psi

I just got home so I was able to check my 8" wheels. They are also stamped max 590# at 60psi.

If it's a question of money for bigger tires, I understand the concern. You could order them. Here are some options from places I have done business with and recommend.

Tires Mounted - Trailer Wheels & Tires - Trailer Parts On-Line Store | Nuera Transport

High Speed Trailer Tires + Wheels | Tires + Wheels | Northern Tool + Equipment

Tire with Wheel Tires and Wheels | etrailer.com

I'm not sure about all but I think it's eTrailer and Nuera that have free shipping over $100 or something like that. Probably not tax too.

Cheers
KB

If it was me I'd simply air em up to max, only go 55 mph max, and feel the hubs whenever I pull over. Since you've already done a nice bearing repacking job they should be ready to roll. If the tires are old they'd be the thing I'd worry about the most.