Boat tail project based on a single wheel trailer...

[aerohead]

Even at 25 mpg,it suggests that Dark Aero is running around Cd 0.16.
(they ought to be going f'ing crazy snapping piccies!)

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by freebeard

What went down in Houston?

Don't forget to back up the pop-rivet with a washer.

It was just a fund raiser event for my son's former charter school. The kids there haven't seen my truck fer about 2 years now. Very few of them had seen the trailer and none of them had seen it in its current configuration. Fer some, it was definitely an eye opener!

I'm gonna leave the washers off fer now. I'm just gonna rivet every single hole in the bar. The bar seems to be holding fine without them. At least I'm not scraping the driveway now when I leave.

[BamZipPow]

Making a run to Temple and back with Dark Aero hooked up tomorrow. This will be a first time run down that way with Dark Aero in tow. It's about a 2 hour run on some standard Texas two lane highways.

Been running around town with the trailer attached to git a better feel fer some different configurations fer the past week. Gonna give the 60lb sand ballast a try again with the new air spring and see if it will calm the rear end from bouncing a little more.

During a run to Dairy Queen last night, the skid plate got a work out and it did protect the tailcone from gitting ripped off when I backed up into a slanted berm. The only visible damage was some white paint was scraped off which meant I only had to repaint the bottom of the skid plate this time around.

[BamZipPow]

After a quick run out to Temple and back, I got an indicated 25mpg going up and about 25.5mpg coming back at 65mph. Stopped by the same Dairy Queen and tried to back up in the same spot from 2 days ago. I ended up crushing the tail cone.

I took it off today and ended up reinforcing and rebuilding the tail cone. I took the opportunity to fold the front edge of the tail cone skid plate back in a swept position. We'll see how well this will fare out in the upcoming runs.

More local folks are gitting an eyeful of the rig since I've been leaving Dark Aero attached so I can git some more seat time with the differing air pressures and loads to see how to configure them accordingly.

[freebeard]

You're an inspiration to us all. Went back for some more, eh?

You could put a curb feeler on a wiper motor and mount it on the spat. It would un-park (on going in reverse) and then sweep back and forth. You could listen for it.

I still want to cut down a Type III trailer hitch to fit my Beetle. Since there's custom/professional welding involved I'd like to incorporate a single wheel trailer mount as well.


Like this except boattail shaped. With a Beetle, the wheel could be clear at the rear like this, with a swiveling pant. I'm thinking—the front fork and axle off a Vespa motor scooter.

Edit: Whelp, I went looking. How about a little of this?

http://www.scooterwest.com/item_details/Front-Fork-Refurbishing/4051

A little relaxing the curve in the axle for caster and the steering shaft could run right up a pipe at the end of the airfoil (not teardrop).

[BamZipPow]

I think next time I go there...I'll just park nose first and let people avoid the back end of Dark Aero or just take up 2 spots by backing up at an angle.

Went to the local Tractor Supply Company to git some ideas of what they carry in there and what I might be able to assimilate. Had a few sharks circling the rig when I came out but they scattered when I approached the rig.

Looks like I need to start working on reinforcing the lid as the simple supports I initially installed aren't handling the extra weight of the new canopy very well.

[BamZipPow]

Doing some research on single wheel trailers (in particular, the Sears Allstate trailer), I've found that it was recommended not to use ball/roller bearings on the vertical pivot shaft the assembly swivels on as it needs to have some sort of tension to keep the assembly from freely wobbling side to side as yer speed increases. I guess I need to double check how loose my pivot setup is.

[freebeard]

You probably know as much about the design parameters for a single wheel trailer as anyone at this point.

You have three axes of rotation (hitch, swivel and trailing arm), each can have different preload and dampening that interact in varying ways. The only other things I can see are the lever arm from the hitch axis to the swivel and trail (or caster).

Are these interactions milder when the swivel is in the middle of the trailer or at the rear? Really close to the hitch?

The questions are rhetorical, I'd settle for a link to the Allstate research.

If the swivel axis is pitched forward a little, when the wheel swivels in reverse it would tend to lift the trailer. Maybe that or increased caster would dampen the wobble.

[BamZipPow]

While trying to back out of the driveway last night after making repairs to the belly pan, I ended up completely crushing the tail cone. I think I'm done with that fer now. I'm going back to the mud flap as I don't have to worry about any issues with that.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

After all that endeavor are you gonna abandon the trailer???