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

[freebeard]

Awesome. All you need is that right phone number.

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by BamZipPow

I think at 7' from my rear bumper is almost the maximum length I would safely recommend. Extending the rear another 2' (9' total) may cause issues when making tight turns and still contacting vehicles/things on the outer part of yer turn.

I actually plotted this out in Alias with a 40' minimum turning radius and the rough dimensions of your truck. I put the boat tail's plan view taper at 10 degrees. It appears that your boat tail trailer will swing out LESS than the front end of your truck in turns. This is because the rear end does not extend as far from the rear wheels as the front does, and it's tapered to boot. You could probably even make the trailer longer if you keep the same angle.

In short, don't worry about it, as the trailer makes a smaller turning circle than your front bumper (by about 21").

If you were parallel parked next to a wall (or telephone pole, etc) and turned full lock to get out, you'd need the side of your truck to be at least ~8.5" away from the wall for your trailer to clear. Even factoring in the curved plan view of the average automobile (which in effect reduces the bumper's swing), I'd say that's pretty good.

[wyatt]

Originally Posted by Sven7

I actually plotted this out in Alias with a 40' minimum turning radius and the rough dimensions of your truck. I put the boat tail's plan view taper at 10 degrees. It appears that your boat tail trailer will swing out LESS than the front end of your truck in turns. This is because the rear end does not extend as far from the rear wheels as the front does, and it's tapered to boot. You could probably even make the trailer longer if you keep the same angle.

In short, don't worry about it, as the trailer makes a smaller turning circle than your front bumper (by about 21").

If you were parallel parked next to a wall (or telephone pole, etc) and turned full lock to get out, you'd need the side of your truck to be at least ~8.5" away from the wall for your trailer to clear. Even factoring in the curved plan view of the average automobile (which in effect reduces the bumper's swing), I'd say that's pretty good.

I'll assume your math is correct. It's nice to have the peace of mind (I would test it out to verify). If I was putting on a decent sized boat tail, I would do the same analysis.

I looked into a similar thing when designing a trailer. I didn't want it to be a problem when towing. I found through analysis (powerpoint, it's what I have) that it was not a problem, and that it would track nearly within the track of my car on the inside, and well within on the outside. I verified this by doing a couple real tight 360 degree turns on fresh snow.

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by Sven7

I actually plotted this out in Alias with a 40' minimum turning radius and the rough dimensions of your truck. I put the boat tail's plan view taper at 10 degrees. It appears that your boat tail trailer will swing out LESS than the front end of your truck in turns. This is because the rear end does not extend as far from the rear wheels as the front does, and it's tapered to boot. You could probably even make the trailer longer if you keep the same angle.

In short, don't worry about it, as the trailer makes a smaller turning circle than your front bumper (by about 21").

If you were parallel parked next to a wall (or telephone pole, etc) and turned full lock to get out, you'd need the side of your truck to be at least ~8.5" away from the wall for your trailer to clear. Even factoring in the curved plan view of the average automobile (which in effect reduces the bumper's swing), I'd say that's pretty good.

I appreciate the time you took to evauate my setup.

As I think about your reply, I want to make sure that you understand that this trailer setup isn't like a standard ball hitch trailer setup...it's connected at two points so it won't jack-knife at all.

I don't believe that my trailer will make a smaller turning circle that a ball hitch trailer will. As a matter of fact, my trailer will make a bigger turning circle than what my truck will make (as the trailer rear is about 9' beyond the rear tires)...that's why I need to turn tight into a corner to minimize any potential of making contact with anything to the outer part of my turn. When I'm parallel parked along the curb and I turn my steering wheel full lock, the trailer wheel will hop the curb.

I'll have to hook up Dark Aero and take it to a parking lot with lines and shoot some piccies to show you. I will measure out 8.5" from the lines to the outer part of my turn and show you how much travel over the line I git when the steering is cranked full.

[Sven7]

Lol, yes, I know how your trailer works. I figured it as if it were one long vehicle turning.

[BamZipPow]

This started out about 10" from the right line. I cranked the steering wheel all the way to the left and went forward. This is the result...


The approximate distance from the center of the rear axle to the nose of the truck is about 12.5' and the approximate distance from the center of the rear axle to the rear of Dark Aero is about 11.5'. I think the width of the truck is about 5' 7". The inside rear wheel becomes the pivot point while everything to the outside of the turn swings out from there.

You can see one of the sharks that was observing me and circled my rig after I got back in my truck.

[Sven7]

Interesting. My simulation wasn't perfect, it seems. Did the tail swing further out than your front bumper?

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by BamZipPow

.................You can see one of the sharks that was observing me and circled my rig after I got back in my truck.

funny. wonder what they must think.

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by Sven7

Interesting. My simulation wasn't perfect, it seems. Did the tail swing further out than your front bumper?

I'm not exactly what you mean by further out...

If I were to back up by cranking the steering wheel in the same direction...then the front end would cross further out on the right line than Dark Aero would.

If you mean further out than where the front bumper was when I started, then yes...it would swing further out than the front bumper.

I guess the best way to simulate this is to cut out a strip of cardboard 5.5" x 24" where 1" = 1'. Mark the front wheels at 2" and the rear wheels at 12.5". When simulating a turn, pivot the cardboard simulator at the inner rear wheel and you will see how much the boat tail will swing out. Even with the boat tail plan tapered, it will still swing out to the outer part of the turn.

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by deejaaa

funny. wonder what they must think.

Some of them don't understand why. Some can figure it out why but not how Dark Aero makes the turns. Some will stop and ask and then the light bulb comes on!

The younger kids don't like how I "dress" up my rig. Most of the older folks see as my "style" and seem happy that I have some sucesses.

I did have one person in Kemah tell me point blank that it's impossible fer me to git better gas mileage towing a trailer...even after he walked around the rig and asked me fer my MPG numbers. I was set to put down some serious money but I could tell it would've been a dead end. Even with my numbers, he didn't want to believe it. He said that the added weight/mass/rolling resistance that any reduced drag would be negated because of the extra weight/mass/rolling resistance. He just didn't want to know and couldn't break his trailer paradigm. Maybe I should've given him a pair of nickels.

Yesterday, I had someone ask me about my truck (Dark Aero wasn't attached) and he told me his Chevy/GMC with a V8 auto got 28mpg on the highway. Granted...I didn't ask him at what speed. I guess if I run into him again, I'll have to snap some piccies of his truck and post it in the Chevy/GMC forum as the best ever MPG king. I would take him on a bet to fill up to the same amount of gas and go fer a ride and see who runs out of gas first.