Buy a trailer (instead of a pickup truck)

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by freebeard

My assessment as well. I was trying to provide feedback. 'I' vs 'it' is pretty fundamental to understanding.

Angel And The Wolf — Are you proposing using the original rear axle?

Yes, for simplicity and to preserve the suspension, though I had considered looking to see if removing the differential gears for lightening would affect the location of the hubs., or maybe welding a straight pipe between the outer six inches of the axel to replace much of the castiron of the axle.

Originally Posted by freebeard

You could substitute a beam axle to control the ride height. And Couriers probably had a pop-up tent top that would drop right in if you could find one.

Trying to keep the height below the Prius' spoiler highth so that the air sees nothing wider or taller than the Prius.

Originally Posted by freebeard

I'd think about cutting external storage lockers into the outside of the bed fore and aft of the wheel well, and having a top that split down the middle and hinges up into sidewalls on the bed sides. Or clear over to support a bunk-size mattress on either side.

I do plan a triangular cargo box following the lines of the trailer tongue so that there are no corners to poke the rear of the Prius in any turn the tongue can make safely. Don't want any added projections on the sides. A tapered box on the tailgate, built such that the tailgate can drop fully down when opened, might help the air flow reattach with less drag area, but the tail gate has to be vertical when opened.

IF, I discarded the bed, and built my own on the frame, I could build a taper box, where the courier bed is basically rectangular.

As for the fold out:see http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post569227

[oil pan 4]

Making an idler or electric brake axle would reduce the weight by around 200lb.

You don't want to run little bias ply trailer tires.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Making an idler or electric brake axle would reduce the weight by around 200lb.

You don't want to run little bias ply trailer tires.

Well, that's another thing I thought I might keep on the courier bed, is the brakes, but I'm not sure how to regulate them to work with the car brakes. Do I set them to work stronger, and let the trailer pull the car down?

As to the extra weight, the penalty is in extra gas used in acceleration and up hills, but on a round trip, that extra weight might be a plus in working the regenerative brakes a bit harder slowing the car downhill under cruise control.

If I fair the trailer properly, the longer length of the car/trailer might bring a lower CD without increasing frontal area.

Well, a lot of this probably belongs on my own thread. I don't mean to hijack.

[freebeard]

Here's a repost of my trailer design. It's based on a 4x12 piece of plywood and actually follows The Template (sort of).



The inverted prow could probably stick up above the Prius a little in the center with little harm done. Else it could be modded into a pop-up.

[Angel And The Wolf]

I guess if I upgraded a utility trailer to highway speed capable, I could design my own box. Seems this would be the way to go:

[freebeard]

If you build your own box, look at the Westfalia utility trailer. I have one currently in pieces. This one's not mine:



It's 6mm plywood with a welded riveted and galvanized angle-iron frame. You could laminate two 1/8" sheets of plywood top make curved sides.

The suspension is trailing arm with an elastomeric snubber. The problem with that is the pivot point has to be higher than the axle centerline. Maybe intead a Speedway dropped Fad T-bucket axle with disk brakes?

[PaleMelanesian]

This is not quite a trailer but I think it fits in the same discussion. My tractor needed new front tires (mailed to me, but had to get them mounted at a shop). I needed to carry people at the same time so the cavern that is the Fit's interior was unavailable.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Forgot to include the tow vehicle in the profile.

[oil pan 4]

A Reece caddy is perfect for small things you don't want in your car, like gas cans, a dirty tire a cat.

[PaleMelanesian]

I also used it a few weeks ago to carry a beehive. Don't want THAT inside!