Home Made Covered Utility Trailer Project

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

U-Haul lists the Festiva hitch as discontinued yet available at a discount.

Oh nice! I'll have to check em out asap.

[slowmover]

Talk to the folks at etrailer.

Raising the trailer worsens COG (potentially a big deal), and one should be careful about tongue weight with a load onboard. The "reason" pickups are popular as work vehicles is that the payload capacity is generous, and it is easy to re-distribute TW with a weight distribution hitch (spreading a few hundred pounds across three axles, versus the load being on one AND the steer axle becoming too light).

I am not saying your vehicle cannot do it. It is just more work (or more than one trip) to get it right, to keep things within bounds.

Frankly, your new pickup is the easiest way to maximize work capacity at a lowered fuel cost over most "work vehicles". My CTD does not notice payloads of 1k lbs (except in stop & go), and I have seen a highway average of 18-mpg + (1,500-miles) with U-Hauls largest enclosed trailer (12x6x6).

Looks like you've a good mix of vehicles to work with.

.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Talk to the folks at etrailer.

Raising the trailer worsens COG (potentially a big deal), and one should be careful about tongue weight with a load onboard. The "reason" pickups are popular as work vehicles is that the payload capacity is generous, and it is easy to re-distribute TW with a weight distribution hitch (spreading a few hundred pounds across three axles, versus the load being on one AND the steer axle becoming too light).

I am not saying your vehicle cannot do it. It is just more work (or more than one trip) to get it right, to keep things within bounds.

Frankly, your new pickup is the easiest way to maximize work capacity at a lowered fuel cost over most "work vehicles". My CTD does not notice payloads of 1k lbs (except in stop & go), and I have seen a highway average of 18-mpg + (1,500-miles) with U-Hauls largest enclosed trailer (12x6x6).

Looks like you've a good mix of vehicles to work with.

.

Thanks for the input

[freebeard]

Do you have any way to draw that design suggestion?

Too many. I tried a 3D program and got hung up on making the boat.

I tried Photochopping your posted picture, but the hitch is cut off it the best view and it looked like cr@p.

I could draw a sketch and scan it, or just do a cross-section of the floor in Photoshop; but I'm not sure it's worth it.

How far is it from the winch post to the end of the trailer frame, and what is the length of the boat?

Turn the boat upside down and put it's bow *on* the winch post. Level it up in back and take a pic. Given that, I'd add in a deck that mimics the curve of the gunwales, and fill in a railing or wall in between.

Can you imagine that?

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Edit: Looks like aerohead didn't respond in this thread. Here's his thread and an hot-linked pic. http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ta-t-7839.html
Reversing the boat is more aerodynamic, but you lose any opportunity for a tailgate.

[Frank Lee]

Throw the trailer frame away and put the axle and hitch on the boat.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Too many. I tried a 3D program and got hung up on making the boat.

I tried Photochopping your posted picture, but the hitch is cut off it the best view and it looked like cr@p.

I could draw a sketch and scan it, or just do a cross-section of the floor in Photoshop; but I'm not sure it's worth it.

How far is it from the winch post to the end of the trailer frame, and what is the length of the boat?

Turn the boat upside down and put it's bow *on* the winch post. Level it up in back and take a pic. Given that, I'd add in a deck that mimics the curve of the gunwales, and fill in a railing or wall in between.

Can you imagine that?

---------

Edit: Looks like aerohead didn't respond in this thread. Here's his thread and an hot-linked pic. http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ta-t-7839.html
Reversing the boat is more aerodynamic, but you lose any opportunity for a tailgate.

the boat is 14'. I need it to be this long for the application I'm using it for. I'm not getting a good picture of what you're talking about, but I'll be thinking about it.

[freebeard]

Frank Lee -- throw away the axle, put a [retractable] single caster wheel pointed up on the bow and add two bumper clamps to the transom. Turn it upside down to make a single wheel correctly boat-tailed trailer.

mikeyjd -- I've got a lot on my plate right now. Like, breakfast. For now, just forget everything I said and consider my reply to Mr. Lee. It solves the air-gap problem pretty neatly, but any cargo would have to be lashed down below the benches before you turn the boat over.

[Frank Lee]

That'd be swell aero and weight, might have maneuverability issues.

[freebeard]

You're taking me seriously? OK.

Transom is pinned to pivoting clamps that stay on the bumper. Black snap-on tonneau cover so it doesn't fill up with brush and road-kill. The caster wheel is on a large block that clips into the tip of the bow to spread stress over a large, fairly strong part of the hull.

Maneuverability issues? It's a trai-ler. The big problem with single wheel trailers is they swing wide on corners (esp. 14' ones) but the pointy end is at the back. You'd have to mock it up.

[Frank Lee]

Yes, I thought of it too and have long been curious about them. They are always pretty stubby though, for good reason. Imagine being parked curbside with this and trying to pull into the street.