Home Made Covered Utility Trailer Project

[mikeyjd]

So I found this nasty old aluminum boat and trailer on CL for cheap and I'm considering buying it to turn it into a shallow/long covered trailer for work (flooring installations). The trailer would be ideal in length 14' (I need 12' minimum for rolls of vinyl) and my hope is that it will be light enough for my Festiva to haul around with a medium load (1,000 lbs or so). Any thoughts?

[GRU]

I had a Festiva and I would have to say adding another 1000 lbs would be very hard on the engine and trans. I just picked up a Harbor Freight 4x8 flatbed trailer and it's going to weigh about 300 lbs once I finish it, maybe you could pick up one of them and make it work or find a way to get rid of some metal off that trailer to make it lighter.

[Frank Lee]

That lil boat trailer doesn't look to be much or any heavier than a Harbor Fright unit. If you are accel/decel/cruising slowly and gently I think it'll all hold up.

If you put four 250 lb guys in the car, that's 1000 lbs. No, that will not break the car.

[user removed]

Stick the boat stern first on the trailer, get it (the transom area) as close to the rear of your car as possible and it should be very aero.


regards
Mech

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Stick the boat stern first on the trailer, get it (the transom area) as close to the rear of your car as possible and it should be very aero.


regards
Mech

lol i was actually thinking this as well. What do you think about raising it up a couple inches to try to catch the air flow better? Do you think it's possible that the overall fe could be improved given the lowered cd, even after factoring in the added weight and rolling resistance? I suppose it probably would have allot to do with the speed and how much highway vs city driving was done with it.

Can anyone recommend a good hitch option for my Festiva? I want something that will be able to tow this without being the weak link, but also don't want to spend a ton for something overkill.

[Frank Lee]

I haven't bought a great deal of hitches in my life, but I am satisfied with the one I got from U-Haul.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I haven't bought a great deal of hitches in my life, but I am satisfied with the one I got from U-Haul.

Thanks. I will check them out.

[freebeard]

What year/horsepower Festiva? I have a car about the same size and U-Haul can't help me. Our local Hitch-Pro quotes $550 for a hitch with the features I'd want. A lot of welders won't touch hitches for liability reasons.

Even though the reversed boat would form a boat-tail; aero trailers need a wedge shaped front to accommodate turns anyway, so I'd just lift the boat and turn it over and treat the transom as a Kamm-back. Skin the top of the frame with 1/4" ply and the bottom with 1/8" and fill the cavities with foam to get a stiff floor with least weight; and add a 1 1/2-2' wall to get some space inside.

[Frank Lee]

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

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by freebeard

What year/horsepower Festiva? I have a car about the same size and U-Haul can't help me. Our local Hitch-Pro quotes $550 for a hitch with the features I'd want. A lot of welders won't touch hitches for liability reasons.

Even though the reversed boat would form a boat-tail; aero trailers need a wedge shaped front to accommodate turns anyway, so I'd just lift the boat and turn it over and treat the transom as a Kamm-back. Skin the top of the frame with 1/4" ply and the bottom with 1/8" and fill the cavities with foam to get a stiff floor with least weight; and add a 1 1/2-2' wall to get some space inside.

Do you have any way to draw that design suggestion?