New and learning (preparing Geo Metro to tow streamlined ultralite trailer)

[Sandy St. Louis]

Having read so often the ways and means of driving in a ecomanner I have Joined and have been preparing a long range travel RV system and hope to get advice on airo mods for the unit . My RV will be a tow vehicle and a towed ultralite ,the tug is a fully rebuilt 1990 geo metro b10 engine c/w xfi cam bored 20 over and 410 transaxle. The rims and tires have been upgraded to 13" giving an 8% higher gearing. The trailer is a selfbuilt modified teardrop using torsion box trusses for the sides and trying to be very light. The wieght is not known as of yet as I'm in the process of finishing the lights and will tow to a scale very shortly. The frontal area of the trailer 4' wide by just under 5' high. The width is within the cars but the hieght is 8" higher with the front top of the trailer having a 24" radious. The car hitch is adjustable in length from 18" between car and trailer to 36". This hitch is at present the only mod so far. It is my hope that members will give input on Ecomods for this combination. I expect the trailer to wiegh in around 400lbs. A planned 7000mile trip is in the near future and should be a good test.

[ecomodded]

I am from Vancouver island as well and hey Welcome to the site !
Your RV sounds great , I bet you will also be traveling long distances between gas fill ups.

When you get enough posts, post up a photo of your set up, Your trailer sounds sweet.

[euromodder]

Welcome to ecomodder.
I guess we need / want to see pics of it to see if there's potential for improvement.

You'll need more posts to post a link (anti-spammer thing) but if you have pics online somewhere, you could post the URL without the http: // and www. parts.


By your description, you seem to have taken a good start though.
Light & none too big .
Radiused top.
Ideally, all trailer corners (front and sides) should be radiused but that isn't always easy.
Plastic drainage pipe - either faired in or cut in half to make it flush with a side - can be used, and can be made to serve as additional storage.


For fuel economy, the gap between towing vehicle and trailer needs to be reduced or even filled in somehow to prevent crossflow through the gap - horizontally and vertically.
There are a few threads on using aerodynamic trailers to reduce overall vehicle drag, like Phil's Toyota pick up thread :
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ta-t-7839.html
Or BamZipPow's trailer project :
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ler-26997.html

You'll get lots of ideas going through these


Reducing the gap horizontally can be done by putting vertical plates on the hitch - one big plate on the hitch centreline acting as a barrier , or multiple smaller plates mounted on the front of the trailer that capture an air bubble that does more or less the same.