RV-12 Trailer Size

[DonFromTX]

I like that idea a lot. I was going to haul my wings leading edge down on the sides of the plane. I like this idea far better.

[Buzz J]

Many thanks for the details and pics! Very, very helpful!

[brian]

Originally Posted by E. D. Eliot

A few years ago, I broached the subject of a trailer to a few Van's employees and they suggested that i didn't really want a trailer after all and basically to forget the idea. It was made clear to me that Van's wasn't interested. It's a shame to waste the wings removable feature of the 12. I'll bet that that feature cost Van's a ton of $$$ during the design stage of the 12.

I don't know if I would have purchased an RV-12 kit without the removable wings feature. That feature makes the RV-12 affordable to me as hanger rents here in Taxufornia are through the roof. A trailer at $8-9K would be paid for here in a couple years of hanger rent at the local airport.

Hoping that someone will offer a trailer for sale that will work for the RV-12 without damaging it. I really don't want to be the one who builds the first really good RV-12 trailer.

Same here. After I sold my -7A, I was going to build a -12, until I found out about the trailer situation. As you said, it was a shame to waste the engineering that went into making wings removable/trailerable. Van's told me they didn't have the interest after the -12 came out, because they say the vast majority of -12 builders don't care about the removable wings & trailering. It's clear from this thread, and several other "-12 trailers" threads over the last few years, that there are some with quite an interest in trailering.

When I retire to my house in Kalifornia (after I sell all my guns that'll be illegal there), I'll probably go with Aerostar because they provide for the trailer option. I've already talked to people at some airports there about the idea of keeping the trailer at the airport as a portable "hangar". I could also probably fit it into my back yard.

Funny thing about the Aerostar trailer, though, is that it is not what people on these "-12 trailer" threads say is needed - a light, lightly sprung trailer designed for 800 pounds, not 6000. What people say we need, and I'd agree, is a trailer like a sailplane trailer - light and lightly sprung, and that can be towed with a car. The Aerostar trailer is every bit as stiff as a car hauler. It's also as heavy as a car hauler, and thus needs a big truck to pull it. I imagine it has the same suspension as a car hauler. I know it's so stiff you can't make it move up & down with your body weight at all. The Aerostar people claim it transports the Aerostar without any problems, though.

[kevinl4000]

Synergy Air indicated that they were working on a RV-12 trailer design. Has anyone followed up on their progress?

[Driftdown]

Originally Posted by brian

Same here. After I sold my -7A, I was going to build a -12, until I found out about the trailer situation. As you said, it was a shame to waste the engineering that went into making wings removable/trailerable. Van's told me they didn't have the interest after the -12 came out, because they say the vast majority of -12 builders don't care about the removable wings & trailering. It's clear from this thread, and several other "-12 trailers" threads over the last few years, that there are some with quite an interest in trailering.

When I retire to my house in Kalifornia (after I sell all my guns that'll be illegal there), I'll probably go with Aerostar because they provide for the trailer option. I've already talked to people at some airports there about the idea of keeping the trailer at the airport as a portable "hangar". I could also probably fit it into my back yard.

Funny thing about the Aerostar trailer, though, is that it is not what people on these "-12 trailer" threads say is needed - a light, lightly sprung trailer designed for 800 pounds, not 6000. What people say we need, and I'd agree, is a trailer like a sailplane trailer - light and lightly sprung, and that can be towed with a car. The Aerostar trailer is every bit as stiff as a car hauler. It's also as heavy as a car hauler, and thus needs a big truck to pull it. I imagine it has the same suspension as a car hauler. I know it's so stiff you can't make it move up & down with your body weight at all. The Aerostar people claim it transports the Aerostar without any problems, though.

Check this out.
Price quoted does not include an electric winch.
There is an entry door at the forward r/h side.

http://www.aerotrek.aero/trailers.htm

[brian]

Yes, that's the trailer I was describing in my post. I've seen it in person at AirVenture. They say it works fine for them, but it's no lightweight. Seems to be the only game in town at this point.

[brian]

Originally Posted by kevinl4000

Synergy Air indicated that they were working on a RV-12 trailer design. Has anyone followed up on their progress?

I just posted a query on their website, and they replied with this info:

Hi Brian -

Thanks for your interest! We haven't officially released it yet, but here is a preview of what we are working on:

We have a lightweight, open flatbed trailer designed for the size and weight of the RV-12 with dual axel, electric brakes and E-track attachments for tie-down. It is built by a professional trailer builder and exclusively offered by Synergy Air. The cost will be aprox $6500.

We designed it for transporting the RV12 SLSAs and ours has worked well for us here at Synergy Air.

If you are interested, please let me know.

-Kaitlyn
Synergy Air

[Dex]

I think the purpose of the trailer would dictate some of the specs. Is it just to move the aircraft off the field and into a garage at home, or is it also the off-field storage shed for the aircraft. RV-12's aren't all that heavy, easily within the reach of most full size cars and light trucks. I poked around and found this post about a trailer for a belite (http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2010/...ltralight.html) which seems like a good approach for local transportation. I don't know if I would trailer it backwards for long distances in the open like that... more research would be necessary. The challenge would be the mains... Trike vs. taildrager. The mains would be right between the wheels (roughly) on the trailer.

Starting with a boat trailer has the advantage that the axles are already offset (boats are tail heavy)... The CG is forward on on an airplane, which works if you plan to tow it backwards I guess. I would think an open trailer would be lighter as well (vs a car hauler with a heavy wooden or steel deck).

I think you could work the design some to get the aircraft main gear between the trailer axles without too much work.

Darrin

[NCGAPilot]

I'll be honest, I want an aircraft I can trailer very often. I have no real intentions of being put on a waiting list for a hanger and I don't want to leave my aircraft out on a tie down where it'll be exposed. Also I will be building a garage in order to work on an RV-12 at home, and I'd like to be able to store the RV-12 at home when it's not in use.

My goal is to load the RV-12 up on the trailer, go to my local airport, unload it, put the wings on, go fly for a couple of hours, land, load the aircraft back up onto the trailer and drive it back home.

[NASA515]

Good for you, NCGA pilot! I'm with 'ya, man.

The airplane was designed to be trailered and kept at home. If I had completed my building at home in the garage, I would have shaved a fast 50% - maybe more - off my build time. A huge amount of frustration, and delay, and the costs of gasoline going to and from the airport - saved. Always tools in the wrong place. My hangar either too hot or cold, but mostly cold, wet, dark. It didn't make my "journey" half the fun......

What you want to do - I want to do. I think this was Dick's vision too, early on. Too bad, Vans has stepped away from this vision, and done little to support the removable wings and the trailering option. I had a nice boat for 25 years - and when I went to the boat shows, they'd ask me where I moored my boat - I'd smilingly say "In my garage", which led to a blank stare. And, that's where it was "moored" - for 25 years. Quite satisfactorily. I sold it before my hip replacement - and still kick myself for it.

Maybe Synergy will step up to the plate. Aerotrek has.

I have a big three bay garage - with a big center RV (Recreational Vehicle) bay. It could be a "Van's RV" bay. If it was, I could save substantial bucks, but especially, I could work on it easily and much more conveniently. No more "I HAVE that tool, but it's at home" I have the same problem when I'm home, when "that tool" is at the hangar. My airplane would be better built, better maintained, and much more available to do whatever is required. A better work environment. A better airplane.

There's been a lot of recent hand-wringing about the state of the LSA industry, and the low costs that turned out to be high costs. This is one of the factors. All the airplanes I considered had folding wings (or removable in the case of Vans.)

If I could make it work, I'd keep my airplane at home. Don't give up the fight.

Bob Bogash
N737G