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RV-12 Trailer

J

Jim Bar

I'm New Here
I have been searching for some time now for a light weight trailer (preferrably enclosed) to haul my RV-12 N475JB to and from the airport behind my 3500 lb tow rated Honda Odyssey. I will be keeping my plane at home.

The only thing I keep finding is heavy duty haulers for race cars/etc that are way too heavy.

Van's says there are 30 RV-12's flying now so there must be someone that is using a trailer to do what I want to do.

My airplane has its special airworthiness certificate and needs a way to get it to and from the airport.
 
Slightly custom trailers...

Besides being a future RV-10 guy (Santa should be bringing my tail kit this year), I am an RC guy. It seems that there are some parallels to our hobbies.

There are a few trailer shops out there that actually build the trailers rather than resell them. There's one in Ohio like this and I'll try to find the name for you. These folks are used to modding the standard "landscaper" box trailers (ramp door in back) for giant scale RC guys all the time. Heavily sprung landscaper trailers bounce around too much and sometimes destroy these models no matter how you strap them in. These folks in Ohio pull out a couple leaves in the spring assemblies to make them softer sprung so the planes don't get wrecked.

For a while, when I was working for Aircraft International, we had a professional model builder in the Ohio area ordering trailers for our friends locally and bringing them to Toledo Expo for us to ferry back. I got to see a few nice ones that others ordered too.

One idea you may consider if you go this route is to get a "canopy sub-floor" added. They build up the floor like a plywood studded wall with a mini ramp made out of diamond plate hinged to the back open end. Your canopy poles go under the floor. If you want shade out where you are working, you can pop out your Sam's club canopy poles from under the sub-floor and you're in business in no time.

I'm sure if you look around locally you could find one of these trailer shops. If all else fails, ask your local landscapers.
 
Jim Bar, The topic of trailers for RV12 has already been discussed in this forum. I have posted the links, hope they help.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=53161&highlight=trailer

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=33597&highlight=trailer

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=21396&highlight=trailer

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=12312&highlight=trailer

.... hope the links work, .....i'm not to good at this techno stuff. If they dont work, just put "trailer" into the search and they will come up ......Marcus.
 
Thanks Marcus for all the threads. They did work and I have reviewed them all.

The bottom line is..... has anyone used all this info and now have a trailer they are using to haul their RV-12 to the airport and back?

During my RV-12 construction I viewed most of these threads and was hoping Van's was going to come up with either a trailer or a kit for one.

RV-12 N475JB
 
more links & update to question

Here are some more related links, to complete the list:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=58191&highlight=trailer

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=45484&highlight=trailer

and wing removal:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=44803&highlight=rv-12+trailer

I've been strongly considering a RV-12. For me, a big feature of it is the removable wings, described by Van's thusly:

The wings are quickly and easily removable. Using methods proven over decades in high-performance sailplanes, two people can have the wings off an RV-12 in less than five minutes, making the airplane easy to transport on a trailer and keep off-airport.

Well, I ASSumed of course that meant "easily transporting the plane on a trailer and keeping it off-airport" was actually feasible. From reading all these threads (mostly older, from around 2008), it seems to me there are 2 distinct types of RV-12 people; those who hangar the plane at an airport and plan to make little or no use of the "removable wings" feature, and those who would like to use the feature, but are finding that a design to actually transport (particularly any distance) and store the plane off-airport is proving to be more difficult than designing the plane.

Several people have indicated desires like mine - to essentially treat the RV-12 like a glider (as I assumed from Van's description was feasible).

Glider people at my airport (VSF) and other local airports routinely transport their glider cross-country for events, and they keep their gliders stored and protected in their trailers, either at home or at the airport. If I could do that, then I could sell my hangar. Being bi-coastal, it would also allow me to take the plane to Southern California for half the year and be able to use and store the plane there; a major reason I decided a -12 would be better for me than a -7. Hangars are expensive and/or difficult to get into in many places; impossible and/or insanely expensive in or around Orange County, CA.

Yet, it appears that (especially with the problems of accomodating the wide wheel stance and horizontal stabilizer) this is still in the "ideas-only" stage. Quite surprising and quite disappointing. I'm going to have to reconsider my RV-12 purchase until trailering one becomes feasible. I hope someone can come up with a design that actually works. Cost isn't even that much of an issue for me, not because I'm wealthy, which I'm not, but because I figure any good trailer design that lets me repeatedly transport it safely across the country and store it safely and securely is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than any hangar anywhere.

For me, I'd want a trailer that not only transports the plane, but also provides secure storage, just like I see with all the glider people. I certainly wouldn't want to trailer the plane home, take it out of the trailer, put it in the garage, then pull it out, reload it, and take it back to the airport to fly it. I want something I can LEAVE the plane in, safely and securely from weather or people, either at home or at an airport that allows such trailer storage.

Is anyone producing anything like this? Apparently not - but I sure hope that changes. I'll be watching and hoping. It seems there's a fair amount of demand for this, and for me it's the practical application of the easily removable wings. Otherwise, why have removable wings?
 
trailers

Quite a few manufacturers offer custom built trailers. The one for my mobile hose shop was built in south Georgia, but I'm sure that there are alot of companies out there that do them.
Keep in mind that the RV12 is almost 20 feet long, which will put you in either a 7 foot wide or a 8 1/2 foot wide, double axle. All aluminum trailers are lightweight, but are costly. Ours is a heavy duty enclosed version, 18 feet long, with a ramp door. The frame is built like the car haulers;very solid. My suburban knows its back there!!!! So, a Honda Odessy will certainly strain.
If you are serious about a trailer, you might make sure that you have a good truck to pull it with.
Also, a trailer like this will need a class 3 hitch, which your Odessy probably will not accomodate. Ebay usually has some pretty good deals on trailers, both used and new. And, with the soft market, you can probably get one fairly reasonable.

Good idea though on marketing a trailer to store and tow an RV12!
Tom
 
I'm looking into asking MM what they can do. How wide and what height is the horizontal stabilizer that needs to be taken into account? I understand from the previous posts in other threads that the wheel width that needs to be accommodated is 84". Correct?
 
unenclosed trailer

FYI - for those who don't care about the trailer being fully enclosed, for the occasional or one-time move, the answer is simple. Just use a wide snowmobile trailer. That's what I used to transport my RV-7A to the hangar. It's plenty wide, even for a RV-7A, and the bed tips up, making loading very easy. It also has rubber torsion suspension and is designed for the weight of a a couple snowmobiles; about the weight of an RV-12.

RVmoving1.jpg


RVmoving2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Trailering Your Aircraft

brian said:
Here are some more related links, to complete the list:

I've been strongly considering a RV-12. For me, a big feature of it is the removable wings, described by Van's thusly:

The wings are quickly and easily removable. Using methods proven over decades in high-performance sailplanes, two people can have the wings off an RV-12 in less than five minutes, making the airplane easy to transport on a trailer and keep off-airport.

Well, I ASSumed of course that meant "easily transporting the plane on a trailer and keeping it off-airport" was actually feasible. From reading all these threads (mostly older, from around 2008), it seems to me there are 2 distinct types of RV-12 people; those who hangar the plane at an airport and plan to make little or no use of the "removable wings" feature, and those who would like to use the feature, but are finding that a design to actually transport (particularly any distance) and store the plane off-airport is proving to be more difficult than designing the plane.

Several people have indicated desires like mine - to essentially treat the RV-12 like a glider (as I assumed from Van's description was feasible).

Glider people at my airport (VSF) and other local airports routinely transport their glider cross-country for events, and they keep their gliders stored and protected in their trailers, either at home or at the airport. If I could do that, then I could sell my hangar. Being bi-coastal, it would also allow me to take the plane to Southern California for half the year and be able to use and store the plane there; a major reason I decided a -12 would be better for me than a -7. Hangars are expensive and/or difficult to get into in many places; impossible and/or insanely expensive in or around Orange County, CA.

Yet, it appears that (especially with the problems of accomodating the wide wheel stance and horizontal stabilizer) this is still in the "ideas-only" stage. Quite surprising and quite disappointing. I'm going to have to reconsider my RV-12 purchase until trailering one becomes feasible. I hope someone can come up with a design that actually works. Cost isn't even that much of an issue for me, not because I'm wealthy, which I'm not, but because I figure any good trailer design that lets me repeatedly transport it safely across the country and store it safely and securely is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than any hangar anywhere.

For me, I'd want a trailer that not only transports the plane, but also provides secure storage, just like I see with all the glider people. I certainly wouldn't want to trailer the plane home, take it out of the trailer, put it in the garage, then pull it out, reload it, and take it back to the airport to fly it. I want something I can LEAVE the plane in, safely and securely from weather or people, either at home or at an airport that allows such trailer storage.

Is anyone producing anything like this? Apparently not - but I sure hope that changes. I'll be watching and hoping. It seems there's a fair amount of demand for this, and for me it's the practical application of the easily removable wings. Otherwise, why have removable wings?
Click to expand...

Having owned a Europa Mono Wheel Motor Glider I will speak from a small bit of experience in trailering an aircraft. The Europe being an English designed aircraft was built so that it could be trailered and operated off of, in some cases a cow pasture, minimum improved airstrips and to allow one to stop at the car gas pump on the way to the airport to fill up and in general lower the extremely high cost for flying in England. There is a Europa forum available in the Matronix list of forums. I suggest you go and sign up there and search and read up on their trailering posts.

For over 2 years I trailered from my home to McCollum airport in Atlanta. It was a 30 minute drive and required 1 hour before I could get airborne. I keep the aircraft in my garage because I couldn't get any affordable hangar space in the Atlanta area at the time. After the 2 years I finally found affordable space at Stockmar 20GA. It was a one hour drive and usually took me 30 minutes before I could get airborne. So in this example you can see the time required before I could fly is the same. So from a time to fly perspective their wasn't any benefit. If was easier to work on the plane because it was home every night in your garage. You have the luxury of purchasing fuel at the local ethanol free gas station.

It's a cool neighbor factor when one keeps their flyable aircraft at home. I had a Europa factory built/sold trailer made for my specifically aircraft nothing home grown. It was not uncommon to get some sorta of trailer rash when trailering. It was fun to see the cars pass you and all the kids in the passing car would look and point as you went down the road towing your aircraft.

The trailers that you see in the glider community are exceptional for their specific aircraft. I have never seen anyone make a really good Europa trailer similar in design that came close to what the glider community utilizes. This is not to say it can't be done, but I never saw one.

One thing you have to keep in mind is your aircraft is not meant to be bounced a lot when we fly. Sure the occasional landing bounce but nothing like driving down the road in our cars. I was very aware of every bump in the road when I was trailering my Europa. Even with an excellent suspension on a trailer you will get bounced around. Don't believe me...go stand up in a trailer and let someone drive you down the road and see how much you get bounced around as apposed to setting in your car driving the same route. Trust me it will be a rough ride for your aircraft, and the last thing you will want to do is expose your baby to that kind of bouncing around. I will post a couple of pics in another post. Needless to say I vote for a hangar but trailering can be done.
 
brian said:
FYI - for those who don't care about the trailer being fully enclosed, for the occasional or one-time move, the answer is simple. Just use a wide snowmobile trailer. That's what I used to transport by RV-7A to the hangar. It's plenty wide, even for a RV-7A, and the bed tips up, making loading very easy. It also has rubber torsion suspension and is designed for the weight of a a couple snowmobiles; about the weight of an RV-12.

Actually, a complete RV-12 fuselage without its wings weighs less than a lot of snowmobiles (which average about 600 lbs) so it much less than the two snowmobiles that the trailer suspension is designed for. That doesn't mean it couldn't be used with care for a one time transport, but it probably should not be used on a regular basis (see below)

N42AH said:
One thing you have to keep in mind is your aircraft is not meant to be bounced a lot when we fly. Sure the occasional landing bounce but nothing like driving down the road in our cars. I was very aware of every bump in the road when I was trailering my Europa. Even with an excellent suspension on a trailer you will get bounced around. Don't believe me...go stand up in a trailer and let someone drive you down the road and see how much you get bounced around as apposed to setting in your car driving the same route. Trust me it will be a rough ride for your aircraft, and the last thing you will want to do is expose your baby to that kind of bouncing around. I will post a couple of pics in another post. Needless to say I vote for a hangar but trailering can be done.
Click to expand...

Steve is right on the mark.
Anyone considering building/buying a trailer to haul their RV-12 on a regular basis needs to be sure the trailer manufacturer is able to build it with a soft ride suspension designed to the specification of how much the empty trailer will weigh plus the weight of the airplane inside.
Example...If you purchase a 20 ft tandem axle car hauling trailer and adapt it for hauling the RV-12, it will pound the airplane to death...even on the smoothest roads. That trailer has a suspension designed for the weight of a 4500 pound car inside. With an RV-12 inside (only 750 lbs), the ride will be like there is no suspension on the trailer at all.

Bottom line....make sure any trailer you use is purpose designed/built or has been appropriately modified for the (not much) amount of weight you will be hauling in it.
Click to expand...
 
Europa Trailer Pics

Europa on Trailer without wings in wing saddles

PB260002.jpg


View of wings on trailer and wing spar attachment point
PA040033.jpg


Looking forward from rear of trailer


PA040030.jpg


Full view of aircraft on trailer...BTW this is the new owner getting ready to drive the aircraft to Austin, Tx



PA040029.jpg


Trailer without aircraft

CopyofPB260004.jpg


Close up view of trailer hitch

PC030006.jpg
 
bummer

I looked into the trailers for the Aerotrek planes listed in the preovious post, and have sent them a query about the trailers. Their planes look pretty good, too, and I'm now considering one of them. I'll let you know what I hear back from them about the trailers.

Unfortunately, the news on the trailer front is still pretty disappointing.

I also sent some queries to MM Fabrication, mentioned a couple messages back. Mark Mocho from MM replied with this info:

I read the VAF trailer thread and I agree with the comments that car haulers are too much, snowmobile and landscaping trailers are too little. Unfortunately, I don't have anything that is "just right." (Sorry Goldilocks)

The glider trailers I build are much smaller in profile and that is how they maintain their strength and rigidity. The aluminum skin is attached to preformed aluminum ribs creating a stressed skin monocoque structure. As the size goes up, the strength goes down. I built one very large trailer (6 ft wide, 6 ft tall) several years ago and I was not satisfied at all. The thing wobbled badly and formed stress cracks everywhere. Now, it is used only for storage and VERY short trips.

Designing a totally new trailer is not cost effective without a sufficient market. If there is enough interest, I might consider it, but the price is likely to be prohibitive.

So, no joy there.

I've also emailed Van's and asked them about the trailer situation from their point of view. I'll let you know the results of that when I find out.
 
Bummer 2

Yep, I got the same reply to my inquiry from MM. See below:

I have discontinued the rigging cart pending a possible redesign. In the meantime, I recommend Steve Koerner's unit at www.wingrigger.com.

I have not produced a trailer for the RV aircraft simply because it is beyond the scope of what I do. A sailplane trailer is much smaller in profile, while the RV is much wider and taller.

If there was sufficient demand, I could consider examining the prospect, but the engineering costs may be prohibitive and the trailer might become rather expensive. As a guide, I am quoting $300 per foot for a "normal" glider trailer that is less than half the size needed for a 7 foot wide 8.5 foot tall RV-12.

Also, the construction method I use (a rigid monocoque stressed skin over pre formed aluminum ribs) is not stiff enough laterally in larger sizes. The trailer literally shakes side to side unacceptably. Therefore, a steel box section frame would be required, meaning the design has to start from scratch.
"​
:(
 
not looking good

and here's the reply from Van's:

Brian, We initially did some research into a trailer but the demand simply hasn't been adquate to persue it further. I suspect that those interested in a trailer will probably modify an exsisting trailer or have one custom built.

Horizontal stab is 96". Vertical stab is a bit under
8' but it's height is variable depending on how you position the nose wheel.


I'd say we're pretty much SOL on the trailer front. I guess it's "roll yer own".

I realize it's heresy here, but that AeroTrek is looking better all the time; about the same specs as the RV-12, same engine, has a trailer that the distributor claims works great with it, 1-person folding wings, and comes already built. It's about $17K difference in price in an apples-to-apples configuration comparison, but then you'd have to take the cost of an RV-12 paint job off that $17k, because it also comes painted. That 17k also includes Garmin 696 vs 496 in RV-12. And there's a BRS option for it, too, for another $5k.

Still pondering actions & no rush needed on it. Maybe ITMT, someone will come up with an actual trailer that actually works in this application.
 
Ideas for RV-12 trailer

I've built several glider trailers, and I've thought some about an RV-12 trailer.

The MM trailer concept isn't the best configuration, for exactly the reasons that Mike Mocho said. The monocouque construction will be overtaxed.

What you want is more like the trailers that are used for Schweizer 1-26 gliders. They use steel truss side rails to get the strength and stiffness and support all the mounting fixtures, then some have a non-structural enclosure fairing over them. Most are left open. I would think that the RV-12 folks would want it enclosed. The Schweizer 1-26 also has an 8-foot stabilizer, and it is not removed for trailering. Protecting and enclosing the stabilizer will be one of the main design features of an RV-12 trailer. This can be done with two "dog houses" on the sides at the back - the whole trailer doesn't necessarily have to be that wide.

The other design feature will be accommodating the wide wheel track. It might work out OK to get the c.g. in the right place on the trailer while keeping the airplane wheels behind the trailer wheels. That would be easiest.

The trailer shown here for the Europa is interesting, very tidy and efficient, but it would be difficult to put an enclosure on a trailer of this concept.

Scott's comments about suspension are right-on. This is also why the trailer can be light enough to tow with a normal car - no need for class 3 hitches, tandem axles, Suburbans. The trailer has to be light. The whole package, airplane plus trailer is going to weigh 1200-1400 lb or so. A tongue surge brake would be nice, but not strictly necessary.

This is all very doable,
 
trailer info from the Aerotrek people - part 1

you wrote...
> The trailer is an important part of the package for me. I?d be wanting to take advantage of the ?portable hangar? concept. I?d also be trailering the plane between NH and Southern California twice a year, so a very smooth ride for the plane is very important to me. One thing I?ve read repeatedly regarding trailers for these planes is that the suspension for most enclosed trailers big enough to put an LSA plane into is designed for hauling a much heavier car, and will give a light plane a very rough ride and damage it.

Nope. This isn't true at all. Now, some very heavy open trailer (such as designed for hauling backhoes and tractors and things) do tend to be rather heavily suspended and so they might give a somewhat rough ride (though about 3 years ago I bought a heavy tandem axle trailer for my son for general heavy hauling, with an eye to borrowing-back the trailer occasionally if needed for hauling one of our airplanes around on an open trailer for a short distance -- and even this heavy trailer does not have a "rough ride").

The premium-quality enclosed trailers have excellent axles and suspension and give a very cushy ride. I know this from enormous personal experience (since 1993) and a good number of our customers have bought these large enclosed trailers to haul their planes around and they work just great. When leaving odds and ends just laying loose in the trailer, after a 1,000 mile trip to Florida (or wherever) things normally haven't even shifted or scooted (well, unless somebody hit the brakes real hard, of course). The "ride" is outstanding with these trailers.

> The United Trailers trailer, with dual 5200# axles, seems to fit into that category, although the total empty trailer weight is not mentioned on your site.

The United Trailers trailer does have dual 5200# axles, but it has a butter-smooth ride. The empty trailers weighs about 4500#

you wrote...
> The Classic Trailers trailer, with dual 2500# axles and an empty weight of 3380, would seem to be designed for 1620 pounds of cargo, nearly 1000# more than the plane?s weight. Are lower-rated axles, say 2000# or something between 2000 and 2500, available for that trailer?

I really can't recommend the Classic trailer. It is a clever design and is a lighter trailer and lighter-duty, but it uses smaller-diameter tires and wheels (and a smaller rolling-radius is what really CAN give you a hard jostle when hitting holes and things, while a larger tire rolls over things much more smoothly). The Classic trailer uses lighter-duty axles (not as cushy a ride...) and the main problem is that the Classic trailer floor is quite a bit higher than the floor on the United Trailer trailer -- which makes loading/unloading more of a chore and a bit worrisome (steeper ramp angle and all that). The United Trailer is the best enclosed trailer for our planes for a number of reasons.

you wrote...
> Are the suspensions on these trailers leaf spring or rubber torsion? I understand torsion suspensions will give a much smoother ride.

The trailers we get have the most expensive axles (I think they are "Dexter" or something like that) and I don't know what the suspension is (torsion-flex? some name like that) but all I know is that it is the very best (and only a few hundred dollars more expensive than cheaper axles that we could specify) and worth the money. Durability, great tracking and stability (even at 90 mph...) (with an appropriate vehicle) and cushy ride is what we get.

you wrote...
> Does either trailer have shock absorbers or are they available as an option?

I don't know how these trailers/axles are designed regarding shock absorption (nobody has ever asked and I've not slide under a trailer to look at how they are built) but these United (and similar premium) trailers have really great shock absorption (even though I don't know if it is through shock absorbers, per se, or if this is all built somehow into the fancy axles used on these sorts of trailers.

Remember, these are dual-axle trailers. Part of the benefit of the dual axle thing is to spread the load and spread the "bumps" from the road, and this is part of the reason why these big, rather heavy enclosed trailers can provide a truly "cushy" ride for the trailer and the cargo. (a single axle trailer is a whole different matter -- and even though a single axle trailer can do OK, it can't begin to compare to the side of cushy ride and safety of a premium dual-axle trailer)
 
trailer info from the Aerotrek people - part 2

you wrote...
> Does either trailer have electric brakes as an option?

All dual-axle trailers must have "trailer brakes" as a standard feature. They are electric and work great. (in Europe and some other countries, I have seen some trailers that use a hydraulic linkage for the trailer brakes, and this is OK I guess, but the sophisticated electric trailer brakes and the electric "brake controller" that must be installed in the truck/van/whatever provides great braking results and very good safety.

you wrote...
> Are both trailers steel-framed, or is perhaps the Classic trailer aluminum-framed? I?d like the trailer to be as light as possible, so a huge tow vehicle is not required to go with it. Assuming the plane will fit into the Classic trailer, then the United trailer is bigger, and probably much heavier, than I?d need to just haul the plane.

Both trailers are steel-framed.

A trailer this large needs to be somewhat heavy to be stable and safe in winds and (especially) at Interstate highway speeds. A too-light trailer would be very dangerous.

I have a 3/4-ton Chevy Suburban and it pulls the United Trailer trailer effortlessly and up to 90 mph (when on rare occasions zooming up a little faster than I should -- normal Interstate speed is 75 to 80 mph...) is very stable. For any large/long trailer, you must have a sufficiently long/heavy truck or van or whatever to pull it.

A 1/2-ton full-size pickup will tow these big trailers safely up to probably about 70 mph. I'd not want to go faster than 70 mph with just a 1/2-ton truck. It isn't a matter of power -- it is a matter of towing vehicle size (mostly length, but also width) and weight.

With a smaller truck/SUV (such as a Chevy Trailblazer that I owned for a couple of years), I could easily "pull" the United Trailer (power wasn't any real problem) but when getting above 50 mph you could very easily get oscillations and it was just not safe. So... a smaller (shorter/lighter than a full-size 1/2-ton pickup) vehicle is OK with these big trailers up to 50 mph or so, but to go at (70 mph) max Interstate highway speeds, you need a 1/2-ton pickup, and for "unlimited" (well, it seems that way) speed and stability you need a 3/4-ton pickup or SUV.

you wrote...
> What would the Classic trailer cost with winch, guide channel, and all tiedowns necessary for safe transport?

I don't sell the trailers -- I just provide information. You could contact the Classic trailer company to get the most current pricing from them for the trailer. But to add an electric winch and guide rails and tie-downs and other stuff, this is something we can do and parts and labor is about $500.00.
 
scsmith said:
What you want is more like the trailers that are used for Schweizer 1-26 gliders. They use steel truss side rails to get the strength and stiffness and support all the mounting fixtures, then some have a non-structural enclosure fairing over them. Most are left open. I would think that the RV-12 folks would want it enclosed. The Schweizer 1-26 also has an 8-foot stabilizer, and it is not removed for trailering. Protecting and enclosing the stabilizer will be one of the main design features of an RV-12 trailer. This can be done with two "dog houses" on the sides at the back - the whole trailer doesn't necessarily have to be that wide.

The other design feature will be accommodating the wide wheel track. It might work out OK to get the c.g. in the right place on the trailer while keeping the airplane wheels behind the trailer wheels. That would be easiest.

The trailer shown here for the Europa is interesting, very tidy and efficient, but it would be difficult to put an enclosure on a trailer of this concept.

Scott's comments about suspension are right-on. This is also why the trailer can be light enough to tow with a normal car - no need for class 3 hitches, tandem axles, Suburbans. The trailer has to be light. The whole package, airplane plus trailer is going to weigh 1200-1400 lb or so. A tongue surge brake would be nice, but not strictly necessary.

This is all very doable,
Click to expand...

Some really good thoughts, Steve. I'll see if perhaps some of the local glider people have a Schweizer 1-26trailer like you described. I really much prefer the concept you described to having a monster trailer that requires a monster truck to pull it. This is only a 6-700 pound plane we're trying to haul around.
 
scsmith said:
Scott's comments about suspension are right-on. This is also why the trailer can be light enough to tow with a normal car - no need for class 3 hitches, tandem axles, Suburbans. The trailer has to be light. The whole package, airplane plus trailer is going to weigh 1200-1400 lb or so. A tongue surge brake would be nice, but not strictly necessary.

This is all very doable,
Click to expand...

Steve,

How would you deal with the trailer suspension? As I see it, you have 3 sets of masses and springs of different stiffness - trailer suspension taking all the load, the weight of the plane on its undercarriage, plus an engine hanging off flexible engine mounts - that will all interact to stress the airframe with every bump in the road. Gliders have the advantage of not having a heavy engine bouncing around in the system. Sounds like a complex problem in dynamics.

As far as covering the trailer goes, it should be possible to use a canvas cover pulled over a series of lightweight tubular aluminium or steel frames that fix to the trailer chassis. The frames would be removable to get the plane on and off.
 
Europa Trailer Suspension

rgmwa said:
Steve,

How would you deal with the trailer suspension? As I see it, you have 3 sets of masses and springs of different stiffness - trailer suspension taking all the load, the weight of the plane on its undercarriage, plus an engine hanging off flexible engine mounts - that will all interact to stress the airframe with every bump in the road. Gliders have the advantage of not having a heavy engine bouncing around in the system. Sounds like a complex problem in dynamics.

As far as covering the trailer goes, it should be possible to use a canvas cover pulled over a series of lightweight tubular aluminium or steel frames that fix to the trailer chassis. The frames would be removable to get the plane on and off.
Click to expand...

The suspension on the Europa is elastomeric (SP) trailing arm type and much better suited for the light aircraft weight.
 
rgmwa said:
Steve,

How would you deal with the trailer suspension? As I see it, you have 3 sets of masses and springs of different stiffness - trailer suspension taking all the load, the weight of the plane on its undercarriage, plus an engine hanging off flexible engine mounts - that will all interact to stress the airframe with every bump in the road.
Click to expand...


do you think the engine mount will be getting stronger suspension hits while in the trailer than it would while in the air?
 
Danny7 said:
do you think the engine mount will be getting stronger suspension hits while in the trailer than it would while in the air?
Click to expand...

I don't know. I think it depends on how the different masses and spring stiffnesses interact, and whether there is any risk of developing resonance in the system. If that happens, then stresses would be magnified. However, if the trailer suspension is well damped, then there probably wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know enough about it to be sure. Just enough to be careful.
 
26 Feet?

As I put pencil to paper to try my hand at trailer specs, I pulled out my 3-view plan supplied by Vans (the big one drawn 4/22/09) and noted the 26' 5 2/3" length shown for the RV12. (No, I wasn't looking at the wingspan.)

I worked out the length using the 1/16 scale for the drawing and got a little over 20. Measuring my plane, I get a little over 20 feet. Which kit includes the 6 foot "stretch" section? Was this an option demanded by the fly fishing and skiing segment of the LSA builder community?

Anybody know what's going on here; I'm looking at a 32' trailer?

Jim in Texas
painting parts
 
N223JH said:
As I put pencil to paper to try my hand at trailer specs, I pulled out my 3-view plan supplied by Vans (the big one drawn 4/22/09) and noted the 26' 5 2/3" length shown for the RV12. (No, I wasn't looking at the wingspan.)

I worked out the length using the 1/16 scale for the drawing and got a little over 20. Measuring my plane, I get a little over 20 feet. Which kit includes the 6 foot "stretch" section? Was this an option demanded by the fly fishing and skiing segment of the LSA builder community?

Anybody know what's going on here; I'm looking at a 32' trailer?

Jim in Texas
painting parts
Click to expand...

You'll have to leave the rod and skis at home, Jim. The 26 foot dimension was an error on the drawing. Somebody raised this once before as I recall.
 
I bought a new airboat trailer for my airboat and have been using the old trailer to move the Twelve around while working on it. My new trailer has torison bar suspension and the old one has springs. The spring suspension gave a much better ride than the torision bar. Airboat trailers are much wider than most boat trailers, 8' and set-up with wheels aft to support weight of engine. I have a 0470 on my 16' boat. I don't need a trailer to transport my RV as I live on a airpark. Used airboat trailers are inexpensive. I paid alittle over $2,000 for my new aluminum trailer. If you don't need a enclosed trailer you might want to consider an airboat trailer. All you need is to install three wheel tracks & ramps and use the winch to load twelve. Airboat trailers also sit very low to the ground.
Gerry
VAF 172
Repeat RV builder
 
Good solution if you have a truck to pull it.

I have a 40' Weekend Warrior toy hauler. did the measurements on it and the 12 will fit fine. (its really quite big, I currently roll a 20' flatbed trailer inside the toy hauler and then load a small buggy, quad, and 3 motorcycles onto that. When I get to where I am going I roll the flatbed out the back with the vehicles on it.)

The 12 will fit but the tail is too high to fit under the drop down beds in the back so I built a nose wheel ramp that will tilt the plane up about a foot on the nose as you roll it in. The toy hauler has tie downs all over the place so no issue there.

Building Wing Racks that fit along the sides.so far the measurements work out.

Good side of this is that when you get where you are going nice comfortable place to sleep, can camp at a grass strip or other campground for a few weeks and fly during the week.

Downside you need a 1-ton to haul it, with Plane in, full fuel in the fueling station (on board the trailer), three tanks of Propane and full water, it weighs 14K pounds
 
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