RV-12's stored on trailers?

[Tommy123]

Or build a dog house into the trailer

[ravenstar]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

Build up the floor under ONE of the main gear tires. There are many engineer types on this forum whom could advise you on how high (1.5"? 2"?) this would need to be to reduce the width of the stabilazer enough to fit in your trailer.

I briefly considered this, but if I've done the math right (I'd welcome proof to the contrary) it'd take at least a 33" difference in height between the ends of the stabilator to fit it through a 7'-6" wide opening. (The actual difference is slightly greater due to the thickness of the stabilator.) Given that the wheel base is over 6', that means raising one side almost 2 feet. That doesn't seem practical to me, even before considering the complications of centering the aircraft in the trailer, or raising the nose to lower the vertical stabilizer to fit.

A custom opening seems better for the aircraft in the long run.

[seagull]

When I got my -12 I considered having a trailer built. Everything I saw that was "off the shelf" had too stiff of a suspension to carry a 800# airplane without beating it up. So I considered a custom built aluminum trailer. The trailer design I was looking at had a 8' opening and thin walls which would only require a slight tilt for safe loading.

[Stuart Grant]

Very happy to see there is at least a little interest in enclosed RV-12 trailers!

Hangars anywhere near where I am living are unobtainium and if found, cost more per month than my mortgage. A primary reason I chose the RV-12 was to trailer it (lots of other good reasons too).

I actually hope to travel cross-country (coast-to-coast) a few times with the RV-12 inside a trailer. I am looking at a maximum legal outside width in almost all states without permits of 102-inches or 8'-6." I have been working with three sales reps and there are at least two companies that can do a "production line buster" custom trailer with a minimum clear inside width including door/ramp of 98-inches - enough for the horizontal stabilizer without the optional tip fairings. They can do this and still have 4-inches plus or minus for the door frame and side walls and be "legal." The Kitplanes article I mentioned up near the top of this thread shows how it can be done. One price I got for a really nice all aluminum trailer was north of $31K.

I have generated some CAD drawings from the RV-12 "3-View" that show how it might fit and sloping the nose up/tail down looks like it could work with some wiggle room in a 7-foot high trailer. If anybody is serious about getting a trailer in the next 6 months maybe we could arrange a group buy?

Stuart Grant
2013 RV-12 - working on finish kit
Miami

[Cobra427man]

I too am interested in an enclosed trailer solution for my rv12. As many have stated, there is nothing out there that can accommodate the 8' horizontal stabilator. I was resorting to a custom built one. I would be interested in a group buy of such if there is strong group interest.

[seagull]

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

[ravenstar]

Originally Posted by seagull

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

This is what I planning to investigate this summer. It's a few inches shorter than one another forum member uses, but otherwise seems like it'd work. It's just mean a slightly higher ramp for the nose. Whether I can get it to the Northeast is another question.

I would consider a group purchase if the cost weren't too excessive. $31k seems a bit high to me given that car haulers of similar dimensions are going for around $18-$21k here in NH. But I haven't priced customized trailers yet so I really don't know.

[Blw2]

My first thought was that it would be an awfully wide trailer to be towing around...then it dawned on my that my class C motorhome, without the mirrors is approx 8-3 wide...and I've driven that all over the place....

Based on the lack of responses it seems that this isn't happening much if at all really. I wonder if it would quickly become such a pain in the rear end that it wouldn't take long for the plane to hardly ever be taken out.... might be better to drive an hour and half to a hangar than it would be to keep in the trailer and tow 5 minutes from the house to an airport. Like the boat I keep in my garage that hardly ever gets out mainly because it's a major project to get all the stuff out of the way, get it out and hitched, etc....Just a thought to consider....

[Blw2]

seems to me a trailer needs some sort of ingenious crane rig that would help loading and unloading the wings, attaching them, etc... gotta make it fast and easy

[Blw2]

Originally Posted by seagull

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

looking at the pictures in the web site....
I would think you'd want the heavy end up front for better trailer balance and towing.