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Size of trailer to move a Kitfox?

9 posts in this topic

Posted

Hi everyone,

I'll be making the trip in the next few days to pick up the Kitfox IV 1050 that I have put a deposit on. I've got about a 16 hour drive each way to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to pick it up, including a ferry crossing of the Mackenzie River. It should be quite a road trip.

I am planning to rent a trailer to haul the Kitfox, I'm just wondering how big of a trailer I will need. I have access to a trailer that is 16 feet long and 8 feet wide, will that be big enough?

Thanks,

Randy

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Posted (edited)

Hi everyone,

I'll be making the trip in the next few days to pick up the Kitfox IV 1050 that I have put a deposit on. I've got about a 16 hour drive each way to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to pick it up, including a ferry crossing of the Mackenzie River. It should be quite a road trip.

I am planning to rent a trailer to haul the Kitfox, I'm just wondering how big of a trailer I will need. I have access to a trailer that is 16 feet long and 8 feet wide, will that be big enough?

Thanks,

Randy

If your trailer is an open, flatbed, it should work - although with wings folded, the Kitfox is about 21 feet long, with the long wings, and about 19 feet with the short wings. A 8 x 20 would be better tho.

They seldom fit in an 8 ft wide closed trailer, unless you take the wings off - if you do that, be sure to pad them a lot, as those roads are not the smoothest, IMO. Best way to move it is to fly it back.

ED in MO

P.S. If you use an open trailer, be sure to take a tarp and plenty of tie-downs for it. You will surely drive thru rain, and probably snow, and with the wings folded, you have to cover the open area where the turtledeck was removed.

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Make sure you install wing braces for that long of a trip.

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Posted

When we move planes, we let some air out of the tires, then ratchet-strap them tightly, then add air to make them super-tight. Otherwise, they will eventually shake loose.

ED in MO

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Posted (edited)

Thanks for the advice. I thought about flying it home, but it comes with skis and a bunch of spare parts that wouldn't fit inside the plane. I suppose I could get that stuff shipped home. I'm also a little scared of flying an unfamiliar plane with a two stroke engine through a remote area of northern Canada. I guess I could follow the highway all the way.

I'll probably stick with the plan of trailering it home, that way I can give it a really thourough inspection before I fly it.

Thanks again for the advice,

Randy

Edited by Alberta_Kitfox

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Posted (edited)

Be sure to lift and block up the tail of the plane,

you should try and get the plane level if possible.

So as to not have an angle of attack happening while towing

the more level the better although this is also for swinging the wings out when going flying

The more level the planes fusealge is when floding the wings out,the easier it is

Where if the plane is down on it's tailwheel the wings are somewhat hard to swing up into position to lock

Not really sure if it truly makes that much differance just towing them,

I have towed them level and even on the tailwheel in three point postion lol

and they seem to tow the same either way

have to admit though,the more level the wings are folded you would think the easier they would two through the air at 50 60 mph

Don't tow "on the tail-wheel" though, it could break your tail-wheel flat springs(or the bolt)

from it bouncing up and down on the tail-spring while traveling.(Especially on rough roads)

I think I know the ferry crossing and road your going to be on,

I've been up to and around High level AB/Yellowknife NWT many times

There are the tow bar pin holes that can be used to brace the tail,they work very good with some home kind of rigging

home made sawhorse with bracket for pins works good and not too hard to build or come up with jury rigging it

Square wooden boxes screwed together and screwed to the trailer deck etc.

Imagination rules when tieing down a load :)

Tie the prop somehow,to prevent it from turning in the wind

I have a homemade leather rope I use,with a loop on one end that just slides over one blade of the prop

tie it to front of trailer and the prop will start to spin,get tight and stay there in that position for rest of trip

The leather strap/rope is thin and does not mare the prop blade at all

If overnight somewhere,take the strap off to prevent moisture from trapping under the strap

especially important with wood props

use tape and rags to fill holes and gaps to keep road grime out

I don't like tarping,as the tarps tend to whip in the wind and can cause severe damage

I use quality ratchet straps for tieing down ,

don't use the cheap pull tight straps

Mine are trucker grade,large 4 inch wide belting with ratchets and square folded metal ends(rather than the claw style)

they work good for hooking up onto trailer angle iron,channel iron supports etc.

I use one at the front to belt down the front wheels,

and one at the rear to belt down the tail.

I tow my plane all the time,with wheels or with my 1450 Lotus floats on it

I keep it at home and tow it every time a fly,I tow it to the local boat launch and away I go

or sometimes to other locations where fuel is an issue flying there and back

gives me more flying time there, towing it there and then going flying

there multitudes of different grass and gravel strips around where I live

Watch out for big trucks throwing rocks at you,they can puncture the skin/damage it

chip a prop blade,bust your windscreen etc.

I've towed up to 100 km/hr with no problems,although I tend to stick around 80/90 km/hr usually

You can these planes frontwards or backwards for towing,

I load mine frontwards as I use a 20' car hauler for towing my plane

so I have a lot of wheelbase room for the wheels

Most planes being towed backwards are on modified boat trailers

and there is not enough room between the trailer wheels to get the planes wheels width through

so they have brackets welded at the back of trailer for the planes tires to fit on

more for short haulers those trailers IMO

I know someone,just bought and towed a Kitfox home from California to Okanagan B.C. Canada

on a 18' flat-deck car hauler and although extremely dirty when he got here the plane made out ok with no issues

These planes tow nice,

be sure to get it on straight and square

maybe a bit to passenger side if anything...

to keep it from hanging over drivers side of trailer

allowing more room to pass on coming traffic

There under 8' 6'' wide folded so they fit the trailer nice width wise

With wheels on,and on my 20' trailer

and an 18' would be the same

I still have a lot of room to put my floats on the trailer under the plane and lash whatever else onto the trailer I would need

Google Kitfox trailering,wing folding etc. with web and image/video search engines

it will bring a lot of images and video's up of people towing there favorite planes

giving you an idea of all the different ways there is to block up your Baby to tow her home ;)

Cheers and good luck

Edit,

thought you had an 18' trailer

no problem your 16' trailer will do the job!

Edited by John_L_Seagull

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Posted

Here is a sketch of my trailer in case it could help

remorque.jpg

MicheL

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Posted

couple things I failed to mention

I use something to brace the rudder from moving back and forth

as it will rub on the folded flaperons when swinging back and forth in the wind

I use two pieces of lathe,covered in soft cloth that I made

one on each side of rudder,then zip strapped together on each end and in the middle

to prevent the rudder from moving

I also have a small wooden dowl I made,with two holes drilled in it on each end

I use it in the cockpit to brace the ends of the flaperons when folded

The wooden dowel fits right into the slots where the flaperon control rods connect

I use some quick locking pins to secure it

This helps in making the flaperons ,so they do not wiggle back and forth/rock back and forth(side to side)

At the back of the plane,I use a very small light weight bungee chord to tie together the ends of the flaperons

This also helps them from twisting around back and forth and rubbing against the rudder

It also helps,with tightening up the wings when folded

otherwise they rattle a bit from being loose

These are just a couple of other things I do, when trailering my plane

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Posted

I also have a small wooden dowl I made,with two holes drilled in it on each end

I use it in the cockpit to brace the ends of the flaperons when folded

The wooden dowel fits right into the slots where the flaperon control rods connect

I use some quick locking pins to secure it

This helps in making the flaperons ,so they do not wiggle back and forth/rock back and forth(side to side)

Good one there, and real easy. I do all the others now but will add this brace too. Thanks.

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