Enclosed trailer for Mark IV Speedwing


24 posts in this topic

Posted

I'm looking for an Enclosed Trailer for my Mark IV Speedwing.

 

I plan to trailer it long distances to fly out of various airstrips around the West.

 

The minimum folded width is 7 ft. 10 in.  I've already discoverd that the 8 1/2 ft wide trailers which have an 8 ft wide interior have a rear door opening that's less than 7 ft. 10 in.

 

  Any information here would be helpful.

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Posted

Talk to any of the trailer manufactures.  You can have one custom built to your specs cheaper than I can buy a 10 yr old enclosed trailer up here.

 

One Idea.  Several of the trailers I looked at just had aluminum angle in the rear door frame for the door to seal against.  My plan at the time was to just cut out a section of the angle so the plane would fit through then put in a section that was a little longer with a few bolts and wing nuts so you could pop that section out in a few minutes.

 

Welcome aboard here, hope you find the place useful!

 

:BC:

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Posted

Boat,

Where are you located?

EDMO

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Posted

they make 102" wide trailers with 8' doors ,..just finding the right manufacturer

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Posted

I'm in California and so far have only been able to come up with manufacturers in Indiana, Idaho, and Georgia.

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Posted (edited)

I'm in California and so far have only been able to come up with manufacturers in Indiana, Idaho, and Georgia.

Your best price for a new one might be at Sikeston, Missouri.

PJ trailers are built by Mexican labor in Texas - they are well made.

There is a place in Montana that seems to have acres of used trailers for sale on internet.

There were some local guys here who would build a custom trailer very reasonable, but think they are retired now.

I made the mistake of not buying one here or there when going to Alaska to move my shop - I paid double up there for a used trailer that broke down in the Yukon, and then paid double for a new PJ in St. John, Canada to haul the first one back to Missouri - That was a very costly trip!

There are trailer-haulers in several states that will deliver one - A guy doing that from Iowa to Alaska stopped and helped me get going in the Yukon.

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

I had this trailer built by local dealer, 25' X 8.5".  Through the door 98". inside 100"  Has elect. brakes, LED lights, side door interior lights, and roof vent.

Works great with the elect. winch I installed.

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Posted

Russ,

You have just what I need.  The search continues to find something out here on the Left Coast.

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Posted

There are dealers that provide trailers for the kitfox aircraft at the factory, check out the site, i want a goose neck enclosed trailer for my plane so i have room up front of the trailer for camping quarters

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Posted

I found a used trailer and with the help of a neighbor who's a rancher / farmer cut out the sides of the door opening, installed a wench to raise and lower the door, etc.  So far so good.  Installing another vent, some inside roof insulation, and areas for gas cans this week.

 

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Posted

Nice!  I wish I had one here!  One of these days I will have one built that will work.  I need it multi purpose so I can use it for hauling snogos, 4 wheelers, planes etc. 

 

Glad you found one that you could make work!

 

:BC:

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Posted

Obviously your plane isn't the first it's hauled, unless you already put the sticker on the side. I'm thinking the channel down the middle was for a tailwheel as well?

 

Glad you found something!

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Posted

Well, No and No - but close

 

The trailer was used as a "support" trailer for Miss B. Haven (tool boxes, spares, perhaps a car or truck) no airplane.  All the internal structure I added.  As you're aware, the Avid sits on it's tail when the wings are folded - so I have a tail wheel I add when the wings are folded and I have it in the trailer.  This trailer is "over kill" for a light airplane - it was meant to haul heavy things like automobiles.  I may get pulled over for towing something beyond what my license allows.

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Posted

Your not hauling commercially and your not pulling doubles, what would they get you for if you were pulled over?  In AK as long as its not for hire, and your not pulling doubles, I can pull a 60' boat down the road as long as I have pilot cars and a wide load permit.

 

:BC:

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Posted

To Boat:  Sorry, I can't help myself:  Just wondering what the wife thought about this wench opening the door for you...  (I know you meant winch, but I had a bit of a chuckle when I saw it) Jim Chuk

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Posted

Guess I'm OK on the towing part.  Up to 10,000 lb GVWR for the trailer with a Class A License.  The trailer is 10,000 lb GVWR.

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Posted (edited)

In Missouri and a lot of other states, the tow vehicle license weight is for the total weight of the vehicle and anything it is towing - For instance, if I have a 5300 lb truck and a 4000 lb towed load, then I need 12,000 license on the truck instead of 6000.  Not commercial, then you don't need to stop at weight stations either.  

I towed 17,000 lbs with 6000 lb Dodge 3/4 ton truck with a 12,000 lb license plate thru Alaska, Canada, and several states back to Missouri, without ever getting a second glance - Lucky, I guess!

And, passenger cars, RVs (trucks with RV license too) have no weight limit on license here.  

You don't need a commercial driver's license.

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

I towed my 26' enclosed car hauler over 600 miles with a total weight of 26,360 in the truck and trailer. I suppose if anyone would have stopped me and asked me to open it up I might have been in a little trouble but since it A) wasn't for hire. and B) wasn't over the legal length. They just don't care that much.

 

I sure wouldn't worry about a 10,000 GVW trailer if I were you, as long as it's legal for length and width they aren't going to just pull you over to check you out.

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Posted

Ed - Can you provide a link to this rule that the tow vehicle must be licensed to the GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight) of the entire system?  

 

This would totally negate the idea of registering and licensing a trailer to a Gross Weight.  If this were the case I would counter that every 1/2 ton truck (usually licensed at 6500) with any trailer would be in violation.

 

I am a TDR (Turbo Diesel Register - The oldest Dodge-Cummins club) member since it's inception and there is constant discussion on their website and published magazine in regard to towing and licensing.  This is the first I have ever heard of such a GCVW regulation.

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Posted

I have a Dodge 1 ton and was getting away with a 3 ton plate, non-commercial use only. The state of Iowa just made me go to a 5 ton registration the truck weighs 9500 lbs empty. I have never been pulled over to be checked for weight in it. I used to drive oversized loads for the Union Pacific Railroad and it was rare when I didn't have over width height and weight, permits were not expensive but they always checked those trucks. I would not worry about it too much the only tie I had a disagreement with an officer was in Illinois in a half ton with a 10,000 lbs trailer but he finally gave up when he saw my classA license. They almost never have scales with them anyhow.

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Posted

Just curious on a width, not weight, related scenario... if I have a open trailer width of 102" and haul a plane that is, say, a few inches wider overall but not so easy to see at a glance (since max width is not right at bed/fender height), what are the chances of catching a hard time (ie. fine) from the law cross country?

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Posted

It all depends.   I pulled a 28' chris craft from Wisconsin and was planning on permitting it the whole way back to AK.  Right behind the cabin the boat is 10.5' wide, but at the stern it pinches in to 8' 5"... guess where they measured it when I went to get a permit.  Right across the stern as it was easier for them to do that then climb up on the boat and measure it where it was obviously wider.  Long story short, they would not give me a wide load permit cause they said I didn't need one.  I got pulled over 3 times between Kenosha and AK because it "appeared" to the cop that I was over width... I would jump out of the truck with tape measure in hand and gladly hold the dumb end of the tape and have them measure across the stern :lol:  I told them its just an optical illusion... and every one of the goobers bought it.  Most of them were more interested in talking about the beautiful mahogany boat versus giving me a ticket.

 

I guess we are pretty sheltered up here.  If the bumper isn't dragging the ground then we "obviously" are not over loaded and have not exceeded the capacity of the tow rig :lmao:

 

The only time I have ever been hassled was towing a 28' bayliner to whittier and you have to go through a train tunnel through the mountain.. of course, they have the one and only toll booth set up and the gestapo there wouldn't let me in without a wide load permit.  cost me 350 bucks just to get the boat to the launch for 4 days of shrimping out in the sound, but it was worth it!

 

Jim, its always nice to have a "wench" in the trailer to help you unwind after a nice flight!  It helps to relieve any residual stress that bad weather may have caused you :lmao:

 

:BC:

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Posted

I had this trailer built by local dealer, 25' X 8.5".  Through the door 98". inside 100"  Has elect. brakes, LED lights, side door interior lights, and roof vent.

Works great with the elect. winch I installed

Russ,

if you get a chance could measure what the spacing is on the wall studs (24"?) and in the roof, and also what size tubing was used in your trailer. I started building mine last fall its currently just a flat frame waiting for walls. I hope to be needing it in by early summer. yours looks exactly what I had in mind. I'm thinking of making the walls with Styrofoam glued between the studs and into the roof with some vents. also want to put a small man door in the front and a wall separating a small room up front that I can keep tools, parts, etc in. what do you guys think anything else I'm forgetting?

 

-Robert-

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