advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

[teamkitfox7788]

OK guys, a little help please.

I do forums at S N F, OSH, Sebring and Copper State among others on having fun combining touring the US by motorhome and Kitfox,

Some of you have probably attended one or more forums that I have done or seen my display of the plane, trailer and conversion van.

Here is the deal, An A&P buddy is rebuilding a Fox that went over on its back and commented that the tube steel in the fuselage behind the cabin is thin and was kinked in several places. This reinforced One of the points I harp on in the forums which is to drain weight/fuel from wings, use a soft riding trailer, and make sure the Kitfox factory brace is in place between the vertical stabilizer and wing strut in order to transfer some shock to the stronger tail area rather than thru the fuselage when trailering the plane long distances and on rough roads. There have been many reports of bent fuselage tubes while trailering a kitfox from not doing these things.

Are there serious problems that others have had when trailering a Kitfox (Avid, Just, Aerotrek, etc) that I should include in my forums? What went wrong and how do you prevent it?

I know of course not to strap or wrap over the wings or attach straps to the wings to hold the plane still or hold the folded wing up. And I show the forward braces between rear float attach points and leading edge spar where it would connect to the tubular steel cabin structure when the wings are in flying position. But there may be other things that other folks know about that I have not heard about.

I have learned a lot of little tricks over 95,000 miles and 12 years of traveling all over the US each year with my BABY PLANE inside a trailer so I've got my act together but it never hurts to pick the brains of the group.

Love to hear good stuff to share with others and hope to see some brother Kitfox owners at Sun N Fun, OSH, Copper State, Sebring etc.

This is an aside but may be of interest. I will not have the plane, trailer and motorhome on display this year like I usually do at Sun N Fun. I constantly hear from folks who see the display that they are delighted to see that touring the US by motorhome and plane can be done so successfully. The display really opens their eyes to something of a pilots dream. However, since Sun N Fun is no longer run by EAA, the policy is now to charge volunteers who are sharing info and technical assistance but not selling anything, like me, $1,500 or more for outdoor display space. Good news is, Air Venture is still delighted to provide space at no charge as are the other events I listed.

BJ
Kitfox IV 912, enclosed 9 foot wide trailer/hanger
443-480-1023
bjones@dmv.com

[SkyPirate]

I did this rough drawing a few years back..my intent to make a camper in the front section and "kitfox garage" in the rear..and if planned right you could either stack 2 kitfox or put a kitfox,golf cart and or small car in the Garage area,..the trailer could be stretched to 50' goose neck to tail end of trailer

[SkyPirate]

in the above trailer..the plane would be strapped down at the landing gear points only but add to the existing transport kit to put tabs out past the folded wing so the wing doesn't rub against the inside walls of the trailer

[DesertFox4]

B.J. here are some thoughts I posted a few years back in response to a model 2 owner wanting to trailer his Kitfox. This talks more about an open trailer but the securing of the aircraft is the same for enclosed or open trailer. I've heard of a couple early Kitfoxs being damaged when using too heavy a trailer and letting the tail wheel take all the loads instead of supporting the tail as the designer intended. Damaged tail posts were usually the result. There have been a couple instances of wings coming unsecured and extending into traffic or being destroyed by road signs or bridge abutments. :eek: These of course were on open trailers.




I will assume that you want to trailer over a long distance and not just a mile or two to the nearest airport.

First off, use a light trailer. A car hauler:mad: will transfer every road bump into your airframe since it is sprung for cars and light truck loads. Lightly sprung boat trailers work great with some modifications like longer tongue, winch for pulling the Kitfox up onto the trailer, ramp decking for main gear tires, tool box ect. Remember you are only hauling 600lbs. approx.

1. Make sure fuel tanks are 1/2 empty or better completely empty. This will reduce the stressed on the rear wing spar attach points.

2. Remove and safely store the turtle deck in your tow vehicle.

3. Winch the Kitfox up on the trailer before folding the wings.

4. Elevate the tail onto a support bracket that attaches securely to the trailer and utilizes the through tube near the front of the tail wheel spring attach bracket. This is also done before the wings are folded otherwise the tail will be very heavy and hard to align the support bracket. This can be a homemade bracket. This through tube will accept a length of redi-bolt that you will run through the support bracket and the Kitfox fuselage. This support will take the weight of the folded wings and tail section of fuselage. The tail wheel and rear fuselage will not be able to handle the shifted weight of the folded wings during transport. This is how vertical tail posts got broken in combination with too heavy of a trailer suspension. Damaged tail posts are not always easy to detect just by visual inspection.

4. Unpin the front spar and fold one wing back , then the other. Secure the wings with supplied hardware that should come with the aircraft. Caution! Before folding, on my model 3, I had to have the flap handle in a specified setting and the control stick centered to avoid damaging the linkages from control rods to flapperons during wing folding. Your model 2 has the same control system if memory serves.

5. When securing the airframe to the trailer use ratchet straps to secure only the main gear tires to the trailer deck. This allows the aircraft to bounce on the main gear/tires to absorb road shock. Do not use other strong points on the airframe to tie the airframe to the trailer. This will override the main gear suspension and again transmit road shock to the airframe. Securing the airframe incorrectly will put more stress on the airframe during a moderate distance haul than likely a lifetime of flying.

6. Secure flight controls, rudder and elevator with padded boards or the like to prevent them from moving during transport. I'm making the assumption that you have loaded the Kitfox to have the tail forward and not the the nose. Secure the stick too with with bungee straps or seat belts.
If you have a two-stroke motor you may need to secure the prop so it does not windmill the whole trip.

7. Use support rods for the forward spar attach points down to your strut attach points on the fuselage. This will take stress off the unsupported front spar during transport.

8. Some owners like to seal up the open turtle deck area against rain and debris during long hauls. Shrink plastic could be used.

9. Make sure all switches are off on the panel and secure the doors.

[SkyPirate]

what you will find with most trailers..open and enclosed that haul kitfox,,the suspension is set up for allot more weight then the kitfox itself..options are reduce the payload spec by using lighter trailer springs..,..use 4 ply instead of 10 vply trailer tires..softer side walls which would take out allot of the jarring..or use a torsional axle instead of a leaf spring axle.. or load the trailer down so its closer to its designed capacity.

[SkyPirate]

if I ever have this trailer built,. I have a mini pontoon boat that has retractable trailer wheels and hitch,..I would probably have it made to carry the kitfox,..the boat,,and a Polaris ranger or similar UTV

[ken nougaret]

I bought a used aluminum boat trailer, 24' long. I chopped 4' off the back and moved the pieces inboard to be inside the gear legs. I moved the axle to be as far back as possible. The ramps stay attached and pivot as the plane rolls up or down. I havent finished construction yet. I plan to use a scissor jack at the front under the tailwheel channel so i can raise the tail to travel position and lower it when i get home and back the whole rig in my garage. I chose the aluminum for corrosion resistance, looks, weight, and everything bolts together.

[ken nougaret]

My airport is about 4 miles away, 45mph speed. Its my plan to trailer for each flight. I welcome any additional advice for my rig.

[teamkitfox7788]

Ken & SkyPirate,

Thanks for the comments, photos and ideas about multiple toys. I love the creativity within the Kitfox community

I stopped by Just to see if Troy had modified the Highlander to increase fuselage or tail structure strength, which might be better for trailering. He said no.

Also flew with Stick & Rudder, Idaho, and was impressed at how much more refined the Kitfox 7 is compared to my model IV.

Any idea if the tail on model 2 and 3 Kitfox was a bit weaker contributing to the trailering damage mentioned.

Still want to hear any other comments folks have to make about trailering issues and solutions, of course

BJ

[HighWing]

When I first flew my current Model IV, The local FSDO sent me to Lincoln Harder about 50 miles away over California roads - Definitely not bragging. We tried to stay pretty much on streets, but there was some freeway in the mix.

The only trailer available was a "car hauler". Previous online comments raised the giant red flag. I had some 1 inch diameter heavy load springs and decided to make a tail support damper set-up. Since the trailer had a wood plank deck, I fastened the damper to a steel plate that I could then screw to the trailer deck.

I used a piece of drilled and shaped Delron rod to protect the threads of the tailwheel bolt that nested into it. I think if I were to be trailering on a regular basis, I would use a slightly longer tailwheel bolt and tap the Delron so I could screw it to the bolt. This might help avoid the dreaded bouncing off the support scenario. As it was, everything arrived at Lincoln undamaged.

Two photos below.

[avidflyer]

I trailered a Kitfox 4 from Texas to Mn last summer, and have hauled 4 different Avid Flyers from 125 to 550 miles when I brought them home. I would say to never let the plane ride in the trailer with the weight of the plane resting on the tailwheel. Here is the set up I used on the Kitfox 4. Did versions of the same thing with the Avids. Jim Chuk

[Paul Z]

I have been cogitating the idea of trailering my Kitfox to Alaska, so I have thought of this quite a bit. I had seen the above design and I hate welding, so I nixed that idea. I also didn't particularly care for using a small 4' X 4' trailer idea. It takes up a lot of space in the big trailer, and you have to secure your tail wheel to the small trailer, then drag both the small trailer and the plane into the big trailer, and then secure the small trailer to the big trailer. Seems a little cumbersome to me.

So, I started working on something that acted as a small ramp type device, roll the plane into the Trailer, once the tail wheel touched the little ramp roll it up the Tail Wheel support, and it acts as a shock absorbing tail wheel support & tie down for the tail wheel. I am not sure what type of springs I would use in the design, or if it would be better to use 4 springs. I would bolt the ramp & tie down in the center of the width of the trailer, and it would act as a stop to assure the aircraft is positioned such that the trailer door will close. Attached is the rough sketch I did on the idea. It still needs some refinement. Just an idea you might consider.

[teamkitfox7788]

Ken,

I looked over your good looking plane and its trailer.

A couple of thoughts. You are moving a short distance so risk is much lower than the huge distances I trailer my old model IV each year. (A total of about 95,000 miles with plane in trailer at this time.)

If any chance of bounce, the tail wheel needs to be secured so it can not bounce off. You probably had that figured.

Over time the tail wheel spring takes a beating because there is a lot of weight from the folded wings shifted back onto that spring during trailering and the inevitable bouncing. Most folks support the tail at the thru hole as mentioned in other posts. There are many ways to support the tail of the plane to take some weight off of the tail wheel spring and even "cushion" the bounce, although the four miles you plan to drive are minimal.At some point a reason to tow a longer distance may materialize. Even though I support my tail I have replaced tail wheel springs three times.

BJ



.

[SkyPirate]

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/picture.php?albumid=72&pictureid=1070

[SkySteve]

Does anyone have thoughts or experience trailering a tri gear Kitfox?

[Paul Z]

The minute you fold the wings back, I would imagine it is the same as the Tail Dragger. The weight all goes to the tail. I would support it with the mounting the Tail at the thru hole in front of the tail.

[SkyPirate]

Steve,..if you build or modify a trailer to haul your fox..because of the mains being further back don't drop the rear section of the trailer to lower the plane unless you add weight to the nose of the trailer..ideally you should have 25% tongue weight..so trailer at say 900 lbs plus plane ? 700/800 lbs?..1600/1800 total lbs hitch should be close to 400/450 lbs ,,this will ensure good towing characteristics and wheels on trailer at 75% or more toward rear..don't try to build a trailer so the weight is balanced on the trailer wheels..it will whip all over at higher speeds

[SkySteve]

Chase, good thoughts.

[SkyPirate]

just looking out for ya buddy :) I have built many a trailer from boat to Tractor Trailer..all steel and or all aluminum..and I have 20+ years of hauling everything up to over sized loads 16' wide and 100 ' long :)

[SkySteve]

Chase, OK. So I understand you're brand new to trailering ;). Would you recommend I load my Fox on the trailer backwards and use your "inverted V" type tail brace in the rear hitch mount hole, keeping the plane in a level attitude with the nosewheel sitting on the trailer bed? And, would it be good to modify your inverted V so that it was pinned to both rear hitch mount holes?

[Dr. Dave]

Just a few weeks ago I purchased a Kitfox 4 XL with a custom trailer that I found on Barnstormers. I have been trailering it to the airport two or three times a week as I learn to fly it. I have added quick release "ball lock" pins for each of the wing support brackets. I cut a slot in a foam "pool noodle" from the sporting goods store, I slip that on the ailerons to protect the vertical stab and rudder. I have a channel on the floor that guides the tailwheel along the centerline of the trailer. The mains back into wooden chocks that are permanantly screwed to the floor. Then a plastic wheel chock is secured in front of the mains by bungee cords. I have a remote control winch mounted in the front of the trailer to haul the plane in, but I have never had to use it as I can push the plane up the ramp without assistance. Setup time is about ten minutes. The part that takes the longest is securing the turtledeck. I've got to find a better way to slot the front edge of the deck between the plexi and the aluminum tab that it is riveted to. I think I just need to bend that aluminum down so that the leading edge of the deck can slip in between. I also need to fabricate some sort of support to take the weight off of the tail. I had the single leaf tailspring and it snapped off last week. I have replaced it with the three leaf spring from Kitfox. I have much more confidence in the spring, and because the trailer was specifically designed for the weight of the Kitfox I might be set up well enough for storage and short trips. But I plan to add the fuselage support for longer trips. The XL seems ideal for trailering. It has the large panel tank. Since I will use the wing tank only for longer flights, I haven't had to do any fuel draining. Total weight with the 503 is only 530, so its easy to put on the trailer. And in the air its a blast! With the clipped wing and the speed mods, it will easily reach 100 IAS in level flight. Now I just have to master these crosswind landings and finish my tailwheel endorsement . . . Where should I head for my first trailering/flying vacation? Any recommendations?

[SkyPirate]

that would depend on the style of trailer Steve,,you could build a trailer to load it nose forward and move the trailer axle to 60/65% the length of trailer but that puts more over hang behind the axle/axles, this is all considering the trailer is a bumper hitch set up. the trailer ends up longer in the nose forward config if your building it for the long haul,..cross country driving/hauling.. because of the weight distribution ..it's more applicable building it to tow the plane backwards,. this is also a soul purpose trailer in mind,..if you want a multi purpose trailer that's a different approach,,you have more materials in the trailer making it heavier so the loads can be moved around on the deck , the trailer weighing more it makes up the difference on a lighter ( kitfox) load ..but now your back to having too stiff a ride..so building a trailer with its soul purpose to transport the kitfox..its best to build it for towing it backwards,..for stability in towing without adding "Spring" capacity to gain stability..for the best ride with safety of the plane in mind build the trailer to capacity of the load :)

[SkyPirate]

as for the question on the hitch holes..if you think about it..the design of the tail combined with the kitfox tow bar,,the load is UP on the very rearward hole and DOWN on the forward of the 2 holes with the tow bar attached..if you connect to both holes the front one being designed in the airframe for forces downward (Fulcrum) ,..now reversing the forces to up..it might not turn out so pretty ...

[teamkitfox7788]

Dr Dave,

The area between Moab, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Ship Rock, Kayenta and Montecello (from Montecello hop over the small ridge to the north, very unusual terrain) is all spectacular for low and slow flying, doors off, stick and rudder flying. Page is at the junction of Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon and about in the middle of that area so it is a good central place to fly from. The airport manager for Page has recently been a city employee, who operates out of the town offices and wears many hats. If she does not know where to park you suggest that the airport facility maintenance guys or Classic Aviation FBO can help you. Some of the smallest airports in that area are fun but are unmanned and used primarily for medivac. For these small airports Call "manager" by checking AirNav.com to get the gate code.
Often the gate combination is the published field altitude, but that is iffy.
Cliff Dwellers and Marble Canyon airports are grandfathered so if going into one of them you can fly into Grand Canyon. There are BLM unpublished gravel strips in the area. Get local knowledge for where, condition of gravel etc.
Stick and Rudder Aviation, does Kitfox specific tail wheel training out of Boise, and they take folks into lots of Idaho outback mountain airports. You learn a lot about mountain strip operation technique. Flying with Paul or one of his guys is an absolute hoot and good training in one of their very nice Kitfox model 7s with Rotax 914s.
There is a great little strip on Mustand Beach south of Corpus not terribly far from you for coastal barrier island flying. Big old shrimper washed up on Matagorda, hard packed broad sand beach at low tide. Looks like a runway to me.
Marathon, Florida Keys is non-towered airport in middle of Florida Keys. Flying the islands and along the reef, 120 miles between Key Biscayne and Key West plus another 70 out to Dry Tortugas can be spectacular if you can catch calm conditions and thus clear waters, see rays, manatee, shark, tarpon, lobstering and fishing spots that do not show up from the surface to boaters but jump out at you from the air. Hit the position on a portable GPS and go play from a rental boat, jet ski, whatever. Oh, some patch reefs are real close in rignt off of Big Pine Key, maybe ten fett of water While in the Keys go fishing, diving, lobstering (in season) eat real fresh seafood. Summer has a lot of mid day convection. 80 at night 92 during day and humid but low winds except for hurricanes
BJ
Kitfox IV 912
enclosed trailer and conversion van for towing/touring

[Paul Z]

Steve,..if you build or modify a trailer to haul your fox..because of the mains being further back don't drop the rear section of the trailer to lower the plane unless you add weight to the nose of the trailer..ideally you should have 25% tongue weight..so trailer at say 900 lbs plus plane ? 700/800 lbs?..1600/1800 total lbs hitch should be close to 400/450 lbs ,,this will ensure good towing characteristics and wheels on trailer at 75% or more toward rear..don't try to build a trailer so the weight is balanced on the trailer wheels..it will whip all over at higher speeds

Steve, with all of the above, also consider since the wheels are further back on the Fuselage when you tip the plane back on the tail, the Propeller will be significantly higher at the tip. If you position the tail such that the Rudder is the same hight the Propeller tip will be higher. You will need to rotate the Propeller to have one propeller blade pointing down. Also the top of the Windscreen / Fuselage will be higher. You definitely will need to do some measuring.

Paul Z

[SkySteve]

Paul,
I think I would need to haul mine with the nose wheel sitting on the trailer bed and install a higher rear bracket to attach to and hold the towing hole.

But either way, in your drawing ya gotta get rid of those wheel pants and put some 8.00's on the mains. I mean, really? You've seen my plane. LOL:eek:

[Paul Z]

Steve,

If you hall it with the nose when sitting on the trailer bed you will need a really
Tall Trailer. To the top of the Tail 8'4" for a Series 7. I am sure it can be done but you will need to roll it in tail low, and have a tail pocket built into the top of the trailer.

I wasn't going to redraw the D***ed sketches! :eek::D Have you figured out how to put some Smoothies on it with a 21" front wheel and 29" mains? Now that would be Sexy! It wouldn't be tooooooo draggy! I can see you now, top speed 80 MPH, at 10 GPH. :D

[SkySteve]

Well, you're probably right...again! But thanks for fixing your drawing. It looks MUCHO better. :D. 29's probably not in the future, but I am working on my own Skunk Works version of a 6.00x6 nosewheel. Shush, don't tell anyone. :cool:

[Paul Z]

Dough, you just told everyone on the forum. :D
Are you designing it yourself?
I've got some spare tires & tubes, the price is right for a friend.

[SkySteve]

Naw, no one will read this, there's no photos. They'll just skip over it. Thanks for the offer of wheels and tires but I think I've got it covered locally. I'm not mechanical enough to do any designing myself. I've got a good A&P.

[teamkitfox7788]

The Aerotek folks have had nose gear planes on display part way in some of their trailers at big air shows. Picking their brains might be worth it not just for dimensions but possibly other experiences they have.

BJ Kitfox IV 912

[Paul Z]

Here is a Kitfox Competetor Trike loaded into a trailer. Notice the Tail goes up into a pocket. They built rails to run the wheel over the wheels of the trailer.

The second photo shows them loading a tail dragger in the trailer, but you can see the Kick up for the tail on top of the trailer.

Personally, those 2' X 4' ramps to load, look like damage getting ready to happen!

The last picture show a Tri Gear with a Tail wheel Roller mounted on an Aerotech A240. Also a Trie gear tail first with tail low. There are a bunch of picture on this page http://www.aerotrek.aero/trailers.htm

In all photo two blades up one pointing straight down to maximize head clearance. I'd definately pad the wings leading edges.

[SkySteve]

BJ and Paul,
Thanks for the link and photos. Looks a little scary!

[Paul Z]

that Nose first loading is scary, The tail in first loading looks easy.

[SkySteve]

My thinking with the nosewheel is that with the mains in the rear position plus the added weight of the nosewheel, there would be more weight up front than with a tailwheel plane. I know that with the wings back the plane will sit on the tail skid but thought there might be a tendency to "bounce" with the added weight up front putting too much upward stress on the rear frame. So if I put the nosewheel on the trailer floor and blocked the rear of the plane up it would eliminate the bounce tendency and be more stable. In other words, a plane sitting in the flying position would be the most stable.

Perhaps I should put the tail skid on the floor and build a "shoe" or platform under the raised nosewheel to hold it in the up position. What cha think?

[Paul Z]

If you positively load the nose wheel on a support, it will distribute some of the load through the nose wheel. I think it would be a good idea.

[SkyPirate]

trailering a trike,the mains being back further ( closer to balance) puts less weight on the tail until you drop the tail,..if its an open trailer your best approach is with the wings level due to the forces of the wind at speed,..towing it nose first in an open trailer,,with the end of the wing exposed,..you could be charging the wing with air, inside of the wing if its not sealed well,..
on an open trailer towing a trike backwards,,because of the main gear location and being closer to CG with wings folded,,using an A frame for support connected to the rearward hitch point in tail and the deck/frame work of the trailer would help allot in stability .

on my open trailer towing my model 2, I would pull the plane onto the trailer..connect all my security straps , brackets,,etc then fold the wings back,.it made it allot easier doing it this way, something I didn't do but might be considered,.after the wings are folded in a towing backwards mode,..run a strap from strut to strut by the vertical stab for security in case a pin came out on the support that holds the wing folded

[SkySteve]

Good thoughts, Chase.

[Paul Z]

I like the tracks to guide the tail wheel up and assist in centering the plane on the trailer. The photo with the Yellow plane shows the rails on the rear door and down the center of the trailer.

[t j]

Loading a nose wheel on the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCOn4cUpT68

[SkySteve]

Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy;
How many times do you need to be told to put those dangly ropey thingies away before loading? :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
That was GREAT!!

[teamkitfox7788]

Just got back from S N F so have not joined in on discussion until now.

I bought a used 9 foot wide enclosed Kitfox trailer a few years ago and it is so much easier to load and unload that I don't think I have used my old 8"6" trailer since. I frequently load and unload a couple of times a day so this is a big advantage for me. I strap the plane down in very specific ways because I trailer such long distances on bad roads BUT. If left to bounce inside a trailer, Kitfoxs sustain serious damage on bad roads. Having said that, even with good strapping, I can unstrap, pull the pane out, unfold the wings and be ready to start the engine in less than 8 minutes. The extra wide trailer is an important part in this ease of operation, has some serious advantages and may be worth consideration.

EAA OSH requested that I do forums what I have learned from taking my plane all over the US every year to combine touring by motor home and folding wing plane. There is a lot if detail in the forums and folks in the audience want details in some sort of printed format, so I will put a bit of it here for their use..

If I were going to spec out a new Kitfox trailer to be used for EXTENSIVE touring, it would:
1. be 8"9" wide, with inch and a quarter thick side wall studs the entire length of the trailer's side walls, to keep the opening down the middle of the trailer as wide as possible, (Chat with Sorenson, Tiger Air Shows as a source for custom plane trailers in Ga or Tony at Detro Sales in Inidiana)
2. it would be an enclosed trailer,
3. have two 3,500 pound capacity torsion axles for low floor, soft ride and shallow ramp door for easy loading, (7,000 pounds gross weight) (Axles with springs give bouncy ride, which is hard on plane and high floor, so a steep ramp door.) Stiff suspension (5,00 pound axles) gives harsh ride which is tough on plane
4. have two passenger side doors on trailer, no drivers side door, This allows easy access to front and rear of plane and trailer but avoids opening a door into traffic on a narrow shoulder which is dangerous and to be avoided
5. have a single piece aluminum roof, bonded to structural cross members, to avoid seams that leak. Have gussets or triangular braces welded at upper corners between wall studs and roof cross members to avoid joint cracks. This is most important toward rear of trailer and with tall trailers.
6. Upgrade to the largest wheels and highest capacity tires that fit, probably 225 75 15 load range E for a 7,000 pound capacity trailer. Light Truck (LT) rather than Special Trailer (ST) if possible because after Firestone blow outs on Ford Explorers with soccer mom and kids injured and killed, the PASSENGER TIRE industry and regulators got tight on quality that is not found in cheapest load range C trailer tires. The trailer manufacturer typically uses the cheapest tire he can get for his base model trailers to be competitive on trailer cost.
7. Install lift assist Springs in the ramp door hinge line or a torsion bar in that ramp door hinge line to provide ramp door lift assistance without having cables or anything else in the way of the ramp door opening. The ramp door hing line springs or torsion bar have to be done right or will not work as desired. (Search on Lippert Industries, Infinity Hinge)
8. I would spec The lowest trailer side wall height that allows enough vertical height inside the trailer so the pane fits. Excess height causes a light plane trailer to be sucked in, in front of a tractor trailers as they pass you at large speed differentials, then blown you away as they are right next to you then you get sucked back back in behind the tractor trailer. Excess Trailer height causes similar handling problems with strong and gusting winds and cuts fuel economy badly. (Excess height is like having a tall speed brake across the top of the trailer.)
9. I have found that a down slope from the trailer roof line in front helps fuel economy more that a V nose and would probably spec a foot or so of taper from roof down to front of trailer if the cost were not too high. The height (and width) of the towing vehicle may be a big factor here. The taller and wider the rear of the tow vehicle the less important the aerodynamics of the front of the trailer may be.
10. No plywood or paneling on inside walls of trailer. Interior paneling adds weight and reduces internal opening width, in exchange for esthetics, obviously this is just my choice.
11. I do not like the tracks down the floor line designed for attaching straps particularly if dust and spray can get up through holes in the track material. I prefer to install thru bolted tie down rings exactly where I want them along the floor.

I really don't want to get into the over size trailer thing but know it will come up.
Most states provide for an online oversize blanket permit good for a year. No signage needed under ten feet wide. So it can be done legally.

There are a lot of folks who trailer their non-commercial over wide boats up to ten feet all over coastal and lake states. I do it and have for years. The consensus among them is no one bothers with permits if they are under 10 feet wide except in special circumstances. What IS Really important is driver skill, constant situational awareness, good equipment, good judgement, avoiding high risk situations such as rush hour, rain, night, old narrow bridges in the NE, (narrow) parkways in NY and NJ. If you do not have good trailering skills or are not comfortable with towing a wide trailer, just don't do it.

BJ Kitfox IV Rotax 912
bjones@dmv.com
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[SkyPirate]

in most states up to 10' wide but not exceeding permitted length or weight,, you do not need a permit but most state's require it flagged or placarded "WIDE LOAD" 10' and wider, some states even put a daytime only and no adverse weather restriction, with exception to a few,,
I was the first driver to haul a 16' wide 80' long oversized load in the state of Vermont at NIGHT ,,I had a state trooper front and rear with licensed escorts as well,..the reasoning was less traffic at night,,but the mis judgement on the states part...yes less traffic..but what traffic I did meet was T&T traffic, meet a tractor trailer on route 100 in VT during the day is tough enough,,at night was that much more of a challenge so the night hauling last I knew had been stopped to day time only again

In general if you use common sense and don't attract attention to yourself,,and pre-flight your driving routes for construction that could cause a problem,..although most jersey barriers are set at 12' inside dimension there has been times they are allot narrower,

having the tow vehicle set up with mirrors wide enough to look down both sides of the trailer is a must,, although I have seen many times people towing campers and cant see past the front of the trailer in the mirror

[Dusty]

I had a covered trailer built about a year ago with intentions of trailering,
So far I am having far too much fun flying and can't bring myself to fold the old bird up.
As a comment on mirrors to see past a wide trailer I installed a reversing camera.
This works better than I planned apart from a small image lag(due to being wireless)
the advantage of wireless is the trailer will go behind any vehicle (12 24v) without hard wiring .
Backing is easier than with mirrors
The construction is 50mm poly sandwich, very ridged and as a bonus is cool in summer and won't rain inside if we have to camp overnight in winter

[teamkitfox7788]

SkyPirate,

Love the comments on slightly over wide vs more than 10 feet wide trailers. I constantly here the same thing when at the gas station talking with guys towing wide loads.

And I can imagine the huge Vermont night towing.

I moved a rig that was over 150 feet long periodically for a while while working for a big international engineering and construction corporate group. Watch those turns baby, and no way at night on a Vermont road.

More recently moved a Mooney from a grass strip nearby, down the road to my back yard, with the plane sitting on a boat trailer side ways, very much preplanned of course.

Totally agree on extended mirrors, I love my large blind spot mirrors placed out far enough to see along side of trailer as well as the entire side of the trailer when making a sharp turn so I can avoid fenders, curbs, fire hydrants and little old ladies.

Dusty, My rear view wireless camera is so cheap, it is not much good, glad to hear there are more useful units. Time for an updated wireless camera add on.

BJ

[mobilemb]

Great Idea for those who need an enclosed like trailer but, like me, still need to transport their plane and keep it in the garage.

[Lion8]

Love the idea of the tail wheel support with the spring. I bought a dual axel Jet Ski trailer. (Triton). It is low to the ground, has torsion axles and rides nice. Being all aluminum it is easy to haul. There is a bean that is above the main deck that will accommodate the tail wheel trolley.

[coosbo]

I know this is an old thread but it seemed like the most appropriate place for my question.

I've read some concerns about extensive trailering time for an aircraft. Mainly that they're not designed to withstand the constant vibration and wear and tear associated with highway travel. The idea is that this could cause nuts to jiggle lose, cables to wear in locations that otherwise wouldn't, rivets to sheer, etc.

It seems that there are a handful of people that own a Kitfox with lots of highway miles. Does anyone with this experience or someone that knows others with this kind of experience know if this is a legitimate concern for the Kitfox?

Thanks
Colby

[DesertFox4]

Colby, the Kitfox is designed to be trailered. Just have to do it correctly. Biggest problem is too heavy of a sprung trailer if trailering long distance. I hauled my first Kitfox home 1,000 miles on an open trailer with no damage. The trailer was purpose built for a 600 lbs. empty weight aircraft. Not a 3,000 pound car. Not sure where you picked up the bolts jiggling off during transport and rivets sheering ect. Sounds like hearsay from someone unfamiliar with the design.

[ken nougaret]

While I haven't trailered long distance, I do try to fly one day out of each weekend. My travel to the airport is only about 5 miles each way. So far i haven't seen any ill effects. I converted a boat trailer to carry my S7.
The only thing I changed about my loading process is that I used to winch the plane up by the tail spring/gear. Then one day I noticed the fork attach bolt was loose. I'm sure it was from pulling on it. So I made something that attaches to the bottom tail to pull on. Works good.

[coosbo]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I heard that there might be an issue while reading Ronald Wanttaja's book Kitplane Construction. I think he was trying to discourage the reader from hangering in their home garage and trailing frequently back and forth to the airport. I didn't know if he was mostly speculating, or if it was a legitimate concern. Sounds like if done correctly, theirs no concern. Thanks!
Colby

[59Moonster]

I know this is an old thread but it seemed like the most appropriate place for my question.

I've read some concerns about extensive trailering time for an aircraft. Mainly that they're not designed to withstand the constant vibration and wear and tear associated with highway travel. The idea is that this could cause nuts to jiggle lose, cables to wear in locations that otherwise wouldn't, rivets to sheer, etc.

It seems that there are a handful of people that own a Kitfox with lots of highway miles. Does anyone with this experience or someone that knows others with this kind of experience know if this is a legitimate concern for the Kitfox?

Thanks
Colby

Anybody have any thoughts on his question?