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Thread: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

  1. #41
    Senior Member SkySteve's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy;
    How many times do you need to be told to put those dangly ropey thingies away before loading?
    That was GREAT!!
    Steve Wilson
    Huntsville, UT
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  2. #42

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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.

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  3. #43
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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
    Chase
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  4. #44
    Senior Member Dusty's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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

  5. #45

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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

  6. #46

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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.

  7. #47

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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.

  8. #48

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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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

  9. #49
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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.


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  10. #50
    Senior Member ken nougaret's Avatar
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    Default Re: advice for forum on trailering kitfox to tour US

    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.
    SS7 O-200 Whirlwind

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