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EnclosedTrailering

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KeysFox

Joined: 05 Jan 2009
Posts: 137

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:02 am Post subject: EnclosedTrailering

Lloyd



I have a trailer like the one Kitfox had built for factory aircraft

transport many years ago. It is Eight foot 6 inch wide. Mine is 27 long

inside and is a little taller than the Kitfox unit so I can have room to

camp out in it over night if I wanted and carry equipment. It is a tight

fit with 2" wall studs. The wall studs need to be 2 inch or 1 1/2 inch

thick or the opening is too small, so you may need a custom builder. Pace,

Wells Cargo etc don't want to build trailers with thin corner studs

because they break bouncing down the road. I installed gussets or knees at

the corners on the last two studs to solve that problem.



Later i bought a smaller used trailer that had been built for a Kitfox so

I could keep a secong plane at a second home. It turned out to be 9 feet

wide which makes loading MUCH easier. Being 9' wide has not been a problem

for me. I have a lot of experience towing larger boats and 10 foot wide

boats are very common trailer rigs along coastal states without any

permits. If i were to build another it wouyld be 9' wide with 1 1/2 inch

wall studs, closely spaced for strength and with a one piece roof. Roof

joints leak because the trailer flexes some bouncing down the road. The

first trailer has a one piece roof and does not leak. The second has maybe

6 seams and IT LEAKS despite all the RV roof sealer I have tried.



Torsion axles allow the trailer bed to be lower than springs. This is an

advantage because the ramp incline is shallow. I pull mine in by hand

without a winch most of the time, and I'm a 64 year old 170 lbs weakling.

Both trailers have 12 volt winches for when I need them. Make sure you can

get load range E tires and wheels or figure on blowing tires frequently.

Trailer buiders have recommended soft 3500 lb rated axles for about 7,000

lb gross to avoid a ride that's harsh on the plane.



Grove style gear is too wide to allow loading nose forward. Gear can't get

past fenders inside. When loaded tail first, the engine end wants to

bounce around too much on its gear so I end up using heavy rubber bungees

and straps to float mounts to dampen the bouncing. I use chain straps over

the tires like you see sometimes on car tires when a car is on a trailer.

This helps prevent the plane from moving forward with hard braking or from

moving sideways. Of couse the walls have padding to prevent wing damage.

And the Kitfox braces that help support the wings forward and aft are

important or the fuselage can bend ahead of the tail or the connection of

the rear spar to cabin can be damaged. Off load all fuel you can before

trailering to get weight out of the wing.



I'm the only one I know who uses a small tail wheel trailer to move the

Kitfox maybe 3/4 mile from my house thru a back gate into one of my home

airports. The tail wheel is strapped in a "socket" on the deck of the

small trailer. This makes swinging the wing easy because the tail is

elevated into nearly flying position. And makes siphoning more fuel out of

wing tanks easier than with tail down. I roll the plane into both trailers

using the small tailwheel trailer and snap the small trailer hitch onto a

ball mounted to the floor of the big trailer. This helps keep the plane in

position. A support under the tail spring takes some load off of that

spring. Most folks who trailer their Kitfoxes find this to be important.



I have probably towed my Kitfox IV with Rotax 912 75,000 miles inside the

trailers so far without any significant problems.



There are lots of additional details that might be helpful but this gets

the conversation started. My cell is 443-480-1023. I'm retired, have the

plane in the Grand Canyon area now and am happy to chat anytime or e-mail.

Beware that I Only check e-mail every few days while touring.



Bob Jones

443-480-1023

[quote] 

 <7suds(at)chartermi.net>



 BJ,

 I am looking to build an enclosed trailer for my Kitfox 5 sometime in the

 future, would love to hear any insight and suggestions you might have for

 me

 from your trailering experiences.



 Thanks,

 Lloyd C

 Northern Mi

 KF 5 912 IVO IFA



 --

- The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List

_________________
B Jones
N154K
443-480-1023

kitfox555(at)sbcglobal.ne
Guest

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:44 pm Post subject: EnclosedTrailering

I also built one, What I did  is, got a old boat trailer and welded up a level floor put plywood down and made side and top by bending 3/4 EMT welding it all together I made it the widest that Cal. will allow 8'6" then put sheet metal and riveted to the EMT.  Put down carpet  and a C channel that is for the tail wheel ride in with a stop at the end. Then I came up with a Mount for under the tail wheel assemble and is pinned to the rail to support the tail section with a mount that goes sideways from the tail to hold it in place . Then I made Ty downs for in front and back of each wheel to ratchet down to keep it in place. I have wing stabilizer's to hold the wing. A must when you travel. The back, I made a door /ramp to push it in. Then I painted (with Mcbean permission) a large logo of Kitfox. I have had it for 21/2  years now, I take it to airshows. We can sleep in it when the plane is out. we also take it to the desert and it is my hanger at the airport. I hope this inspires you to build one too  

 Jerry Evans 

 KitfoxII

 Magalia Calif.

 N582'er'

 kitfox 555

--- On Wed, 10/12/11, bjones(at)dmv.com <bjones(at)dmv.com> wrote:

 [quote]

From: bjones(at)dmv.com <bjones(at)dmv.com>

Subject: RE: Re: EnclosedTrailering

To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 7:59 AM



 --> Kitfox-List message posted by: bjones(at)dmv.com (bjones(at)dmv.com)



Lloyd



I have a trailer like the one Kitfox had built for factory aircraft

transport many years ago. It is Eight foot 6 inch wide. Mine is 27 long

inside and is a little taller than the Kitfox unit so I can have room to

camp out in it over night if I wanted and carry equipment. It is a tight

fit with 2" wall studs. The wall studs need to be 2 inch or 1 1/2 inch

thick or the opening is too small, so you may need a custom builder. Pace,

Wells Cargo etc don't want to build trailers with thin corner studs

because they break bouncing down the road. I installed gussets or knees at

the corners on the last two studs to solve that problem.



Later i bought a smaller used trailer that had been built for a Kitfox so

I could keep a secong plane  at a second home. It turned out to be 9 feet

wide which makes loading MUCH easier. Being 9' wide has not been a problem

for me. I have a lot of experience towing larger boats and 10 foot wide

boats are very common trailer rigs along coastal states without any

permits. If i were to build another it wouyld be 9' wide with 1 1/2 inch

wall studs, closely spaced for strength and with a one piece roof. Roof

joints leak because the trailer flexes some bouncing down the road. The

first trailer has a one piece roof and does not leak. The second has maybe

6 seams and IT LEAKS despite all the RV roof sealer I have tried.



Torsion axles allow the trailer bed to be lower than springs. This is an

advantage because the ramp incline is shallow. I pull mine in by hand

without a winch most of the time, and I'm a 64 year old 170 lbs weakling.

Both trailers have 12 volt winches for when I need them. Make sure you can

get load range  E tires and wheels or figure on blowing tires frequently.

Trailer buiders have recommended soft 3500 lb rated axles for about 7,000

lb gross to avoid a ride that's harsh on the plane.



Grove style gear is too wide to allow loading nose forward. Gear can't get

past fenders inside. When loaded tail first, the engine end wants to

bounce around too much on its gear so I end up using heavy rubber bungees

and straps to float mounts to dampen the bouncing. I use chain straps over

the tires like you see sometimes on car tires when a car is on a trailer.

This helps prevent the plane from moving forward with hard braking or from

moving sideways. Of couse the walls have padding to prevent wing damage.

And the Kitfox braces that help support the wings forward and aft are

important or the fuselage can bend ahead of the tail or the connection of

the rear spar to cabin can be damaged. Off load all fuel you can  before

trailering to get weight out of the wing.



I'm the only one I know who uses a small tail wheel trailer to move the

Kitfox maybe 3/4 mile from my house thru a back gate into one of my home

airports. The tail wheel is strapped in a "socket" on the deck of the

small trailer. This makes swinging the wing easy because the tail is

elevated into nearly flying position. And makes siphoning more fuel out of

wing tanks easier than with tail down. I roll the plane into both trailers

using the small tailwheel trailer and snap the small trailer hitch onto a

ball mounted to the floor of the big trailer. This helps keep the plane in

position. A support under the tail spring takes some load off of that

spring. Most folks who trailer their Kitfoxes find this to be important.



I have probably towed my Kitfox IV with Rotax 912 75,000 miles inside the

trailers so far without any significant problems.



There are lots  of additional details that might be helpful but this gets

the conversation started. My cell is 443-480-1023. I'm retired, have the

plane in the Grand Canyon area now and am happy to chat anytime or e-mail.

Beware that I Only check e-mail every few days while touring.



Bob Jones

443-480-1023

[quote] --> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Lloyd & Lorrie Cudnohufsky"

 <7suds(at)chartermi.net (7suds(at)chartermi.net)>



 BJ,

 I am looking to build an enclosed trailer for my Kitfox 5 sometime in the

 future, would love to hear any insight and suggestions you might have for

 me

 from your trailering experiences.



 Thanks,

 Lloyd C

 Northern Mi

 KF 5 912 IVO IFA



 --

- The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List

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