Cessna310Q

I have a Haulmark 6X12 with tandem axels and torsion bars. This trailer beats my planes to death. Surely someone out there has had the same problem and has cured it. Please let me know.
Also; anyone know where I could find a lot of exterior pics of trailers? I would like to have my roving hangar speak for itself.
I have a 54% Extra 300 XS, a 41% CAP 232, a Nosen 310 Twin, a 1/3 Balsa USA Stearman, and a couple of otheres I am outfiting my trailer for.
Thanks for any help, Greg B. AMA-51763

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

500 lbs. of lead??

CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

you do not want the suspesion so rigid that all the trailer does is bounce.......this is most likely the case. This hobby is so LIGHTWEIGHT, you just simply do not put much of a load in the trailer.

Either add some weight to the trailer or get some new springs for it

sswagerty

My Feedback: (53)

I would try gradually reducing the air pressure on the tires on the trailer. i would determine the lowest suggested air pressure on the tires and not go below that though. Let me know if that helps.

Joatmon

Additionally, if you have multiple leafs, you can remove the shorter, stiffer sets. Be sure and consider how the remaing leaves will fit up, clamps, etc.

If you're really handy, I have seen trailers with the springs replaced by torsion suspensions. Northern hardware stores carry them. They could require welding on certain setups.

Cessna310Q

Hey guys; I first put springs, guess cause that is mostly what i've been reading about. My trailer does have torsion bars. I have heard about the tire pressure and will try that soon.
Thanks.

Mpilot

He does not have springs! Come on people please read some ones question before adding your two cents worth.
4*60 is fight add weight to trailer. You can use some heavy steel under the floor plus add some goody's like a work bench or anything useful that wight to it. please don't do the tire with low pressure even it is with in the limits don't want to tell how I know this.

PlaneSmith

If you lower the tire pressure you risk a blowout. The tires will heat up very quickly with low pressure.

As far as the torsion bars go look to see if there is any adjustment at one end. Best bet is to go to a trailer shop and retrofit the trailer for air bag suspension.

Joatmon

"He does not have springs! Come on people please read some ones question before adding your two cents worth."

My two cents was legit before he revised his original post, bud.

If you read his other posts, he admits to saying "springs."

Some friendly advice from me, take your own advice.

Howard Davidson

I guess I'll throw in my two cents worth at the risk of being ridiculed!! I've been running plane trailers for years with no problems but started out with the same ones we're trying to fix here. I've had both big and small trailers and the fixes are almost identical........add some weight!! My latest 6'x12' trailer also got radial tires. I just recently discovered that the manufacturers put the cheapest junk for tires they can on these things and most of the times the tires are old nylon(bias-ply) tires unless you really get a Cadillac trailer. Let's face it, most of the world buys these things to haul hogs and wood in!! I totally stripped my trailer and went back with 3/4" treated floor decking, 1/4' ply insulated walls, insulated ceiling with FRP decking, and a workbench up front. All wired and lit like an electronics repair shop. Both DC & AC. I welded RV folding steps on the side and back doors(Nice!) I also put the spare tire on the tongue after building a custom rack. Everything is carpeted and I use the square-mesh orange construction netting to hold anything anywhere. This stuff lasts forever if it's out of the sun. I've used it for years. The shelf in the middle doesn't go all the way across so you can walk from front to back like an aisle in a movie theater. All welding, cabinet-work, wiring, etc. was done by three of us modelers and we did two trailers at once. It took about a month of hard work in the evenings but it's well worth it. Enjoy the pics.

Howard Davidson
Sallisaw, Ok

Howard Davidson

Pic 1

Howard Davidson

Pic 2

Howard Davidson

Pic three

Howard Davidson

My friend Olen Carson's trailer

Howard Davidson

Club Logo

Howard Davidson

Thought of a few things after the last book I wrote!! My friend's trailer rides like silk compared to mine with the single axle. We ran square tubing the length of Olen's trailer and made a receiver hitch to pull my trailer behind his. Works like a dream. Wherever the first trailer goes the second is in the same wheel track!! I'd never have believed it till we checked it. I rode in both going down both paved and unpaved roads at all speeds with a walkie-talkie and a lawn chair. Mine is rougher behind the first trailer but it's mostly sway. A $60.00 sway bar fixed this. I only use it when going tandem. The dual axle set-up is almost silky on all surfaces. I could sleep in it going down the road. Mine picks up more vibration both alone and being towed. Nothing to even worry about but nothing close to the tandem axle. The only thing I'd change on my trailer if I ever had to replace it is to go tandem axle in the same size. You've got to have some "honkin'" big planes to justify anything over 6'x12'. I carry four quarter-scale planes(one is a monstrous 48# Bearcat) and a .60 sized heli everywhere and have plenty of room. I can't fly that many at any fly-in without collapsing!! I normally take two planes out and let someone else put their stuff in my trailer to go to a fly-in. I also carry my pop-up tent and all tools in the trailer. I took a lot of my ideas from RV design for space-savings and convenience. If I remember right, I think I added about 300# of weight in modifications to the overall weight not counting planes, tools, tents, etc. There's the key!!!

Joatmon

Way kewl setups, Howard.

Some of the best two cents I've read. And you're right about the tandems. One axle should always be on the flat when running the pothole courses, making for some smooth sailing.

WTG!

Howard Davidson

Thought I'd better show some interior shots. That's where the work really pays off.

Howard Davidson

In the last pic the bottom shelf has a sub-floor which I routered holes into for whatever I wanted to drop in. There's two holes for transmitter cases, one for an air compressor, and one for a gallon jug of heli fuel. In this pic you can see the walkway area from front to back on the right side and how I haul the Bearcat wings. The Sukhoi wings are held the same way on the left side.

Howard Davidson

Here's an idea of how I did the shelf. Notice the "rope lights" around the bottom of the shelf. Get 'em at Wal-Mart(where else??!!). I plugged them into a receptacle we wired to be switched with the lights elsewhere in the trailer.

Howard Davidson

The spare tire rack is welded to the frame/tongue with cross-pieces and the tire mounts to an "upright" to keep the weight and vibration away from the aluminum skin. We considered just "through-bolting" the tire to the exterior since the interior walls are covered in 1/4" plywood but thought this would be stronger and neater. More work too!!

Howard Davidson

Here's the rear RV step. It took some creative welding and fabricating since NOTHING lined up to weld to for strength. We had the flooring out when I put it in so that helped. The side step was a piece of cake since it mounted to the same places in the same manner as it was designed for an RV. I didn't realize how much I needed these till I installed them!! That's all the pics I have unless someone wants something specific I can zoom on to. There's some more neat things we did but I'll leave them until someone asks about them!! We're going to do a third trailer for a friend this Winter when things settle down and the weather drives us inside. There's a few things we'll change and also we now know the shortcuts of the job. It ought to go faster and easier. The first trailer was a bear, the second was better, the third oughta be a charm!!

Cessna310Q

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the info on the trailer. I am going to build a upper shelf about half way up the wall to hold a couple of planes. The 54% Extra and the 1/3 Stearman will have to set side by side on the floor. I'd like to add a work bench in the front but the Extra fits in with about 10" to spare.
Hopefully after adding some weight it will ride smoothly. Sounds like that is the way to go.
Thanks also for the nice pics. Anyone know where I could go to see a lot of exterior pics?
Thanks again, Greg

dadsdesigns

My Feedback: (1)

Well the way to fix the problem is to replace the torsion axles. They are made in several sizes and most trailer manufactures put heavy ones in so they can have a reasonable towing capacity.
Load the trailer, weigh it and get the axle for that load. As cheap as the axle units are you could probably recoup most of the cost by selling the OEM ones localy. Pm me if you want links on where to buy them.

Robert
Aerolodge the light weight solution

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

The easy fix is to reduce the amount of air in your tires.