Re: Diablo motor support - trailer advice
Jon,
I've been 'eavesdropping on your efforts for sometime . . . with
considerable jealousy concerning that gorgeous, flat, floor in your shop
!!
I 'presently' have 4 trailers {Yes - I'm thinking about another . . . If
Joanne finds out I'm 'dead meat' !!}. One came with my P19 and is
'factory issue'. One is a commercially built small boat trailer I
modified for the P15. Two are 'buyer-assembled' utility trailers - 1 has
a '4x8' bed & 'folds', the other is a 'mini' with a 40in x 48in bed.
I can go into a lot of detail {as is my usual habit . . . seems to be
endemic to Engineers}which makes me a 'pain in the ass'. For now I'll
just say, 'Trust me'. {IF YOU want the details, drop me a note}.
The EASIEST solution . . . get 300 to 500 lbs of 'mass'. Denser - like
lead blocks - is more compact, but bags of topsoil are a lot cheaper . .
. and softer. {Plus are 'multi-use' - can be used in the garden, later}.
This is presuming that you have a flat bed on the trailer, with a
'cradle' for the boat . . . otherwise you'll need something else.
Add mass, to the weight of the boat - as you would normally use it -
then add more mass to about half the 'rated capacity'. Now go for a
ride. How does it feel? Does the trailer 'bounce around excessively?
Adjust accordingly.
'They' say that 'tongue weight' should only be about 10-15 percent of
the of the rated load. That's nice, in theory. Part of the reasoning is
to not exceed the hitch capacity, the other is to keep the coupler from
bouncing off the hitch {YOUR situation}. I like about 75 lbs {plus or
minus} - secure and easy to lift. Balance your load to where YOU feel
comfortable.
This way you will have the 'full load capacity' available, should you
want to use the trailer for another task, in the future.
I don't think taking out a leaf will do much . . . especially for the
effort involved. Take a look at some of the 'on-line' trailer parts
sites. {Champion Trailer is commonly mentioned . . and they have a nice
'paper' catalog for your shelf}. Gives a good idea of what is
available - I would simply 'change out' the entire spring assembly.
DON'T FORGET to ADD the weight of the ACTUAL trailer to your
calculations for 'spring load'.
Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
3a. Diablo Motor Support
Posted by: "adventures_in_astrophotography"jon@...
adventures_in_astrophotography
Date: Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:45 am (PDT)
My Diablo rendition was launched in June . . .
SNIP
The bad news is that the factory-built trailer, with it's fairly stiff
springs (1200 lb trailer capacity) . . .
SNIP
taking a leaf out of the trailer springs will help soften the ride?
SNIP
How about bolting some weight onto the trailer frame?
SNIP
Jon Kolb
www.kolbsadventures.com/boatbuilding_index.htm
I've been 'eavesdropping on your efforts for sometime . . . with
considerable jealousy concerning that gorgeous, flat, floor in your shop
!!
I 'presently' have 4 trailers {Yes - I'm thinking about another . . . If
Joanne finds out I'm 'dead meat' !!}. One came with my P19 and is
'factory issue'. One is a commercially built small boat trailer I
modified for the P15. Two are 'buyer-assembled' utility trailers - 1 has
a '4x8' bed & 'folds', the other is a 'mini' with a 40in x 48in bed.
I can go into a lot of detail {as is my usual habit . . . seems to be
endemic to Engineers}which makes me a 'pain in the ass'. For now I'll
just say, 'Trust me'. {IF YOU want the details, drop me a note}.
The EASIEST solution . . . get 300 to 500 lbs of 'mass'. Denser - like
lead blocks - is more compact, but bags of topsoil are a lot cheaper . .
. and softer. {Plus are 'multi-use' - can be used in the garden, later}.
This is presuming that you have a flat bed on the trailer, with a
'cradle' for the boat . . . otherwise you'll need something else.
Add mass, to the weight of the boat - as you would normally use it -
then add more mass to about half the 'rated capacity'. Now go for a
ride. How does it feel? Does the trailer 'bounce around excessively?
Adjust accordingly.
'They' say that 'tongue weight' should only be about 10-15 percent of
the of the rated load. That's nice, in theory. Part of the reasoning is
to not exceed the hitch capacity, the other is to keep the coupler from
bouncing off the hitch {YOUR situation}. I like about 75 lbs {plus or
minus} - secure and easy to lift. Balance your load to where YOU feel
comfortable.
This way you will have the 'full load capacity' available, should you
want to use the trailer for another task, in the future.
I don't think taking out a leaf will do much . . . especially for the
effort involved. Take a look at some of the 'on-line' trailer parts
sites. {Champion Trailer is commonly mentioned . . and they have a nice
'paper' catalog for your shelf}. Gives a good idea of what is
available - I would simply 'change out' the entire spring assembly.
DON'T FORGET to ADD the weight of the ACTUAL trailer to your
calculations for 'spring load'.
Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
3a. Diablo Motor Support
Posted by: "adventures_in_astrophotography"jon@...
adventures_in_astrophotography
Date: Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:45 am (PDT)
My Diablo rendition was launched in June . . .
SNIP
The bad news is that the factory-built trailer, with it's fairly stiff
springs (1200 lb trailer capacity) . . .
SNIP
taking a leaf out of the trailer springs will help soften the ride?
SNIP
How about bolting some weight onto the trailer frame?
SNIP
Jon Kolb
www.kolbsadventures.com/boatbuilding_index.htm