New From Arizona

[AZLugz]

Interesting site, I have been lurking for a while and decided to join.
My wife and I are both ex Air Forcce, her with 10 years and me retired at 20 tho we both still have to work. Decided to stay here in Mesa AZ for the weather, it may be really hot for a couple months, but the rest of the year is great and we can ride all year round.
Have been into off roading for years but after some unfortunate medical issue, those days are done. Have ridden Motorcycles since I was a kid and after I got out of the hospital in 2011, the wife bought me a beautiful 2006 Goldwing. Now, road riding has taken the place of the off road. The wife has a 2011 Victory and we love to take off and go when we can. I have a 1985 Coleman Caboose that I tow for gear (had it 22 years now, Been in the family since new) and we have been staying in hotels. We have thought about buying a lightweight teardrop but then I got the bug to build something, thats how I got here. We are not new to camping, I started in Alaska as a baby and have been thru tent, truckbed, cabover, trailer and 5th wheel. Wife camped all her life in Texas. We have a 38' 5th wheel that we also take out but the bikes are fun to just get away. Whatever I build, I want to be able to sleep in but also use as a cargo trailer. We ride with the Patriot Guard Riders and I need to be able to carry gear for that when not camping. Thoughts right now lean to a rear facing door and a rounded wedge shape to the front, muse be small and lightweight tho for the bike. I have the Coleman up for sale and have already bought a Harbor Freight 40x48 trailer with 12" tires. Trailer will be all wood, but if frame mods are found necessary, I have off roading friends with welders so I can get help there.

My Bike


Bike and trailer


Wife's


Our Other toy

[bobhenry]

My 86 Goldwing pulls this one.......




It weighs in a 525 pounds with bedding and all. It's a sleeper only ( No galley per say) However the slip on tables make a great outdoors kitchen.

Here is the link if you are wanting a peek !...........

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=38489

[PKCSPT]

Welcome, I really like you wifes bike.

[bc toys]

Welcome to this great site hope you find what you want here Nice bikes I like both

[AZLugz]

I have one of the 40x48 HF trailers with 12" wheels as I said in the first post and am looking at building a sleeper. I finally sold the Black coleman trailer so I am on to build the new trailer but I have a couple questing, I know there is no definitive answer but I am looking for opinions.

1. I am seriously considering a second 40x48 trailer to cut up and extend the frame I have a bit but mostly to use the second axle setup. The plan all along was to make it longer. I did not want the 8' trailer because of the width. Now I am looking at extending the 48" sides to around 84" and using both axles so it would have 4 12" tires. Weight is not really a big factor but this would help the balance of the weight and keeping it off the back of the bike. I think there is also a major cool factor in that it is something you don't see often.

2. Design.... The back will be square with doors like a cargo trailer and at least part of the roof will be flat for the solar panel. The question is the front. I am looking at 3 different styles.
a. V-Nose like a cargo trailer. couple possible variations like also angle from top down but overall keeping to the V-Nose idea.

b. Rounded from bottom to top. Remembering the trailer will be short as I need to be able to see over it in the bikes rear view mirrors, the curve would be around a 48' curve. possible variations would be tighter curve and then angled roof to the mid point and then flat to the back. Tighter curve at the bottom and wider curve at the top..... to many possibilities to list but hope you get the idea, kind of a half teardrop.

c. Last idea was a flat top with a rounded front but rounded from side to side. I think this will be the hardest to accomplish.

I have leaned toward the curved from bottom to top but again, I am looking for ideas on the front design and your thoughts on the tandem axle idea.

Thanks all

[bobhenry]

On 2 wheels there are several things to keep in mind.

Up lift, cross wind stability. tongue weight and wind drag.

To my way of thinking having seen a few round nosed trailers the side to side round nose would negate the lift and center the stability while reducing wind drag. My 4x7 was rounded in my opinion the wrong way (top to bottom) It reduces the sleeping length and invites instability.
To build the vertical round nose simply stud the rounded floor vertically and curve your sheathing the same as a teardrop roof. Taking a small rip of 1/4 plywood as a template wrap it around the newly formed curve and drop the nose a few inches to give yourself a small amount of down force. Yes it adds hitch weight but remember you want that rear tire on the ground.
You wind up with a full length floor at the center and a slight nose down profile with essentially a flat roof from side to side. A slight bow could be added with a little creative cutting of your side to side spars but it will have to be very minimal as plywood really doesn't like curving in two planes at the same time.

As to the dual axle you are simply adding weight and increasing stopping difficulty. Your bike will also have to drag one set of the duals in turns leading to added side force in the turns, not a good thing on 2 wheels. (You might get away with it on a trike.) Try to position the single axle at about 55% forward and 45% to the rear based on the body length only and greatly exagerate the tongue length for stability on the road. Mine pulls reasonably well despite my screw ups.

[AZLugz]

This is kinda what I am thinking on the trailer. extended frame and tongue and the tandem axles.

On the original frame, i think it will mean moving the axle back, then adding a large piece of the second frame to the back and putting the second axle toward the front of that. The rear axle front spring mount will be right behind the front springs rear slipper mount. May come up with a double mount for the middle also.

[pchast]

How much weight are you considering towing?