Towing the Loon e Bin

[C8AX]

We spent 5 days on the road. It was a blast. The car tows the Loon e Bin with ease. Passing the F250's with the Montana's in tow up hill was so much fun.
We had some ignition issues with the car and the Loon helped. We spent a night in a NAPA parking lot waiting for parts.

[Pmullen503]

Well done. Glad it only took a day to get parts!

[C8AX]

Well done. Glad it only took a day to get parts!

Thank you.

[C8AX]

Some more Loon e Bin. I'm going to put some air shocks in and try them for a more level ride.
It drives fine. Small bit of tire rub in the corners.

[TimC]

...I'm going to put some air shocks in and try them for a more level ride.
It drives fine. Small bit of tire rub in the corners...

Nice trip report. I'm wondering, what do air shocks do for a very light trailer? If my new build comes in at about 750-800lbs would air shocks help keep the trailer from bouncing down the road? I ask not because I know this will happen but I am expecting it with the light weight. The trailer has a Dexter axle and I don't think adding shocks would be a simple install.

Thanks, Tim

[Pmullen503]

I think getting the spring rates matched to the trailer weight would be the first step.

I assumed the OP meant getting air shocks for the car so it would ride more level.

[C8AX]

Yes air shocks for the car. It has really good shocks, but they are Koni D and are oil dampers only.
I going to try Gabriel Hijackers.
The bed it turns out is more comfy than the bed in the house.
Now we have to upgrade the house bed.
This was the most fun I've had in years driving around in my Mustang. People enjoy seeing it and I enjoy pulling it.

[Pmullen503]

It is a pretty badass rig; car and trailer.

[C8AX]

It is a pretty badass rig; car and trailer.

Thank you.
The car is powered by a 427 Sideoiler Tunnel Wedge Stroker 482cubic inch, 4 Speed Top Loader, 3;50 Gears. Runs on pump gas. Lot's of power.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EJqhDJXqvuo

[C8AX]

Actually towing the Loon.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Rb1R_2wkHvk

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9SDz-DCuQNY

[working on it]

You've got a great setup there; I wish I had done the same years ago, but I quit car-building too late, and began trailer building much too late in life, to do so. Too little time while still working, too little money and health after retirement didn't help. Enjoy your travels.

I used to have a '66 Chevelle Malibu that I thought I'd like to convert back from a dragrace car to street use, and perhaps tow my squareback trailer with it. I retired from racing in 2007-8, retired from work on 12-31-15, and the Chevelle sat waiting in the garage for me to find the time & money to do the work. Never did.

However, I still wanted the Chevelle to live again, so I talked my much-younger neighbor into doing the conversion to streetable, and find & semi-restore an older SUV (of my choice, from a list of favorites) to swap for it. Eventually, we did ...car for car, trailer (my 18' car hauler) for trailer (his 4.5' x 10' utility, with ramp and 3' high mesh walls). The Chevelle was worth more, but I really wanted it to go to a good home, as I just couldn't do the kind of work needed.

So now, I have an all-purpose vehicle, and he has a good base for a Pro-street conversion. a win-win-win for both of us, in my eyes.

'66 CHEVELLE lives on! v2.jpg (518.03 KiB) Viewed 623 times

my 2001 X5.jpg (177.51 KiB) Viewed 623 times

[C8AX]

So I ordered a Curt hitch from Amazon and hooked up the Loon e Bin to the old RAV4 and took it to the park.
It tows it fine for a weak 4 banger automatic.
Not as much fun but useful.

[C8AX]

Still towing the Loon e Bin around. Country Harbour Ferry Nova Scotia, Canada.
Made a change to the skin. Covered it in Vvivid vinyl wrap. It is very durable and we think the Loon looks better now.
At a car show in Sherbrooke Village, N.S.

[MickinOz]

Some more Loon e Bin. I'm going to put some air shocks in and try them for a more level ride.
It drives fine. Small bit of tire rub in the corners.

Years ago, I had a car that rode too low in the back for my liking.
I put in a set of air shocks.
Gabriel hijackers, as it happens.
Mate, I hated the bloody things.
Air shocks have 2 fundamental problems in my opinion, both stemming from the one design fault.
1) The existing springs in your car are very unlikely to be exactly the same strength. The air lines were connected by a T-piece and, when I pumped up the pressure, the lift favoured the side of the car with the stronger spring. Unassisted, the car sat level side to side, and handled fine. As soon as air was applied it was evident very quickly that one spring was stronger than the other.
2) Because the two shocks were connected, they caused an exaggeration of body roll. When I cornered, for example, the car naturally tried to lean out, and the air flowed from the shock with the most load on it to the other shock.
A quick google search informs that Gabriel Hijackers can now be had with adjustable coil over spring instead of air bags. Those are the ones I would consider buying.