foamis and high winds.

[GPW]

Simple , the 500 lbs. of Beer keeps it steady ... Ballast ... Only thing is , every time you drink a beer , you have to throw a rock inside (of similar weight) to maintain the balance ...

[eaglesdare]

now, now, gpw...

i know my foamie stays on the road while driving down the highway at at least 60-65. not sure if i have ever gone to 70, but i might have for a short period of time.

me personally, i would seriously think twice about any light travel trailer advisories that were out there.
same as if i were taking a small boat out during small craft warnings. learned my lesson on that one. had to be towed back in from a rescue boat.

[GPW]

Appypolylogies' ... Just a bit of country levity ... besides it was Big Mike's idea !!! And I thought it was plausible ...

What about private airplanes constructed of the same exact Blue Foam ... that fly over 200mph ... I know you guys like to tow FAST, but ...

[eaglesdare]

blaming mike.

[GPW]

Seriously , there's days when it's not good to tow anything .... or drive anything .... I used to drive Vans , better to haul my paintings around , and sometimes having to cross the Miss. River Bridge here in a high crosswind was treacherous enough in a Van alone ... Wish I'd known about the Jedi Beer Ballast trick back then ...

[mikeschn]

Appypolylogies' ... besides it was Big Mike's idea !!! And I thought it was plausible ...

I didn't do it? Why is it my fault?

Mike...

[GPW]

Gosh , I thought you said that .... ????? Wonder who gets the credit/blame ....

[mikeschn]

Oh, you're talking about the beer as ballast? Yea, I think I said that!!!

Mike...

[GPW]

It did seem like a practical idea at the time , and more fun than a brick floor ...

[davel]

The Bluebonnet has done several trips to West Texas with strong side winds and did just fine. It also has seen several trips at 70-75 with no problems. As long as you use a regular metal frame I don't see it as any problem.

[eaglesdare]

i think that is the issue folks have about our foamies. they don't have that regular metal or wood frame.

[GPW]

Cowboy, Yes ,we've been in parts of the country notorious for High winds ... and as to whether a Foamie would be safe when semi's are being blown over ... well who knows ... ???? Just from our experience with airplanes , a rounded shape is better in the wind that a large flat surface ... Sorta like the difference between square hay bales and those bigger round hay rolls...

[GPW]

OK, I posed this question to a few OFBs (old flying buddies) , Old Timer Plane guys, ... First response from them all was "You don't fly on a day like that " !!!
Then we got into a discussion of balance , center of gravity , and all agreed that the lower the trailer is , the "apparently" wider (as compared to the height) area or "track", the more stable the tow would be ... Kinda' knew that already ... Talked about shapes .... the Box was definitely Not the way to go ...all their ideas resembled the streamlined canopy off a P-51... Final conclusions... lower , wider , with the mass (weight) concentrated as low as possible (pendulum effect) , and fully rounded surfaces so the air would flow over it easily .. = More stable in the wind ! Makes sense to me ... especially the part about not towing in very windy weather ...

[eaglesdare]

that makes sense to me.

[Stouttrout]

all their ideas resembled the streamlined canopy off a P-51...

I know I am new here but I know quite a bit about lift. If you build something in this shape it will begin to airfoil, taking a light trailer and making it even lighter. A reverse Tear drop shape would have less airfoil effect. Now if you build it like the P-51B and abruptly stop it in the rear make it flat, then you may avoid this but I would not build it in the shape of an airplane wing.