LocostUSA.com

Our Caravan drags the hitch coming and going in the driveway. I like low, maybe not as low as Thumper.but below tire centerline.
My buddy's car hauler that I borrow from time to time is a 3" drop axle model. It's pretty happy behind the van.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Check this out if you want a low deck and springs:
http://www.trailerpart.com/halftorsionaxles.htm
Worked for me:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=8564&start=240
Although I'm only hauling a 400 lb. body buck.

TooBusy, Let me give you a "What-if", since you seem to have a little engineering savvy. It appears we can safely use this design to tow a Locost over the countryside, but "what-if" we occasionally bumped that load up to over 2500 Lbs. such as dragging home a donor Miata. Are we still good, or do you think further adjustments would be necessary?

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

A Miata would take it above yield stress and you'd put a permanent bow in your trailer.

Make the same trailer (2 side rails and a center backbone) from 2x4x.125 wall and you're good to go.

or...
Make a 5 rail trailer from 2x3. This would have 2 beams each side plus a backbone.

or.....
Add a top rail with diagonal braces. Basically, turn the sides into trusses.

or....
make a tandem axle trailer, the spans are decreased significantly.

It's been a while and my engineering toolkit has gotten a little rusty. I should break out my Statics book and brush up.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Always thought that this was a very informative thread. I was just wondering if anyone has found any new gems of knowledge in the last three years. Anybody have anything to add?

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

Huh, I never did see this thread, and it was about the same time I built my trailer. It's a tilt deck, with torsion flex axles. I used 1.5x3" for the side rails of the deck, 1x2" for the cross members, and 2x3" for the tongue, all 1/8" wall steel. It weighs about 1800lbs with the car on it. The tilt is really simple, the tongue is only attached to the deck with a 3/4" bolt that sort of lines up with the axle centerline, which the tongue pivots on, then a pin goes through at the front to hold the deck down. The trailer is balanced so it will stay tipped with the pin out, and when I drive the car on it drops down and I can put the pin in to lock it. To unload, just pull the pin and back off, the weight of the car tips the trailer deck up. I should almost take a video of it next time I use the trailer, it's really simple.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

Good lookin' rig there, Kristian. Simple & light weight. Can't ask for much more.

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/