Setting up a trailer for planes and hauling things?
 

I picked up a 6X12 Enclosed trailer two weeks ago, and spent last Sunday putting a VCT floor in it. I still have to paint the ramp with non skid paint, was going to tile it, but figured it might get a bit slick when wet. I am also planning to paint the walls, just haven't decided on a color yet, needs to be close to the floor color, which is kind of a dullish pinkish red with black flecks. Got it for a good price, normally $75 a box, got it for 71% off. Just need to clean it now and put a polish on so it shines.

So far I plan to put a battery box in, with a solar panel charger, run some wiring from the battery to an inverter, then a power strip off of that for hooking up my charger and UPS so I can charge my radios and planes is needed, Thinking of making a folding bench, using a piano hinge to a board attached to the vertical ribs of the trailer wall. The only thing I haven't come up with is a way to secure the planes, tool boxes and flight boxes. I need it so that when I have to use it to get building materials or horse products, I can easily remove the plane carriers.

Here is the interior

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=1990118

If you are looking for ideas and suggestions there is a thread called "Photos Of Trailer Interior Layout, Please Post Yours Too!! " in the Tips & Techniques forum.

Enjoy!

Congrats on the trailer! I've got a 6x10 Wells Cargo V-nose with rear ramp & side door that will eventually be my "r/c home away from home". The plan is to insulate it, install a window and electricity (solar on the roof, large A123 storage)... and a flat-panel TV :p

The most important thing is insulating your airplanes from road shock. If your trailer has a firm suspension and you don't have your planes cradled in enough foam.. you can really destroy your models...

I have a friend that bought a new trailer. he put a small digital video camera in back and took a test drive to see how things were riding. When he watched the video he was shocked to see how much abuse was being done to his planes.. so he added more foam to all his mounting areas...

Good point. Firmly strapping things down to prevent them from flying all over is ALWAYS a good idea!

Thats what I am most concerned about. Securing the planes well without having permanent fixtures. It has a torsion suspension, so it has a softer ride, but only when loaded. Empty and it will bounce all over, and since the RC stuff hardly weighs anything, it will bounce around for sure.

I may get a sheet of 3/4" birch plywood to make a wing rack and mount that on a wall, then slide the sings into it and secure them, but is the secure them part having trouble with, straps can damage them.

I am also not sure what battery to get, Thinking deep cycle like the kind used on scooters, or a marine type deep cycle. I also am looking for LED strip lighting, didn't even think about it when I was in Toledo, but there was one guy sellling 20' rolls of white LED's, two of those would light up the trailer nicely.

I'm currently revising my trailer as my temporary (20 years!) fixtures will not fit my upcoming model.

Like you my trailer has to do duty as a work trailer on occasion.
I was thinking of a container system like used on full size aircraft when a friend turned up at a fly-in
with a model rack the size of his trailer that slides fully out in seconds leaving his trailer totally empty
for work.

I'll post pics when I'm on my other computer. - John.

Eventually it will need to hold 12 planes, 3 of which are giant scale. Right now only have one giant scale, the other two are piles of wood still. The rest are 60 size planes, easy to hang. Thinking that if I hang them by their tails and secure them by the landing gear, or some other means for those with the gear in the wings, then I can put them on the walls, and leave the floor open.

I like the idea of a roll out storage rack.

Here's the pics of my friend's rack system.

Advantages: super quick to remove from a trailer so you can haul something else.
You can fit more in the trailer because you can load easily from any side so you don't
need a 'walkway'.
Can be customised to fit any model/models & can be changed easily to suit different models.

Disadvantages: You have to build it (although you would have to build racking in your trailer anyway).
You have to have somewhere to store it when you take it out of the trailer (although you could use it
as a workshop model storage rack if you have enough room).

John.

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Great idea,,, why are the tabs angled up on one side and can you post a pictures of plane secured on it?

acdii- where do you fly? You're really not that far from me.

Marengo and Big Foot. Finally got my slot for the Big Foot site, and flew last weekend there. Nice to have wide open areas to fly in and not worry about coming in short or long and hitting corn rows.

Nice, like the bungee hooks on it. I can see the fuses laid on the cross bars, but how do the wings attach?

Is Big Foot the one in Walworth?

Here is a video of my trailer set up. I have a removable sliding shelf, LED lighting and a few other things incorporated into the trailer.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FnF953lW8DI

That's outstanding. I'm going to plagiarize your entire setup. Might use vertical E-Track in a few spots, would make removal / height adjustment of the rack easier.

The dimmable LEDs are perfect.

The tabs are actually loops of steel bar, that's where bungee cords (we call them 'ocky' straps (octopus?) in Australia)
hook in to secure things on the cross bars. Sorry, he didn't send me pics with a plane on it.

Wings attach flat on the bars with a Velcro strap over them. For strapping wings down I use old bicycle tubes cut to make
a flat rubber strap which spreads the load over the wing surface but grips quite well. I have a practically endless supply of
them (wheelchair tubes actually, I do work at hospitals).

Love that LED lighting, have to grab some of that!

John.

acdii,

I have a 16' tandem axle that rides pretty smooth. Beware of the heat build up!! That was my major concern living in sunny CA but I know it still gets hot in IL. On an 85* day it would reach over 110* inside with the doors closed. I installed 2-14" roof vents that dropped it down to 100*. I then installed 2-7" radiator fans (40.00 from EBAY) in the floor to suck cool air in from the bottom of the trailer forcing hot air out the roof vents. It now stays only a few * above outside temp. I installed an Interstate deep cycle marine battery, alarm system, a 100W solar panel (I bought on EBAY for $159.00), I installed a rack system that you can walk past the 1 side as it is easier to load bigger planes without having to go around the front to grab it while someone holds it from the rear. I also used 2" upholstery foam for the planes to sit on and absorb bouncing. I also installed 4- 30" 12V LED interior lights that take little to no power to run. My panel will keep up with running 2 fans all day, full time alarm system and a 500W power inverter and lights at night. I also gave it a little wrap job!!







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Wow, that's a nice looking trailer. Nice looking jets too.

flejter1, that is one bad*** trailer!!! I'm now going back to my little 6x10 :)

Now That is what I like! I have the same idea for the outside, only with a big Corsair and P-61. On the inside, what did you use for tracks on the floor? I like the idea for shelves, and the cabinets. My trailer looks very similar to yours minus an axle, is it a Duracraft? Only thing different is the aluminum frame around the rear door, otherwise it all looks the same. Eventually mine will be under a car port, once I clear out a space in the garage for the Fusion.

My trailer is an Interstate. I also have an ESM 50CC Corsair with a 7-77 radial in it. The racking system is called E-track. I bought it from www.dccargomall.com they are way cheaper than ebay and they have all the fiitings for any config you want to build. You can buy the E-track in either vert or horiz and you can get painted also. I went to a metal scrap yard and bought a really nice piece of 1/8" sheet aluminum for my bench top and it was only the cost of aluminum that day. I cut it to size and it really dressed up the inside.

Thanks for the kudo's from all that responded and liked my trailer. It will be at Kentucky Jets this year, stop by and say hi.


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=1992579

The aluminum bench is sweet :)

Well I looked at that site but they dont list those rails you have for the shelf, but I did find the E track at Harbor Freight and bought a few of them. Still pondering a roll out shelf or shelving like what you show. A work in progress, but I do have a cross bar I can use to secure my Extra 330 if I want to.

Is Harbor Freight's E-track the same as others? I saw some accessories there but don't want to be limited to using their brand.