RAF Trailers

[tomhall]

Hi guys, Tom Hall in Rochester, MN here; I am just about done building my RAF and have scheduled lessons with Duane Hunn in early Oct. Now I need to transport the bird from MN to Seminole and back. When I bought the kit 2 years ago things were different; the instructor would travel to you and insurance companies loved RAF's etc.................anyhow, any hints on trailers ? Because I have Don Parham's suspension system ( 6 ft. wide ) and his HS and a 4 - blade Warp Drive prop ( 78" verticle clearance ) it looks like I need a custom built trailer. So far the best one appears to be a single axle, 12 ft. design with an added 5 ft." V " up front and an extra foot in height. The price tag on that one is $ 4,500 ! I am going to keep my gyro in a hanger most of the time, but do want a trailer. Does anyone have a standard trailer they like that may be easier to find used? I do intend to participate more on the forum as I progress. I find this forum to be very valuable ! Thanks Tom T. Hall

[Aussie_Paul]

Welcome Tom. What modifications did you do to be able to fit the 78" prop?

Aussie Paul.:)

[tomhall]

Paul, The prop is a 68" 4 blade Warp Drive. With my mast folded and the prop in the " X " position, I need a 78" verticle clearance with a trailer. So far, a 7ft. high trailer seems to be the best bet. After building for 2 years, the excitement is slowly returning ! Tom

[Aussie_Paul]

Thanks Tom for the explanation.

Aussie Paul.:)

[GyroRon]

Don't know why if someone is planning to keep their gyro in a hangar 99 percent of the time, why that person would want to spend so much more money to buy and so much more money in Lower MPG on the tow truck, to use a enclosed trailer.

A good brand new 6 1/2 foot wide by 12 foot long single axle landscape trailer will haul that gyro just fine and will only set you back about a grand. Make a wooden blade box to store the rotors and fix the box to the floor of the trailer. You can even take the trailer to a welding shop and have them build you a hoist to use to help install the blades.

If your worried about road debris or water hurting the gyro then just use plywood and make a 3-4 foot high side and front walls onto the trailer. That is quick easy and cheap. Trailering in the rain isn't going to hurt the gyro, just cover the rotorhead with a heavy duty garbage bag and use some duct tape to keep the bag tight around the rotorhead, you can do the same with the engine.

Otherwise your looking at 4500$ for the enclosed trailer and if you haven't towed a big trailer like that before then be ready cause they take lots of fuel to pull down the highway.

[KenSandyEggo]

Ron, is black or green duct tape O.K. to use, or must it be the silver? They really screwed me up when they started making it in different colors.

[GyroRon]

Personally I like the looks of Black duct tape best, but yes they make it in all kinds of colors so it should be easy to get a color that matches your paint job on the gyro. Matching Duct tape! The only way to go

[scottessex]

We even used the Mil-spec olive drab duct tape in the Air Force to fix lightning strikes and bullet holes in C-130's.
Whoops we're off topic.

Yeah get a flat landscape type trailer to haul back and forth to the hangar. Then charge your friends when they want to borrow it.

[rehler]

Tom,

I recently purchase an enclosed trailer, which I used to haul my gyro from Texas to Mentone and back. I have hauled gyros all over the US for many years with flat bed type trailers, but this time it was wonderful! The enclosed trailer cost a lot, but it is by far the best way to go in my opinion. On my recent trip it rained hard several times while on the road (no problem with the enclosed trailer) and each night at the motel I did not worry so much about people tampering with my gyro. In the past I really worried a lot every night at motels. And no damage to the gyro from things (wrapping, straps, etc.) flapping in the wind.

However, you will have a problem with the V-nosed trailer you described unless you can get them to make it special with the wheels mounted closer to the hitch. Using the "V" nose is great but the gyro weight moves forward adding excessive load to the hitch. Even the "standard" enclosed trailer has the wheels too far back for a gyro, adding too much load on the hitch.

I suggest you measure where your gyro CG (without pilot) is located - probable a few inched behind the main wheels. Then have the trailer made so the wheels are under this point, or just behind it a few inches. You might find, as I did, that the "standard" wheel location is way behind this point adding a lot of load to the hitch. The load on the hitch should be from 10% to 15% of the total load (trailer and gyro). Example: 1,700 lb trailer + 600 lb gyro = 2.300 lbs * 12% = 275 lb load on the hitch.

The other problem is drag. Your MPG will really go down while on the highway. Mine (270 hp V-8) went from 22 to 12 MPG!

[GyroRon]

Udi, but then how is one supposed to get ones gyroplane to Bensen Days? Or Mentone or ROC? Fly it there??? That is a long way buster!

[LARRYEBOYER]

Hey Tom, You any relation to the country singer? Any way on the subject of a trailor, I have a trailer made specially for the RAF. It is not enclosed, but it has torsion bar suspension and it really allows the gyro a nice ride. Call me if you are interested.610-370-2178. I got it from a guy who had it made for his gyro. He had $3500 in it. It has ramps that fold down to allow the loading process. A winch to pull it on, and a place to carry the rotors.$1500.

[r.coplen]

Hi Tom,

I agree with Gyro Ron. I bought a wooden flat bed ATV trailer designed for 1200 lbs. With the weight of my gyro and the trailer it works perfect. The trailer has a 12 foot length and is just over 6 feet wide between the wheel wells. The roll up ramps came with the trailer and store underneigth. $1200.

I set my weight with about 100 lbs on the tung. Mine is a AAI modified so my gyro is nose heavy and not back on the tail. (My mains are about four inches back of the axel) I use wooden chalks on the mains that I bolt down after the gyro is positioned on the trailer and than straps.

I have towed Ruby probably 15,000 miles in the last 12 months and find that this works great. I do wrap the cabin if I'm going more than 500 miles with heavy shrink wrap and use duck tape to hold it down. (I have only used the gray. Haven't got the courage to go to other colors yet.) I have towed it back to Mentone and Oshkosh, down and back to Buckeye three times. I just towed my SparrowHawk up to and back form the Canadian Cheif of Police show and the Abottsfords Airshow that was in Vancouver. It works about the same as my RAF.

In all the trips I have taken I have never had any damage. My milage drops to 13 to 14 mpg when normaly it is about 22 to 24 mpg on my Honda Pilot. I usually drive at 65-70. If I had an enclosed trailer I think the milage would drop way below that.

It takes about 45 minutes to load the gyro blade boxes, starp everything down and wrap the cabin and rotorhead. I made a simple little hoist (I use a boat trailer wench) that I put up to attach the rotor if I'm not at a place with the ability to lift the rotor. I just strap it to the flat bed also.

I think you would save a lot of money on the cost of the trailer and in your fuel milage by going with a simple flat bed.

If you didn't have a hanger to store your gyro in most of the time than an enclosed trailer would make more sense.

[GyroRon]

Randy your going to hurt that Honda if you try pulling an enclosed trailer!!! As truckish as the Honda Pilot may seem, underneith all the bodywork is a Honda Accord sedan with a larger V-6 engine. But for what your doing now I think you will be ok!

[r.coplen]

Ron,

WhenI bought it I had the trailer package added. Encluded transmition cooler and beefed up engine cooling. The engine rarely goes over 2800 rpm except for uphill grades. I find that it tracks really will with the big tail feathers. I agree that a closed trailer the size I would need would be a bad thing for my Pilot.

[GyroRon]

Randy, I wasn't dogging out your ride! I like the Pilot, and the Acura MDX even better - the Pilots twin -

I was just pointing out that the Pilot is not a typical truck based SUV, but more of a tall very big front wheel drive car. Great for just driving and pretty good for towing light loads, but not good for big heavy stuff. A lot of vehicles are rated to carry more than they ought to carry. My truck is rated for something close to 10,000 Pounds - but I can't see it lasting long pulling that much weight!

[r.coplen]

Ron,

I agree with what you are saying and didn't feel dogged about it. The Pilot is just a easy riding SUV that is afordable for my budget. (After all I make my living selling gyroplanes-not a big money profession) I think the max towing is about 5,000 lb if my memory serves. A high trailer would need a much better towing machine.

[GyroRon]

Ok, I hear ya. I myself wish I could get rid of the big V-8 monster I got and get a cheaper V-6 smaller truck, but I need the power to pull my lawncare stuff around. Been thinking I might get one of those Freightliner Sprinter Workvans - Dodge sells a version now too. These are powered by a Benz diesel engine and get over 30 MPG driven as the Fed Ex guys drive. I figure pulling a smaller trailer it should still get 20... Heck I might be able to put my lawn stuff INSIDE the beast!

[tomhall]

Randy, Thanks for your input. I am targeting a 12' X 6' - 6" aluminum trailer that weighs 475 lbs. With no height restriction, I am thinking of towing with the mast UP to avoid what I am seeing as extra concern when towing with the mast down, supported by a 2 X 4, or what ?! Any concerns about the UP position ? Thanks Tom Hall

[r.coplen]

Tom,

I think a picture is worth a thousand words. All I do is cover the rotor head and shrink wrap the cabin. You can see the blade boxes and straps I use.

I forgot to mention on long trips I wrap the prop blades. This was one of the 1400 mile trips from Seattle to Buckeye.

I also put the SparrowHawk on the same trailer to go to the Abottsford Airshow and the Cheif of Police show in Vancouver. I only wrapped the rotor head on this trip because it was sunny and only 120 miles into Canada.

Works great for me.