Date:         Sun, 4 Jun 2006 16:20:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Motor Scooter hung off backside?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

I have the 8' trailer, and as for it being 'more than you want to deal
with', it really isn't that 'much' to begin with. Before I built the box on
mine, when it just had a piece of 4' x 8' x 1/2" plywood for a floor, I was
still able to lift the thing entirely off the ground by the axle (holding it
vertically). With the wooden box on it and overfull of a dump load, I can
still maneuver it around pretty easily by the tongue/chains. It's
surprisingly well balanced.
It's all just bolted together... If you don't weld I don't see why you
couldn't mod it to carry your scooters by bolting those parts on as well.
The thing about that is that it becomes another maintenance item- you have
to go around the thing periodically and check all the bolts to make sure
they're tight.
Even if it's a little longer than you think you need it seems to me you'll
probably find use for the extra room.
I agree that it's a little tricky to back up but I figure that's mostly a
matter of practice and patience.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Elliott" <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: Motor Scooter hung off backside?


> On 6/3/2006 5:40 PM David Bohannan wrote:
>> Harbor Freight is your friend:
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42708
>>
> David, I reckon you are right.
>
> <Begin thinking out loud>
>
> I have a receiver mounted to the front of Mellow Yellow to carry a bike
> rack with our two bicycles. It's plenty sturdy for that, but I don't
> think a 160 lb (dry) scooter is the smartest thing to mount there.
>
> On the rear, I /could/ mount some heavy-duty receiver to carry a
> scooter, but then I'd have that darn scooter in the way when I wanted to
> open the back.
>
> So, we're thinking that a small trailer, like those Harbor Freight ones,
> is our solution.  The trailers come in two general lengths: 48'' and
> 96''. 96'' is more than we want to deal with. However, the scooters
> we're looking at are about 65 - 70 '' length overall, so the shorter
> trailer might be awkward. It could be lengthened, as described by Greg
> Potts on his Westrailer project, by welding on some mattress frames. But
> I am welding-challenged.
>
> Setting that detail aside for the moment, I don't know much about
> trailers, but I bet that you don't want to add the extra length to the
> rear of the trailer, as it will cause the tongue to want to go up. The
> load probably wants to be roughly centered over the trailer axle, with a
> forward bias so that the tongue has a few dozen lbs of downward
> pressure. By adding 10'' to the front of the trailer, and 10'' to the
> rear, the trailer would be long enough for the scooter, but this would
> reduce the clearance between the trailer and MW's rear. Sharp turns
> might be messy.
>
> <end thinking out loud>
>
> '73
>
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> KG6RCR