trailer for LSA: steel or alu?

I recently acquired a nice Rotax-powered two-seater, but am hard pressed
for storage. So I might well want to store it on a trailer, that I could
well build myself. Friends I consulted seemed to take it for granted I
begin by welding together a frame of steel profiles, paint it with
primer and gloss, then attach an axle and a few other paraphernalia.

But why not bolt together a few lengths of aluminium? No need to paint
or weld - or is this over simple?

In article ,
says...

I recently acquired a nice Rotax-powered two-seater, but am hard pressed
for storage. So I might well want to store it on a trailer, that I could
well build myself. Friends I consulted seemed to take it for granted I
begin by welding together a frame of steel profiles, paint it with
primer and gloss, then attach an axle and a few other paraphernalia.

But why not bolt together a few lengths of aluminium? No need to paint
or weld - or is this over simple?


Firstly: you'll find steel in all sizes/quantity anywhere, aluminium
beams in the sizes required nowhere.

Secondely: the aluminium beams need to be anodized, a process which in
Belgium is very expensif and hard to find due to the impact (of
anodizing) on the environnement.

Thirdly: your trailer will weigh a minimum of 150 kg regardless of
construction material. The cost of raw material Fe compared Al is a
factor 30 in favor of steel.

For reasons of security (for a trailer) welding has a far better
pedigree than bolting: assuming that you will be able to bolt it
together, it *will* come loose and that -of course- at the worst moment.

The total weight (trailer and your airship) *has* to be under 500 kg in
order to not needing brakes nor an insurance premium.

The axle will either be solid (no springs) and steel. Better is to go to
a breakers yard and get a sprung axle. Peugeot 205 rear axle works
great, get the wheels too and throw out the brakes.
The other method is to buy a sprung axle at a specialist dealer.

Best and cheapest way is to make a welded steel trailer with a PVC or
plastic cover. Standard trailers are quite cheap but don't expect that
to be the case if it has to be custom made.

Congrats with the 2-seater!

Tom De Moor

On Apr 12, 5:27*am, Tom De Moor
wrote:
In article ,
says...



I recently acquired a nice Rotax-powered two-seater, but am hard pressed
for storage. So I might well want to store it on a trailer, that I could
well build myself. Friends I consulted seemed to take it for granted I
begin by welding together a frame of steel profiles, paint it with
primer and gloss, then attach an axle and a few other paraphernalia.

But why not bolt together a few lengths of aluminium? No need to paint
or weld - or is this over simple?

Firstly: you'll find steel in all sizes/quantity anywhere, aluminium
beams in the sizes required nowhere.

Secondely: the aluminium beams need to be anodized, a process which in
Belgium is very expensif and hard to find due to the impact (of
anodizing) on the environnement.

Thirdly: your trailer will weigh a minimum of 150 kg regardless of
construction material. The cost of raw material Fe compared Al is a
factor 30 in favor of steel.

For reasons of security (for a trailer) welding has a far better
pedigree than bolting: assuming that you will be able to bolt it
together, it *will* come loose and that -of course- at the worst moment.

The total weight (trailer and your airship) *has* to be under 500 kg in
order to not needing brakes nor an insurance premium.

The axle will either be solid (no springs) and steel. Better is to go to
a breakers yard and get a sprung axle. Peugeot 205 rear axle works
great, get the wheels too and throw out the brakes.
The other method is to buy a sprung axle at a specialist dealer.

Best and cheapest way is to make a welded steel trailer with a PVC or
plastic cover. Standard trailers are quite cheap *but don't expect that
to be the case if it has to be custom made.

Congrats with the 2-seater! *

Tom De Moor

I have my glider in a steel framed enclosed trailer (.045" thick
aluminum skin). It has been tipped over twice. Once in heavy winds,
once thanks to inept driving (me). Both times the trailer absorbed
the impact and protected the glider inside it. I don't think I would
consider anything but steel.

On 04/22/2011 04:46 PM, Tony wrote:
On Apr 12, 5:27 am, Tom De
wrote:
In ,
says...



I recently acquired a nice Rotax-powered two-seater, but am hard pressed
for storage. So I might well want to store it on a trailer, that I could
well build myself. Friends I consulted seemed to take it for granted I
begin by welding together a frame of steel profiles, paint it with
primer and gloss, then attach an axle and a few other paraphernalia.

But why not bolt together a few lengths of aluminium? No need to paint
or weld - or is this over simple?

( ... )

I have my glider in a steel framed enclosed trailer (.045" thick
aluminum skin). It has been tipped over twice. Once in heavy winds,
once thanks to inept driving (me). Both times the trailer absorbed
the impact and protected the glider inside it. I don't think I would
consider anything but steel.

Thank you, Tony. There was no need to convince me, Tom already offered
sufficient advice AND hands-down assistance at the design and
construction of a steel trailer frame. I am still wondering about
covering, though, so I'd be glad to have more details about how you
covered yours. Do you have steel uprights too, welded to the trailer
frame, to which your alu sheet is riveted?