Top ten glider trailer features?

Hello,
I am in the early stages of building a Luebke patterned clamshell trailer for my Schempp-Hirth SHK. The trailer is an aluminum sheathed steel frame 'interpretation' of the cobra and comet style trailers. I have been paying attention to every glider trailer I've been around for the last few years, with the intention of incorporating the best features. Some of these features are;

Tracks and captured wing root dollies with adjustable tension hold down
brackets for the spar root (seen in a cobra containing a ventus)

Captured aluminum ramp with fold over center track, with either hydraulic
or double screw jack height adjustment (cobra again).

Pivoting lower carriage wheels on belly support dolly (cobra).

Drop down tailgate which provides a braced repeatable height of tail end
of trailer for rigging and derigging.

Front access hatch, ventilators, spare tire access when loaded.
Good lights with some lights down the length of the trailer.

Storage space for all the ground handling gear.

So, what am I missing or forgetting? Does anyone have any comments on favorite features or also, features which should be avoided at all costs? I want to eliminate those unforeseeable miserable items which pinch fingers, rash gliders, and detract from the chore of rigging and trailering a glider. I would also like to have a system which uses the least amount of loose gear lying about.

Thanks,
Scott W.
N-1521

On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 8:51:59 PM UTC-7, shkdriver wrote:
Hello,

I am in the early stages of building a Luebke patterned clamshell trailer for my Schempp-Hirth SHK. The trailer is an aluminum sheathed steel frame 'interpretation' of the cobra and comet style trailers. I have been paying attention to every glider trailer I've been around for the last few years, with the intention of incorporating the best features. Some of these features are;



Tracks and captured wing root dollies with adjustable tension hold down

brackets for the spar root (seen in a cobra containing a ventus)



Captured aluminum ramp with fold over center track, with either hydraulic

or double screw jack height adjustment (cobra again).



Pivoting lower carriage wheels on belly support dolly (cobra).



Drop down tailgate which provides a braced repeatable height of tail end

of trailer for rigging and derigging.



Front access hatch, ventilators, spare tire access when loaded.

Good lights with some lights down the length of the trailer.



Storage space for all the ground handling gear.



So, what am I missing or forgetting? Does anyone have any comments on favorite features or also, features which should be avoided at all costs? I want to eliminate those unforeseeable miserable items which pinch fingers, rash gliders, and detract from the chore of rigging and trailering a glider. I would also like to have a system which uses the least amount of loose gear lying about.



Thanks,

Scott W.

N-1521

Hydraulic jacks have a fairly high failure rate. Screw jacks fail rarely and would be my first choice..

Working brakes would also be a nice feature!

Mike

Hard to go wrong copying a Cobra. But leave the awful foam-backed carpet out.

Set the height so you minimize dragging the tail of the trailer on the road when going in driveways. That is a constant problem with my driveway with most trailers.

I really liked the internal side storage compartments on Greg Cole's sparrowhawk trailer. He made the trailer as wide as the outside of the tires in the middle and tapered to "normal" width at the nose and tail. This created large storage areas ahead of and behind each wheel. That would require a major departure from Luebke plans though.

Keep good notes, someday I need a few more trailers. I have a set of Luebke 1-26 trailer plans for a future Cherokee II trailer.

I prefer screw down feet to using the tailgate. The tailgate hinge tends to wear with time from using it as a support.

Also if you are using the tailgate as the support you can't close the tailgate and have the trailer not at risk of turning while you are gone.

Get a nice set of screw jacks and you will be much happier in the long run.

On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 8:24:29 PM UTC-8, Tim Taylor wrote:
...The tailgate hinge tends to wear with time from
using it as a support...

Isn't that just another way of saying that most tailgate hinges are too flimsy?

I've got two of these on the back of my LAK T-4 trailer and love them:
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...iler-jacks.htm

Build in a storage box in front of the fuselage which occupies the full
width of the trailer at the front (under the spars) and is narrower further
aft to allow the wings to slide in. Make it go all the way back to the nose
cone of the glider.

"Tim Taylor" wrote in message
...
I prefer screw down feet to using the tailgate. The tailgate hinge tends
to wear with time from using it as a support.

Also if you are using the tailgate as the support you can't close the
tailgate and have the trailer not at risk of turning while you are gone.

Get a nice set of screw jacks and you will be much happier in the long
run.

I sorely miss the shock absorbers that the cheapskate designers of my 1999 Avionic trailer wrote off as decadent western luxury. The road vibration on the first long haul eased the pins out of the tailgate hinges. I don't imagine that that level of jarring vibration is good for a sailplane.

I've seen shock absorbers on some glider trailers.

I would also like some sturdy tie down points on the corners for tieing the trailer down when high winds are a possibility. Presently I loop the ropes around the frame members but that is a hassle to thread them through lying on my back in the wet grass.

Using the stabilizer jacks in back and the front wheel jack on the tongue of
the trailer, I don't tie mine down any more. It's weathered 60 mph winds at
Moriarty without moving.


"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
...
I sorely miss the shock absorbers that the cheapskate designers of my 1999
Avionic trailer wrote off as decadent western luxury. The road vibration on
the first long haul eased the pins out of the tailgate hinges. I don't
imagine that that level of jarring vibration is good for a sailplane.

I've seen shock absorbers on some glider trailers.

I would also like some sturdy tie down points on the corners for tieing the
trailer down when high winds are a possibility. Presently I loop the ropes
around the frame members but that is a hassle to thread them through lying
on my back in the wet grass.

Don't think it has been mentioned.
A couple of good jacking points for the main wheel(s) and a
decent jack to raise the wheel(s).

The best towing trailer I have ever towed have had twin axle
with four wheels but they are awful to ground handle.





At 23:20 27 November 2013, Dan Marotta wrote:
Using the stabilizer jacks in back and the front wheel jack on
the tongue
of
the trailer, I don't tie mine down any more. It's weathered 60
mph winds
at
Moriarty without moving.


"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
news:39bc5acd-5db0-40be-8bf9-
...
I sorely miss the shock absorbers that the cheapskate
designers of my 1999
Avionic trailer wrote off as decadent western luxury. The road
vibration
on
the first long haul eased the pins out of the tailgate hinges. I
don't
imagine that that level of jarring vibration is good for a
sailplane.

I've seen shock absorbers on some glider trailers.

I would also like some sturdy tie down points on the corners
for tieing the

trailer down when high winds are a possibility. Presently I loop
the ropes

around the frame members but that is a hassle to thread them
through lying
on my back in the wet grass.