New Cobra trailer - - which top?

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 10:10:48 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Well that might protect the glider inside the trailer but it does
nothing for the fiberglass trailer top.






On 2/18/2015 6:55 PM,
wrote:



The UV issue is solved by a black factory coating (gloss paint?) on the inside of the glass top. It was available in 1998+, maybe only as an option, but both my 1998 & 1999 have it.





--

Dan Marotta

When deciding what top to buy I asked myself this simple question: if you'd get an airplane that is going to be tied down outside year-round, would you want fiberglass or aluminum skin? Haven't regretted my decision to go aluminum, looks great after 14 years. My buddies' fiberglass tops are all crazed and dull.

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 2:47:28 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 9:18:19 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Last two trailers I got the fiberglass and had a local craftsman insulate the interior.

What did you use for the insulation?

Kevin

My mechanic used engine firewall foam. Black flexible foam with a metalic coating on one side. We glued the black foam side to the inside of the fiberglass top. As for how it looked after years in the sun, I always kept the top waxed, three to four times a year.

At 16:31 19 February 2015, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 2:47:28 AM UTC-8,
wrote=
:
On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 9:18:19 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St.
Cloud
w=
rote:
Last two trailers I got the fiberglass and had a local craftsman
insula=
te the interior.=20
=20
What did you use for the insulation?
=20
Kevin

My mechanic used engine firewall foam. Black flexible foam with a
metalic
=
coating on one side. We glued the black foam side to the inside of the
fib=
erglass top. As for how it looked after years in the sun, I always kept
th=
e top waxed, three to four times a year.

In the UK (and probably the other side of the pond) you can buy rolls of
thin
closed cell foam with a metalised plastic coating on one side, it is sold
to go
behind radiators in the home to stop the heat going out of the wall (a lot
of
us have solid stone or brick walls over here) it is quite tough and easy to

stick to most surfaces, at only around an eighth of an inch thick it won't

provide a lot of insulation, but should be enough to stop condensation in
an
aluminium or GRP top.
Just don't buy the cheaper version that is polystyrene foam with a foil
layer
as that damages too easily and soon looks tatty.
Ben.

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 11:22:25 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 10:10:48 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Well that might protect the glider inside the trailer but it does
nothing for the fiberglass trailer top.






On 2/18/2015 6:55 PM,
wrote:



The UV issue is solved by a black factory coating (gloss paint?) on the inside of the glass top. It was available in 1998+, maybe only as an option, but both my 1998 & 1999 have it.





--

Dan Marotta

When deciding what top to buy I asked myself this simple question: if you'd get an airplane that is going to be tied down outside year-round, would you want fiberglass or aluminum skin? Haven't regretted my decision to go aluminum, looks great after 14 years. My buddies' fiberglass tops are all crazed and dull.

They can be repainted and they will look nice again. If you have an accident with metal top the trailer is ruined for life. The fiber glass you just fix and it looks great again. I saw one metal trailer fixed after an accident. I don't think I would like mine to look like that.

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 4:16:03 PM UTC-5, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 11:22:25 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 10:10:48 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Well that might protect the glider inside the trailer but it does
nothing for the fiberglass trailer top.






On 2/18/2015 6:55 PM,
wrote:



The UV issue is solved by a black factory coating (gloss paint?) on the inside of the glass top. It was available in 1998+, maybe only as an option, but both my 1998 & 1999 have it.





--

Dan Marotta

When deciding what top to buy I asked myself this simple question: if you'd get an airplane that is going to be tied down outside year-round, would you want fiberglass or aluminum skin? Haven't regretted my decision to go aluminum, looks great after 14 years. My buddies' fiberglass tops are all crazed and dull.

They can be repainted and they will look nice again. If you have an accident with metal top the trailer is ruined for life. The fiber glass you just fix and it looks great again. I saw one metal trailer fixed after an accident. I don't think I would like mine to look like that.

I agree. I have over 30 years experience repairing metal and close to that in composites. It is relatively easy to repair the glass trailer to like new appearance and almost impossible to do the same on the metal ones.
Refinishing is not significantly different between the 2 unless you have to strip the peeling metal trailer.
A relatively inexpensive life extender is to store in a portable garage to keep the sun and rain off. $2500 will store 2 trailers and stretch the life before refinish greatly. Additionally, the internal weather system in the trailer that the glider feels is substantially reduced.
Best combo in my experience is 2 wall glass trailer kept under cover.
FWIW
UH