New Cobra trailer - - which top?

On Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 9:06:07 PM UTC-8, Darryl Ramm wrote:
Hey Whitney

I hope the lights I installed in my (then your) Cobra trailer worked better. Just RV fluorescent tubes, and a 30Ah or so VRLA battery in the trailer.. Nowadays I would use LEDs. I was very proud of that exterior mast-head (for a yatch) halogen lamp on the rear of the trailer top... It would pretty provide enough light to derig at night. I think I used it exactly twice :-)

Darryl

Hi Darryl,

Your light set up was the best! Both inside and out. The best I've seen.
Cobra's lights........not so much. I did order and try different, brighter LEDs for their system and finally realized buying a few headlamps and leaving them in the trailer cost way less time and agro.

Whitney

The outside light was awesome. I think I used it once :-) But is was better than anyone else's outside porch light!! A thing of beauty.

One fairly consistant problem I have seen in a number of aluminum trailers, is a distortion near the front hinge on the top. It allows the top to shift forward and creates interference at the rear with hard closing and misalignment of the latches. The distortion appears right at the corner. I believe it occurs with the forward loading on the top coming from the rather strong gas struts over time.

Of the five aluminum Cobra trailers parked at the field, three have this problem. None of the fiber glass top trailers show a similar problem.

Buzz Graves

On Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 2:29:33 AM UTC-5, BG wrote:
One fairly consistant problem I have seen in a number of aluminum trailers, is a distortion near the front hinge on the top. It allows the top to shift forward and creates interference at the rear with hard closing and misalignment of the latches. The distortion appears right at the corner. I believe it occurs with the forward loading on the top coming from the rather strong gas struts over time.

Of the five aluminum Cobra trailers parked at the field, three have this problem. None of the fiber glass top trailers show a similar problem.

Buzz Graves

Plenty of fiberglass tops have the same problem;
actually any trailer produced prior ~ 2010 IIRC.
Later trailers have a small block carrying loads
from top's lower side-rail and pressing against
front hinge plate.

I designed a fix with Alfred and can post info if
anyone is interested...

Hope that helps,
Best Regards, Dave

On Thursday, 12 February 2015 07:17:26 UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 2:29:33 AM UTC-5, BG wrote:
One fairly consistant problem I have seen in a number of aluminum trailers, is a distortion near the front hinge on the top. It allows the top to shift forward and creates interference at the rear with hard closing and misalignment of the latches. The distortion appears right at the corner. I believe it occurs with the forward loading on the top coming from the rather strong gas struts over time.

Of the five aluminum Cobra trailers parked at the field, three have this problem. None of the fiber glass top trailers show a similar problem.

Buzz Graves

Plenty of fiberglass tops have the same problem;
actually any trailer produced prior ~ 2010 IIRC.
Later trailers have a small block carrying loads
from top's lower side-rail and pressing against
front hinge plate.

I designed a fix with Alfred and can post info if
anyone is interested...

Hope that helps,
Best Regards, Dave

Dave, please post the fix designed. I remember the discussion from a few years ago but know that I have a Cobra trailer again I am interested

Ron Gleason

Please post, I am looking for a fix

Buzz

Yes Dave please post all info you have on this!

I am also in need of this fix.

On Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 9:36:57 AM UTC-5, Ron Gleason wrote:
On Thursday, 12 February 2015 07:17:26 UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 2:29:33 AM UTC-5, BG wrote:
One fairly consistant problem I have seen in a number of aluminum trailers, is a distortion near the front hinge on the top. It allows the top to shift forward and creates interference at the rear with hard closing and misalignment of the latches. The distortion appears right at the corner. I believe it occurs with the forward loading on the top coming from the rather strong gas struts over time.

Of the five aluminum Cobra trailers parked at the field, three have this problem. None of the fiber glass top trailers show a similar problem.

Buzz Graves

Plenty of fiberglass tops have the same problem;
actually any trailer produced prior ~ 2010 IIRC.
Later trailers have a small block carrying loads
from top's lower side-rail and pressing against
front hinge plate.

I designed a fix with Alfred and can post info if
anyone is interested...

Hope that helps,
Best Regards, Dave

Dave, please post the fix designed. I remember the discussion from a few years ago but know that I have a Cobra trailer again I am interested

Ron Gleason

I just had my 30 year old cobra trailer's flip door fixed. I replaced the gas struts and sure enough it cause the top to shift even more then it already had. I had them weld braces in the front corners and repainted it. All the riding over bumpy roads over the years works the aluminum because it has insufficient bracing.

Dennis

On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 12:17:26 PM UTC, joesimmers wrote:
Yes Dave please post all info you have on this!

I am also in need of this fix.

I don't know whether Dave's fix is the same as Steve Koerner's fix that was linked here a few years ago but, just in case, here is the link to the latter:

https://app.box.com/shared/9dvnt7qgs8

John Galloway

On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 12:03:28 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I don't know whether Dave's fix is the same as Steve Koerner's fix that was linked here a few years ago but, just in case, here is the link to the latter:

https://app.box.com/shared/9dvnt7qgs8

John Galloway

That's a different problem (hinge and top attachment).
I will try dig out the info on the top corner problem and post later...

Hope that helps,
Best Regards, Dave

Fiberglass tops do not totally block UV damage to gel coat on the glider! I kept a glider, stored in a fiberglass top cobra trailer outdoors for several years in France. The wing facing south had much more crazing and yellowing than the north facing wing. Mold or mildew was also becoming a problem.. If you plan on keeping the rig outdoors, I would suggest aluminum.