[Public-List] A30 Trailer

[crufone at comcast.net]

Don, 

Happy Labor Day. 

It sounds like you know a bunch more about this than I did when I built my trailer. Mine cost more like $7,000. It was built from rectangular steel tubing and then painted. I wish now I had had it galvanized for about the same coast as the paint job. After only ten years it needs repainting. I certainly would use forged channel on a ramp launch trailer especially for salt water use. I always planned to lift off so the enclosed tube is OK. I selected electric brakes over a hyldraulic system for the same reason. 

Please keep in touch and let us know how you progress with the trailer fabrication. 

Michael 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Lang" <potatosailor at yahoo.com> 
To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org 
Sent: Monday, September 6, 2010 1:15:34 AM 
Subject: [Public-List] A30 Trailer 

Hi Michael, 

Thanks for your input. 

The cost of going from 6k axles to 7k was not a lot more. 6K axles would be ok 
from an engineering standpoint but it would not take much gear /water /fuel etc 
to put you over the rated capacity of the axles and the gentlemen at the scales 
go by the rating and not the safety margin and the fines can be severe. I have a 
class A commercial drivers license (CDL) and pilot car certification so the "I 
didn't know" ploy doesn't work for me and when you hold a CDL and break the 
rules they usually get tough to encourage you not to do it again, at least in 
this area. If you're over-gross on the trailer at the scales they halt your load 
right there and it can be a pain to have to stop and off load gear or worse to 
have to crib a vessel and get another trailer under it before rolling 
again....and then there is the fine. 
I prefer duel leaf spring axles with an equalizer over the torflex. 
With the leaf spring axles shes 14.5" off the roadbed and the equalizer ensures 
both axles are carrying fifty percent of the load. 
With torflex axles you might have one axle bearing more of the load putting that 
axle over the rated load on a 6k axle.   

When you roll through the scales they won't notice as both axles will be on the 
scale at once, but we tow a lot and DOT knows our vehicles and from time to time 
they stop us and check us with portable scales and on portable scales it would 
show and I'd get a fine. 

Cheers, Don 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Hi Don, 

Having  built a trailer for #133 in 2001 I would urge you to install Dexter   
Torflex axle units. These can be purchased with a 20 degree up angle  which 
significantly lowers the loaded center of gravity. The keel of  #133 is about 
13" off the pavement when loaded. I used two 6K axles and  this has worked well 
for me, but I tow her empty NOT fully provisioned.  Total weight of my trailer 
and #133 is 11,640 lbs. The safety value is  about 20% so two 6K axles can 
safely carry 14,400 lbs. That is according  to the engineers, duh! 


Share your design with us I would like  to compare it with mine. I designed a 
lift off trailer only because I  felt that it was too risky and likely 
impossible ?to try and ramp launch  an Alberg 30. 


       
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