|
|
I towed a 320 from Beaumont TX to the Seattle area with a Saturn wagon with a 4 cyl. engine on a tow dolly. A friend had a kind of deck that he'd made that bolted to the tow dolly to bring his 360 to the airport with. Similar setup as you described. Loaded the same way & bolted chocks to the "deck". Used 4" wide tie down straps over the fuselage, one around the prop hub & a couple to the landing gear. Didn't think of replacing the gear links though. Good idea. After stopping to cinch down a couple of times when we first started the trip we had no problems.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: 4/29/2009 2:59:31 AM
Subject: [LML] Transporting a 360 by trailer
I consider myself the world's most experienced person at transporting a 360 by road. I have moved my airplane from Cleveland to SoCal to NoCal to SoCal to Denver and numerous shorter trips as well.
I use a dual-wide snowmobile trailer. This trailer cost me $750 brand new in 1996. My modifications to it were minor, consisting of bolting chocks in strateigc places and tie down rings in other strategic places. I also bolted an ammo can to the trailer tongue -- 75 pounds in the box is needed when the trailer is empty to keep the tongue weight right.
I will take pictures later this week, but the airplane will not be on it.
Some things to remember.
1) It doesn't matter when you do this -- it WILL rain on your airplane. Wrap it up with 4 mil polyethylene sheet (or equivalent) from Home Depot. Use lots of tape. Plan on stopping at least twice in the first couple of hours to tape down flapping plastic. Use a tarp for the engfine compartment.
2) Use BLACK plastic to eliminate UV exposure, unless your airplane is painted or in primer.
3) A stretch net (for pick up truck beds) is good over the canopy area.
4) I replace the folding main landing gear links with a 1/2 x 1 inch aluminum bar. The bar extends slightly outboard of the gear strut. A shackle goes there and is the anchor point for a come-along.
5) The lower engine mount is used for two come-along straps. I cannot trailer with the cowling installed.
6) The aircraft is restrained from moving fore and aft by large chocks cut from a 4 x 4. These are bolted thru the plywood floor of the trailer. I unbolt the aft chock to roll the plane on, then bolt it back on. Smaller wooden pieces (2 x 2, I think) go alongside the tire on the inside to keep it from skittering sideways.
7) The nosewheel rides on a metal center piece to which the plywood is attached. The trailer came that way.
8) The plywood trailer floor tends to sink at the main wheels. Screw on a 2 x 2 to the plywood underneath the wheels to limt the sinking of the plywood.
9) The best way I've found to load the trailer is to make a set of ramps with three 2 x 12s. Don't build anything -- just lay one end of the 2x12 on the trailer and the other end on the ground. Have at least two other people to help.
I have towed this 2000 miles with a Honda Civic, and another 1000 miles with a Miata. It doesn't take a truck to do it, but now that I have one, that's what I use.
In the early days, before I attached the vertical fin, I had a light bar assembly for the back end. Let me know if you can use this.
- Rob Wolf
|
|