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And in the end ??

David Stroud IM Roadster DDavid Stroud IM Roadster DOttawa Canada '83 IM Soob

My trailer thread has long gone adrift so here is the end of the story. Finally got a chance to take it out for a ride with the Roadster on it today. The Roadster got weighed months ago at 1942 lbs. Today the Dodge Ram, trailer and roadster came in at 9220 lbs. The Ram is supposed to weigh 5099 empty and had me and a bit of baggage on board so I estimate that to be 350 lbs. That leaves 1829 lbs for the trailer if I did the math right. Total weight towed is now 3771 lbs but maybe 500 or so is tongue weight. Tires are good for 4400 lbs and the axles are rated at 2000 or 2100 lbs each with torsion bar suspension. Trailer hub/drums, bearings, wheels, tires including spare and lights are all new as is the wiring and lights. Total cost to modify was about $ 2K Canuck or about $1530 USD and I have a trailer ready for two purposes. 

I've had to deal with what is available to me for tie down strategy and for now we have crisscross front ( axle beam )  heading forward and rear end  ( welded on loops onto front of trailing arm support ) heading aft  with additional options for center forward and center aft if I chose to do so. I will add that on for the belt and suspenders approach noted by Al Gallow. I did add the two by fours inside each wheel as recommended by Danny. Wheel chocks are fitted up front. 

I drove over smooth roads up to 65 mph, did a couple of swerves and very little action happened back there. Zero fishtailing but I never got passed by a tractor trailer either and there was no wind. The trailer brakes seemed smooth and effective. I went over a few rough paved and unpaved roads at 50 mph and stopped to check the straps and had to tighten a couple as Gordon predicted. The tires never moved on the trailer. Looks like Fla. here we come. I fitted a 3000 lb. winch on the front of the trailer and in the end it seems easier to just drive the car up onto the trailer. I sure like the back up camera for hitching up the trailer.... never had one before. 

Still need to add inner fender wells on the trailer and rear mudflaps to the truck. The plan is to tow with the big bra on the front of the car and some type of plastic film on the windshield. 

David Stroud

 '92 IM Roadster D 2.3 L Air Cooled

Ottawa, Canada

 

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Last edited by David Stroud IM Roadster D
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Alan MerklinAlan MerklinDrclock - Elkins, West Virginia Supporting Member

The flaps are cut down18 wheeler tractor flaps that they use bolted to a 2 x 4 on the back of the truck when transporting new trucks , they toss them in a  trash pile .    Go to any new truck dealer they should give then to you .   If you assemble questions give me a call   7178608476.  BTW the horizontal cross piece is a 3/4 x 3/4 angle .

 

Last edited by Alan Merklin
David Stroud IM Roadster DDavid Stroud IM Roadster DOttawa Canada '83 IM Soob
Alan Merklin posted:

The flaps are cut down18 wheeler tractor flaps that they use bolted to a 2 x 4 on the back of the truck when transporting new trucks , they toss them in a  trash pile .    Go to any new truck dealer they should give then to you .   If you assemble questions give me a call   7178608476.  BTW the horizontal cross piece is a 3/4 x 3/4 angle .

 

Got a new truck dealer right here a couple of miles away. Thanks, Man. I'm getting near the end of this tunnel. I've got plenty of 1" aluminum angle on hand. 

By the way, the trailer that I converted has a very, very slight, extremely slight in fact, relation to the Titanic. About 8 years ago I bought an aluminum lifeboat on this trailer and dragged it home and converted it to a small Volvo diesel overnight cruiser. When we ground down the paint on the boat, a name appeared and it turned out to be the sole lifeboat on the Sternecliffe Hall cargo ship used in the Great Lakes water system. The Hall company was out of Montreal, Canada. There was a bronze plaque on the lifeboat stating the date of mfg. , Lane Lifeboat and Davit Company out of Brooklyn, NY ( an old company at that time ) date of mfg about 1942. Capacity 28 persons, etc. After the Titanic's surviving lifeboats were collected, they were sent to the Lane Lifeboat and Davit Company for evaluation. A thin one, yes... 

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Last edited by David Stroud IM Roadster D
M MaxMartens

I did not notice a GCWR mentioned. I would imagine you are well under it. Worth knowing though. What you can pull is different than what you can carry. Your axles are not (as) loaded when towing.

I am using these large Rockstar mudflaps. ...But when the snow and rain flies, all that water/road debris/etc still has to go somewhere, and ultimately it will be on your car, the reason I just went enclosed.

Good luck with your setup! It should be just fine.

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David Stroud IM Roadster DDavid Stroud IM Roadster DOttawa Canada '83 IM Soob
Bob: IM S6 posted:

David:

That is a sweet little boat.  Still have it?

 

Sold it two seasons later. It's up on some lake in the Gatineau. I built it up to test the waters of the Rideau Canal system and kept it at Kars, LIMI marina near the South end of Ottawa. I've been a boater ( mostly sailor ) since day one but needed to find out if the Bride would adapt well. Predictably, she did. We bought this ( pic Dows Lake ) in Orillia a few years ago for a song. Google Nauset 28 Shoe Box for details. 215 hp turbo Hino diesel. Goes all day at 7 kts at about 1,300 rpm. Lobster boat hull built in Maine and a cabin/interior custom built in Miami for a wealthy Southern guy. 

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David Stroud IM Roadster DDavid Stroud IM Roadster DOttawa Canada '83 IM Soob
IaM-Ray posted:

Very interesting, you have tried hour hand at many things, good for you.

Thanks, Ray. I'm not a very patient guy and sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do to make things happen. I carved this prop on a picnic table in my backyard when I couldn't afford to buy one. 40 hours work and $100. It worked well and is still on the mantle at home. 

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