I'm interested in how you set up your hitch and how much weight you tow. I remember in '06 someone towed a very cool trailer made from a speedster body to Carlisle. Any experience or advice out there?
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I'm interested in how you set up your hitch and how much weight you tow. I remember in '06 someone towed a very cool trailer made from a speedster body to Carlisle. Any experience or advice out there?
YOU ARE CRAZY
Gerd, I may be crazy!
Here's my crazy idea . . .
4x8
300lbs unloaded
sleeps a cozy 2
hauls gear
tent can be attached
Cool camping with my kids?????
It may not work, but it never hurts to explore crazy ideas. Ya never know.
Here's my crazy idea . . .
4x8
300lbs unloaded
sleeps a cozy 2
hauls gear
tent can be attached
Cool camping with my kids?????
It may not work, but it never hurts to explore crazy ideas. Ya never know.
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Tom,
I'll be curious to see what you come up with, I would love to be able to haul my kart behind my Speedster. Man, it would the best of both worlds for me!
I'll be curious to see what you come up with, I would love to be able to haul my kart behind my Speedster. Man, it would the best of both worlds for me!
"Just ain't gonna work" 300 lbs is approx: 20% of the speedster's actual weight. Carry around 3-4 80 lb. bags of concrete mix in the rear seat area and see how the motor likes that.
The 300lbs, trailer height = additional wind resistance and coupled to the already heavy rear end of a speedster will cause it to sway. Add in the fact that the engine will have to work harder = higher engine temps.
I have seen the el' cheapo harbor freight trailer ( go kart would be ok on this)with a plastic Sears roof cargo topper used as a carry all and that is about the limit of towing.
Addressing braking issues, decent hitch and mounting location are additional chapters.
The 300lbs, trailer height = additional wind resistance and coupled to the already heavy rear end of a speedster will cause it to sway. Add in the fact that the engine will have to work harder = higher engine temps.
I have seen the el' cheapo harbor freight trailer ( go kart would be ok on this)with a plastic Sears roof cargo topper used as a carry all and that is about the limit of towing.
Addressing braking issues, decent hitch and mounting location are additional chapters.
Talk to Cory...he knows about trailering heavy things with the Hoopty!
Got that right - Hoopty can tow anything!!
That Speedster/Trailer that showed up at Carlisle last year weighed a little over 700 lbs., according to the owner/builder. He also said it tracked straight as a die. It was made of 2 X 4's, plywood and a fiberglass top, molded from his Speedster. His Speedster engine was a 2,110, if I remember right (no A/C), and his hitch attached at the transmision horns and was supported at the rear by the rear body frame member (it was a CMC body) and he had a receiver that he could quickly remove. The trailer was balanced over the wheels and balanced better with the load slightly rear-justified (to get the weight off of the hitch).
Jordy Christianson has been pulling a small motorcycle trailer to Carlisle for the past three years. I think he said he has pulled more than 300 lbs. in it with no problems, but he usually just has a few suitcases and a cooler or two, and that's it. He has an IM with a 2,110 and A/C. I would guess that the trailer itself must weigh 150 - 200 lbs.
There aren't a ton of Speedsters pulling trailers out there, but there ARE a few of them and it looks like if the driver uses some common sense with his little rig, it works out just fine.
If I were to do it, I might like a Suby engine or a mildly tuned T-4, just for the mid-range torque, but I would pull up to 300 lbs. with my current 2,110 just as it is, given a decent hitch/receiver setup. Getting the load balanced all around would make a lot of sense, as would disk brakes all around and a pair of electric brakes for the trailer. THAT would make me feel better about pulling it.
That Speedster/Trailer that showed up at Carlisle last year weighed a little over 700 lbs., according to the owner/builder. He also said it tracked straight as a die. It was made of 2 X 4's, plywood and a fiberglass top, molded from his Speedster. His Speedster engine was a 2,110, if I remember right (no A/C), and his hitch attached at the transmision horns and was supported at the rear by the rear body frame member (it was a CMC body) and he had a receiver that he could quickly remove. The trailer was balanced over the wheels and balanced better with the load slightly rear-justified (to get the weight off of the hitch).
Jordy Christianson has been pulling a small motorcycle trailer to Carlisle for the past three years. I think he said he has pulled more than 300 lbs. in it with no problems, but he usually just has a few suitcases and a cooler or two, and that's it. He has an IM with a 2,110 and A/C. I would guess that the trailer itself must weigh 150 - 200 lbs.
There aren't a ton of Speedsters pulling trailers out there, but there ARE a few of them and it looks like if the driver uses some common sense with his little rig, it works out just fine.
If I were to do it, I might like a Suby engine or a mildly tuned T-4, just for the mid-range torque, but I would pull up to 300 lbs. with my current 2,110 just as it is, given a decent hitch/receiver setup. Getting the load balanced all around would make a lot of sense, as would disk brakes all around and a pair of electric brakes for the trailer. THAT would make me feel better about pulling it.
You should think more along the lines of a 150 lb 4x6 popup tent trailer that may be more useable.
Tom -
That is a very cool Tear-Drop trailer! Do you sell those at your shop? There is a very big following of vintage trailers here in SoCal.
That is a very cool Tear-Drop trailer! Do you sell those at your shop? There is a very big following of vintage trailers here in SoCal.
Wonder if one could fabricate a similar trailer keeping in mind to use components as light as possible right down to aluminum hardware?
Jim, yes we sell these. They come in all sizes. They really look cool behind a Chevy hhr or Chrysler pt cruiser. Add the attaching tent and it's a really cool lil camper.
Alan, towing 20% of a tow vehicle's weight is pretty easy for most vehicles. In fact most tow far more than 20%. A dodge caravan weighs 3700lbs and can tow 3500 lbs. I bet your truck tows far more than 25%. A new F150 tows 9800lbs and it sure doesn't weigh that much. So it is towing probably 125% of its weight. I know it is a different animal, but . . . Heck there are motocycles towing some of these teardrops around. In the old days (1970's) we routinely sold 1000 lb pop-up campers to people with aircooled VWs. Wish I knew what kind of hitch we used back then on them.
Brakes on the trailer take care of the braking the added weight making it a neutral impact on the cars brakes. As for sway, that's a function of load balance. As long as you have more than 10% hitch weight a trailer should not sway, especially one with limited added profile. You can't tell from the photos, buyt this baby is not very tall. There are also antisway devices.
If I could figure out a hitch, I could at least give it a test tow to see how it works. A teardrop behind my speedy or coupe would be a great attention-getter to promote my business as well as be a lot of fun with the kids.
Alan, towing 20% of a tow vehicle's weight is pretty easy for most vehicles. In fact most tow far more than 20%. A dodge caravan weighs 3700lbs and can tow 3500 lbs. I bet your truck tows far more than 25%. A new F150 tows 9800lbs and it sure doesn't weigh that much. So it is towing probably 125% of its weight. I know it is a different animal, but . . . Heck there are motocycles towing some of these teardrops around. In the old days (1970's) we routinely sold 1000 lb pop-up campers to people with aircooled VWs. Wish I knew what kind of hitch we used back then on them.
Brakes on the trailer take care of the braking the added weight making it a neutral impact on the cars brakes. As for sway, that's a function of load balance. As long as you have more than 10% hitch weight a trailer should not sway, especially one with limited added profile. You can't tell from the photos, buyt this baby is not very tall. There are also antisway devices.
If I could figure out a hitch, I could at least give it a test tow to see how it works. A teardrop behind my speedy or coupe would be a great attention-getter to promote my business as well as be a lot of fun with the kids.
Tom,
Take a look at this:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=474020
It looks home made, but hitches similar in design as this one to fit air cooled bugs used to be available back in the 1970's.
I used to have a similar setup on a VW typeII single cab truck. I used to tow my Baja bug with it. I had the hitch on a VW truck but it was designed for a bug.
The frame of the hitch is just a couple of bars that attach to the frame horns (where the Tranny is attached), they go back beneath the engine and some additional frame work that includes the ball is attached to the bumper brackets. The bumper end of the hitch assy. carries the tounge weight and the frame work that attaches to the Pan legs takes the lateral load for pulling the trailer.
I think if you Beefed up the structure of the Pan Based Speedsters frame work around the engine bay you could mount a hitch there.
You might want to over engineer this area as this is already a weak structure that has to support the Speedsters rear bodywork.
Greg
Take a look at this:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=474020
It looks home made, but hitches similar in design as this one to fit air cooled bugs used to be available back in the 1970's.
I used to have a similar setup on a VW typeII single cab truck. I used to tow my Baja bug with it. I had the hitch on a VW truck but it was designed for a bug.
The frame of the hitch is just a couple of bars that attach to the frame horns (where the Tranny is attached), they go back beneath the engine and some additional frame work that includes the ball is attached to the bumper brackets. The bumper end of the hitch assy. carries the tounge weight and the frame work that attaches to the Pan legs takes the lateral load for pulling the trailer.
I think if you Beefed up the structure of the Pan Based Speedsters frame work around the engine bay you could mount a hitch there.
You might want to over engineer this area as this is already a weak structure that has to support the Speedsters rear bodywork.
Greg
Thought you guys would get a kick out of this picture that a friend photoshopped for me. That's me in the front during a race photo-shopped into the Ashland Port of Entry scales towing a REAL load!
Second picture is one of Emory's outlaws towing a camptrailer. He towed it for a couple thousand miles, raced the car and drove home towing the trailer...
Whateve you do, do it SMART. Don't be cheap or stupid if you are going to tow a trailer (no accusations here, just warning - cheap/stupid can get you hurt/dead towing a trailer.)
angela
Second picture is one of Emory's outlaws towing a camptrailer. He towed it for a couple thousand miles, raced the car and drove home towing the trailer...
Whateve you do, do it SMART. Don't be cheap or stupid if you are going to tow a trailer (no accusations here, just warning - cheap/stupid can get you hurt/dead towing a trailer.)
angela
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Just throwing in some thoughts and ideas. A 1400 lb. speedster differs greatly to a manufactured vehicle that is rated to tow x' number of pounds.
The speedster's shortened wheel base greatly lessons the overall foot print & the rear engine weight throws off the geometry.
VW aftermarket coil over springs may help some in keeping the speedster lever.
I say this from much experience and being out on the roads some 35 years, I've seen some god awful wrecks involving recreational trailers including a parent that allowed the kids to ride in the trailer, it flipped and came apart in a split second ejecting the children onto the interstate. I realize that you are in the business and this is more so directed for those that have a lesser knowledge.
.......Angela said it best.
The speedster's shortened wheel base greatly lessons the overall foot print & the rear engine weight throws off the geometry.
VW aftermarket coil over springs may help some in keeping the speedster lever.
I say this from much experience and being out on the roads some 35 years, I've seen some god awful wrecks involving recreational trailers including a parent that allowed the kids to ride in the trailer, it flipped and came apart in a split second ejecting the children onto the interstate. I realize that you are in the business and this is more so directed for those that have a lesser knowledge.
.......Angela said it best.
check this.
http://www.golittleguy.com/cms/available-models/model-information/travel-mate-2.html
http://www.golittleguy.com/cms/available-models/model-information/travel-mate-2.html
I'm going to have to say that the big Carlisle feat was absolutely neccessary to get Chris and Gordon safely out of traffic. As much fun as it is to say we accomplished something like that, it was pretty stupid.
I know of a guy who used to haul a trailer with two race cars (Beetles) on a flatbed trailer, along with a four-wheeler, an extra engine and racing fuel, but that was with a T-IV in a Kombi. I'd suggest checking the math on your swing/IRS setups, too. Yank the old tranny around even once, and it's a big risk getting home.
If I was to do a hitch, I'd probably support it with a welded box-tube mount along the underside of the tunnel, under the frame horns and out the back under the body, so you'd effectively be using the most massive part of the car to do the work, not a 'flexible' part of it.
All things considered, I'd have to say it's probably not a good idea.
I know of a guy who used to haul a trailer with two race cars (Beetles) on a flatbed trailer, along with a four-wheeler, an extra engine and racing fuel, but that was with a T-IV in a Kombi. I'd suggest checking the math on your swing/IRS setups, too. Yank the old tranny around even once, and it's a big risk getting home.
If I was to do a hitch, I'd probably support it with a welded box-tube mount along the underside of the tunnel, under the frame horns and out the back under the body, so you'd effectively be using the most massive part of the car to do the work, not a 'flexible' part of it.
All things considered, I'd have to say it's probably not a good idea.
That little Travel-Mate is kewl. Tom DeWalt should become a distributer. He could have one of his 356s in the showroom with the trailer attached.
EDIT: DOH! I just went back up to the top if the email.
EDIT: DOH! I just went back up to the top if the email.