Thoughts about buying a teardrop trailer, to tow behind a Speedster?

Hi all,

I own a JPS speedster (actually, John's first ever built). I've been thinking to tow a teardrop trailer... and would like (all) your thoughts.

Questions about buying the trailer:

Besides the normal worries with towing (anything) behind (any) car. What specific concerns or issues would lead me to NOT buy a teardrop?

Do I "need" an electric braking system?

Total Weight, size? (Not more than...?)


Questions about my car:

I now have a 1915 engine, is that enough engine, for me to tow this teardrop around the country. (What about going up those huge mountains?)

I've got an extra oil sump, and oil cooler. What worries about driving in over 100 degree days? Or overheating due to climbing hills or going through deserts?

Other concerns...

Thanks... in advance for all your thoughts and advice.

David

You need a Speedie trailer! These were take at the 2008 Carlisle get together. Not mine - forgot owner's name.

Bruce from Ohio, a true craftsman !

David - here are a couple of pics for reference as to your project. WRT tear-drop trailers, Tom DeWalt is the resident SOC trailer expert. Others on here will chime in on engine specs for towing.

I think that would be an awesome rig (356 w/trailer) to see on the road. Good luck with your project!

Many things need to be considered in the trailering equation, rear air cooled motor, light front end...do a search here as this has been hashed before.

I like the tail lights But I'd lose the head lights and the grills But keep the turn/marker lamps. Then I'd want a married engine lid and trunk lid to make a single big lid. Lose and close up all that bottom mess to have more storage room inside it. A good air ride kit under it, to protect groceries. Trim the inner lid area with steel embedded in the lip and glue a refrigerator seal on the lid to make a AIR/WATER tight seal kit. The wheels need to be toward the rear to stabilize the weight. and most of the cargo area over the axle. With some careful thinking about weight distribution,,It would be nice.

The entire thing needs a rethink.. And as you can tell I have given it a lot a thought. I want a 356 teardrop trailer, But not like that one.

I sure hope one of the builder picks up on this idea. I still get itchy thinking about working that much glass. AND yes I was going to use a DE forked vw K-frame .

Check this site:
http://www.tentrax.com/boulevardTrailer.html
(also "Leesurelite" motorcycle trailers)

David - Some answers to your questions:

Do I "need" an electric braking system?

No, but it would certainly help. The brakes on a Speedster (assuming disk/front, drum/rear) are OK for the Speedster, but would be tested a bit hauling a lot of weight around. You want to be coming down out of the Rockies and suddenly have no brakes?

Total Weight, size? (Not more than...?)

That Speedster-looking trailer at Carlisle weighed (empty) about 800 lbs. That's a lot, but his Speedster would pull it (no, it didn't have trailer brakes, but he lives in Ohio, w/o a lot of hills). For a 1915 engine, I wouldn't go much over 800 lbs. TOTAL GROSS WEIGHT, and for that I'd probably spring for electric trailer brakes.

Tom DeWalt (he used to post on here - Anyone have a current email address for Tom??) had been looking into a very small teardrop trailer for his Speedster/Coupe, but then he changed jobs and location and the planning didn't go anywhere. Try contacting him for info - he's someone I would trust on this, as he used to sell trailers. Also, there are a BUNCH of light-weight trailers for motorcycles (Harley and Gold Wing) that might be perfect for you. Some have electric brakes, too.


Questions about my car:

I now have a 1915 engine, is that enough engine, for me to tow this teardrop around the country. (What about going up those huge mountains?)

In my opinion, a 1915 is at the bottom end of displacement for pulling a trailer, but, hell.....people used to trailer stuff with VW sedans at 1600 cc's or less. Just use your head when trailering, that's all...

And those "huge mountains"?? That's what lower gears are for, but remember that, if the mountain road is steep, then you'll end up crawling along at a significantly lower speed (and maybe getting in the way of others).

I've got an extra oil sump, and oil cooler. What worries about driving in over 100 degree days? Or overheating due to climbing hills or going through deserts?

That SHOULD be a big concern. Avoid climbing hills on days over 95F. Make sure your oil cooler has an electric fan on it and that it's working efficiently. ALWAYS keep your rpm's at 3000 or above in order to keep the fan moving enough air to properly cool the heads. Sure, you may make a little noise around town, but so what? Have a calibrated oil temp gauge, as well as a cylinder head temp gauge on cyl #3 (the hottest of the four) and know the limits you should live under.

Other concerns...

Find an old VW Sedan trailer hitch that attached to the frame and have someone adapt it to your Speedster. Talk with others who have done this, or check it out on the Shoptalk Forums. The attachment on a Speedster is different than on a Sedan and should be given some serious thought, but the front should attach to the transmission frame horns.

I am not, personally, a big fan of rear-justified trailer wheels/axles. Positioning them just a bit off-center to the rear should be fine and then you can adjust weight within the trailer to optimum. Put the wheels too far back and most of the weight goes on the tongue and your car making it lower in the back. Put them too far forward and it becomes wallow-y (fish-tails back and forth while moving).

People put trailers on Speedsters. They seem to do just fine with them. All you have to do is research things a bit, talk with people who've done it and learn from their experiences.

Gordon

I thought Bruce from Ohio's looked quite heavy. It's finished off better than my car though - an absolute perfect job! If ye could just do a thin plastic/polyprophylene mold of his and attach it to one of the $239 Harbor Freight trailers I'd be good to go. Not sure if they make 8" diameter Fuchs trailer wheels though!

Here's a real VW one (or is that WV) from Samba (humm, 2nd auxiliary engine for passing?):

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=728041

Wolfgang has the right idea, HF small trailer frame and a poly topper box...for the Fuchs trailer wheels, find like golf cart wheel covers.

I've actually decided that I'm going to build a tear drop trailer (after a few projects are done). It will be a pretty large tear drop, not suitable for what you have in mind.

Here's what my research has uncovered... You can build a 4x5 tear drop very easily at about 400 to 500 pounds (most are 600 to 800 for the 8' long ones). Weight is your enemy in this application. If you are handy at welding, build an aluminum frame trailer. Most of the weight of the harbor freight tear drop based trailers is in the frame. If you opted for the aluminum frame, four hundred pounds is very realistic.

At speed, it is the height of the trailer, not the weight of it that slows you down (loads the engine). Weight has no effect on top speed, only on acceleration. At speed your biggest factors of performance are gearing and drag - aerodynamic drag.

A properly built trailer will put 10 but no more than 15% of it's total weight through the hitch (and into the back of your speedy). If you have your weight down to 400 pounds, then 40 to 45 pounds is all that is on your speedy's rear. Very do-able number without re-calibrating springs, shocks etc.

Keep the height low and the weight down. You'll be just fine without brakes (at say 400 lbs). Change the weight a bunch and you really need to opt for electric or at least surge brakes.

There are alot of plans out there for teardrops. Most of them aren't worth a hill of beans. One guy wants you to send giant sheets of poster paper, he'll lay it on his trailer, make an outline and send it back to you. Wa-la "plans"... Most of the plans come from old magazines for DIY projects. There are a few plans out there that are comprehensive and cost about $70. Come with very detailed instructions, CD, scale drawings that you can take to a print shop, etc.

By the way, this is what I'm going to build and I believe I can keep the weight down to 1,200 or 1,300 pounds for 7 feet wide and 12 feet long by using aluminum and bonded "sandwich" type layers for the side (effectively insulated). This will have brakes and hot water but no shower.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v284/1948rob/Cabin%20car%20project/

angela

Some excellent advice here--as always. Our members are the best.

If I were thinking about a trailer when I had my 1915 Type I , I would look into one of those small jobs that you see motorcycles pulling around. You get extra capacity and at a small price in additional weight.

What are you hauling that would require something like a larger tear drop trailer?

I have packed some prodigious loads of stuff in my Speedster and haven't felt the need for a trailer. One year, my son, Russ and I filled a motel luggage cart at Carlisle and even I was amazed.

How about the VW go cart body as the trailer cover - just have flasher leave in the side windows and roof. Kind of a tribute to your donor!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=640925

Jack - bet you didn't have a 37" flat screen like Angela plans - when you und=loaded at Carlisle! On my sail boat I have a 10 gal solar bag that effectively heats water for fast shower - alternative to heavy water heater system.

Ever see the toy 356 with tear drop?

The luggage cart Jack and Russ filled was bigger than his car. I didn't know Vintage made clown car Speedies. It was like that video Musbjim made.

trail this:
http://www.aircooledtech.com/single_wheel_trailer/

Around 1970, a good friend needed to drive his family to Panama in an old Ford, so he towed one of those single wheeled trailers. He had to traverse several bridges in southern Mexico that were the classic two parallel planks for the cars wheels. Each time he had to get the locals to lay old planks down the middle to accomodate his trailer. I'm just sayin' . . .