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Anybody want to start a pool on how many miles he makes it before this blows off? ...damaging the bike, and the car behind him...
IF you could build a structure that could stand up to the wind...it would have just as much wind drag as the V-nose trailer...
My v-nose dropped my truck to 8 mpg whether overloaded or empty...
You may be correct and you may make some money off of me, but I'll respectfully disagree.
My V-nose has a 40 sq. ft. frontal area, 180 sq. ft. of sidewall area, and 80 sq. ft. of top area...and my mpg experience is very similar to yours, which is why I am looking at an alternative for the 2400 mile trip.
My design for the cover has only 20 sq. ft. of frontal area (90% tucked behind the profile of the tow vehicle), 80 sq. ft. of sidewall area, and only 32 sq. ft. of top area. The frame will be 1.25" schedule 40 pipe with glued joints & secured to the trailer deck with metal pipe straps at ten points around the perimeter. The fitted cover will be made of 13 oz. heavy duty waterproof, tear resistant vinyl, secured to the frame base on the front and sides, with a waterproof vent flap to relieve pressure differences which will also serve as an inspection flap to check straps at every stop.
I fail to see how an enclosure with half the frontal area, less than half the sidewall area, and just over a third of the top area will have as much drag as the trailer...then there's the difference in weight, which also affects the mpg.
I am not looking to get into a contest with anyone, just trying to keep the bike free of road grime and do it as economically and efficiently as possible...if we have any aero engineers on the forum who could run the numbers I'd really like to see them. Feel free to PM me for details.
But that's a much larger scale...no way I would try this on a larger scale. The PVC pipe is strong enough to support the load, which is practically nil. It's not supporting the weight of hundreds of pounds of truck tarps, and won't be subjected to the forces of a sidewall area ten times larger.
The PVC pipe is strong enough to support the load, which is practically nil.
The PVC is not supporting the tarp weight...it is supporting the wind load...which is hundreds if not thousands of pounds under certain conditions...like a semi blowing by you...
While I don't believe it is impossible to build the structure you are planning...since you have an enclosed trailer, it just seems silly...
I highly doubt the gas savings will pay for your experiment...
The PVC is not supporting the tarp weight...it is supporting the wind load...which is hundreds if not thousands of pounds under certain conditions...like a semi blowing by you...
While I don't believe it is impossible to build the structure you are planning...since you have an enclosed trailer, it just seems silly...
I highly doubt the gas savings will pay for your experiment...
I understand that, but if it was hundreds or thousands of pounds of wind load when a semi passes, wouldn't it blow a trailer completely off the road?...or at least damage the .050 aluminum side panels? Wouldn't it blow us off the road when we have over a thousand pounds delicately balanced on a few square inches of footprint at 80 mph?
The exposed side will only be two feet off the center line of my lane, so it's not like two vehicles passing with only 12-18" between them. I've driven large box trucks, motorhomes and towed travel trailers. I'm familiar with the pushing and pulling that the air between two larger vehicles experience when approaching and passing each other. Again, we're talking about things on a much, much smaller scale.
I have the same AMO utility trailer that Steve Sportster shows in post #6, except that mine is 5'x8'. I installed FORGED Eye bolts at each corner of the top rail and use my Condor chock when hauling a motorcycle.
I have rented U HAUL's motorcycle trailer and can recommend it.
I've had several trailers that I have used to haul my "stuff" over the years.
I currently have a 20' PJ, tandem axle landscape trailer that I have set-up with E-Z tracks to comfortably haul either 4 H-D's or 2 Tri-Glides.
I added a slanted "gravel/wind deflector" to the front using marine plywood to help protect the bikes.
It does the job and it is much easier (and cheaper) to pull than an enclosed trailer but I miss the added security and the protection for the cargo that an enclosed trailer provides.
I'm currently "on the fence", trying to decide between another enclosed trailer (that I could also use as storage for my mower) and then also use it to haul the "toys" when needed.
Enclosed is nice and my younger brother has one , but before he got it he would use an open trailer. He would load the bike and cover it with moving blankets and then shrink wrap the entire thing. Worked well and he hauled the bike to Sturgis and Florida a couple of times this way as well as though the Smokies with no damage to it. Just bring a couple of rolls of the shrink wrap with him for the trips. His enclosed trailer is much easier but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get there.
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