NSW
290 posts
Anyone using an enclosed trailer to move and stow their gear,
can you tell me if you can store the trailer with gear at home in the sun without it getting too hot inside or should it be stored under a roof / carport to reduce the heat inside.
As I'm thinking of using a trailer should it be insulated as the inside must reach incredibly high temps on hot days
I would like to leave it parked in open not in a carport generally.
and also when travelling it will be exposed to the same temps when stored
......a small internal area wrapped in metal on a hot day must create incredible heat
QLD
2315 posts
It is really the same as the tin shed posts, it is ok provided you board vent plugs open. At least being moveable you can always try to park the trailer under a tree or something so it gets the shade most of the time. If you are making/buying a trailer IMO the best are made from the white colourbond type stuff, with they whirly ventilation thingys on top and an open sort of floor (timber like timber decking is good). If you are still worried about the heat you can put some sort of cover/shade device over it but ventilation is the most important insulation and your trailer will last longer too.
WA
7 posts
We have a trailer. It's pretty old, and pretty tired, but it does the job. It's made of the white colourbond stuff - which is good coz it's light. We have racks which fit all our surfboards and sailboards, with slots for sails, booms, masts, extensions etc etc. We have a door at the front where we hang our wetsuits, harnesses etc over a big tub (and keep the esky with cold bundy & beer for half time). Double doors on the back of the trailer which swing right back and clip to the sides. We dont have one of those whirly-bird ventialtion thingamos but we should as it does get a little hot. BUT I would strongly advise against having any sort of open floor, unless you are planning on only ever driving on bitumen and never in the rain. We have a floor in ours. I would hate to see the red gravel dust, wet mud, sand and limestone that you would collect all over your gear if you did a road trip with an open floor...
If you give me your email I can send you some photos. We were lucky enough to pick up our trailer 2nd hand for $1500.
If you have to park it outside, is there some way you can mount a shade sail over it? we've thought about some insulation for ours, but it really doesnt get that hot. We keep our vent plugs in the boards loose, and a door open when we can.
SA
147 posts
I built a fully inclosed trailer from scratch about 3 years ago using galv rhs and white colobond sheets and was a little worried about the heat thing myself. To solve this I added some racks to the top of the trailer and stretch some shade cloth over them when it is not in use. This acts a bit like a mobile carport. The trailer body is about 1.5m by 3m by 1.2m high and it cost about $500 to build using new materials I got at an auction. It holds 4 boards (including my formula). I bought a homemade box trailer for $100 and use its number plate to avoid rego costs. The back door slides up flat along the roof to avoid swinging doors but can also be used as shelter. I find the my gear gets less dinged in the trailer as it gets man handled less. The only thing to think about is that even when it is parked at home, your gear may not be covered by your contents insurance. If you would like any pics or layout ideas let me know.
Cheers,
Chris
QLD
90 posts
By colourbond 'stuff', do you mean what they use to make fences?
Every windsurfing trailer I see seems to be in a wedge shape, (slighly pointed at the front) to make it more areodynamic, is this a nesscessity?
thanks
QLD
2315 posts
Yeah the stuff they use to make fences although there are quite a few alternatives to the proper colourbond, it is very light (weight) and the coating stops rust better than galv alone, most i've seen that have any rust starts around screws/rivets.
Re: the wedge shape, if your trailer is higher than your vehicle then you may want slightly better aerodynamics than a brick, i imagine it would save a bit of fuel on the highway. Shape also helped fit 3m boards into the trailer which often started out as a short box trailer. Now that boards are shorter trailer enclosures can be shorter and simpler, the most popular type around here now are box shaped.
QLD
77 posts
I built one out of 7mm ply-wood. In full sun, no breeze it might get about 5C hotter than ambient but its much cooler than my station wagon. After I almost cooked a brand new board in my car I decided to build a trailer.
I leave stuff in the trailer all the time, hasn't presented any problems but I did fit a vent to help things drying out.
Malcolm
SA
2898 posts
Take a tip from someone who knows.
tie your nightie to your toes.
signed: mother.
And now for something completely different.
when building enclosed trailer.
Colourbond over 3mm ply as a cover.
paint white.
use Gal tubing as frame.
angle front along draw bar for forward room and aero slipperyness.
Also rear top edge should be angled, this reduces aero suction and saves fuel.
Use mesh for floor to let water out.
these are the cheap ideas.
best winds
Tony L
NSW
290 posts
Thanks guys
Thinking of building one,must be long enough for long boards but with a low height to see out the back window of my falcon panel van.
I was interested to know that 7mm ply is a good insulation idea but i was planning on a real lightweight,and that may include plastic roof and sides,This is a product used for signage and Industrial strentgh roadcases sort of like a super corflute,ie corrugated plastic with outside sheath,and it would be dependent on cheap supply,as Ive had a musical instrument case made out of thias stuff and it is lighter and more impact resistant than any plywood.
Ive located a company that makes kit trailers as the platform and Id use a 1/2 " steel frame.
Still working out the logistics at this stage,unless I come up with a cheap premade /used one in the meantime.
SA
2898 posts
What's the problem with leaving your sails out in the sun?
It's because they are plastic.
Also think thermal expansion. this can pull panels from rivets.
Also think about not being a tightarse. Just how much money have you got invested in what's going in it.
NSW
290 posts
WHAT TIGHTARSE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
You have absolutely no idea what this plastic is I talk about.
Infact it will be more expensive then Plywood or colourbond.
And I still have to price it to decide if I can afford it in bulk.
Incredibly too this plastic is used for outdoor advertising signage,as well as heavy duty roadcases and it is usually mounted in alluminium extrusion and pop riveted.
I have a roadcase made of it and Id put it up against any plywood case and at half the weight.
this is premium quality product.and thus i would not be a tightarse.lol
I believe it may be thermally better too,but that is to be investigated.
Think outside the box .
NSW
290 posts
here is its make up
it is 9mm thick
it has a layer of plastic on inside and outside with laterally running flutes running between them like the strength of corrugation
i cannot bend it,puncture it,infact ply wood would actually puncture first,and steel would dent.
it is therefore not flapping around as i think you think and therefor thru 2 layers of plastic and corrugations.
this is the future of siding
rivets are ideal for mounting.Infact the modern glues would also be an ideal mounting systen with this product.
Sure in a car crash it would be damaged but equally so would the other alternatives but I would be towing a lighter weight trailer.
SA
2898 posts
It's a cladding material, I've seen it.
Get in touch with Sikaflex. and get the right primer and glue it on.
I have a feeling it is polycarbonate, the floor of my falcon tonner is 4.5mm tinted Lexan(polycarbonate). It is glued to a powdercoated steel tray frame, and has been in service as a work ute for 5.5yrs and 280,000k's.
there is a different primer for the steel/paint and the sheet. there is usually a UV protected side and an unprotected side.
Best gluing
Tony L
QLD
77 posts
Hi Rustbucket,
I used the cheapest grade ply C/D from bunnings 2400x1200x7mm was around $34 per sheet. With a high grade ply you could go thinner and lighter but its 2 or 3 times more per sheet. All up the box weights 75 kg but half that is the frame of the box (75mmx45mm pine). I've emailed you my design.
Oh and I no longer drive a rustbucket, my last 2 cars both ended up at the tip after being used as windsurf mules.
Malcolm
NSW
290 posts
Malcom
thats not bad weight for its cost,My aim is to keep the whole unit under 250 kg to keep it at the cheaper rego,and no annual inspection.
Also if I get one of my Morris Minors or skodas back on the road it must be light enough for that to tow...under 250 kg.
My other consideration was adding an opening camper tent but it would be easier just to include a tent.Such as an "OZ Tent" which is the fold up in two actions type.
Im used to using those tent camper trailers like cub,and an early vintage one I had,it would be possible to build this into my design but I would have to get a canvas person to sew the tent part as commercially available bolt ons are wider than I was considering.
And ironically malcom my current car An XF falcon Van is not a rustbucket,it actually refers to one of my previous classic cars, one which I drove On Warren Francis's Windsurfing Sufaris...a Sunbeam Rapier that was an ex rally car...looked great but boy she was rusty,but it was hard to see.And my nick name is rusty due to my name being Russell
cheers malcom Ill check your link.
decisions
if anyone has a wuindsurfing trailer in Sydney for sale cheap id consider that too.
