Toy Haulers

[FlyGuy]

Hey folks,

Yes I am asking again for feedback from any of you that may have a toy hauler that you haul your heli in. I would like to travel with my 285 but would prefer to have it in an enclosed trailer. I also would love to not have the expense of staying in a motel every time I so travel. I am starting now to research different brands of toy haulers but would like to get feedback from you that have them to haul your helis or share information with others who may have already started the process.

Hope to hear from you.

Michael

[jb92563]

I don't have a toy Hauler nor a Mosquito yet, but can offer some points for discussion:

1) You will need a Hauler that is as tall as the copters mast (84" = 7') plus extra for wheels, dolly or some kind of slide to get it in and out.
    I would think that would require modifications of the Haulers roof to accommodate that unless you can find one with high or ^ shaped roof.

2) Rotor dia is 19'-4" so I expect you will have about 7' of that blade past the front of the copter into your shop/living space section.
    Perhaps not an issue at all unless the cupboard doors come out too far when you open them.
    From a space perspective the Nose in first is the most practical arrangement.
    You'll need a hauler that is at least 22' long as the overall length of the XE is 21"-6"
     Width of the gear is 5'-2" so not likely an issue for most Haulers.

3) The ramp leading into the Hauler will need to be shallow enough that the tilted copters front blade is still low enough to enter the Hauler,
    otherwise you will need to figure out some sort of ramp elevator to get the copter more near horizontal.

4) You will want some kind of winch system installed to help get the Mosquito inside. If you ask the neighboring campers to help you get a
    Mosquito into your Trailer they will surely think you've gone mad.

5) A 15$ visor sized solar panel from Harbor freight can keep a 12v battery trickle charged indefinitely without harm. I use them on my
    Boats, Tractor, Plane etc and as a result I have never had a dead battery to deal with. Cheap insurance for an expensive battery and you
    will always be ready to go.

[FlyGuy]

jb92563,

Thanks for your feedback. What I should have articulated more clearly is I need to get information from owners of toy hauler manufacturers that had a standard door opening size that worked with the mosquito or the companies worked with them. Most companies give an external height not internal height and no spec. for door height.

I have found a few brands that show potential but since buying one won't happen for at least a year I wanted to see what brands other owners had that required the least amount of modifications. As far as length I was looking at a minimum of 25', it would be nice if it could be longer. 

Thanks again,

Michael

[Richard Italia]

(03-24-2017, 03:08 AM)FlyGuy Wrote:  Hello Michael

[quote pid='29206' dateline='1490324884']
I bought mine from Lark in Georgia it was 8 feet high and 22 feet long including the V-nose. It worked fine and had a ramp and the side door and no other extras the cost to me was 6500, I bought it through an agent, while I was there they told me to contact him directly next time and I would save $1000. 
 In effect the only option you are paying for is an extra 18 inches of height. A nice bonus is that it makes the ramp 18 inches longer, so the slope is quite shallow. I just remembered I also got a little platform that goes on the ramp so that there will not be a step that you would have to roll over. I was very satisfied with what I got and it worked quite well.
hope this helps
regards
Richard

[/quote]


,

Thanks for your feedback. What I should have articulated more clearly is I need to get information from owners of toy hauler manufacturers that had a standard door opening size that worked with the mosquito or the companies worked with them. Most companies give an external height not internal height and no spec. for door height.

I have found a few brands that show potential but since buying one won't happen for at least a year I wanted to see what brands other owners had that required the least amount of modifications. As far as length I was looking at a minimum of 25', it would be nice if it could be longer. 

Thanks again,

Michael

---

(03-24-2017, 03:08 AM)FlyGuy Wrote:  Hello Michael

[quote pid='29206' dateline='1490324884']
I bought mine from Lark in Georgia it was 8 feet high and 22 feet long including the V-nose. It worked fine and had a ramp and the side door and no other extras the cost to me was 6500, I bought it through an agent, while I was there they told me to contact him directly next time and I would save $1000. 
 In effect the only option you are paying for is an extra 18 inches of height. A nice bonus is that it makes the ramp 18 inches longer, so the slope is quite shallow. I just remembered I also got a little platform that goes on the ramp so that there will not be a step that you would have to roll over. I was very satisfied with what I got and it worked quite well.
hope this helps
regards
Richard

[/quote]


,

Thanks for your feedback. What I should have articulated more clearly is I need to get information from owners of toy hauler manufacturers that had a standard door opening size that worked with the mosquito or the companies worked with them. Most companies give an external height not internal height and no spec. for door height.

I have found a few brands that show potential but since buying one won't happen for at least a year I wanted to see what brands other owners had that required the least amount of modifications. As far as length I was looking at a minimum of 25', it would be nice if it could be longer. 

Thanks again,

Michael

[FlyGuy]

Richard,

Thanks for the feedback. I checked the Lark site and they seem to be a vary durable trailer. I have narrowed my search and have found a few Toyhaulers that may be what I am looking for but I still need to contact the companies to find out some specs. that are not listed. I am still in the research stage but I added a link so you can see what I am talking about.  

http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-de...=1365#Main   

I really like the idea of safely hauling the heli to an event or a great location and not have to worry about hotel/motel accommodations, meals, etc. I am not getting any younger so it would be nice to pull over on a trip and take a break and really rest.

Thanks again,

Michael

[jb92563]

Plenty of space, but this trailer empty weight is near the tow limit of a 1/2 ton truck. 


   


   

[swashplate]

Ok, just my pennies worth. In your illustration the main blades come to the end of the "cargo length". Since the blades would be nearly the highest point, could the heli be moved slightly farther forward, say, with the blades up to the fridge? Then find a trailer 4 ft. shorter and weighing a bit less?

Also, and I'm just going by the picture, couldn't the heli be moved up and to its left even further and have the mains come close to the "wardrobe"? That would put the skids at the door and the "drawer base". That would gain about another 1 ft. forward and left about two ft. away from the door.

All  of that based on the thinking that you wouldn't be using the inside much, if any, while the heli was parked inside.  If you needed to take a break aa mattress under the tail boom that could be lifted and secured for removal and insertion of heli.

Looking at that particular web site, to me, it looks like the 28VFB would be a good choice. Put the skeeter "tail in" and the unit is 2000 lbs lighter.

Again, just a penny.
Robert

[jb92563]

I thought about the 28' model as well but it would be a bit cramped but doable.
The fact that you might want to rest along the way means that you would want a bed with the skeeter still inside.
If your going to spend all that money it should be comfortable at least.

I suppose it comes down to the tow vehicle.

I noticed that the trailers can hold a couple hundred gallons of liquids and at 8lbs/gal you could easily add 1600 lbs plus the mosquito at 370lbs, fuel at ~100lbs plus tools food etc. ~2200lbs on top of the Haulers empty weight gets you right up to the 1/2 ton pickups tow weight limit.

   

[swashplate]

(03-28-2017, 05:41 PM)jb92563 Wrote: I suppose it comes down to the tow vehicle.

I noticed that the trailers can hold a couple hundred gallons of liquids and at 8lbs/gal you could easily add 1600 lbs plus the mosquito at 370lbs, fuel at ~100lbs plus tools food etc. ~2200lbs on top of the Haulers empty weight gets you right up to the 1/2 ton pickups tow weight limit.

Yes to the above.

I have a Tundra.  Small V8 (4.6L), 4WD, tow package.  I am limited to 7900 lbs.  That's trailer and contents of said trailer including any liquids, food, clothing, cooking utensils, etc.

Robert

[FlyGuy]

OK, I have been doing my homework and a lot of dreaming and have found a solution that I believe will work for me. Robert (Swashplate) do you remember the enclosed trailer we saw at the fly-in with the dovetail entrance. It was a Horton Hauler. I figured since every $ has to count I would build my own toy-hauler.  Chip made a few trips to their factory and had one made for him. After talking to the factory I called Chip and am getting some dimensions from him so I know that what I tell them is what they deliver. There prices are reasonable and they have many options, but I am going to have to order it pretty much bare bones and finish it myself.

Today I made a big score today. For months I have been looking for those bench seats that fold down to a bed and can be stored flat, on the wall out of the way of cargo. It is hard to find suppliers of these benches and when I found them they wanted $450-600 each. I stumbled on a guy that had two new, never used benches $175 for one both for $300. I almost broke my fingers dialing his #. He just bought a new toy hauler and the first thing he did was take out the benches. He didn't want them! So now if everything goes right and I make it to the next fly-in, I will have my own place to stay (heat, fridge, and bathroom is another story)!

To be continued