I see on the Amphicar.com members that Victor Brown up in Newfield
Maine is pulling a trailer and pulling it right into the water. I
have thought about this before and want to ask for feedback as to what
kink of trailer this is, what the trailer is made of and how it
handles in the water.

How is the hitch attached and was it a problem with respect to
compromising hull integrity.

Thanks,

Marty & Caryl
BUOYANT '64 Turq., WI and in storage until next season.

I did put some photos in the files for all to view.

Marty




        
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Marty asks;
>I see on the Amphicar.com members that Victor Brown up in Newfield
>Maine is pulling a trailer and pulling it right into the water. I
>have thought about this before and want to ask for feedback as to
>what kink of trailer this is, what the trailer is made of and how it
>handles in the water.

Good luck finding Victor. He seems to have disappeared. I have been
trying to get a hold of him for several months. Phone disconnected,
never an answer to any emails. Don't hold your breath Marty.

North of here in Ft. Collins, Co. there is a car dealer who has some
small (4' x 5'?) fiberglass trailers that I believe float. I will
head up there and see what I can find out for you.

>How is the hitch attached and was it a problem with respect to
>compromising hull integrity.

David Chapman I believe has an Amphi-caravan (Camper) He also has a
pic of one (http://www.amphicars.com/acpbro.htm) on his site. Below
that another pic also shows a hitch attached across the 2 rear bumper-
ettes. I am not so sure that I would attach it there. My preferance
would be to weld a well designed bracket to the hull and use only
very light trailer.

Cap'n "Waitin' for the bodyman" John




        
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Hi Joel,

I too have a Featherlite 3110 car hauler.
I'm very satisfied with it's performance and would recommend one.

Steve Behnke
1964 Red




        
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I thought I would share this. Last fall I decided to sell my trailer which I
used to move my Amphicar. The trailer was made to fit the amphicar but it was
too big and heavy for me to be comfortable towing it behind my 1992 V6 Jimmy.
The turn of events which happened are unbelievable. A guy in my
neighborhood came in to my store and asked me if I wanted to sell my trailer.
I did not want to let on that yes I do want to sell it. For four days in a
row he stopped in and tried to buy it. Finally on day five he came in with
cash money. He made me a fare offer only about $100. Less than what I paid
for it more than six years ago. The events that took place after are
amazing. He took the trailer, pressure washed it, rewelded some welds, new
bearings, new tires, electric winch, tool box, and new paint. Now here it
gets crazy, My wife trades in her Monte Carlo on a Tahoe. So we now have a
vehicle that would have towed the old trailer no problem. Next I made
reservations for Celina. So now I need a trailer. The guy who bought the
trailer from me came in my shop last week and I asked him if I could rent the
trailer for Celina. His replay, Go ahead and use it! Use it whenever you
want. he said.
My happy ending.
Tim Wick
white 63


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




        
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Since I have always loved sports cars and race cars, I am obsessed with
small and light. The fact that the Amphicar fits this criteria had a lot to
do with my first
purchase of one. If it would have been big, fat and heavy, I would not even
have considered it. I have been borrowing car trailers from friends when I
have needed one. But I can't stand how big and heavy the typical car hauler
is. It is fine when it comes time to haul the typical 2 1/2 ton American
car, but to haul the 2350 lb Amphi? Many owners haul with trailers that are
almost as heavy as the Amphicar itself. And the gas-guzzler monster to pull
the whole rig.

My dream is to design and build the smallest and lightest trailer the club
has ever seen. And don't think I'm forgetting about safety! That is the most
important part of the dream! I have been thinking and studying every trailer
example I have seen for a number of years. Celina has always been a great
spot to see lots of different concepts. This year I saw a car hauler (not
owned by an Am phi group member) that was very small, and of all things
"single axle". Everyone I've ever talked to about trailer says "Single axle
is no good for hauling cars. It is dangerous. What if you were to have a
blow-out? You should be happy pulling 250-300 lbs more for the added
security. You sure don't want to wreck that beauty."

Logic tells me that with the proper tires, a blow-out is very unlikely. And
if it were to happen, a couple of knowledgeable trailer people have told me
that the fear of "violent side-to-side movement" is simply untrue. If the
trailer is loaded properly and the weight distribution is right, the trailer
will continue to go straight, just like the laws of physics say that it
will. A single axle commonly is rated to carry 3500 lbs. Someone even
mentioned 4200 lbs in Lovers. 2350 lbs for the Amphi, 700-800 lbs for a
steel trailer, 400-500 lbs for an aluminum one. We're not even close to the
max. But I guess that a spare tire is now in order! Actually, double axle
does not delete the need for a spare. I've spoken to lots of trailer experts
that have told me that a no-pressure tire on a double-axle will fail in a
big way if driven on. The big chunks of rubber will probably waste the
fender! And maybe the towed vehicle might be damaged?

To avoid an accident, either slow down, stop, or maneuver. Simple physics
states that the more mass that you have moving, the more energy you have
stored. And it takes more energy to stop more mass. And in a accident, I'd
rather have a 3000 lb rig behind me than a 5000 lb one. One must remember
that the mass wants to continue moving; and the more it weighs, the harder
it pushes. Light vehicles also corner better. That is one of the reasons why
race car designers will almost do anything to save another pound. Remember
that any body of mass wants to continue in a straight line. The more mass,
the more energy it takes to alter the straight path the mass wants to go.
And lighter cars stop faster. If you don't believe it, just compare the
stopping distances of light and heavy sports cars, trucks, SUVs,
sedans.....lighter always stops quicker.

Now you will need a tow vehicle that is rated to pull only 3000 lbs. And
simple physics stated that is takes less energy to move a lighter mass. The
drag coefficient is a factor, but it is safe to say that a lighter vehicle
takes less energy to accelerate and maintain forward motion, so it will get
better mileage. The trailer and vehicle on the trailer are part of the body
of mass, so the lighter the better.

I think that everything points to the fact that "Less is More". I'd be
interested to hear comments.

Rob Vondracek
'64 red



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




        
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Robert,

I had the same vision about 5 years ago. I designed and built a very
lightweight Aluminum trailer to haul around my lightweight sports cars (Amphi is
the heaviest, the others are a Lotus 7 and Mini Cooper). I designed a single
torsion axle trailer since that proved to be more than adequate for the loads
envisioned. I was able to get the actual unladen weight of the trailer down to
around 500lbs. I hate the idea of having to have a giant pig of a tow vehicle
just to haul lightweight vehicles around!

My only caution is don't think you are going to save any money by building it
yourself. Aluminum is pretty expensive stuff..... But it is gratifying to have
an optimized design that performs well.

Gary Schulz

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert [mailto:rjv@drakebuilders.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 9:47 PM
To: Amphicar Lovers
Subject: [amphicar-lovers] trailer


Since I have always loved sports cars and race cars, I am obsessed with
small and light. The fact that the Amphicar fits this criteria had a lot to
do with my first
purchase of one. If it would have been big, fat and heavy, I would not even
have considered it. I have been borrowing car trailers from friends when I
have needed one. But I can't stand how big and heavy the typical car hauler
is. It is fine when it comes time to haul the typical 2 1/2 ton American
car, but to haul the 2350 lb Amphi? Many owners haul with trailers that are
almost as heavy as the Amphicar itself. And the gas-guzzler monster to pull
the whole rig.

My dream is to design and build the smallest and lightest trailer the club
has ever seen. And don't think I'm forgetting about safety! That is the most
important part of the dream! I have been thinking and studying every trailer
example I have seen for a number of years. Celina has always been a great
spot to see lots of different concepts. This year I saw a car hauler (not
owned by an Am phi group member) that was very small, and of all things
"single axle". Everyone I've ever talked to about trailer says "Single axle
is no good for hauling cars. It is dangerous. What if you were to have a
blow-out? You should be happy pulling 250-300 lbs more for the added
security. You sure don't want to wreck that beauty."

Logic tells me that with the proper tires, a blow-out is very unlikely. And
if it were to happen, a couple of knowledgeable trailer people have told me
that the fear of "violent side-to-side movement" is simply untrue. If the
trailer is loaded properly and the weight distribution is right, the trailer
will continue to go straight, just like the laws of physics say that it
will. A single axle commonly is rated to carry 3500 lbs. Someone even
mentioned 4200 lbs in Lovers. 2350 lbs for the Amphi, 700-800 lbs for a
steel trailer, 400-500 lbs for an aluminum one. We're not even close to the
max. But I guess that a spare tire is now in order! Actually, double axle
does not delete the need for a spare. I've spoken to lots of trailer experts
that have told me that a no-pressure tire on a double-axle will fail in a
big way if driven on. The big chunks of rubber will probably waste the
fender! And maybe the towed vehicle might be damaged?

To avoid an accident, either slow down, stop, or maneuver. Simple physics
states that the more mass that you have moving, the more energy you have
stored. And it takes more energy to stop more mass. And in a accident, I'd
rather have a 3000 lb rig behind me than a 5000 lb one. One must remember
that the mass wants to continue moving; and the more it weighs, the harder
it pushes. Light vehicles also corner better. That is one of the reasons why
race car designers will almost do anything to save another pound. Remember
that any body of mass wants to continue in a straight line. The more mass,
the more energy it takes to alter the straight path the mass wants to go.
And lighter cars stop faster. If you don't believe it, just compare the
stopping distances of light and heavy sports cars, trucks, SUVs,
sedans.....lighter always stops quicker.

Now you will need a tow vehicle that is rated to pull only 3000 lbs. And
simple physics stated that is takes less energy to move a lighter mass. The
drag coefficient is a factor, but it is safe to say that a lighter vehicle
takes less energy to accelerate and maintain forward motion, so it will get
better mileage. The trailer and vehicle on the trailer are part of the body
of mass, so the lighter the better.

I think that everything points to the fact that "Less is More". I'd be
interested to hear comments.

Rob Vondracek
'64 red



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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I neglected to mention that Hugh Gordon owned a small single axle trailer
that he describes as perfect for towing the Amphicar. Unfortunately, it was
stolen a number of years ago. But he did say that if he were to get another,
it would definitely be a single axle. "One person can turn it and move it
around by hand. Double axle is impossible to turn without a tow vehicle." I
thought the fact that he thought that it was perfect was interesting.

Rob Vondracek
'64 red


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




        
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Mike Israel,

I am exited that you are going to Celina and bringing your car! I read that
you are going to rent a trailer from U-Haul to haul it there.

I'll bet that you have heard about the "Not So Big Trailer" that I have
designed. I am manufacturing and selling them. Everyone that attended the
Valparaiso swim-in inspected it as I displayed it there.

I am offering very economical delivery service so that buyers can quickly
begin to save lots of money on fuel cost, realize the advantages of no
storage requirements (the trailer can be stored below your Amphicar in your
garage, and your car can easily be loaded and unloaded even though the tow
vehicle is disconnected), and discover how easy it is to tow an Amphicar on
a short, small, light trailer. I can have one ready so that you can use it
on your Celina trip.

I will finish putting my trailer brochure in the file section of the Lover's
shortly.

Rob "still alive" Vondracek
'64 red




        
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GORDON IMPORTS INC.. The world's largest source of Amphicar parts and accessories. Visit our new website today.

> I'll bet that you have heard about the "Not So Big Trailer" that I
have
> designed. I am manufacturing and selling them. Everyone that
attended the
> Valparaiso swim-in inspected it as I displayed it there.


Rob,

Have you thought about making it a dual axel instead of the single
axel? If you loose a tire or wheel bearing it could spell big trouble
quickly with a 2600LB car on it at speed. This is why all car (or
heavy duty) trailers have dual axels. Four smaller wheels would be
much safer than 2 larger wheels. Does it have brakes too?

Just a though cuz we want to keep ya "alive"! .

John




        
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John,

I do offer a dual axle version. I've researched for 5 years the
question of one axle or two? It seems that all the experts agree
that if the tongue weight is proper (10-15%), there will be no side-
to-side motion in the event of a tire failure. And a tire failure is
extremely unlikely if 21st century, quality radial tires are used.

I do recomend brakes unless the carrying capacity of the tow vehicle
is greater than the weight of the trailer and car. And for a number
of reasons, many trailer guys do not believe in trailer brakes. So
my standard model does not include brakes, but either electric or
surge (hydraulic) brakes are available.

If a wheel bearing fails, the experts insist that a single axle
trailer will continue in a straight line. Again, they all stress the
importance of tongue weight if a single axle is used. If the tongue
weight is too light, staying alive may be a problem.

My belief is that a single axle trailer that is properlu designed
and built to carry an Amphicar which weighs 2312lbs (according to
the manufacturer) will be significanly smaller, narrower, lighter,
and easy to manuever with a tow vehicle or by hand. It will also be
less expensive and possibly SAFER because of the shorter braking
distance and the increased high speed manuverability gained by the
decreased weight with no extra axle and the increased trailer size
required for 2 axles.

I think that the easyness of towing is unbelivable! I allways felt
stressed after trailering with a full sized trailer; pulling this
rig is uncomparable! I invite anyone to go for a test drive in
Celina. If you don't agree with me, please comment on the digest. My
research has shown me that there is not a significant compromise in
safety with one axle rather than two, but there will allways be some
people that will disagee.

I drove to Florida and back this spring with this trailer and my
Amphicar in tow and averaged over 19 MPG. If I had another axle, my
mileage would have been a little less, my rig a bit longer (only
1'), but it still would be incredibly small and narrow and light.

"Whatever floats your Amphi".

Rob "still alive" Vondracek

--- In amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com, "a_colo_native"
wrote:
> > I'll bet that you have heard about the "Not So Big Trailer" that
I
> have
> > designed. I am manufacturing and selling them. Everyone that
> attended the
> > Valparaiso swim-in inspected it as I displayed it there.
>
>
> Rob,
>
> Have you thought about making it a dual axel instead of the single
> axel? If you loose a tire or wheel bearing it could spell big
trouble
> quickly with a 2600LB car on it at speed. This is why all car (or
> heavy duty) trailers have dual axels. Four smaller wheels would be
> much safer than 2 larger wheels. Does it have brakes too?
>
> Just a though cuz we want to keep ya "alive"! .
>
> John




        
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GORDON IMPORTS INC.. The world's largest source of Amphicar parts and accessories. Visit our new website today.