2012 Haulmark 6x12 Transport
As my collection of planes has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 12 months, thanks to our friends 3DHS I thought it was time to get a trailer. I did get a lot of good advice from many people here before buying so I will pass a little of it on for those willing to read. This is still a work in progress as I know there will be a lot of trial and error logistically.
Buy as big a trailer as you can fit in your driveway and as wide as you can haul, putting the money issue aside. Mine is a 6x12 with a V nose and I think a 6x14 would have been a little better for me and my available parking space. Once you load in a couple of 30% or 40% planes there’s not much room left up front for storage of the small parts or other planes. I am very happy with the preferred choice of axel, Dexter Torsion axel vs. leaf springs. Much softer ride and no bouncing around while on the road with a light load. It’s important to have the rear fold down stabilizer jacks in the rear to keep everything stable while not hitched up to the tow vehicle.
I can’t stress enough how nice it is to have that man door up front as well as the rear barn doors vs. the one big drop down rear door. ¾ inch plywood or better on the floor is a must as 3/8 plywood on the walls should be the minimum there. 4 heavy duty D rings were installed, 2 just rear of the man door opening and 2 at the rear most corners of the trailer. The wall studs should be 16 inches on center to make things tight in the end result with regard to shelving or Etrack placement. I ordered mine with an additional 6 inches of height as well so I don’t keep cracking my head on the ceiling. I added an additional cam door lock to the front man door for extra security. I went for the electric brakes for safety reasons and have been enjoying them much more than I thought I would. 
I also added some basic flow through vents to keep some air movement going in the trailer in travel as well as just parked. I may add a powered roof vent of some kind in the future but I couldn’t bring myself to put a hole in my new 1 piece flat aluminum roof. At least 2, 12 volt lights for those nocturnal activities. I don’t do much night flying so just went with 2 standard 12 volt lights. I had Haulmark add a pass through 110v shore power plug on the outside and 110v double outlet on the inside as well as a 12 volt receptacle to power the trailer lights by battery while parked without the tow vehicle.
Once you get the trailer you need to make it work for you. The only outside modification was adding a small propane barbeque mount to one of the fenders. The barbeque should come in handy after a fun fly when the munchies hit.
I am now, trying to maximize on what space I have inside. First I insulated the ceiling with a double reflective insulation from Lowes to help keep the sun from baking my prized possessions in the summer heat. 
I also sealed the interior ceiling with luan for a more finished look and an additional thermal barrier. I cut my own furring strips to hide the screws just like the manufacturer does on the walls. I chose to go vertical with the Etrack to be able to maximize the amount of planes and wings I can haul with multi levels of shelves. The Etrack gets screwed into the wall studs and the 3/8 ply cutting the wall trim as needed to make it a clean install. 
Once I had the Etrack installed it gets removed for painting. I went with a semi gloss white exterior paint for the walls and ceiling from Valspar called Duramax. I figured white will help keep it brighter in there. I went with 1 part gray epoxy paint for the floor to withstand fuel spills. Everything got 2 coats of paint. 
Trying to keep as much of the V nose open for storage as possible as well as to have a bench top to work on. I used 2x4 and ½ plywood to get the storage cabinet done. There are no center vertical supports to get in my way as I locked all the shelves together with one sheet of the plywood for a face. Each shelf has a 3 inch bottom lip to clear to keep things from just vibrating out of their coral. Going to give them a coat or two of semi gloss white as well. Painted storage shelves as promised. 
Below 2 shelves made out of 3, 2x4 cross members and 1/2 ply wood deck, cut into 2 panels per shelve so I can get them in and out when need be.
Stay tuned more to come.
As my collection of planes has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 12 months, thanks to our friends 3DHS I thought it was time to get a trailer. I did get a lot of good advice from many people here before buying so I will pass a little of it on for those willing to read. This is still a work in progress as I know there will be a lot of trial and error logistically.
Buy as big a trailer as you can fit in your driveway and as wide as you can haul, putting the money issue aside. Mine is a 6x12 with a V nose and I think a 6x14 would have been a little better for me and my available parking space. Once you load in a couple of 30% or 40% planes there’s not much room left up front for storage of the small parts or other planes. I am very happy with the preferred choice of axel, Dexter Torsion axel vs. leaf springs. Much softer ride and no bouncing around while on the road with a light load. It’s important to have the rear fold down stabilizer jacks in the rear to keep everything stable while not hitched up to the tow vehicle.
I can’t stress enough how nice it is to have that man door up front as well as the rear barn doors vs. the one big drop down rear door. ¾ inch plywood or better on the floor is a must as 3/8 plywood on the walls should be the minimum there. 4 heavy duty D rings were installed, 2 just rear of the man door opening and 2 at the rear most corners of the trailer. The wall studs should be 16 inches on center to make things tight in the end result with regard to shelving or Etrack placement. I ordered mine with an additional 6 inches of height as well so I don’t keep cracking my head on the ceiling. I added an additional cam door lock to the front man door for extra security. I went for the electric brakes for safety reasons and have been enjoying them much more than I thought I would. I also added some basic flow through vents to keep some air movement going in the trailer in travel as well as just parked. I may add a powered roof vent of some kind in the future but I couldn’t bring myself to put a hole in my new 1 piece flat aluminum roof. At least 2, 12 volt lights for those nocturnal activities. I don’t do much night flying so just went with 2 standard 12 volt lights. I had Haulmark add a pass through 110v shore power plug on the outside and 110v double outlet on the inside as well as a 12 volt receptacle to power the trailer lights by battery while parked without the tow vehicle.Once you get the trailer you need to make it work for you. The only outside modification was adding a small propane barbeque mount to one of the fenders. The barbeque should come in handy after a fun fly when the munchies hit.
I am now, trying to maximize on what space I have inside. First I insulated the ceiling with a double reflective insulation from Lowes to help keep the sun from baking my prized possessions in the summer heat. I also sealed the interior ceiling with luan for a more finished look and an additional thermal barrier. I cut my own furring strips to hide the screws just like the manufacturer does on the walls. I chose to go vertical with the Etrack to be able to maximize the amount of planes and wings I can haul with multi levels of shelves. The Etrack gets screwed into the wall studs and the 3/8 ply cutting the wall trim as needed to make it a clean install. Once I had the Etrack installed it gets removed for painting. I went with a semi gloss white exterior paint for the walls and ceiling from Valspar called Duramax. I figured white will help keep it brighter in there. I went with 1 part gray epoxy paint for the floor to withstand fuel spills. Everything got 2 coats of paint. Trying to keep as much of the V nose open for storage as possible as well as to have a bench top to work on. I used 2x4 and ½ plywood to get the storage cabinet done. There are no center vertical supports to get in my way as I locked all the shelves together with one sheet of the plywood for a face. Each shelf has a 3 inch bottom lip to clear to keep things from just vibrating out of their coral. Going to give them a coat or two of semi gloss white as well. Painted storage shelves as promised. Below 2 shelves made out of 3, 2x4 cross members and 1/2 ply wood deck, cut into 2 panels per shelve so I can get them in and out when need be.
Stay tuned more to come.
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