My wife finally got tired of me talking about a trailer that when I found a good deal on a used one she told me to just go get it. Lucky for me our tax refund was a little better then we expected.

It's a shadowmaster 5x8 with a torsion axle and twin doors. The inside is done with 3/8 ply instead of just the 1/4 luan that most come with. The tires are fairly new and the spare is mint. It also has a nice box on the tongue for storing the extras such as fuel and flightbox. He had some rope lights wired up to a battery that sat on the inside. So I'm going to expand on that and rig up a deep cycle battery that I can charge from.

I'm doing some research on setups to maximize the space. I'd love to have a bigger trailer but the layout of our lot and garage makes storing and parking anything much bigger a pain.

I need to figure our how to carry both electrics and larger warbirds so whatever layout I come up with will need to be adjustable. I'm thinking of doing some 2x4's with angled PVC rods for the wings on one side. I might do something similar for the fuses on the other side. For the smaller electrics I could just have holes that are closer together. I have a couple months before any major flyin's that I would need more hauling room for so I'm not going to just throw it together.

Steve

I decided to paint the inside wood panels white to help make it brighter in there when I'm looking for that lost critical piece that fell off the plane. It always happens. I primed it with kilz first then put on a coat of exterior latex. I'll let it dry for a day then check to see if I feel it needs another coat.

I'm looking at some setups and I think I might try to rig up some racks using the adjustable shelf rails and some saddles cut to fit on the posts. I'll try to fig up a picture. I'll also be working on a deep cycle battery setup for charging off grid.

I've got a few weeks before I see needing it so I'll be taking my time to try to get it right.

Steve

The paint looked pretty good so I took all the tape off and cleared it out. It brightens it up very nicely. Tomorrow I hope to find some carpet for the floor and some shelving rails and arms to build the racks out of.

Steve

I went to menards and picked up some indoor outdoor carpet to put on the floor. It was only $23 for the piece I bought and it is nicer then your average green plastic stuff.

I bought some materials to test making some tracks out of 2x4's and 1" pvc pipe however I bought the wrong bit to drill the holes for it. I still might rethink the method but I figure it will take some trial and error to find the best way to pack the trailer for safe transport of airplanes and gear.

Steve

The first real "mods" are in. I was looking around the hardware store and came upon some closet rod holders. They happen to fit 1"pvc perfectly instead of the wooden rods. What really makes the mod work is that there is a gap between two "trim" sheets at the top of the wooden walls in the trailer. This is big enough to fit the holders in and the lip from the top trim piece helps keep the PVC in place. Also the PVC has enough flex to bend into place but is stiff enough to stay there and support some wings or park flyers. The spring should also help soften and large bumps in the road. I wrapped the pipes with 1" pipe insulation. Then to hold the planes or wings in place some small bungees affixed properly will keep them snug. If I was prepping for the field I would add some foam between the bungee and the wing or plane.

I'm going to install some shelf rails but I need to get some different screws to bite into the metal studs of the trailer.

More tomorrow after another trip to the hardware store.

Steve

I picked up some sheet metal screws and got the rails installed. The arms with the angle supports lock in really well and any bouncing down the road will work against them coming out. The single rails might need some extra help and I'll secure them with some wire wrap or a screw above them.

I put captions on all the pictures to explain what I'm showing. I still need to feel things out for overall setups. But this is looking promising for a general setup. I still need to work out a place for a tool box and a battery for off grid charging.

But for a small trailer it looks like I should be able to fit plenty in for a weekend of fun.

Steve

looking good!

Thanks, I just wish I was heading to Georgia next week with it but I have other things going on and can't go this year.

whats the average price for a 5x8 ? looks good. I down sized my durango to a rav 4 and may need to get a trailer

WOW...that looks great! You did an awesome job on the interior!

Your trailer is really looking awesome. I would carpet mine but it's so damn muddy up here in oregon...

Thanks, The carpet is a nicer indoor outdoor type so it should be easier to clean then standard carpet if it gets really dirty.

As for the price of a 5x8 new they start around $1700 but that's pretty much bottom of the barrel. You can find closeout deals if you look around or haggle with the dealer. What I did was watch craigslist and the local paper for used trailers. Lots of guys tend to upgrade and once in a while you come across a gem like I did here.

Steve

Congrats! I just picked mine up a little less than two weeks ago. Its a 6x12 with VNose, ramp and side door. I stole this thing, at 2100 brand new. Plus it matches my truck! Gotta finish setting it up....

$2100 for your trailer sure does sound like a steal. I'll upgrade at some point but right now I have enough fun fitting this one with the two vehicles and camper in my limited parking area.

Steve

Originally Posted by Vintauri

$2100 for your trailer sure does sound like a steal. I'll upgrade at some point but right now I have enough fun fitting this one with the two vehicles and camper in my limited parking area.

Steve

I can certainly understand that...lol. I am enjoying mine so far...just have to get to completing the inside.