phoenix2013 Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 What the hell is he up to now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Well since you have ET Senior, Super Senior and ET Junior, then this should be ET Granddaddy! Jim's Adventures Old Spacecraft.... Who knows whats next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 TrailerSaver re-fit base? I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication 2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet 2007 32.5' Fleetwood QuantumPlease e-mail us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 TrailerSaver re-fit base? Banish that thought!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Oh come on guys, how many clues you need? Let's see some of that engineering prowess! Continuation of previous discussions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 New base for a super Senior for the heavy RV's coming down the line. Jim's Adventures Old Spacecraft.... Who knows whats next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSeas Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 I "see" a new hitch head mounting plate for the ET family of hitches to include the new " El Jefe" model! Top brackets for mounting the hitch head. Various holes to attach different air bag configurations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluflame11 Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 I "see" a new hitch head mounting plate for the ET family of hitches to include the new " El Jefe" model! Top brackets for mounting the hitch head. Various holes to attach different air bag configurations. Good observation, last two, three years all the hitch platforms were drilled with multiple hole patterns to accept different air bags, Hence Sr. and Super Sr.. These can be built as such from the start or retrofitted to Supers when heavier trailers are purchased. this project is to add a "third option"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Bump stop or some other damping device to remove a lot of the ocilation from the bags when going over rough roads. 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Bump stop or some other damping device to remove a lot of the ocilation from the bags when going over rough roads. Hmmm, aren't we "plugged in and in the know" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Still planning on using your bump stops similar to these? http://eibach.com/oem/en/products/product-overview/secondary-springs-and-bump-stops Or hydraulic ones similar to these? http://www.crawlpedia.com/bump_stops.htm 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yes and no. Eibach doesn't make what I needed but i found another manufacturer who does. Looked seriously at hydraulic ones, form factor was all wrong, either redo the ET design altogether to fit one in or deign a hydraulic bump suitable for Mars landing and at a matching cost. In low volume products "off the shelf rules". Prototype proved (on the road) that the design performs well but also raised some "concerns", this "version" should take care of those. You should like the "elegance" of it when you see the completed drawing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Are you damping rebound in both directions or just on the downward movement? By the way, did you get a chance to see the new handle design when you were in Tampa? 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 I didn't see the handle, I was there only a short time "on a mission", I'm interested because I have a new (extension) handle which i will make available. It should be finished in a week or so. We will be at the ECR so wee can caucus some more. I'm damping upwards (rebound) energy, there is plenty of airbag damping in the down direction, The problem is airbags don't shed energy like steel springs do particularly when you get close their natural oscillating frequency. It's almost like resonance and you can get several cycles before it dies down. The bump "disturbs" this happy situation on the first rebound. We are also experimenting with introducing various "pre-loads" and see what effect these will have. It's not an issue with pin heavy rigs, like New Horizons, Spacecrafts, etc, It all started with DRV's "floaters" building 40' plus rigs and 5K pin weights. Long fifths, axles more to the middle (big rear overhang), light pin weight, etc. Add to it an air hitch with substantial air bags and you get yourself a "happy combination", everyone happy and bouncing along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan412 Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Put me on the list for the new handle when its ready. 2011 Volvo D13 485/1750 Eaton 13 Speed 2016 Montana 3820FK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkennell Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Still planning on using your bump stops similar to these? http://eibach.com/oem/en/products/product-overview/secondary-springs-and-bump-stops Or hydraulic ones similar to these? http://www.crawlpedia.com/bump_stops.htm Wow. Those two options are the perfect example of simple vs complex solution. Not saying anything about quality or anything, it just struck me that way. Item 1--a piece of rubber. Item 2--about 50 highly machined parts that need tight tolerances, charge, etc. No camper at present. Way too many farm machines to maintain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Here is the new handle deign that I came up with to solve a lot of the issues that I had. Number one was making an easy to use secondary lock on the hitch. In fact I made a second and third lock that can be used together or the hitch pin can be used on one side or the other. Looking at your trailer sitting on the ground after a hitch pin failure is only going to happen once to me. It also makes the hitch a LOT easier to use, gets it out of the way of the pin release but does require the lock plate lower section to be welded to the hitch. Close up up the lower plate that is welded to the hitch and match drilled to the new handle. With the square hitch pins installed Close up looking at the bottom of the handle with everything in place. 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 David, That block is going nowhere. Very nice design and implementation. Other thing is nice the way your pins use the lever action to secure the block at a second source. Even if your handle bolt failed the two pins would keep the assembly from torquing. Was that your thinking for two pins? 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Carl, that was part of my thinking but after having the hitch fail and drop the trailer on the road, I went after a little more insurance. This way two or three parts have to break before the lock block can come out. 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Needs sort of an oleo on the upstroke, I'm really partial to the aftermarket moving vane shimmy dampers (these are not cylinders) for motorcycles because they have a needle valve for tuning the amount of bypass, this could be scaled up as a damper and using check valves and two needle valves it could even have different rates for up and down. Here's what's inside, very simple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXYQRMb85Jw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Wow. Those two options are the perfect example of simple vs complex solution. Not saying anything about quality or anything, it just struck me that way. Item 1--a piece of rubber. Item 2--about 50 highly machined parts that need tight tolerances, charge, etc. Simple vs. complex is an age old conflict between engineers and business owners. Having been in both shoes I understand it perfectly. In my callow youth as a design engineer I would be crushed, crushed and severely disappointed when my elegant and complex design would be questioned or Lord forgive "criticized". Particularly when the criticism would come from some sales flunky pointing out some nonsense about preserving competitive price advantage in the marketplace. I would argue that it would certainly appeal to buyers since the competition didn't think about and it's unique and elegant. When I was in the other shoes, I had to "disappoint" young and eager design engineers with an "idea" that very few people are willing to pay for unique and elegant when the competition has something that works and at a lower price. An ET already has a lot of "elegant and unique" stuff in it that no other hitch on the marker incorporates and those who own one know what it costs. Adding another $500 or more in exotic dampeners might make it attractive only to "exotic" customers. Note that the hydraulic dampeners that David and Chrissi mention are indeed unique and elegant but these are aftermarket products, attractive to people who already own the basic product and want to "make it better" or do things it was not designed to do in the first place. To those folks price an additional cost is no problem. There were two other problems, there is absolutely no "free space" to add anything in that hitch and we are not talking about several hundred pounds of force, there are several thousands that need to be dampened. Finding something that would do all that and be available OFF THE SHELF, now that was unique and exotic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 sounds like you need a turboencabulator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 With or without the flux grammulator? "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 sounds like you need a turboencabulator Actually I need two of them, one on each side of the hitch. What are the dates of the Florida fly-in this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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