6/1 and ST trailer mounting ideas trailer

[Spark_Chaser]

I have a 6/1 (GM90) and 5KW head on their way to me and am considering mounting options for the first winter.

Cement is out of the picture as I currently rent and its also getting a bit cool out for cement (Northern Alaska).

Rail road ties and gravel/sand are available for a base to be placed on frozen ground.

I would like to consider mounting them on one of those Harbor freight type 4 x 8 trailers.
Its a bare frame with small wheels and retails for $250 to $300 US.  It allows for transport to a warm garage.

Any ideas on a secure way to mount to one of these trailers so it doesn’t shake apart (the trailer) for short test runs?  Think positively.

P.S. if this is a bad idea, a short reply is preferred over a long litany on how dangerous or stupid I might be.

[Guy_Incognito]

The GM-90 is a bit less jiggly than your average listeroid so you've got a head start there.

I'd make a frame, bolt the listeroid to that, then bolt that through the floor of the trailer. Make sure you run lengths of steel or plate under the trailer so it doesn't tear through the floor. Use plenty of bolt points.

How much do the trailers carry? What's their rated max load? If they're rated to carry more than double the listeroid mass, you'll probably get a lot of bounce from the springs.

Suggestions, in order from easiest to difficult:

- Lower the tyre pressure as much as possible - experiment a bit.

- Fit bump stops on the axles so there's a half-inch or so clearance when the listeroid's on it. If you've got those bump stops, you could just tap a wooden wedge in there to stop movement. Following on from that....

- Consider a way of "locking" the springs. You can then lock the suspension when you want to start it up, and unlock for transport. Maybe a sort of cam-over linkage with a chain from the floor around the axle - tension it to lock it down.

- Try wind-down legs or jockey wheels , like you see on caravans and what-not. Weld them on, wind them down, and take the bulk of the weight with them if possible. This takes the spring action out of the mix.

You'll really have to bolt it on and see what happens - hope this helps!

[biobill]

If the trailer is like the ones from Northern, bolt together frames, it is definately not up to the task. you will be in the neighborhood of a half ton, and it's not like bags of cement, much more animated. I tried one on a  boat trailer, 4500lb rated, and it bounced all over the place. Bouncy (technical term) tires, bouncy springs, and nowhere near enough mass to damped the vibrations. I did, however run one all last weekend for a demo in the back of my Izuzu box truck. The frame was bolted to a heavy pallet, 4X &2X with a solid bottem and sat on truck tire tubes (deflated). It wiggled a bit during start up and shut down but was surprisingly smooth while running. Then again this engine is noticably smoother than my other, got lucky with the balance I guess. I was wondering if you could duplicate the results with a heavy trailer, blocked up off the suspension, and dampened with bags of sand or lead bricks or something, but haven't tried it. Seems like one of those military surplus trailers might be just the ticket. Hope this helps. Bill

[xyzer]

Spark Chaser.....yes you can if........#1 you get a fairly Balanced engine!  #2 the trailer is rated to haul the load. #3 You might have to put some fold down or slide down support legs on it to calm the bounce effect of the springs and tires.
My dad did it on a out of balance Vidhata we balanced and it works fine. He still has some blocks he puts the trailer frame on to kill the minor bounce. He has a jack on the front and jacks the front up till the back sets on the blocks. Balance will be the main factor!

[Spark_Chaser]

Great suggestions, Thank you.

If I try this I will definately install side leggs (Welded), and weld the trailer if it is a bolt togeather type.
Definatelly not a perminant solution though that reminds me of an old saying,

"Nothing is more permanent than a temporary repair!"

I'll post my progress.

[dkwflight]

Hi You might consider bolting the engine and generater to RR ties and freeze them in the ground.
This will do while the weather is cold enough.
The trailer idea is good too if the trailer is heavy duty and moveing is a criteria.
Dennis

[Ironworks]

I have been to Harbor Freight and have seen those trailers.  I have to say that I really dont think those trailers would hold up to the kind of weight you are going to be putting on it.  I have a Witte genset on a trailer and it is made out of 6 inch I beams and it is still quite a load for this very heavy built trailer.  The heavier the trailer the better off you will be.  I think railroad ties set up in an "I" configuration (two ties under the gen set and two shorter ties on each end perpendicular to the ones under the gen set) would serve your purpose.  The ties are going to settle pretty good into the ground after some run time.  I have seen this used with alot of large flywheel engines. 

[Doc1]

Hey Spark,

  I did this, so maybe I can offer some insight. I have a GM-90 6/1 and ST-5 and because I'm in hurricane country, needed a way to evacuate it. The concrete base concept is out of the question for me. I went with the frame and trailer option.

  I built a frame of heavy walled, steel 2" box beam and bolted two 4x6 treated wooden skids to the bottom of this. The frame holds engine, gennie and radiator, making the unit self-contained. The GM-90 doesn't vibrate much and this frame is more than adequate.

  For transportation, I salved a 28' dual axle camper and stripped it down to its bare frame. I cut this down to a toal length of 16', with 12' bed and side rails. Additionally, I heavily gusseted the frame, added a couple of extra cross members and planked the bed with 2x lumber. Overbuilt? Yes, but that's all to the good. It allows me to use the trailer for other jobs and in operation, doesn't really seem to be too much for the listeroid.  During a hurricane evacuation, we may travel several hundred miles and it's much more secure to have four tires than two!

  As the GM-90 is well balanced, it produces relatively little vibration, but it still does shake to a degree. I chain the rig to the trailer with 3/8ths chain and chain binders front and rear. This allows me to run the machine while it's on the trailer and the vibration is more than tolerable. It should be noted that when it's sitting on the ground and those big skids offer greater ground contact, the vibration is barely noticeable.

  It's certainly more noticeanble on the trailer, though, as all vibration is effectively passed to the ground through four tire contact patches.

  Based on this experience, if you plan on actually running your engine while on its trailer, I would suggest something heavier than a light, single axle model.

Best regards
Doc   
 

[cujet]

Ask Rocketboy about his 6/1 trailer experience. The engine he used is fairly smooth, yet it sets up a sympatietic low frequency vibration that breaks welds. He tried using trailer jacks to support the trailer off the ground. That leads to serious axle vibration. It is incredible! There does not seem to be a good solution to the trailer issue, other than to mount it to a HUGE trailer.

Bruce placed his 20/2 on a long dual axle trailer. It too was nearly out of control. AND his engine was well balanced.

Chris

[fireram]

My 5/1 came mounted to a home built, 30 years ago, trailer, made of 4" heavy channel, and 3" pipe as cross braces.   The tires are about 6" high and have around 80 psi in them.  They have been there for a very long time, as they are wearing through the tread.  When the motor is running slow and cold it bounces about 3". as soon as i speed it up a little, and it finds its happy speed, or put a load on it, it smooths right out.

I am looking to replace the tyres, but have not found a suitable replacement.  They are not road worthy, and look as though they came off the tail wheel of a small old plane.

I too need it to be portable. So I will make a small road trailer with nice cushy springs and 16" tires for a gentle ride on the hiway to shows, and leave it on the original trailer with the little tyres, so i can roll it off and it will fit into my power shed while it is hooked up to my home backup power system.

[michigandon]

Would it be possible to mount a 12/2 or 16/2 and an ST head onto one of these?

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306667_200306667

I don't intend to live in this same place forever. Therefore I would like the rig to be semi-portable at the very least.

Don

[cujet]

Even the best, smoothest Listeroid will shake a large trailer like crazy. Putting a Listeroid on a small trailer is truly asking for trouble.

As I mentioned before, these engines will set up a vibration that is strong enough to break welds. My friends and I tried every trick in the book to make the trailers hold up. The axle and tires shake up and down, the frame vibrates at a low frequency and the amplitude seems like 3 inches!

If you are going to mount your Listeroid on a trailer, please use a very heavy trailer. A 30 footer may be enough for a single.

By the way, I mounted my frame directly on solid steel wheels with 2 inch pipe as a axle. I have yet to run this setup. But at least I can pull my engine to a place where I can bolt it down. The idea is to be able to move the generator setup without a forklift.

Chris

[michigandon]

Well, I ain't got room to park no 30-footer on my property. I reckon I need to think this through a little more.

I see a lot of engine bases mounted on casters. I wouldn't be above a setup like that either.