Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:07:41 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: [NVC] Need alignment sight to help with backing trailer
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My little fiberglass Westrailia trailer (see picture at
http://picasaweb.google.com/j.michael.elliott/Westrailia?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnqmseWto-QDw#5383978043121345154
) has a very low profile, and it's not as wide as the van.
I'm going to be backing it down my driveway after camping trips. But once
the trailer starts heading downhill, it completely drops out of visibility
in all three mirrors.
I need some kind of vertical pointer dingus like an antenna or fiberglass
rod that I can raise from the trailer's nose or rear as a visibility
marker. Rear would be better because alignment errors would be more
apparent.
It would not be hard to put an alignment marker on the rear window so that
when the pointer and the marker were lined up, I'd know the trailer was
aligned with the long axis of the van. Better than trying to back it down
the hill blind -- as I've found.
There's nothing keeping me from just taping a yardstick to the rear of the
trailer, but I'd like to come up with something a bit more durable,
convenient, and elegant, and there are a couple design constraints that
I'm looking at:
1. An upright pointer can't be permanently mounted to the front or rear of
the trailer because the trailer lid is hinged at the front and if the
pointer were mounted at the trailer front, the lid would mash into it when
the lid is opened; and if it's sticking up at the rear, it would interfere
with gear loading. I could just mount a socket (like a flagpole holder or
something) to the rear of the trailer and stick an old tent pole in it
when I needed it, but ...
2. ... it would be nice if the pole was always mounted to the trailer so I
wouldn't have to fish around in the van or trailer to find it when it was
needed for downhill backing. Just something I could flip up.
I don't mind drilling and mounting things to the trailer body, but would
prefer not to drill holes in the lid.
Like I said -- NVC.
But if anyone has some swell idea, please p-mail me.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
