I need a glider in trailer towed from NY to WA

Let's see... You want an L-23 in a huge enclosed trailer towed across the northern part of the US, in winter. You are offering "help with expenses."

Try Santa Claus. I understand he is unemployed as of last night.

I once offered to help someone with a trailer. It disintegrated on me and nearly killed me. The people who asked me to help never contributed a cent.

Anyone offering you the option to tow your glider should not charge you twice what it would cost you. They should charge you 5 to 10 times

I towed a glider from Chicago to Elmira a few years back as I was on a
road trip and it wasn't too far out of my way. It was also a Cobra
trailer. The tow was a non-event except for the wiring and the snow and
ice. My price paid for the entire trip, but was probably still too
little given the responsibility for someone else's treasure.

On 12/25/2016 7:51 PM, Andrew Ainslie wrote:
I once offered to help someone with a trailer. It disintegrated on me and nearly killed me. The people who asked me to help never contributed a cent.

Anyone offering you the option to tow your glider should not charge you twice what it would cost you. They should charge you 5 to 10 times

--
Dan, 5J

Good - Fast - Cheap

Pick two....

A 2-seater on a homemade, likely open without brakes, trailer is guaranteed

to be a pig in gas and likely increase oil consumption.

I'd want to know about the tires and bearings.

Last two folks I know bought a glider blew a tire and also had to replace a

fender.

Safest option is inside a semi with provision to allow trailer springs to
cushion glider.

There's businesses that arrange transport of cars by rail. They might take

trailers.

On Sunday, December 25, 2016 at 10:03:55 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Let's see... You want an L-23 in a huge enclosed trailer towed across the northern part of the US, in winter. You are offering "help with expenses."

Try Santa Claus. I understand he is unemployed as of last night.

Maybe you didn't understand my post. I'mm willing to pay a fair price to have it hauled out here. I'm not asking for a hand out. I thought the soaring community was about helping each other & supporting the sport? Santa must have passed by your house on Christmas. Cheers!

FWIW... I towed an L-23 in the standard-issue wedge-shaped enclosed trailer.. Once (as Michael Keaton said). It was a nice trailer, but it was by no means a pussycat to tow. At the time I had a Ford Explorer (1994 model), so a big, heavy truck-based SUV. The combined rig was approaching 7,000 lbs but the bigger problem was the surface area. Crosswinds and getting passed by semis induced a fair amount of uncommanded yaw and a lot of nervous moments. I wouldn't consider towing with anything under about 4,000 lbs curb weight and a very solid stance.

Erik Mann (P3)

"Maybe you didn't understand my post. Â*I'm willing to pay a fair price to have it hauled out here. Â*I'm not asking for a hand out. Â*I thought the soaring community was about helping each other & supporting the sport? Â*Santa must have passed by your house on Christmas. Â*Cheers!"

Actually, you are the one that doesn't understand the problem. Hauling a trailer with a glider across the country in wintertime conditions is by no means an insignificant endeavor. It requires an adequate towing vehicle, a competent driver and at least four days of travel. So, 2,800 miles at about 16 MPG for a decent full-size truck to manage a big enclosed trailer, with no guarantee of the trailer condition. That's a minimum of 175 gallons of gas or diesel at (say) $2.25 per gallon. Three or four nights in a motel at (say) $100 per night. (Winter hotel rates go up with the anticipation of inclement weather and resulting forced stops.)Pick up the glider and trailer in Sarasota Springs, NY (which is probably not where the driver lives. Deliver it to Walla Walla, WA, where the driver probably isn't going.

And you "would like it to be delivered right after January 1." Well, good luck with that. "Helping with expenses" does not even approach the costs and hazards of towing an unknown trailer and glider across the country. Even If I was planning a trip from NY to WA with a big-ass pickup in the time frame you envision, I would at least expect $0.75 per mile. If I had to travel to get the glider and then deliver it to a location that is not my intended destination, that mileage and inconvenience would have to be factored in.

Soaring pilots are generally more than willing to support the gliding community, but you are not asking for that kind of help. You are describing a job more suited for a commercial long haul trucker. They have to maintain, insure and professionally operate their vehicles.

I hired professionals to deliver the glider trailers I used to build when the customer could not pick them up. The cost was at least $1.25 per mile, and that was for a small, empty trailer.

I still recommend Santa Claus, as you apparently still believe in him. I don't, but he made it to my house anyway.

Cheers.

On Monday, December 26, 2016 at 8:03:44 PM UTC-6, wrote:
"Maybe you didn't understand my post. Â*I'm willing to pay a fair price to have it hauled out here. Â*I'm not asking for a hand out. Â*I thought the soaring community was about helping each other & supporting the sport? Â*Santa must have passed by your house on Christmas. Â*Cheers!"

Actually, you are the one that doesn't understand the problem. Hauling a trailer with a glider across the country in wintertime conditions is by no means an insignificant endeavor. It requires an adequate towing vehicle, a competent driver and at least four days of travel. So, 2,800 miles at about 16 MPG for a decent full-size truck to manage a big enclosed trailer, with no guarantee of the trailer condition. That's a minimum of 175 gallons of gas or diesel at (say) $2.25 per gallon. Three or four nights in a motel at (say) $100 per night. (Winter hotel rates go up with the anticipation of inclement weather and resulting forced stops.)Pick up the glider and trailer in Sarasota Springs, NY (which is probably not where the driver lives. Deliver it to Walla Walla, WA, where the driver probably isn't going.

And you "would like it to be delivered right after January 1." Well, good luck with that. "Helping with expenses" does not even approach the costs and hazards of towing an unknown trailer and glider across the country. Even If I was planning a trip from NY to WA with a big-ass pickup in the time frame you envision, I would at least expect $0.75 per mile. If I had to travel to get the glider and then deliver it to a location that is not my intended destination, that mileage and inconvenience would have to be factored in.

I would recommend Tony, pay what he asks and do not take to heart the barren comments above, they ARE "helping you out", treating you like family at Christmas time, complete with all the advice and judgement.

On Monday, December 26, 2016 at 6:11:42 PM UTC-8, Tony wrote:
On Monday, December 26, 2016 at 8:03:44 PM UTC-6, wrote:
"Maybe you didn't understand my post. Â*I'm willing to pay a fair price to have it hauled out here. Â*I'm not asking for a hand out. Â*I thought the soaring community was about helping each other & supporting the sport? Â*Santa must have passed by your house on Christmas. Â*Cheers!"

Actually, you are the one that doesn't understand the problem. Hauling a trailer with a glider across the country in wintertime conditions is by no means an insignificant endeavor. It requires an adequate towing vehicle, a competent driver and at least four days of travel. So, 2,800 miles at about 16 MPG for a decent full-size truck to manage a big enclosed trailer, with no guarantee of the trailer condition. That's a minimum of 175 gallons of gas or diesel at (say) $2.25 per gallon. Three or four nights in a motel at (say) $100 per night. (Winter hotel rates go up with the anticipation of inclement weather and resulting forced stops.)Pick up the glider and trailer in Sarasota Springs, NY (which is probably not where the driver lives. Deliver it to Walla Walla, WA, where the driver probably isn't going.

And you "would like it to be delivered right after January 1." Well, good luck with that. "Helping with expenses" does not even approach the costs and hazards of towing an unknown trailer and glider across the country. Even If I was planning a trip from NY to WA with a big-ass pickup in the time frame you envision, I would at least expect $0.75 per mile. If I had to travel to get the glider and then deliver it to a location that is not my intended destination, that mileage and inconvenience would have to be factored in.

Soaring pilots are generally more than willing to support the gliding community, but you are not asking for that kind of help. You are describing a job more suited for a commercial long haul trucker. They have to maintain, insure and professionally operate their vehicles.

I hired professionals to deliver the glider trailers I used to build when the customer could not pick them up. The cost was at least $1.25 per mile, and that was for a small, empty trailer.

I still recommend Santa Claus, as you apparently still believe in him. I don't, but he made it to my house anyway.

Cheers.

for another sanity check data point on bids...i typically bid jobs around $1.00/mile for the round trip from my house to where the glider is to where the glider is going and back to my house. Maybe a little less for a nice new cobra trailer and a little more for something odd/old/heavy/big etc. An L-23 would definitely fall into the "little more" category. I live in wichita, ks so you can get on google maps and do the math.