So recently I sold the cargo trailer that I used to haul my powered parachute around.  It was nice in that it had lots of storage and was convenient to sleep in when I went to fly-ins but it was a bear to tow.   Because of its high profile it was very susceptible to wind and the faster I drove, the worse my gas mileage got due to the wind resistence of the trailer.

To remedy this I purchased and built up a Harbor Freight trailer.  I built it pretty much standard as it comes out of the box.  I put a 3/4 inch plywood deck on the top of it and then got it registered and licensed.  As a side note there was a problem registering Harbor Freight trailers for a short while but that issue has been straightened out.  Registration was pretty easy though a little time consuming.  The process is basically:

1. Complete an Application for Title of Registration (Form REG 343).  This is available for download from the California DMV website.
2. Bring the form along with the trailer’s title California DMV office.  Harbor Freight will give you a title when they sell the trailer kit to you.
3. Bring documentation of sale price of the trailer (the receipt from Harbor Freight)

I suggest making a reservation at the DMV office rather than just showing up.  You’ll still have to wait but it won’t be as long a wait. Once it was my turn, they checked out the trailer (mostly just making sure the VIN number matched what was on the paperwork) and then handed me the license plates before I even left the office.  The official registration was mailed to me later.

Since the trailer is too narrow for the wheelbase of the PPC, I added some outriggers on the rear of the trailer and cut a section from a loading ramp and bolted it across the outriggers.  This became the platform for the rear wheels.  I mounted it upside down to keep the wheels from sliding off the edges.  I also placed a heavy duty floor mat on this platform to keep the metal from cutting into the PPC’s tires.  The remainder of the cut up loading ramps were used as… you guessed it… loading ramps.  They will be finished off with ATV straps (not shown in these photos) that will hold the tires down on the platforms.

My PPC isn’t all that heavy but pulling it up the ramps has to be done slowly and carefully so that the wheels don’t fall off the sides of the ramps.  To make that a more precise operation I mounted a winch in the front of the trailer.  It is remotely operated so I can stand in front of the PPC and guide it carefully onto the trailer while the winch does the pulling.  I also added a battery to operate the winch rather than run it off my truck power.  I’ll just put the battery on a charger every month or so and it should be fine.

Now I just have to wait for the weather to clear up so I can give the trailer a test and drive it out to New Jerusalem and do some flying!

Here’s a bonus video of me describing the trailer.