The weight is not all in the top. In the bottom are stored: Tool box and all associated tools Pit box and associated tools Crash cart and and associated quick repair parts & tools Up to 12 sets of steel rims Backup engine Backup transmission Spare rear end gears Shock dynamometer Spare rear axle housings Spare rear axles Truck arms A selection of upper and lower front control arms, tie rods, center links, bushings, etc. A generous variety of front and rear springs. Radiators Radios & headsets A wide assortment of nuts, bolts, screws, pop rivets Grill for team meal preparation. And cabinetry to hold everything that isn’t stored in the center aisle. CG height is further reduced by an extremely low trailer floor height - refer to the photo on page 1, of the Featherlite trailer with the lift gate raised, and the Mustang sitting on it - lower floor is right at the top of the trailer bumper. No steps on the inside until you hit the lounge, which is over the tractor wheels. The cars weigh 3200 lb without gas or the driver, with maybe 50 lb of ratcheting straps to keep the cars in place. So 6400-6500 lb up top doesn’t really get the CG excessively high.
...also, they don't race the trucks so CG isn't as important (at least in the US...Australia is a different story).
Thanks guys for the explanation. I guess I was letting my old truck driving days return, in thought. The CG of a load is not the only factor as in a 10,000 gallon load of mo-gas. If a person gets the load to rolling side to side or sloshing the tank can go over. But let's get back to decals. Here is an image of my test fit of my trailer decals, they were moving around with the ceiling fan. This just to test fit. Obviously the Love's/SPEEDCO decal will be printed on clear paper. The 6 images on the black area are actually 6 individual decals that I stacked together and then highlighted all the cells around them and "filled" with black color. Wala, one large decal to apply instead of 6. You can see my tick mark for masking off the black area before airbrushing. I will also spray black on the front of trailer excluding the cabinet. As a "for what it's worth" the "Ford Performance" writing is 17 cm in length. Later, be well!
Looks great and you've done a lot of work on this and it is paying off. I'm still a little confused about printing white and then about the filling with black? Maybe I'm the only one. I'll go back and reread how you are doing that and maybe I'll get it. Thanks for the tips and I'm wondering if my HP Envy 4520 is up to doing N scale decals. Looks like the specs (resolution) might be what your printer is but looking at the specs is somewhat confusing on HP's site. Sumner
Sumner, I am sure that it is my explanation, you see I am not in front of you talking with my hands to help get point across. Bad habit. So now : 1. I am not printing white, my cheapo HP will not print white. 2. I am using white decal paper. That is not the backing paper but rather the film we print on is white, so any colors print over the white film leaving the necessay white image. 3. Look at the image above and especially the black quasi trapezoid. That is one decal printed on white film with the background all black. 4. Now when I cut out the decal to place on the trailer, which will be painted black in that area, The very fine cut line, when looked at from the side will show the very thin "white" edge of the film. 5. So, before water sliding the film off of the backing paper I take a Sharpie and color that very fine edge black. The white film cut line will not show. I do not know about the printers as I have had my HP Officejet Pro 8600 for 15+ years.
Got it finally. Thanks for the explanation. I should have gotten at the first time around. I think I saw your hands this time.. Sumner
I airbrushed the black about 1 hr ago. I have some brush touch up to do, after this dries for 1-2 days. Some 2,000 grit wet paper will smooth out the edges before I spray clear gloss in prep for pplying decals. I probably will not do touch up on bottom of unit because the red "Love's wave" will cover up the flaws. These things, wheels, are so small it is difficult to exhibit. However, her are some of my chrome wheels. Here are the decals printed on clear film paper: Here are the few printed on white film paper : not a great image,sorry Once these sheets dry I will seal lightly with clear gloss and then after dry apply to model. Thanks for looking. Tired of my crap yet ?
I kind of hate to mention this, but on the next-to-last photo, the bottom decal on the sheet, the “Love’s” seems printed backards? Say it ain’t so, and tell me I’m seeing it wrong somehow!
Gotta admit, I was about half a second from hitting “report” on your post (thinking “what a @#%& attitude) until it hit me that it was dang funny! (Those are the best, when folks get wound up for a second or two.)
C&O MM, Yes, it is so and you are seeing it right. I printed that decal that way on purpose, to see who would comment about it. Not really, I am not after the printed word or the hearts. I turned it over so I would have the red wave oriented in same direction for both right and left side of trailer. The wave will be cut away from the written word, if used. I most likely will not use those waves but rather a pair of the other waves which as you can see are oriented for both right and left side. Thanks for your comment!
I was wondering, have you ever tried using a white coat of paint, then using decals printed on clear paper and allowing the white to show through the decals?
Deacon, Yes, I have tried that many moons ago and did not find it easy to do. For example, the logos that are on the black part of the trailer I would have to know exactly where to paint the white so that it is not exposed randomly all over the black area. Clear as mud, I know. So, I have found it much easier to do as I am.
