Dan

Nice boards and nice quiver! Are you allowed to give us any information about the Donek Secret?

Thanks Don, I have seen that advice but it hasn't gelled for me yet. I will try it again though, I'm definitely seeing some good arguments here for learning to reverse the damn trailer :-)

Thanks Beckman! How do those tow loops get attached? Do you need to use a tap to make some threaded holes in the frame? I think I could manage that. Tow loops at the corners would be out of the way - much better idea than a single big hook in the middle, which is what I had envisioned And noted on the winch with an e-brake - I will keep that in mind. I can't lie, I was looking at hand-cranked winches, but a power winch would be nice.

Hey Allee, I don't have a ton of photos of the trailer, but here's one, with bonus dog. The galley has some very cool slideouts: one with a 2-burner camp stove that stows below for travel (you can see it in this photo), and a cooler slideout with a cutout to allow draining the cooler. It is great for sleeping (no problem for 2+dog) and the galley works very well. Towing on pavement is great, but towing on gravel roads can be a little iffy. The propane tank and stove don't have good ways to secure them inside their drawer (I need to work on that), so they move around more than I'd like, and there are no shocks on the trailer. All in all, we're enjoying it, but I would be pretty interested in finding someone with a cargo van and switching for a few weekends to see if I'm missing anything. :-)

So...just kicking off this year's thread with a teaser...I rode some Thirst boards last season, and after dithering between two sizes (and test riding both - thanks Mark!), decided on the Warp Superconductor 172. Mark has been waiting for me to get my act together on the topsheet art, and I saw preliminary sketches today from the artist I'm working with, Raffaella Vaz. I am super happy with the way things are coming together and hope to have something to show off in this thread soon!

Oh yeah, I have considered the Trailer Valet too. That's an option, and it could also be used to move the trailer around a campsite, which could be nice, but I have the sense that it would take an awful lot of cranking to get it up the driveway.

Great point - I have seen that recommended elsewhere, but it's not my first choice - still seems more painful / challenging than the winch, and I would hate to muck up the front end with a receiver. I would probably get it installed rather than DIY, and I think this could get spendy as it's not exactly an everyday installation.

So...my wife and I just bought a teardrop trailer off of Craigslist. We have had it out for a few weekend trips so far and it beats the heck out of sleeping in a tent. It weighs about 1400 lbs and tows very easily behind our Outback, even though we have the smaller 2.5 L engine. My angst is about backing it up our driveway, which is only about 3 feet wider than the trailer and maybe 75 feet long. There is a retaining wall on one side and landscape edging on the other, so I really need to keep it on the straight and narrow, which has been a struggle. Given that I'm challenged when it comes to backing a trailer, I'd like to push the teardrop up the driveway, but there are two short sections that hit 6 or 7%, and my wife and I don't have enough horsepower to push up those sections. If I put on about 80 lbs, I think we might be OK, but that is not going to happen in the near term, and anyway then I would have to replace my quiver ;-) That being the case, I'd like to put a cheap winch in the garage and winch the teardrop up the driveway backwards. The issue is that there's nowhere to attach a hook on the back of the teardrop, and that's the galley area so I don't necessarily want a big hook sticking out of the back of the trailer frame. The floor of the teardrop is flush with the trailer frame all the way around, so I can't wrap a strap around the frame or anything like that. What's the best way to approach this? As a newb to the world of trailers, I'm hoping to get some advice. Potential approaches that have crossed my mind: 1) Attach the winch to the safety chains (i.e., the ones on the trailer tongue). I would be pulling the teardrop up backwards, so this would make steering a little wonky, but no mods required. 2) Attach a C-clamp or something like that to the frame in back, attach the winch to that. Clamp would obviously only be on there temporarily. 3) Weld a hook to the trailer frame in back, ideally pointing down so we're not bumping into it when we use the galley. Would have to go to a welding/trailer shop for this. 4) Drill a hole in the trailer frame in back, attach an i-bolt or something similar. I could do that myself, but am uncertain if it's a good idea to make a hole in the trailer frame given the potential rust concerns around here, or if that would affect the frame negatively. Also uncertain if an i-bolt would be beefy enough as a winch attach point, though obviously I can get a big one. Again, given the concerns about knee knocking when using the galley, this might not be permanent, which makes waterproofing a concern. Which, if any of those might be workable? Any other, better ideas? (Other than "learn to drive a trailer, ya idjit", which is clearly the best idea but easier said than done).

If the materials available for 3d printing aren't suitable for a boot, how about a scan that is fabricated on a CNC mill? Is it possible to mill away a chunk of plastic and get a custom boot? Obviously $$$ in terms of substrate, but then again, it's probably the mill that will drive the costs.

I have been towing my dog to work in a bike trailer most days - it's only 4 miles each way, but dog+trailer is a 100-lb load. I'm hoping I'll go into this season with stronger legs (and maybe better cardio) as a result.

Mods, I think this kind of post is allowed by forum rules, but please let me know if that's not the case. Just wanted to let people know that CW-X compression tights are on sale at theclymb.com for the next 17 hours. Everything is discounted at least 50% off MSRP, and they still have some insulated 3/4 length tights in large (but no medium, too bad for me). PM me if you want a referral code - it will save you $10 if you spend over $50.

Reviving this blast from the past...if you're still out there, I don't suppose the board is still available?

Thanks Mig! I've seen that video before but didn't realize that guy was that light, he rides like a welterweight at least :-) When you ship boards to the US, how is Customs working out? Are customers paying import duties? (Hmm, I should ask Oldsnowboards, I probably should have ordered at the same time as him in the first place.)

Haha - well, it depends! It's not always cement, and even when it is, sometimes it's bottomless. I'm looking to replace a 168 Osin 3800 -- it has a cracked core, and even though it seems to ride OK and I can't feel anything off when I hand flex it, I think I should quit pushing my luck with it. Definitely pow riding is one priority for the replacement, but I'll also be using it on in-between days, like 3"-4" of fresh, when a carving deck is sketchy and I want to be able to take advantage of windblown stashes. I'm not too worried about the flex being too firm on groomers --like a video camera, I figure hardboots add at least 20 pounds on-piste -- just wondering if it could be a little stiff as a pow ride for me. It sounds like you're happy with yours?

I have been stalking those Hammerhead 171s myself - opposite question from me though, are they OK for lightweights? I'm about 155-160 pounds and would probably ride it with hardboots.

And NICE! :) However, I am selfishly sad that Canada is no longer a bargain -- or at least, not as much of a bargain.

Nice! Pretty great looking stretch of road too.

Thanks everyone, I will pass. I guess there's no way to reset the speedo/odo for a different tire size? Even if there was, the hit to ground clearance is a potential issue and it seems like a hassle, so I'll keep looking for cheap snow tires elsewhere. :-)

Hi all, I have a question about tire sizing that I'm hoping to run by you. I have a 2013 Outback, the stock tire size is 225/60 R17. Assuming I get new wheels, can I use snow tires that are size 215/60 R16? For reference, Tirerack.com suggests snow tires sized 215/70 R16 for this car. My friend is moving south and is selling his lightly used snow tires, the size I mentioned above (215/60 R16). Just wondering if those will work for me.

I do sunglasses inside the helmet straps too! I just looked this up, and apparently the helmet straps are supposed to be so tight that it would be too uncomfortable to have the sunglasses inside the straps. Guess I need to tighten my helmet straps!

haha, my pleasure. Looking forward to the pics of your Frankenstein creation!

Found these on the curb last night outside a house that was being flipped. I guess even the demo crew couldn't bear to throw them out because they are so. damn. awesome. Just look at how at every turn, whoever put these bad boys together picked the low-rent approach. Mismatched skis? check. Swivel action provided by actual heavy-duty door hinges? check. Skins cobbled together from leftover scraps? check Weigh at least as much as a solid board? check I'm just sad that I never met the builder before he moved, because I know the guy had a great sense of humor!

I have always thought that you should avoid an unventilated / non-air conditioned garage, but anywhere with human-appropriate temperatures is probably fine.

Really? I would go, but I have to take my car to the DEQ...last day before the registration expires! Maybe Sunday...

That's great, are you planning to hit any weekend days between now and their close?