Tug/Tow Battery powered unit recommendatrion

[JohnWF]

I have an LSA and at about 88-years of age am beginning to think a bit of help pulling the plane out of the hangar and pushing it back in might be a good idea. The plane is an RV-12, quite light, but when the temps are low the wheel grease is thick and it needs more push/pull than I am comfortable with sometimes.

I see lots of tugs in Trade-A-Plane for $2500-3500 but I have in mind something FAR cheaper.
I don't want a cordless drill powered unit.

Any suggestions?

 

[coloradobluesky]

I put a winch on a vertical beam at the back of my hangar. Its possible to screw it to the floor also (keep it low wherever you put it). Put the battery on a piece of wood BTW (concrete and batteries dont mix). That gets the plane in. Right now Im pulling it out by hand but am thinking of building a slight plywood ramp to pull it up on so its downhill out once I release it. A lot less expensive than a tug.

 

[eman1200]

I put a winch on a vertical beam at the back of my hangar. Its possible to screw it to the floor also (keep it low wherever you put it). Put the battery on a piece of wood BTW (concrete and batteries dont mix). That gets the plane in. Right now Im pulling it out by hand but am thinking of building a slight plywood ramp to pull it up on so its downhill out once I release it. A lot less expensive than a tug.

care to share your setup? pics?

 

[JOhnH]

I put a winch on a vertical beam at the back of my hangar. Its possible to screw it to the floor also (keep it low wherever you put it). Put the battery on a piece of wood BTW (concrete and batteries dont mix). That gets the plane in. Right now Im pulling it out by hand but am thinking of building a slight plywood ramp to pull it up on so its downhill out once I release it. A lot less expensive than a tug.

I considered something like that, but my POH specifically forbids pulling from the tie-down hook, but that may be because the Bonanza is a heavy beast. I gave up manually pushing and pulling it in the hanger at 65 yrs old. A birthday tug helped. Where do you attach your winch?

 

[coloradobluesky]

I have a big (and I mean BIG) carabiner and I attach it to the tailwheel spring.

I wonder if you could attach the cable to the mains or the nosewheel and just steer the plane with the tail. The winch has a wireless remote.

Someone with a Mooney is doing the same thing I am. He attached his winch to the floor.

 

[murphey]

Can you find a used golf cart?

 

[Chip Sylverne]

I have a battery powered unit. One of these heavy duty tow buddies. Single deep cycle 12v battery. A little underpowered for my Comanche, but would be great for an LSA, Cherokee 140 or 152-172
Search for heavy- duty tow buddy on Aircraft Spruce.

Where are you? I don't really use mine much, would be willing to part with it if you're anywhere near MD.

P.S. still flying at 88...you're a stone hero.

 

[bnt83]

I have an LSA and at about 88-years of age am beginning to think a bit of help pulling the plane out of the hangar and pushing it back in might be a good idea. The plane is an RV-12, quite light, but when the temps are low the wheel grease is thick and it needs more push/pull than I am comfortable with sometimes.

I see lots of tugs in Trade-A-Plane for $2500-3500 but I have in mind something FAR cheaper.
I don't want a cordless drill powered unit.

Any suggestions?

Depending on your hangar, would a one of those powered scooters work for you? I use one at my hangar but the ramp is concrete, fairly flat and only about 0.25" mismatch between the concrete floor in the hangar and the ramp out front. It pushes a Cessna 182 and smaller pretty well. Of course it needs a 110v outlet in the hangar to run the charger, an issue if you don't have power in the hangar.

The 182 is around 2250 pounds with gas in it and all the headsets and junk so an RV12 around 800 pounds should be a piece of cake.

 

[JohnWF]

Thanks, Chip Sylverne....your tug is about what I am looking for...unfortunately I live in central Colorado, about 60-miles south of Leadville, so shipping would be too costly.
Thank you for your response however. /John

 

[5QK]

I put a winch on a vertical beam at the back of my hangar. Its possible to screw it to the floor also (keep it low wherever you put it). Put the battery on a piece of wood BTW (concrete and batteries dont mix). That gets the plane in. Right now Im pulling it out by hand but am thinking of building a slight plywood ramp to pull it up on so its downhill out once I release it. A lot less expensive than a tug.

Concrete has no effect on batteries anymore. Now it's just an old wives tale. Google should confirm this.

 

[JOhnH]

Concrete has no effect on batteries anymore. Now it's just an old wives tale. Google should confirm this.

That was news to me. I wonder how long I have been studiously avoiding setting batteries on my garage floor unnecessarily.

 

[flyer770]

Concrete has no effect on batteries anymore. Now it's just an old wives tale. Google should confirm this.

It used to be true when battery cases were made from hard rubber. Any moisture would seep into the pores of the rubber and discharge through the concrete. Battery cases have used hard plastics for many decades now, though the old myth just won’t die.

 

[flyingron]

I have two VThrust tuggers which I don't think are currently being made. They use a DeWalt cordless drill as their motive power (geared down like 30:1). I got them because my wife can't horse around the big ass portapower-style tugs.

 

[Jon Stockton]

I have an AC Air Track Tech tug that pulls my cub up my 4 degree incline into my hangar and also tows my neighbors L39.

 

[cessna182b]

I have a big (and I mean BIG) carabiner and I attach it to the tailwheel spring.

I wonder if you could attach the cable to the mains or the nosewheel and just steer the plane with the tail. The winch has a wireless remote.

Someone with a Mooney is doing the same thing I am. He attached his winch to the floor.

I did something like that when I had an upslope then a lip (door track) to deal with getting my Cessna 182 into a hangar. I used a light duty AC electric hoist
(because I had it)- a DC winch would work just as well. The hoist was attached to frame members at the back of the hangar, just above the floor. To attach to
the plane I used two nylon tow straps - looped over each main gear leg near the fuselage, then joined together with a shackle. Connected the hoist hook to
the shackle, and pulled her in - tail first. Worked great. Didn't need any help going out (downhill).

Dave