portable kiln mounted on trailer

[caveman]

Have any of you ever mounted a solar kiln on a trailer?  I did a search and did not find any.  We are kicking around the idea of building a solar kiln.  I think that I would like to mount it on an 8' x 20' trailer so that I could place it in the optimal position for drying and then move it into a less obtrusive location when we are not drying lumber.  What problems do you foresee?
Thanks,
Caveman

[jueston]

there was a thread by someone on here who built a solar kiln and he made it mobilie. not by building it on a trailer, but by building a sturdy wood frame and then putting an axel on it and a hitch on the front, same idea just a little more effort/less up front cost. i don't remember who it was that built it, i will do a search in a minute and see if i can find it.

[jueston]

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,50281.0.html

searched kiln on wheels and it was the first result..  :D

that goes through his whole build from beginning to end, and has a lot of questions from other people that might be helpful too.

[beenthere]

If the solar kiln will be on wheels, maybe build it so it will move over a stack of stickered wood.  Then building the stack will be a bit easier, and even a second one can be ready to "kiln dry" when the first one is done.
Just a thought.

[pineywoods]

That would be planman1954. Not only is it a nice working kiln, the workmanship is first rate. Mine, of the same design has been in use for several years and works just like his. dont leave out the DH or the full width doors...

[caveman]

Thanks men.  The knowledge contained here never ceases to amaze me.  Caveman

[pineywoods]

An update on Planman1954's solar kiln. He took my advice and avoided plastic fans. Couple of weeks ago, both of the metal circulating fans quit. Wouldn't run at all. Rather than get new ones, I took them apart to see what failed. Both fans had a small plastic module with a wire coming out each end. It was wired in series with the motor winding, and was completely open. A little investigating revealed them to be a thermal fuse, somewhat like those in a fire sprinkler. they were marked "75C", in other words they blow at 75 degrees centigrade. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 F. That should forever lay to rest the notion that solar kilns don't get hot enough to kill bugs...

[Den Socling]

We used to have a member named Jason. I believe he was from Wisconsin. He built a nice, mobile solar kiln to avoid taxes. I haven't been able to find the thread. I'll look again. Anybody remember him?

[shelbycharger400]

I wonder How hard it would be to trailer up a single car garage with the door on the back. Then go with clear plastic roofing .          have removable truss bars when towing it, then pop em out when going over a stack.    No rush here,  I do very small milling.

[WoodenHead]

I am finishing up my recently constructed kiln.  Although primarly meant to stay put, it was built on an 8-ton haywagon frame.  The wagon came to me for a good price.  I put it on a wagon to avoid building permit issues (i.e. using unstamped ruff sawn lumber for parts of the structure).