[Yak] RE: Flite cases

[Sandy-and-Hugh Larkin]

Randy Wheating asked:
> Curious how the Flite Case performs under wet travel conditions - Do the
contents stay dry?  How do hinges and locks hold up?  
> Also, what is the difference between the standard and heavy duty travel
trailer?

We used the Flite cases extensively in Europe this summer as we toured.  We
didn't have any fenders on the bikes as we rode, but inside the cases
stayed dry despite the water being driven at the seal by the spinning
tires.  I also used rubber washers inside the case to help seal them and
also hedged against wet contents by placing a large plastic bag in the
bottom of the case with our gear on top of the bag.  When we did get some
water in them, it was due to the lack of any rubber gasket along the hinge
and when we were parked for camping and had the trailer tongues resting on
the ground.  The rain that ran off the tops of the cases seeped in along
the hinge and into the channel for seating the rubber seal where it 'ran
downhill' and then filled the channel to overflowing.  This seemed to stop
once we leveled out the cases by placing the tongues on a stand (i.e., big
rock, block of wood, funky metal spike that I found and also used as a tent
peg hammer) to make them rest level.  Hinges, locks, and the aluminum
handle tubes all held up well.  I did have some problems with my rubber
seal staying in place in the heat, but Sandy's case never suffered.  Our
trailer frames are 11 years old and worked well for the 2,000 miles we
pulled them (they actually have over 5,000 lifetime miles).

One thing that you may want to consider is placing a piece of foam pipe
insulation with zip ties around the trailer frame where the frame crosses
the aluminum handle.  The bouncing could pinch the handle and/or the
constant rubbing could wear a hole in the handle's tube.

Hugh & Sandy
'00 AGs