Motorcycle trailer options.

I'm eligible to retire in a year and plan on wintering in various parts of the country until we decide on a place to land. Living in New York in the summer is pleasant, but taxes and BS make us want to change address.

I plan on driving something and tow my bike behind on a trailer. Should I start with a Harbor Freight trailer and put a deck on it, should I just buy an axle and suspension and fab one together or other options I don't know about? The bike is a BMW R-1100rt, I think it weighs about 600 lbs.

Dan

Best is an enclosed trailer. Then an open motorcycle trailer, then one of the HF's that you custom build a deck, tie downs, etc. HF also sells a wheel chock thingie that you ride into and it catches and locks your front wheel so you can get off and tie it down. It isn't too expensive either.

I have used the open MC trailers that hold 1 or 2 bikes. 1 bike goes in the middle. When you have 2, you put one on each side. I also used a HF trailer that my friend built with diamond plate and mil-spec tie down points. It was very nice, but for the price to duplicate it, you could buy one pre-built.

For what you are planning, I think a 1 bike enclosed trailer would be the best choice. With the yuppies getting out of bikes since their mortgages are in foreclosure, you should be able to pick up a nice one reasonable. Check out the various bike forums and ebay. Plus, that extra room inside the trailer would be handy for various luggage items as you travel around the country.

Check out NW Arkansas before you settle.

Dan.

Find a HOLESCLAW trailer and refurbish it. They where sold in the 70's an 80's . Coil over suspension with long "truck arms" for lower links. they tow great and there light weight. They came in 2 or 3 rail versions both had Tilt option. Hands down the best bike trailer built. Sand blast and powder coat it will last forever.

http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?threadid=154704

44

If you're going to do an open trailer, I agree w/ 44. I did one three years ago for my Dad(78 and still rides) and it tows like a dream. Me, I'm going for an enclosed trailer.Nothing big, just enough for my Goldwing. It's worth the little extra it will cost in gas mileage just to keep it away from prying eyes. We are doing the same, just got back from Tenn. and S.C. Greenville area was nice, taxes quite a bit lower, clean, BMW is building again and there are a ton of nice foreclosures in nice neighborhoods. Downside was most lots(in developments) were pretty small. Tenn was pretty cool-no state income taxes/ personal property taxes, good roads, lots of open spaces, Volkswagen is building a plant near Chat., but 9% sales tax(or so). and people weren't quite as friendly as in SC. Still better than downstate, though. Next trip will be to check NW Ark, only because I agree with Hess on so much! I want to see if it's any better now that they got rid of the Clintons. We'll have to get together and compare notes.

Holsclaw made the best open motorcycle trailer by far. For an enclosed unit, if you can find a Hi Point they were fantastic! Lightweight and areodynamic. Those had a metal trailer with a one piece fiberglass enclosure and a flip down tailgate. Otherwise, a 10x6 works pretty good. (10 feet long, 6 feet high). But- the ones sold now are pretty heavy.

I am a bit concerned about trusting one of the HF trailers on long trips. For around town, sure. They just seem a bit flimsy to me.

I'm not sure what you're towing with, or if this will handle a big bike like the Beemer...

There are motorcycle carriers that just ride in the hitch receiver. Kind of like the luggage carrier you see sometimes, but designed for a bike, and with a ramp.

This saves the hassles of plating a trailer, and also of backing one up.

I've seen a two-tongued version of the carrier Evan speaks of. Looked a lot more stout, an could certainly handle more weight. Don't know how much weight, though. And I have no idea of the manufacturer.

There, did that help?

Some buddies have used the receiver type 'sideways' carrier. The only one I would recommend for a bike as big as the Beemer is the Moto Jack Rack or similar. The 'roll on/roll off' type are best for a ~250 pound MX bike or similar.

Remember, if the tow rig is rated for 500 pounds tongue weight, the 600 pound Beemer will be 100 pounds overweight BEFORE you figure in the 'leverage' from the bike being 12-14 inches out from the receiver.

The Jack Rack uses a hydraulic bottle jack to raise/lower the load. Trying to use the 'roll on/roll off' type for a 600 pound bike with only human power will get you hurt in a hurry.

A friend of min has a similar rig for the back of his motorhome. You ride the bike up on it sideways, then this electrically operated cable system lifts it all up into ride position. This is for a full dress Harley, about 800 lbs or so. He has an extended hitch under it for the car dolly.

Hey, you guys know it's Trailer Week at Sturgis right now, right?

If you deside to go enclosed. Wells Cargo makes a nice small low head height trailer with twin axles and a droped floor so the handle bars clear the door frame top. Thes have a funny looking bubble in the front. The fiberglass bubble help the air flow. They can be found for around $2000-$3500 used.

A freind got one to haul his Dwarf. He loves it but the low roof height bugs him, and its a tight fit.

44

I like the idea of an enclosed trailer, not just for security, but like the good Doctor said, LUGGAGE!

Ever see one of those tiny U-Haul trailers? They aren't much bigger than a pickup box, fully enclosed. At the local go-kart track there are quite a few used to haul cars, tools chairs etc. Where would you even start looking for a used U-Haul?

Dan

You mean besides the local U-Haul dealer? Around me they're always selling off their tired, old, used-up stuff.

I didn't know they sold it there. Thanx.

Any idea what these weigh? Cut the roof down a bit, I could lose one axle bbecause my horse weighs less.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/car/782354946.html

I've thought about chopping the top of a metal horse trailer to pull a bike or two behind my hot rod, and maybe to sleep in at rallies and such. Step one: build hot rod.

Tons!! You don't want a horse trailer. I looked in to ti for the dwarf. Used ones are all most allways crap...or should I say Pee rotted. There built heavy cause if you kill a horse some fanatic will kill you... Twin axles are nice, you'll come to relives just how nice the 1st time you have a blow out at hi way speeds...It's not if its when. trailer tires are not well made anymore. 95% of them are from China now and they have big problems.

44

I actually have one of the HF fold up deals. I pulled my R1100S and I recently hauled my Old V-Star from OK to Atlanta with it behind my Mazda 3 with no issues.

Well actually one fo the tailights fell off, but no other issues. I added the drive on wheel chock.

I plan on buying a Northern Tool 2000lb. torsion axle, buiding a steel frame and then some kind of box.

Ever fiberglass something big? I've repaired holes in boats, but never a whole critter. I thought about making an auminum square tube frame, fill the sides with styrofoam panels and then cover it with fiberglass.

Plan B: Same steel frame, alum tube, cover it with metal sheet and paint.

Thoughts?

Molding fiberglass in big sheets can be hard to keep flat unless it's well supported from either side. Most boats, camper caps etc use a mold which shapes the outside of the part. This means building an original, then making a mold of that, then using the mold to make more of whatever. That's great for series production but pricey and difficult for the average guy.

The simplest way to make a 'one off' piece is to make a form out of plastic foam, cover it with fiberglass, then use acetone to dissolve the foam. This is called the 'lost foam' method. It does involve having to do a fair amount of sanding on the outside to make it smooth and it should be painted.

You build a wooden 'buck', glue foam to it, then carve the foam to the shape you want. Then you cover this with resin and mat to the thickness you want. My buddy's Hi Point trailer was about 3/16" thick, BTW. It's possible to add a layer of aluminum screen in the mat and resin to add even more strength. Then the completed piece is flipped over, the 'buck' is pulled out and the remaining foam is removed with acetone. At this point, the inside can be reinforced with aluminum tubing for added rigidity, you bend it to shape, lay it on the inside and then use mat and resin to make it a permanent part of the shell.

Here's a page on doing a small part, it works the same way on bigger stuff. http://www.instructables.com/id/SM93MJWF2H0OXCZ/?comments=all Like the page says, you use acetone, not kerosene, to dissolve the foam.

The big PITA with this is making sure the 'glass doesn't crack when the trailer flexes. Thinner 'glass flexes better than thick. If you plan your trailer frame carefully you can minimize flex.

Thanks J-man, pretty labor and $$$ intensive. Plan B is looking better.

I stopped at the sailing club yesterday and cruised the field where abandoned boat trailers end up, nothing worthy of messing with, which is what makes me head for the new axle and fabbing a deck.

I have time. Besides; last week when I was sweating like a whore in church because I was painting the chimneys, redoing a brick sidewalk, pressure washing and sealing the deck, scrubbing the vinyl siding etc., Trish says "Gee, I'm glad you don't have a project this summer, we are getting so much done around the house".

Beer please, I'll be in the garage....

Dan

I dunno; sheet aluminum ain't cheap. Not to mention it's real hard to get aerodynamic curves out of it unless you have some pretty good metalfab skills. I'd think that the 'glass would actually be cheaper overall.

Plan C- buying a commercially produced enclosed trailer- leaves even more beer time.

Fabbing your own is well worth the effort. An ex-B-in- Law enclosed one using metal studs(for framing)and plywood sheeting salvaged from a jobsite. He used boat fiberglass matting w/ resin to make 'glass sheets to cover the wood and screwed the whole thing to his studding. He bent some thinner wood to make roof ribs and panelized those as well. It was pretty rigid and didn't weigh much. It would have been bitchin' if he painted it. A bit labor intensive but absolutely low bucks. I've decide to build a 6x10 open this year and then use it as my utility trailer when I buy my enclosed one.

Can you find how much cloth is in this kit? I don't see it,\; trying to estimate the number of kits to cover the trailer.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=3842&familyName=WEST+System+Epoxy+Kit#MyReviewHeader

Don't even bother with those kits, they will KILL you on cost. That one said 3 feet by 38 inches on the mat. Check around and see if there's a boat builder in your area and see where they get their stuff. If you can't find a boat builder, find someone who builds above ground pools. Buy the mat and resin in large amounts.

Here's a place in Ohio that sells the stuff in bulk:

http://www.infinitycomposites.com/

I think I've just lowered my standards to a nice open trailer and a cycle cover.

Dan