Finally Finished The Trailer Build!!!!

[mashley]

Well, it only took me about a year start to finish but she is finally finished. The aluminum boxes were the only items purchased elsewhere. Everything else was done at our home. Of course the day I get it put together it is raining outside. Had to wait until 11pm to take her for a test run. Pulls great, I just need a little more practice. First time pulling a trailer, was a little nervous. Hope you guys like. I've been ever since the last bolt went in!!!!!!

[Brake Pad]

DAM!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!

NICE!!!!!!

SWEEEEEET!!!!!

[Monty]

Very very nice. I like it alot!

[RoadKill]

Well, it only took me about a year start to finish but she is finally finished. The aluminum boxes were the only items purchased elsewhere. Everything else was done at our home. Of course the day I get it put together it is raining outside. Had to wait until 11pm to take her for a test run. Pulls great, I just need a little more practice. First time pulling a trailer, was a little nervous. Hope you guys like. I've been ever since the last bolt went in!!!!!!

 

Very Very Nice. You should be smiling! How much does it weigh empty? That is some different looking hitch too. Great Job!

[Guest seuadr]

nice hitch! wouldnt have thought of a clevis setup, but it makes perfect sense.

[Yama Mama]

Very nice job. Looks like you could put everything including the kitchen sink in that one.

 

Yama Mama:thumbsup2:

[kenw]

Really a great job! You do nice work!

[NCReb]

Nice Trailer. I have a question is the light with the clear liens, does it burn amber? the reason I'm asking is I'm in the process of repainting my trailer and relighting it also. Thanks and yours looks great.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Its a beautiful trailer, but how does your hitch swivel? Universal, or CV type hitches like that are normally for 1 wheel trailers, but for a 2-track trailer, you must have some type of ablility for the drawbar to twist in relation to the bike. Where is this twist occurring? If you took it for a ride, it must be working, but I cant see where the 'twist' is happening. The close up #3 pic, seems to show a set screw on the receiver collar, and some kind of blue grease...or is that....locktite??? Maybe its some kind of bushing, or RTV silicone...just cant tell. Hmmm...

 

With a trailer that big, once its loaded, you will see some effects. Harder to brake and corner are the main things, along with decreased gas mileage, so you might want to add some type of small gas can as a reserve, which is what I did on my trailer. Gives you peace of mind, if nothing else. Its not unusual on these bikes to see the mileage drop into the high 20's when pulling large trailers at highway speeds. Mid 30's would be GOOD mileage for this large trailer.

 

Once you get used to having a trailer, its fun to take it and the bike instead of the car or pickup when you run errands to the grocery store or hardware store...and I've even hauled bags of fertilizer, quickcrete, gravel, and potting soil...not to mention power tools, potted plants, and paving stones in my trailer. Of course, I was careful not to overload it, I'm not talking about 1000 pounds...maybe 250 at the most.

 

You'll be amused by the comments from onlookers and employees as they help you load the trailer. And bikers? They ALL think your going on some long camping trip! Even experienced riders sometimes have difficulty wrapping their brain around the fact that a bike can actually be used as a primary vehicle, running errands, hauling stuff. They only use theirs for fun weekend rides to the bar or dairy queen, when its 82 degrees or better, so they will be asking questions.

 

Anyway, great craftsmanship there. I love the interior carpeting and lighting, and BTW, where did you get those moon type hubcaps?

 

Ride with pride!!

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2009 by tx2sturgis

[mashley]

Answering a few questions:

 

NCReb: Yes the clear lenses are amber turn signals. They only come on when the trun signals are on.

I picked them up at Tractor Supply.

 

tx2sturgis: It is hard to tell by the pics, but there is swivel. The joint allows for up/down and left/right

movement. We made the hitch ourselves. The set screws you see hold a piece

of solid stock that bolts in the tube. There is a solid shaft attached to the bike

end of the yolk. It is caped off on the other end were it cannot come off. This

shaft allows for the bike to lean while everything else stays in-line. The blue

you see is some thin nylon washers we made to cut down on some noise. With

grease in the shaft. It makes no noise what so ever like you get with a ball.

You can lay the bike completly on its side and the trailer stays upright with no

binding or stress on the bike. My father towed a pop-up with this type of hitch

for years.

 

The baby moons are golf cart hub caps. I had a set of spacers made to push

the wheels out 5/8" more so the caps would clear the bearring covers. Bought

some longer wheel bolts from NAPA and it was set.

 

Hope this helps a little.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

It is hard to tell by the pics, but there is swivel. The joint allows for up/down and left/right

movement. We made the hitch ourselves. The set screws you see hold a piece

of solid stock that bolts in the tube. There is a solid shaft attached to the bike

end of the yolk. It is caped off on the other end were it cannot come off. This

shaft allows for the bike to lean while everything else stays in-line. The blue

you see is some thin nylon washers we made to cut down on some noise. With

grease in the shaft. It makes no noise what so ever like you get with a ball.

You can lay the bike completly on its side and the trailer stays upright with no

binding or stress on the bike. My father towed a pop-up with this type of hitch

for years.

 

The baby moons are golf cart hub caps. I had a set of spacers made to push

the wheels out 5/8" more so the caps would clear the bearring covers. Bought

some longer wheel bolts from NAPA and it was set.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Cool Beans! ( as a friend of mine used to say). You should think about making those hitches to sell, although I'm guessing you have around 25 hours of work on it (the hitch), so it would have to sell at a price most people might not want to pay. But the design is brilliant. Maybe a patent idea in there somewhere?

 

Do you have some specs on the spacers and the longer bolts you bought? Reason I ask is, I recently bought a second trailer, and it uses the 8 inch wheels, and I would like to add some offset to further widen the wheel track...maybe 1 inch, total increase. I might be interested in some moon caps too. Got a part number?

 

[99silver]

Really nice build. you went all out !!

I really like the cargo lights. I need to come up with something for mine.

Congrats,

Gary

[Wyldeman]

I would love to really understand the hitch build. I cant understand the part that goes into the receiver. I would love it if you would explain it better for me im a little thick headed sometimes.

[Midnight Rider]

[az1103]

Looks great!!!!:happy65: The thing I would worry about is that with this much room my wife would pack it so well that it may take a bit more than a Venture to pull it !!! .....Say a full size SUV !!!:hihi:

[friesman]

you do great work!!!! I love it.!

 

Brian

[Squidley]

Very nice workmanship! I'm looking forward to seeing that trailer up close here as son as I can. I was pondering the same swivel setup as I want to make a single wheel trailer and hook it to the bike like that. Excellent job

[Cougar]

EXCELLENT! Great job!

[bugfish69]

What an awesome looking trailer! I am considering building a trailer can you post some dimensions or say which boxes you used for the trailer?

 

Great Job!