Motorcycle Transport Trailer Size

[djh3]

I am looking at buying a enclosed cargo type trailer, mainly for the wifes work. She needs a storage and transport trailer that is dry and big enough to haul banners, papers supplies and signs and things. she works for a non-profit org so they are not going to buy it. But it would really make her job easier for the event she has to put on.

So I figure if I'm paying for it I might as well make sure the bike will fit in it. That way if we decided to we could haul the bike somewhere for vaction or something. Or if one of my buddies with a HD brakes down. Anyways best I can measure out minimum would be about a 6x10 and a 6x12 would be just a tick longer.

What size do you folks have to haul your RSV if you have one?

[friesman]

I had a 6x10 and traded up to a 6x12 to give me about 3 feet of storage in the front. In order to get the hitch weight right, the bike had to be mounted almost right at he back of the compartment. (remember these bikes are 9 feet long)

 

Brian

[Phoneman1981]

Hello: I purchased a used 8x16 tandem trailer from a private owner several years ago. I have yet to haul any bikes in it. But I use it for everything else. I know you will never regret owning an enclosed trailer. So handy. It would depend on what you are pulling it with? I prefer tandem axles for safety. Less whipping action in my opinion. My bike is all of 9' long so I would suggest going with a longer trailer rather than shorter 10' model. Just my 2 cents. Keep us posted.

[djh3]

I have had a tandum axle 18 ft I guess utility trailer I used for a full sized race car. I used heck out of it. Even after I sold race car and moved to Fla it got used by myself and alot of friends. I finnaly sold it about a year ago. I have also had a 6x 14 single axle I used for a legend car and sold all of that stuff last year. That trailer pulled fine as long as something with wheelbase was used to pull. Orginaly I had a short wheelbase dodge 1/2 ton. That could get funky feeling at times. I think primary tow vehicle for trailer would be the wifes 02 durango. If I need to use my truck its 3/4 ton dodge with diesel. No lack in power.. The 14' I had also had brakes on it sotat helped.

[Ace]

I agree with Phoneman1981, I prefer tandem axles as well. I had a 6x12 single axle which I hated because you really had to have everything just right (hitch weight) or the trailer wandered. I now have a 7x16 tandem and it is great, can haul 2 bikes or pretty much whatever I want plus it is great for storage when not towing. I have seen 6x12 tandem axle trailers that look sweet!

[Woody]

I have a 16 ft V-nose that I put mine and my in-laws venture in. I also put all of our camping gear in it so when I get where I am going I unload the bikes, blow up the air mattress and the camp is set. but a tandum axle is better for several reasons. the only thing I ran into was the roof on most have a poor design and will eventually leak. when it rains mine will hold a 1/4 inch of water on top that has no where to drain. I put some flex seal on the roof and park it under a shed now but other than that it is great I use it to move furniture and stuff also.

[djh3]

A couple things at play here are. The trailer like most will sit the majority of the time. So if/when it is time to buy tires its twice as many. Plus here they tag the trailer based on weight. So the heavier the trailer the more you pay the govt. I have had to balance the load out in my single axle before. Took some time figuring out where the car had to be in it to make it pull right. I would prefer the tandem, but the added expense is probably out weighed. Of course it will depend in availability and cost. Penz on what's available when I decide to pull the trigger.

[ditchdoctor]

We just bought a 6x12 v-nose single axle. Have the wheel chuck 48" from the front which puts the Venture right over the axle. Pulls great, no issues. These photo's are from another member and I followed his advise to the T.

[djh3]

So is that like 12 from the front of the V and the box is essentially 10'? I don't know if I'll end up with a V nose or not. Still looking. So the 48" is that from the front of the interior I presume? You say basically the bike is centered over the axle. I'll have to also see if I can get some tips on tying down the beast also. I have a wheel chock a friend gave me years back. I would like to figure out how to mount to floor without having to crawl under and hold nuts all the time too. I have an idea on that.

[ditchdoctor]

This is what MikeWa sent to me about his trailer.

 

"Steve

Congrats on your new purchase. My trailer is a single axle 6x12 v-Nose. The front of my wheel chock is 4 feet from the tip of the nose in the trailer. That moves the weight of the bike more over the axle and still allows me walk around the back. It also allows me to keep my gear in front of the bike. I put additional tie downs on the sides near the rear to stabilize the bike when it is parked in the trailer".

 

So I purchased the same size and style. Works great!

 

Steve

[Squidley]

6x12 is a good size, I had one and it worked great... 0.02

[Eck]

6 x 10 works.. however you will find you wish you would have gotten a 6 x 12 for a little more room...

 

Here is a 6 x 12 with my old RSV inside it, to give you an idea of how much room you will have.

[bj66]

Go with as long as you can, and as wide as you can. Keep your spare tire etc. inside, along with a smaller cargo box of some sort for all your straps and hold downs. You will never regret having a couple of extra feet up front. Also the bigger it is, the better it will resell if you want to get rid of it. The Atv/quad guys like them too.

[djh3]

Yea the resale is part of my dilemma. I have found a tandem 16 or 20 footer for about the same price range used. But from the pics it will defiantly need some floor work. Plus it will sit a lot and to change tires out is twice as much as on the single axle job. I don't really need the weight carrying ability but selling it used it would help.

Is there anyplace to look and see a write up or diagram on how to tie one down. I am probably going to have to put floor fittings in. I would guess of the rear crash bars by the bags, but what off the front? And do you wrap the strap around something up front or go to the forks and what does the strap hook to on the bike end? Do you run the front straps to the front and the rers pulling back, or run both sets towards the center of the bike?

[Wizard765]

i always wrap the strap around the bottom of the triple tree and then to a ring in front and to the side of the bike.. Then when I'm ready to go I will ratchet the strap till the forks are about half way compressed.. has worked fine for me whenever I've trailered either a 1st or 2nd gen.

[Flyinfool]

Trailers are like a garage, no matter what size you get, you will soon wish you had gotten the next bigger one.

 

As for mounting the front wheel chock.

I would make a nut plate with the nuts welded to the plate. Screw this plate to the bottom of the trailer. Now to mount the chock you just position it and run the bolts in. no more messing around under the trailer.

 

Another thought is a Toy Hauler camper. It is half utility trailer and half camper.

Normally the bed either folds up against the walls or lifts up to the ceiling.

This is what I have been looking at. Most likely the 14 foot.

https://dunesport.com/build-toy-hauler-1.php?type=Toy%20Hauler

[bj66]

Yea the resale is part of my dilemma. I have found a tandem 16 or 20 footer for about the same price range used. But from the pics it will defiantly need some floor work. Plus it will sit a lot and to change tires out is twice as much as on the single axle job. I don't really need the weight carrying ability but selling it used it would help.

Is there anyplace to look and see a write up or diagram on how to tie one down. I am probably going to have to put floor fittings in. I would guess of the rear crash bars by the bags, but what off the front? And do you wrap the strap around something up front or go to the forks and what does the strap hook to on the bike end? Do you run the front straps to the front and the rers pulling back, or run both sets towards the center of the bike?

 

My toyhauler that I bought had the D rings in the floor. I installed E Track as well. I would look into that if I were you. Especially if you are going to use it for your wifes job. E Track isnt terribly expensive and works well with anchoring boxes of cargo etc. They make the track for floor mount and wall mount. Its very versatile. The E Track allows me to stagger 2 bikes side by side and allows for easy tie down.

 

If you are patient you can find a good used trailer. My toyhauler is a 8.5 by 26 US Cargo (2006). I dont think it was ever slept in. It was used as a business trailer/office going to trade shows. I paid less than 1/2 price of a new one. I added an awning and thats it. One thing to keep in mind with a trailer is the ramp door angle. Make sure it is a gentle angle so you dont get hung up at the top when driving in.

 

Here is a couple of pics of mine. I wish They were closer, so you could see the tie downs. If I didnt have the trailer, my wife (who doesnt ride) wouldnt come and enjoy Sturgis with my boys and I. It turns into a family event, well worth it for me and a no brainer!

[Gary N.]

I suggest you check your state laws regarding trailer brakes. 6X12 single axle would have a gross weight rating of 2900 lbs. At least mine does. Even though it has a 3500 lb. axle they rate it at 2900 to beat the 3000 lb. limit for brakes in my province.

Having said all that, if you don't mind spending a little more to get the brakes on it, you will be happy you did. You will need to add the controller to your tow vehicle as well.

My 6X12 weighs 1200 lbs. plus the bike, plus all the other junk you usually add (spare tire, tools, etc.), you can get up to 2500 lbs. real quick. This makes any tow vehicle that much harder to get stopped.

http://law.onecle.com/florida/motor-vehicles/316.261.html

Edited March 23, 2014 by Gary N.

[bj66]

My toyhauler that I bought had the D rings in the floor. I installed E Track as well. I would look into that if I were you. Especially if you are going to use it for your wifes job. E Track isnt terribly expensive and works well with anchoring boxes of cargo etc. They make the track for floor mount and wall mount. Its very versatile. The E Track allows me to stagger 2 bikes side by side and allows for easy tie down.

 

If you are patient you can find a good used trailer. My toyhauler is a 8.5 by 26 US Cargo (2006). I dont think it was ever slept in. It was used as a business trailer/office going to trade shows. I paid less than 1/2 price of a new one. I added an awning and thats it. One thing to keep in mind with a trailer is the ramp door angle. Make sure it is a gentle angle so you dont get hung up at the top when driving in.

 

Here is a couple of pics of mine. I wish They were closer, so you could see the tie downs. If I didnt have the trailer, my wife (who doesnt ride) wouldnt come and enjoy Sturgis with my boys and I. It turns into a family event, well worth it for me and a no brainer!

 

I should add, as far as what to hook the strap to on the bike, get a couple sets of these straps. They work well, and it keeps the metal hooks away from your bikes paint and chrome. On my HD I use them around the frame in front, and around the passenger peg mounts on the side, as well as a strap around the rear tire. There isnt much to use as a tie down point on the rear of my HD. These straps are a necessisity.....

 

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratchet-Straps-Tie-Downs/Motorcycle-Tie-Down-Accessories/Soft-Tie-Straps-w-Plush-Covers-Motorcycle-Protection-Straps

[djh3]

Jeff thanks. Yea once upon a time we kind of looked into the toy hauler side of a trailer. Mostly for the race car I had at that time. But it would have also had to have been th permanent garage for the car. I figured after it sat in there all the time when we wanted to sleep in it, phew it would be stinky from old tire smell, oil etc. That wouldn't be the problem with this though. The toy haulers we looked at were more on the line of BJ66 style. A cargo trailer that had flip up bed and couch in them.

Guess I should check into the brakes for weight rules. My thoughts are the trailers are sold all over the US and I would think they would have to meet a DOT rule.

Thanks for the pointers on how to tie the bike down. I was thinking about some kind of wrap strap to keep the hooks away.

[djh3]

Well found a good decent trailer last week. A bit more than I wanted to pay but I think a fair price based on what I have seen around. Its a 12x6 Carry on. Lowes use to sell them at one time, dont know if they do anymore or not. No dents, holes in exterior. 4 tie-downs in floor. I had to fix the alum lip on the ramp door as someone had taken it off, I think because the hinge was messed up. I think to load the bike I will have to take the windshield off though. Just dont think there is enough height.

[Phoneman1981]

Good for you. Let us know how you like it.

[crazygaucho]

I wish I could keep one like it but the Hoa Association won't allow me ............................

 

Dion:

now you may have to change your signature and you are ready to buy a Harley if you want to lol

have a good one

 

[djh3]

NOPE Like I said its for when its broke. Or my buddy with his HD comes to visit. LOL Actually my wife works for the American Cancer Society, and her job is to organize and put on 4 local fundraising events called "Relay For Life". They are 12hr events and take a lot of banners, signs, paperwork and stuff like that. So if you can imagine trying to load all this stuff in a SUV or pickup, then unload at the event, then reload it all. The next week or possibly the week after do it all over. Its much easier to load it once in the trailer and not have to swap it in and out of the storage unit. Please look up you local Relay For Life event and participate if you can. They research ALL cancers and provide many local services and answers.

The side point of this was if we were going to spend the coins I might as well get something useful if needed.

[cecdoo]

NOPE Like I said its for when its broke. Or my buddy with his HD comes to visit. LOL Actually my wife works for the American Cancer Society, and her job is to organize and put on 4 local fundraising events called "Relay For Life". They are 12hr events and take a lot of banners, signs, paperwork and stuff like that. So if you can imagine trying to load all this stuff in a SUV or pickup, then unload at the event, then reload it all. The next week or possibly the week after do it all over. Its much easier to load it once in the trailer and not have to swap it in and out of the storage unit. Please look up you local Relay For Life event and participate if you can. They research ALL cancers and provide many local services and answers.

The side point of this was if we were going to spend the coins I might as well get something useful if needed.

 

 

We were just at a Relay for Life meeting last nite! Our event is scheduled for mid June, pretty amazing organization! Tell your wife to keep up the good work!

 

Craig