Road Trip Preparations:

[Rob Swallows]

Howdy;

 

Getting ready for the long road trip at the beginning of September and starting to lay the groundwork. My questions pertain to all inclusive weight of bike, passengers, trailer, and cargo.

 

The bike as we know is a 2005 Midnight Venture. The trailer will either be a "Lumina XL" series with an empty weight of ~190 pounds, or a "Prowler" brand at 285 pounds empty. The "Prowler" is much roomier albeit heavier. I have a new Coleman "Xtreme5" cooler at 70quart capacity which should be a snug fit into either trailer crosswise, to carry foodstuffs along the way. Also into the trailer will go a Honda 2000W inverter generator and a few small electronic gizmos which travel along. Of course luggage and normal things carried along with any trip will be included. We plan to both tent camp and hotel stay along the way. My wife really isn't into truck stop showers so have to rule that out. She also won't use a tree for a bathroom.....

 

My wife and I are not really large people with a combined weight of about 300 pounds so the bulk of my questions amount to how much weight can I pack into the trailer safely? I've never pulled a trailer in the past so a new experience for us. Neither have brakes but the "Prowler" has room for modifications including compartmenting the front part of the trailer for the generator enclosure, and electric brakes can be added if desired. To keep sticky fingers at bay I like to keep everything enclosed and out of site so a tongue mounted cooler won't be used.

 

Any feedback appreciated as I tend to follow experience of which none exists for me at this writing.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[bongobobny]

Hmmmm, My gut feeling is not to exceed 400 lbs combined weight on the trailer, others may say a lot less! As far as trailering goes, there is pretty much nothing to it! Once you get over the initial concerns there are times more often than not you will forget the trailer is behind you!! That can be kind of a bad thing especially cornering and stopping. remember to swing just a littler wider both left and right turns, and remember the trailer is wider than the bike!! I got reminded of that one time pulling to the right of a line of traffic to make a right turn, there was a guard rail on the side of the road I scraped! You don't need a mile of extra space to stop but you should allow extra space and time to safely stop! You will loose a few MPG's but nothing major, literally only 2 or 3 mpg..

[bongobobny]

PS larger tires on the trailer make a difference! 10 or 12 inch tires roll MUCH better than 8 inch tires!

[dogman]

Others will be able to give you a percentage of tongue weight, I'm not sure exactly so I don't want to give you a guess.

My experience pulling my tent trailer is it pulls much better with some tongue weight. I put my cooler on my tongue (I know you don't want to do that) but it towed like the trailer wasn't even behind me. (Just like Bongobob said) Without that tongue weight I was feeling it on my turns and bumps. In my cooler I only keep drinks and that days dinner and the next mornings breakfast. We eat lunch at a restaurant that looks busy or is recommended the night before at the camp ground we stopped at.

 

I would recommend making time do some practice riding with your trailer when you decide with stuff in it to see what feels good when towing it. You will feel very confident the day you leave if you get that practice time in.

 

Best of luck and skill. Have a great time.

[Midrsv]

I've towed a trailer behind my bike for over 40,000 miles. I wouldn't pull more than 300 lbs behind the bike. When I had the RSV I was very concerned about hitch weight. In my opinion the RSV does not have a very strong hitch connection point. Be very careful with panic stops, try to avoid them. Especially on wet roads. The trailer will push the rear around. I now tow a Bushtec trailer with a Goldwing and the trailer has far more capacity than I care to use. I try to keep the total weight to around 250 lbs. Just my opinion and engineering judgement. I know I've seen others tow 500 to 600 lbs. Not me.

 

Dennis

[Freebird]

I think that the hitch points are fine but if it is of concern, there is a hitch on the market that attaches at more points. It is made by Hitchdoc and I personally think that it is overbuilt but would certainly be a choice for anybody who feels that more is needed.

[Holly]

Hitchdoc definitely over engineers their hitches, had worked with him years ago on a computer system. He is a farmer that made some hitches for friends, then went and found that there was a niche for bike hitches and went to town. His operation is just of the I90 in Jackson MN.

 

The biggest thing I found when pulling my trailer was to keep a good amount of weight on the tongue and make sure you have everything packed in tight to keep it from moving and changing the center of gravity. 400 lbs would be the max weight of trailer and contents, start with the lightest trailer.

[ragtop69gs]

I've pulled close to 400# all over Montana, Wyoming and Idaho with my 2nd gen and even over Beartooth several times riding 2up. There was never a time that I felt there was too much weight back there, even in the hairpin switchbacks, you just need to remember you'll have slower starts and longer stops. Now with my darkside rear tire, trailering is much improved.

[djh3]

Boy when I started reading about all the heavy stuff like Generator and big ole cooler I got scared. I figure the bike was designed to stop itself at 900# plus to riders figure 400# maybe? We all know there is some fudge factor there, but that extra weight pushing you, you really ned to figure for and practice. I pulled a trailer with my GS 1000 and it took some getting used to. Sometimes the tire tracks it runs in will foul you up. Like if the road is sort of rutted IE: car tire tracks worn lower than center, it will sway a trailer sometimes. I would go with the lightest trailer I could if your packing all that stuff.

I miss BrakePad

[Rob Swallows]

Well this is probably going to sound a bit nuts to most of you folks but after speaking with both trailer manufacturers I was considering, neither is willing to meet my criteria. I spoke with mini trailer in regards to their "Prowler" series and they strongly advise against pulling this trailer with a motorcycle as it's geared toward either a trike or small car. They highly recommend their "Nomad" series of which is neither tall, nor wide enough to support my cooler internally as I want it placed/oriented. Their trailer weighs a bit over 200 pounds empty: http://minitrailerusa.com/nomad-trailer.htm and my target maximum is 400 pounds as per website participants suggestions. The other trailer, a "Lumina XL": is 190 pounds empty, but again too small for some of my specified criteria: http://theusatrailerstore.com/lumina-xl-motorcycle-trailer .

 

After speaking with my son whom is an accomplished woodworker, (I too am proficient) and needing a joint project, we have elected to build one instead using either an old camper suspension I have, or purchasing new torsion 1/2 axles. I'm inclined to use what I have as a test bed although it's on spring but I knocked the camper off the frame many years ago when it rotted the wooden structure away. The suspension is good and I'll narrow it up to fit the 30" width trailer I'm deciding upon. Given I've been a maintenance and repair welder for almost 40 years I'm pretty sure I can handle that part acceptably well. The box will be lightweight plywood and spar construction. I spoke with a couple of my friends in the GA, (general aviation) community at Peoria's airport today and they'll order materials for me to get their discount if need be. I figured what I'm wanting using "Luan" type plywood and it should come out close to 100#'s minus the underpinnings, and topcoat(s). That old camper had 14" "Dexstar" wheels and the brakes were good if chosen to work with them. They really are pretty light and spring leaves can be removed. I'll have to jump on the skid steer tomorrow and dig this thing out of the weeds to get a few measurements and weights. I also have a 70's vintage Kelsey-Hayes trailer brake controller used in the past on very light trailers so may give this a go but don't know yet. I'm really concerned about trailer "push" and the small brakes on the bike if used solely. I'm trying for about a 42" track width if possible.

 

If we do build this thing it will have an externally accessible and isolated compartment for my small generator to be run in. Neither of the other places had interest in any kind of custom work; only their standard production items. I'm pretty much like Henry Ford said, "you can have any color you want as long as it's black" in thought process so the bases are covered here. Shiney is nice but "chrome don't get you home" they say.

 

Should have carb kits tomorrow afternoon as they supposedly shipped today. I'd like to get the bike back to running condition before tearing into it for the rountine services recommended by participants on the site. I've purchased all new synthetic fluids and greases to change everything out except for the engine oil which I mentioned is Honda branded GN-4. The rear lube is 75-90W Mobil-1 synthetic as is the grease for the splines and wheel bearings F&R. I don't have any leaks, drips, or errors, but do suspect everything with the exception of the engine oil is original to the bike w/13,400 on the clock. I'll also check the brake pads f&r with the service being performed.

 

Appreciate the guidance.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[Rob Swallows]

The generator I plan to carry is either a small Honda 2K inverter generator at less than 50 pounds, or a 3k inverter set at about 70 pounds. The target is no more than 400 pounds and am willing to shift what we carry to accommodate. I'm used to pulling heavy and wide with everything I drive but don't have any experience with a motorcycle in this scenario. I certainly plan to get a few miles under me empty before starting out on the big road as I can't be correct on everything envisioned to carry. However, we've always been tent campers and these small inverter generators are the nuts being so quiet and convenient. Hard to give that up once exposed.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[cowpuc]

Never have been a trailer pulling kinda varmint but I have seen a number of scoots with trailers traveling long distance while out west chasing the wind. A number of really nice ones including both cargo and popup.. It used to be that the little Harbor Freight type trailer with the plastic cargo box on them was really popular = thinking because of cost and light weight.. I did see one once that the owner had a mounted covered generator/cooler and cargo box filled to the brim with stuff. Said it pulled well at around 450 pounds..

Last number of years we started seeing a number of Tear Drop type rigs.. Not sure on weight and all that but - these rigs are sleepable outfits with all the fixin's.. Here is a pic of one we saw getting ready to head up into Northern Michigan during the "Midnight Bridge Ride".. I bumped into @rickardracing at this outing, he was participating in the actual ride (we were just messing around harrassing the riders and looking at scoots) - perhaps Randy got a better look at how this much of a trailer went down the road on the groups ride north..

Had lots of varmints pick on me for loading up my 1st Gens like I do (always been a tenter, do a fair amount of off roading and cant even imagine trying to drag a trailer on Deer trails trying to find the North Rim of the Canyon). Someone mentioned a single wheeled outfit with a hitch designed like a universal joint.. I finally bumped into one of those outfits in Deadwood South Dakota a couple years ago and snapped some shots of it.. Not a bad looking design if you consider that the single wheel more or less follows the bikes track thru the woods..

 

[mirider]

This is how we roll......Have taken several long trips with trailer fully loaded and as others have said, don't even know it's back there. I have an HF Tag-Along trailer which is about 150# empty. We load it up when we travel but have never weighed it loaded so can't comment on how much we're hauling, probably at least 200# including a small cooler, luggage, tools, etc.. I just know it works for us.

 

[bongobobny]

Actually the Harbor Freight trailer is a good buy for the money and occasionally they have them on sale for a very inexpensive price like $300. The only thing is they have a solid axle and 8" tires. I have a Piggy Backer trailer which is pretty much the same frame and plastic box with IRS and larger tires and LED lighting and has lots of room! Towed it with my 1st gen and my 2nd gen before and after turning it into a trike. Unfortunately the Piggy Backer comes as a kit and costs a little over $1000, but it is easily assembled in an hour or two...

 

Both the HF and the Piggy Backer weigh around 150 lbs. or so.

[Rob Swallows]

Thanks again guys for the input. I think my son and I are going to move on building our own as a team effort. We used to work together a lot fabricating things in my shop and the fondness of building something ourselves is very appealing. He has a Honda VTX-1800 motorcycle which had a trailer hitch installed when purchased but was removed and stored citing he didn't think there would be an interest in a trailer. Well after my interest comes forth, and the thoughts we could share custody of this thing, the plot was hatched to build our own.

 

I weighed two sheets of 1/4" luan underlayment plywood in my shop and it weighs right at 17#'s per sheet which is about .54# per square foot. I'm thinking of building a coffin style box with internal measurements of 72" long by 30" wide by 20" deep. The front 24" will be blanked off with a partition wall to separate the generator compartment from the storage compartment citing gasoline fumes permeating clothes and other items. Doubt that would happen myself but best err on the side of caution. This box will be double walled with sheet rigid 3/4" Styrofoam insulation board between the inner and outer sheeting which will all be glued and screwed into place around the perimeter. If my calculations are correct, and using the material listed along with 3/4"X3/4" square timber around the perimeter of all points, the weight of the box will be in the mid 90 pound range. I'll know more on the suspension in a couple of hours as I found it in the weeds but have yet to retrieve it.....

 

The carb kits were not for my application so needed reordered. Seems like kids can't order things correctly from a paper catalog anymore as they weren't listed on the computer.....

 

I got plenty to do otherwise and not a single float level matched another. I read that to be common from a V7Goose posting of several years ago.

 

Nothing against Harbor Freight or their merchandise but I don't support them. When you make a living with tools, it's best to spend good money for good tools so I really don't go there.

[djh3]

If I can get a chance tomorrow or next day I will see if I can draw up a sketch of how my trailer was done. A friend built it himself for tent camping which we did also back then. Wife sort of requires indoor plumbing now. It was a bit taller than wide and was made so when you flip lid open it would double as work, prep space. Can you get aluminum welded? Or you convinced you want to go with the old frame?

[M61A1MECH]

Rob,

Did the harness arrive in good condition? Will it be OK for your needs?

[Rob Swallows]

If I can get a chance tomorrow or next day I will see if I can draw up a sketch of how my trailer was done. A friend built it himself for tent camping which we did also back then. Wife sort of requires indoor plumbing now. It was a bit taller than wide and was made so when you flip lid open it would double as work, prep space. Can you get aluminum welded? Or you convinced you want to go with the old frame?

 

I was actually thinking of making the lid become a staging area when it's fully open also. We are thinking very similar. Three swing open restraints/rests mounted on the exterior of the hinge side would keep it parallel to the ground when fully open. Restraint chains could be used if just wanted to open a bit past 90 degrees. The lid shouldn't be too heavy to operate standing at the rear corner and opening if it is stiff enough to resist flex, or twist. I expect this would be about 30" from the ground but I've not really put any thought to finished height yet.

 

I can readily weld aluminum in my shop as I have the needed equipment. I was planning to use 1.5"X3"X1/8" wall 6063 aluminum tube, (1.24# per foot) or 3" aluminum architectural channel, (.72# per foot) welded together into a full parallelogram space frame for the tongue to pull from, and box to bolt to. Either would suffice in the application but the tube would be stronger. Although 6061 alloy offers better tensile strength, 6063 is far more corrosion resistant. It would probably be prudent to attach the suspension to the frame also no matter which type, (torsion, or spring) used.

 

I called over to the Redneck Trailer branch in Normal, IL yesterday to inquire about a 600# Dexter "Torflex" axle but did not receive a call back. I'll look to see what this axle will cost with new aluminum wheels in either 12", or 13 inch sizes and will purchase tires from my normal vendor. Although I didn't weigh anything on the suspension I have, it looks as if it will be quite heavy with the physical size of the 4" drop forgings of the spindles. I assume these are either 3K, or 3.5K axles by their appearance which would be far too heavy in the needed application.

[Rob Swallows]

Rob,

Did the harness arrive in good condition? Will it be OK for your needs?

 

Hi Steve;

 

Yes it did arrive but I've not done anything with it yet. Been tying up a lot of loose ends prior to retiring at the end of this month at work. Very good quality of your product I can tell as have worked with molex, amphenol, cannon, etc. type plugs for many, many years. Your electrical print is easy to follow and should present no problems.

 

I hope to be on this later in the week. The carburetor kits being wrong have wracked my schedule a bit but suppose I'll get over it.....

 

Thanks a bunch,

 

Rob

[djh3]

Rob, check these folks out. I have bought lights and some other trailer parts from them. They have quality parts and a lot are USA made. R and P Carriages

[Rob Swallows]

Rob, check these folks out. I have bought lights and some other trailer parts from them. They have quality parts and a lot are USA made. R and P Carriages

 

Good people about an hour and a half away. I too have patronized them in the past; easy to do business with. I will be inquiring about if they can get the axles also but haven't yet. I have an open account with Redneck and get most lighting and trim parts for semi trailer repairs from them.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[djh3]

OK So Rob sent you a pm with some info. Best I can recolect this is purdy much what I had.

[Rob Swallows]

Thanks a bunch. Pretty much on the same path as I with exception of I want to use a torsion axle rather than a slipper spring setup. My box will measure a bit larger than yours also but will be adjusted with the suspension to give a good balance of height, and running profile. I may even make the suspension adjustable for tongue weight with pins and polymer pads. It will be used much more often if easy to load and have easy access to the contents.

 

I should know more tomorrow when I speak with the vendor about suspension of which way to go.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[djh3]

Yea mine served well for what it was. Heck we even pulled it behind a Firebird we had for awhile. It was a fair design for what it was a trailer to put camp gear and clothes in. Knowing what I do now I would probably make it wider and lower, even if you had to make the lid opening bigger, you could make a pole to go under the lid when layed back to support it for a stove or what have you.