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Trailer advice

3K views 38 replies 21 participants last post by  duc96cr 
#1 ·
I figured I would ask this since this forum is packed with knowledgeable guys/gals with years of experience. Looking to make my first trailer purchase and hoping to buy something that is a swiss army knife of trailers. I am looking to buy one trailer that would be useful at hauling a couple of motorcycles during moves but also something that can be used on a day to day basis (home improvement, yard work...ect).

Any ideas or experiences would be appreciated!!

Background: I recently sold my first bike which was an 09 Bonneville and just picked up a 16 XSR900. I could see myself owning two bikes in the future and using trailer for moving/transport but also for home/yard work. The size would be minimal and towing capacity would be just under 4000lbs.

Thanks!!
 
#4 ·
I use an open 6 ft x 12 ft trailer as my haul/carry all. I mounted a front tire stand that came from Harbour Freight and a couple of tie down hooks that lay flat when not in use on the bed. My trailer has the over sized tail gate, think lawn service trailer, that needed to be reinforced so I didn't brake the meshing away from the framing. Make sure it has a sturdy bed, mine is make of 1 x 10's which also makes it easy to mount the tire carrier and tie down. I bought my trailer at Lowes. Where you live, like here in Florida, you might be able to find a used trailer very reasonably.
 
#5 ·
Enclosed trailer will be so much kinder to your bikes ! Also you can haul furniture without it getting wet. Buy one big enough to get a mattress in with a ramp door. You won't regret it. Also a pointed nose is more aerodynamic and has a bit more interior room in the nose. Always carry a spare, jack and lug wrench and don't bury it when you load the trailer.
 
#7 ·
I added aluminium checker plate to my bike trailer to convert it to a flat bed and made a wooden box to fit on top for shifting other stuff . I only have a small car for towing so an industrial trailer would not work for me . depends what you are allowed to tow with the vehicle you have available . I have seen box trailers with fold down beds and other additions .
 
#8 ·
I have been using a harbor freight folding trailer,I got the 12" tires and swapped out the hardware for better quality.i have had two bikes on it and pulls fine.then folds up onto its own skates and slides right into the garage against a wall out of the way,,Ez peezy .
 
#33 ·
I have one of these Harbor Freight folding trailers too but mine has the smaller 8" wheels. Mine was a kit that had no 4' x 8' plywood floor or 1" x 4" wooden siderails but these were installed later. Instead of channel steel to retain the bike wheels I installed large eyebolts where the front and rear bike wheels are located; then use some rope to tie the wheels to the eyebolts and ratchet straps from bike frame to the trailer frame to keep the bike upright. Mine is set up for one bike but it's possible to set it up for two bikes but not two Gold Wings or two large Harleys.
 
#11 ·
Depending on the size you get... Tandem axles pull better and ride smoother. Smaller trailers are hard to find with more than one axle, but if you can swing it, definitely go for two. It's very much worth it.

Pay close attention to the weight ratings of the trailer... lite duty axes are cheap and make for cheap trailers, but they also limit you on cargo weight. My lite duty cargo trailer has a 1500 pound limit. I purchased it specifically for hauling a Honda Valkyrie around, which weighed in at about 1000 pounds, so it worked fine for me. I did, however, have it a bit over loaded when I used it to move. If you want to do yard work, you'll want much more than a 1500 pound limit. (Ask around how much a yard or two of dirt or gravel weighs......)

Lastly... PLEASE get a hitch that is the right height & rating for your tow vehicle. This is a MAJOR safety issue that I see ignored WAY too often (mostly by people trying to tow a camper).
 
#15 ·
Yeah I am not a dumb-ass when it comes to safety. I understand there are ratings for towing (with and without brakes) a difference between tongue ratings and GTW. I basically am looking for a do-it-all trailer (preferably open) that I could pull behind a car or suv with about a 3500lb tow rating. I am asking on her because I have never messed with wood vs metal, wheel chokes...ect.

My life is going to change dramatically soon, so I can see myself with a daily driver of a turbo-charged 4 banger or small V6 suv. I currently have a big ass tacoma quad cab, but rarely use it for its towing ability. I can see myself moving 2-3 times in the next decade, owning a few bikes and also doing the occasional home improvement work that a trailer could help out with.

Thanks for the advice :)
 
#16 · (Edited)
The trailer that I bought from Lowes was originally purchased to move my wife's MG Midget from just outside of Ft. Lauderdale to central Florida, a trip of about 250 miles. It is single axel but has 15 inch wheeles and a 3500 lb axle and made the transfer with no problem. It has since carted my bike between central Florida and upstate NY each year for the last 5 years. In NY I am clearing my property of downed trees and use it to transfer the material I can not burn in my fireplace to a fill yard. Mine is a 6 x 12 and they also have 5 x 10s with the same ratings, just a smaller bed. I have have mine for 12 years and the bed its still in good shape, as stated before, the bed is made of 2 x. The only maintenance I do is, because it sits more than moves while in Florida, I grease the wheel bearings each year before the trip north. When we make the trip north each spring it is loaded with all sorts of stuff besides my bike as we are preparing to sell our Florida house and move back north permanently. If I could have two trailers, yes, I would get an enclosed just for the bike. But for my needs, the open trailer works best for me. Trailers like mine are available from many different vendors, I got mine at Lowes because it was convenient. In addition to the wheel chock from Harbor Freight I also added a trailer jack to the tongue that swings up when not in use, it is wheeled assembly that makes moving the trailer around a lot easier.
 
#18 ·
Looking to make my first trailer purchase and hoping to buy something that is a swiss army knife of trailers. I am looking to buy one trailer that would be useful at hauling a couple of motorcycles during moves but also something that can be used on a day to day basis (home improvement, yard work...ect).

Any ideas or experiences would be appreciated!!
Thanks!!
I just bought a enclosed trailer, 6' X 16' V front which makes it 18' inside. Tandem axle, I'm a cabinet maker by trade and I need to haul tools and product to job sites often. I also like to take my motorcycle and mt bikes to Colorado and Utah once or twice a year so this trailer will be multi-use. I'm outfitting it with some cabinets/sm refrig/stove top in the front end and a few fold down cots that remove easily, a few windows and maybe a air/heat unit on the roof so that I can take it camping as well, sort of a toy hauler. I got mine in GA where most of them are made and I was able to special order extra height (6'6") for a few hundred extra, If I'm going to stay in it I dont want to feel cramped. I saved maybe $1500 to $2000 by going down to GA to pick it up, not as easy for you since you live in NV.
Maybe this is overkill for your application but you can get a trailer to do what ever your needs are, just dont get something to small/light weight and regret it later.
 
#20 ·
If you are wanting lots of versatility in a trailer, you may have to consider either a custom builder or buy a basic utility trailer and customize it yourself. The latter is what I am in the process of doing. My 5 x 8 trailer suffered extreme fire damage three years ago when a wildfire destroyed 225 homes and 140 out buildings in my neighborhood. I have since been researching parts to rebuild it and have also decided it will be made more versatile than your average utility trailer.

Beyond the basic rebuild here are the removable options I plan to add:

1. A rescue platform with motorcycle rails that slides out of the trailer and almost flat on the ground allowing a bike to be easily rolled onto it and tied down. With the help of a winch the platform will then be pulled back up into the trailer without the need of a ramp. I already have the device drawn and now just need to gather parts (including the winch) and build it.

2. A wire cage for keeping large bulky items from blowing out on the hiway; things like matresses, limbs, cardboard boxes etc.

3. A “Teardrop” insert for those times when a lightweight fully enclosed camper is in order for when this old fat man wants to rough it a bit but less rough than tent camping.

If you are handy with a metal chop saw, a torch and a welder, all these can be built in your garage with some detailed planning a little bit of sweat.
 
#22 ·
:eek:

I have my trailer set up so the bike is a few inches to the right, but did that to make room to strap the EZ Up down on the left. Hopefully, it's better balanced than that one was.

I'll also add that you should get the biggest trailer for which you have the room/tow vehicle. I live in a townhouse and tow with a VW GTI (previously, it was a Honda Fit), so my trailer is small and relatively light, and I wish I had a bigger one for home/yard work stuff.
 
#23 ·
I have two. My favorite of the two is the 5 x 8 utility trailer rated at 2000lbs with a fold down rear ramp. I've hauled a couple of different bikes halfway across the country a couple of times with it. I mounted the wheel chock as a quick release so that I can quickly remove it to haul cargo to its full capacity if necessary.
The other trailer is a 7 x 16 air conditioned enclosed cargo with a rear ramp door. Great trailer for hauling two bikes, but is hell maneuvering in small mountain towns in the Smoky Mountains and in and around hotels/motels. This is the 5 x 8 utility trailer hauling the Bonneville on one of those halfway across the country trips.



And the 7 x 16 air conditioned enclosed cargo trailer setup to haul two bikes.

 
#24 · (Edited)
I have two. My favorite of the two is the 5 x 8 utility trailer rated at 2000lbs with a fold down rear ramp. . . . .

Just bit of first-hand FYI here. When I borrowed a trailer to go to Omaha to pick up my RT I learned pretty quickly just how much drag even a fully mesh tall tailgate/ramp can create. I was pulling a 5 x 8 behind my Pontiac Vibe with the ramp in place (standing straight up) and by the time I got to Garden City, KS had used nearly an entire tank of gas. That worked out to be 18mpg while the car normally gets 32 to 35 on the hiway depending on hills, wind, etc. While I was stopped for fuel, I had my wife help me remove the ramp and strap it down flat in the bed. The next tank I got 30mpg under nearly identical conditions to the first. So, the mesh ramp sticking up created enough drag to make 12mpg difference in fuel economy.

Now, that is going to vary depending on the size and power of vehicle you have. A truck with 300HP will not be affected nearly as much as my Vibe that only has about 100HP. Common sense will tell you the drag represents x% of the power of the Vibe and a much lower percentage of the power of the larger, more powerful vehicle. The larger vehicle also block more wind off the trailer. All that said to say, tailgates/ramps that are easily removable and can be stored beside the bike while in transit will make a substantial difference in fuel consumption if you plan to tow it with a smaller vehicle.
 
#26 ·
True statement. As I rebuild my burned trailer, part of my plan includes a two piece tailgate/ramp for those times when the EZ load mechanism is not an option or in use. That way I can store half of it on either side of the bike or use just the lower half when hauling things I don’t want sliding out of the back without having to tie them down.
 
#29 ·
with a heavy enough axle/spring set and at least 15" tires; sure. Mine will have 2500lb axle/spring set once it's rebuilt. Just have to space the rails or wheel chocks & (tie down points) properly. It will be set up for one in the center or two spaced evenly with enough room so the handlebars don't touch. There may be times I want to take my antique R80 and my wife's 450 Rebel side by side, so I'm going to be ready. The original (pre burn) trailer was just a wood bed with no rails or wheel chocks. I would screw 8" pieces of 2 x 4 on either side of both tires to keep the bike from moving side to side on rough roads.
 
#30 ·
Not sure what a U-Haul Type trailer rental is in your area, but where I am, costs less than $25.00 a day. You won't have to store it at home, no maintenance, you get a better and sometimes safer trailer than many of the cheaper ones out there. You won't have to dish out the $$ only to find out you may use it 6 times a year, just a thought.....

When I make the trip from Toronto Canada to Melbourne Florida sometimes in the winter, I've rented a Chrysler Town and Country Mini Van and loaded the Thruxton in the back, safe and sound, always by my side and with tinted glass no one knows it's in there. Fits right in, you just have to crank the front end
an inch or 2 and I use my wheel chock and straps on the bed.
 
#31 · (Edited)
But then again, you might get a 37,000# lump of crap that probably hasn't been maintained in any way, let alone properly - indicated by the seriously under inflated tires on the one I rented. Renting a UHaul once is what convinced me to buy my own trailer.
 
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