All Important Trailering Questions

[suthern_yankee]

G'Day Everyone,
I am going to be wanting to take a 800 mile trip in a couple months from VA to Maine and I want tow the rocket behind my car for when I get there. Now I have been looking at Uhaul etc for renting a trailer, but before I go too far down that path I thought I would ask the group.
What do you recommend for an inexpensive, safe, towing solution? I drive a Pontiac Grand Prix & I will be traveling I95 thru NYC so if you may remember that is a pretty rough stretch of pavement, especially crossing the GW Bridge. . ... Thoughts anyone?
Ride Safe.
S_Yankee

 

[Pig9r]

With the price of ga$ you might be better off towing the car with the Rocket.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Leave it to Pig9r for an informative answer......I personally have a shorelander 3 rail bike trailer that I haul either my R3 on or my T100/sidecar setup. It's a very sturdy, long lasting trailer made entirely of hot dip galvanized steel with a Dexter axle and pressure greased hubs. I can pull it easily behind my Chevy Tracker or my wife's Ranger. If you do a Google search for trailers you'll find foldup models that will do the job too and fit in a corner when not in use. With a small car, I wouldn't recommend an enclosed trailer though my riding buddy Mike Selman (aka:Bellacorse.Com)has a 12 foot fully enclosed Haulmark with an E-track tir down system that he pulls behind his Dakota. He can put in 2 bikes at a time in that.Personally, I'd be a little leery about renting a youall trailer in as much as their open trailers have no floor chocks for bikes and really nowhere to tie down the bike properly.I use what they call a bar harness that is basically a sleeve that fits over the handlebars with nylon loops for attaching tiedown straps. You want to get the ratchet straps not the cam lock variety. You need to compress the forks about halfway and the rear shocks the same with the bike vertical with the straps splayed out at 30 degree angles. I use 2 on the front and 2 on the back.

 

[suthern_yankee]

Advice always appreciated.

Hey Sidecar,

Thank you for the advice that really gives me a good perspective. I have seen the fold up models online but they just looked to cheezy for me to take seriously. I will have to give them a second look.
Thanks again.
Ride Safe.
SY

 

[PianoMan]

My Favorite Hauler

I've been looking the past year for the right trailer. The one listed below is one of my favorites. They are out of Canada but several dealers in the USA. The center rail is set up for 270 mm tire but can be adjusted to 330 mm.

I especially liked the fact you can load the R3 by yourself. As you drive up the ramp, there's room to place your feet on either side for stability and near the front is a trip lever that activates the 2 shocks in the front. It slowly and carefully lowers the bike and trailer to the towing position. Very convenient I'd say.

www.pod-ium.com


Here's another one I liked: http://www.jwww.com/razor/

 

[Toystoretom]

For the prices they want try checking CraigsList for used ones. I've seen some really nice rigs only a year or so old for a lot less than those. It seems trailers don't have the best resale value, new ones are cheap and easy to build and there are about a million companies doing it. Pianoman... If you need to use a trailer borrow mine... I have a old Lifestyle trailer built for motorcycles that just sits most of the year... 1 7/8 ball, tows behind a car just fine.

 

[HeR3tic]

Razor trailor

The Razor trailer has my attention. Thanks Pianoman. The all aluminum, first link, is a high priced shirley.

 

[Gunshots]

I been pondering a "Renagade" Trailer for a couple years. They make a all aluminum enclosed trailer, (except the axles). "v" nose and really light weight. They are also really proud of them ($$$) but they are first class all the way.. Guess that is why I am still pondering. http://www.rancealuminum.com they do a 7x12 w/2-2500 lb axle that only weighs 1540 lb.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Gunshots:

The problem with aluminum trailers is they rust too. Not the skins, they are pre-paint aluminum. The chassis are mill finished and prone to oxidation though not as fast as the electrolysis that occurs between the steel fasteners and the aluminum. That's why I went with a hot dip galvanized trailer. Steel and steel can't corrode due to electrolysis. My Shorelander is 4 years old, sits outside year round and looks both cosmetically and structurally as good as the day I picked it up. The Rance aluminum snowmobile trailer that held my sleds before I sold it was well on it's way to becoming a victim of corrosion and I always hot water pressured washed it after every trip up north.

Just think of how long a hot dip galvanized grain bin lasts....never seen an aluminum grain bin I bet.

 

[Gunshots]

What makes The Rance trailers a good option to me is the weight, you can tow one with something less than a $50,000.00 gas or diesel guzzling truck, my Rendezvous will tow it with little problem. the more that rust/corodes off it the less it weighs....