Motorcyle & RV question... - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 12-08-2018, 02:55 PM   #21
Junior Member
 
Name: Dan
Trailer: Casita
Texas
Posts: 3
My wife and I like to take our Goldwing Trike with us when we go camping with our 17' Casita trailer. My tow vehicle is an F-250 Super Duty and I have a lift in the bed that I use to put the trike (~1300 lbs) in the back. The lift is from Mountain Master in Phoenix.
Papa Dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2018, 05:21 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
Buelfire- Do you have any pics. of your loaded 638 behind your Casita? I keep thinking that is what I would like to try but still just not sure that is a good idea. Other problem is that several states will not let you pull a bumper pull with a bumper pull. My Honda 700xx weighs in at 500 lbs. plus the weight of the 638 is getting close to 1/3 the weight of the Casita. And maybe add a fuel can a few odds and ends. Do you have any idea of what the tongue weight ended up being? Thanks dm.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2018, 11:08 PM   #23
TWH
Junior Member
 
Name: Tim
Trailer: in the market
Ohio
Posts: 3
Stevebell, I feel your pain.

I would like to figure out how I can safely carry a 300 lb motorcycle attached on the back of a Fiberglass trailer or on the tongue/A-frame portion of the trailer frame. Has anyone done any welding mods to make this work and still have a safe trailer that follows properly?

I have a pickup but unlike the O.P. - I don’t want to give up the space in the truck bed and I want to use a topper or cap on it and store gear there. My current bike is a Suzuki DR-650 which I like but it’s heavy (at 370lbs with empty gas tank) to mount on a clam shell trailer frame. With a smaller Pick-up and a smaller light fiberglass trailer, every pound counts when trying to make this work due to the limited hitch weight and lighter framing materials with a 17’ clam shell. The bike has to be less than 300lbs and better 250lbs to even think about making this work and even then there are still problems with weight distribution. Even if the shell and trailer frame could structurally handle hanging 300 lbs on the back of a trailer that is designed so it exerts 250 – 300 lbs on the hitch ball, one would need to add a bunch of weight to the front of the trailer just so it tracks properly. I’m just not sure the frames can handle the dynamic force of a big bump at highway speed with a 300 lb bike on the back. There are really only two dual sport bikes out there that are under 300 lbs that can handle off road trails and whose motors can comfortably sustain 65 mph on the highway…the New and expensive Honda CRF450L and the older Yamaha WR250R both of which weigh about 290 lbs. I could probably get the weight down to 265 lbs if I removed the front and rear wheel/tires and carried that weight in the pick-up but once I start making “setup” of the bike a chore, I’ll be less inclined to use it. There are some thorough-bred 450 class bikes made by KTM and BETA and a few other manufacturers that have essentially used slightly de-tuned race bikes and made them street legal and they are closer to 250lbs but they don’t do well with highways speeds, the motors need rebuilding frequently and they are very expensive.

I wish Escape or Casita or other Fiber Glass Shell mfg. would offer the option of a heavy duty trailer Frame when you order your build and select all your options or offering the 17’ Fiber Glass Shell on 19’ or 21’ foot trailer frame so a motorcycle or other heavy equipment could be added. If the Shell was on an easily adjustable slide that would be even better for balancing the load and maintaining the correct tongue weight depending on how you loaded the trailer. I’ve see some Collapsible/Pop-UP A-Frame trailers that have a substantial deck area on the Tongue designed for 2 or 3 bicycles so making it work with a light motorcycle could be a solution but I don’t want that type of Travel Trailer RV.

Since nobody makes a Clam Shell that can accommodate this need I’ve been thinking I might have to get a small Cargo Trailer or toy hauler and maybe build it out to my own specs using my own interior finishing products and appliances. This place in AZ let’s you do this. DuneSport in AZ - https://dunesport.com/toy-hauler/build/bumper-pull. But if I go that route I'll probably have to buy a bigger, thirstier truck...ugh...so many tradeoffs...I'm definitely suffering from "perfect rig" anxiety.

I won’t do the double or triple trailering. I won’t mount a hitch to the front of my truck (Honda Ridgeline) and carry the bike there. That would be pushing it weight wise and interfere with both my view and air flow to the radiator. I want to preserve my limited truck bed and secure the space with a cap/topper. The other option is a small B+ or class C motorhome and mount the bike to the back using a hitch mount rack or towing a very light weight (3500 lb) older Nissan pickup and carry the bike in the bed of the towed pickup or tow a 3500 lb jeep with the bike mounted on the rear hitch rack on the jeep. These are real “first world problems”…ya know? But I’d appreciate it if someone could solve it for me. Like the OP, I don’t want to give up the bike. A good Mountain e-bike might work as a substitute for my desire to explore trails but it would not get the highway work done.
TWH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 06:56 AM   #24
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
There was a Hunter Compact Jr. that had a whole new frame built to create a mount on the tongue for a small motorcycle. Tongue weight was quite high, so it was towed with a 1/2T truck using a WDH.

I've also seen a few molded trailers removed from their frames and dropped onto flatbed trailers. That gives some flexibility to arrange the loads- cabin and motorcycle- to get a better balance, but it increases overall weight.

If you want to keep your Ridgeline, the custom cargo trailer sounds like the best option. If you want molded fiberglass, look up Chariot Trailers.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 04:58 PM   #25
Senior Member
 
Name: Shawn
Trailer: 2021 Bigfoot 25B25RT. Prior units: 2019 Escape 21, 2001 Casita SD17
Kentucky
Posts: 119
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmad1 View Post
Buelfire- Do you have any pics. of your loaded 638 behind your Casita? I keep thinking that is what I would like to try but still just not sure that is a good idea. Other problem is that several states will not let you pull a bumper pull with a bumper pull. My Honda 700xx weighs in at 500 lbs. plus the weight of the 638 is getting close to 1/3 the weight of the Casita. And maybe add a fuel can a few odds and ends. Do you have any idea of what the tongue weight ended up being? Thanks dm.
I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of the Casita and Aluma combination. I would say that a had roughly 100lbs of tongue weight on the Aluma. I carried just the bikes on the trailer, fuel and gear are in my truck. I sold the Casita in October and we are currently awaiting our new Escape to be built. I asked if Escape would reinforce the frame to handle extra weight, they declined. I will tell you that my Aluma 638 pulls very nice. I pulled my Honda Pioneer with the trailer last weekend and just that setup behind my truck, it was hard to tell that trailer was there. The tongue weight with just the pioneer on the trailer facing forward, is very lite. A bit too lite if you ask me as the engine is towards the rear on a pioneer. If I back it on the trailer, I pickup some tongue weight. Hope it help. I will just say that pulling double is a personal decision and should not be taken lightly. I have hauled my play toys all around while pulling double, but I respect the setup. If you are the type that thinks everyone on the freeway wants to question your man hood, pulling double may not be a good idea!
buellfire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 06:37 PM   #26
Senior Member
 
Name: Shawn
Trailer: 2021 Bigfoot 25B25RT. Prior units: 2019 Escape 21, 2001 Casita SD17
Kentucky
Posts: 119
Honda Pioneer and Aluma 638
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_0614.JPG
Views:	5
Size:	80.0 KB
ID:	126702
buellfire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 09:04 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
Buelfire- Looks like a trailer full. I have a Honda 700xx that will fit an 8' trailer with room to spare but my Yamaha rhino barely fits on a 10' trailer. I think the Rhino and a 10' trailer will be to much for the Casita, so will make do with the Honda. I have also considered just buying a Dual Sport bike and putting it on the front of the Tahoe, or even a smaller dirt bike that weighs less than 200 lbs. but would rather not lose the street ability. Many riding areas have to be accessed by highway so it needs to be street licensed. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a setup like yours can be seen in the gallery on the Casita web site. I thought it might happen to be yours. Thanks for your help. dm.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 06:06 AM   #28
Senior Member
 
Name: Shawn
Trailer: 2021 Bigfoot 25B25RT. Prior units: 2019 Escape 21, 2001 Casita SD17
Kentucky
Posts: 119
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmad1 View Post
Buelfire- Looks like a trailer full. I have a Honda 700xx that will fit an 8' trailer with room to spare but my Yamaha rhino barely fits on a 10' trailer. I think the Rhino and a 10' trailer will be to much for the Casita, so will make do with the Honda. I have also considered just buying a Dual Sport bike and putting it on the front of the Tahoe, or even a smaller dirt bike that weighs less than 200 lbs. but would rather not lose the street ability. Many riding areas have to be accessed by highway so it needs to be street licensed. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a setup like yours can be seen in the gallery on the Casita web site. I thought it might happen to be yours. Thanks for your help. dm. <_<
I think we may have communicated about this in the past. Which Casita forum, if I posted a picture, I would love to have it. I have two dualsport bikes and I front hitch on my Tundra. I use a mototote hauler in the front receiver, works great. I have a light weight 2 stroke Kawasaki KDX200 which is just barely street legal, but so fun. I also have a Suzuki Dr650 for adventure on a larger scale. I really like the Versahaul carriers. They have the ability too go into the rear hitch on your truck and still tow a trailer if your tow vehicle has the load carrying capacity. They have a 3000lbs tow limit also, which if a Casita is kept light, you would be under. Since I sold the Casita and the Escape will be heaver than 3000lbs, I have committed to double towing. I bought the Aluma 638 just for this idea, I do have a Aluma 7812 which is much heavier and wider. If you decide to setup for double towing, just take your time and build a nice well thought out setup.
buellfire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 10:39 AM   #29
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
Buelfire- The link to the picture is on the Casita manufacturer web site. The link is casitareaveltrailers.com. When it opens, go to Resources and scroll down to Gallery. Problem is they are 3 pages of just thumb nail pics. and you will have to go through them to find it. I think it is on page 4 and is #168. Let me double check. Yep. Still there. Hard to see from the thumb nails but it is in the bottom row and the middle pic. Looks as if the trailer sits level and not enough tongue weight to make the Casita sit low in back. Have you also tried the 7812 behind the Casita? The 10' would work well for me, I think but am concerned about the weight. The Rhino weighs around 1200 lbs. plus another 400 or so for the trailer. Sounds as if you have had good luck with carrying on the front of your vehicle. Might be the best way for me. Just hate to have to buy another bike. Hard to find a dual sport that weighs much under 300 lbs. Wasn't sure the Tahoe could handle it. Chevy dealer says no problem. dm.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 11:10 AM   #30
Senior Member
 
Name: Shawn
Trailer: 2021 Bigfoot 25B25RT. Prior units: 2019 Escape 21, 2001 Casita SD17
Kentucky
Posts: 119
DM, That is not my picture, but certainly looks like my setup! The weight of the 7812 Aluma is a lot more than the 638. I can barely move the 7812 around my property by hand, however the 638 is no problem to move, ever up a slight grade.
buellfire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 02:00 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
Sure makes it easier to be able to move it by hand. I used to have a 4x6 that I carried a smaller atv on and could maneuver it up a slanted drive as you mentioned. My boat was larger and was always a hassle to park with a vehicle or with one of the other atvs. Thanks again for your helpful info. dm.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 07:10 PM   #32
Senior Member
 
David B.'s Avatar
 
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
Registry
Check out swivelwheel.com to haul your motorcycle behind your trailer without being a double tow.
Dave & Paula
David B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 07:18 PM   #33
Senior Member
 
Glenn Baglo's Avatar
 
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
Quote:
Originally Posted by David B. View Post
Check out swivelwheel.com to haul your motorcycle behind your trailer without being a double tow.
Dave & Paula

How would that not be a double tow? It's still a trailer.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
Glenn Baglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 07:29 PM   #34
Senior Member
 
David B.'s Avatar
 
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
How would that not be a double tow? It's still a trailer.
Glenn, the unit is connected to the frame in two places, and becomes one unit, with a weight support wheel. It is like lengthening your trailer to have a porch on the rear.
Dave & Paula
David B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 09:54 PM   #35
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
DavidB- I called Swivelwheel a few months ago and they felt that my Casita was to small and they would not recommend even trying it. Another company called Singlewheel recommends at least a 30 footer and a 5th wheel.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 10:51 PM   #36
Senior Member
 
Name: XXX
Trailer: whatever
NA
Posts: 412
Hesitant Reference

I'm hesitant to refer you to another forum source, because these can be proven A-holes in their mama's basement just wishing they were doing what we're doing. The shiiits live vicariously though us.

You think the fiberglassrv.com forum has opinions? OMG...this so-called moto forum has almost anyone and their mama give you their Moto hauling opinions under the sun (and many in the darkness of their mama's basement)

Thus, the juvenile bullying mentality is a double standard for RVs and Motos. I don't waste my time to log in there anymore. You can just read as public without an account, like fiberglassrv.

However, if you choose to log in, there are a few knowledgeable Jems of members on the forum...you just have to be a good gardener to get to the information you seek and be cautious of your postings.

Operate like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft here:

https://advrider.com
Hidalga is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 11:02 PM   #37
Member
 
Name: Scott
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 1300
British Columbia
Posts: 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
You could also use the Promaster as your tow vehicle and transport your bikes out of the weather and away from covetous eyes. Easier to load, too. Subject to payload limits, of course, but properly equipped cargo vans can rival or exceed pickup trucks.
Jon, yes, I've thought of that too. I've watched many DIY conversion videos. I like the idea of a very simple removable modular camping setup with seat tracks as well. It would make for a very versatile passenger/cargo/bike hauling camper van. However, I love the reliability of the Tacoma and being a 4x4 makes it a good recovery vehicle. Oh, the fun one could have without time, money and space constraints.

Scott
2morebeer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Border Bike Rally (& Car Show), Bike & Car Weekend event (ON S John J. M Rallies, Get-togethers, Molded Meets (Archive) 1 06-07-2008 06:28 AM
Meet & Greet and Wine Tasting (Welcome & Introductions) jrnutpaul Oregon Gatherings 0 07-05-2007 04:29 PM
30 amp vs 15 amp? Greg A Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 27 03-16-2007 09:17 AM
15 AMP TO 30 AMP QUESTION Karalyn Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 19 07-04-2006 07:34 AM

» Recent Discussions
» Trailer Showcase

Trailer has been sold.

BrianB

Pokemon

Norm W
» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.