Trailer Suggestions? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Trailer Suggestions?

BigEvilDoer

BigEvilDoer

Well-known member
Hey guys...
Looking for some trailer suggestions from all of you...

Requirements:
Carry 2 bikes
Light weight (non-enclosed as I only have a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger to tow with)
Small storage footprint (folding? be able to remove tongue and stand on end? you get the idea)
Middle price point

So far I've found a decent used bike trailer with rails, but the rails are too narrow for 180 or 190 series tires. I'm thinking the rails are for dirt bikes. Could cut the back of the rails and replace with sheet metal I suppose, but that ads cost etc.
Other option is a mesh floor / angle iron construction one from TSC - $800 brand new.

Thoughts?
 
I have a triton GU10.
Super light about 210lbs, tows amazing well and is low to the ground. Will haul 2 bikes easily.
Also tilts for sleds/atv/ or dumping.
Not cheap cause its full aluminum but we'll worth it's price imo.
Dosnt fold tho but I'm sure you can stand it up.
 
or hammer the crap out of the rails on the area around the rear tire to make it wider (that is what I did)
BigEvilDoer said:
Hey guys...
Looking for some trailer suggestions from all of you...

Requirements:
Carry 2 bikes
Light weight (non-enclosed as I only have a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger to tow with)
Small storage footprint (folding? be able to remove tongue and stand on end? you get the idea)
Middle price point

So far I've found a decent used bike trailer with rails, but the rails are too narrow for 180 or 190 series tires. I'm thinking the rails are for dirt bikes. Could cut the back of the rails and replace with sheet metal I suppose, but that ads cost etc.
Other option is a mesh floor / angle iron construction one from TSC - $800 brand new.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
I pm'd you some info on a trailer that I'm selling. Might be exactly what you're looking for.

T
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys... greatly appreciated.
PM'd you back Todd.
 
I tow with a 4cyl ranger and have almost nowhere to put a trailer so I went with the harbor freight folding trailer. Basically the same as the one royal carries but for half the price(USD).

Can haul 2 bikes no problem and folds up and takes up almost no space. However, it is a cheap chinese POS so it is not the best build quality or fit but hey it was cheap. Mine came with a bad axle with HF replaced for free.
 
Stay away from the TSC mesh bottom trailer.. Had one and the mesh bends pretty good when securing your bike down.. If you do get one, toss a piece of PT plywood down too make the floor stronger.
 
N3WMAN said:
Can haul 2 bikes no problem and folds up and takes up almost no space. However, it is a cheap chinese POS so it is not the best build quality or fit but hey it was cheap. Mine came with a bad axle with HF replaced for free.
Click to expand...

Hi. I know another fellow who had problems with a HF axle and bearing too, so I think I'll stay away from that brand for now.
When you load the bikes onto the 4x8, I am assuming one is positioned at the front right and the other at the back left (or vice versa) to make sure the handlebars etc have room?

Do you use chocks? Remove them as necessary to fold up? Was thinking of going this way, but is there a better option than using nuts and bolts? I can see that getting tiresome mounting and removing the chocks so you can fold the trailer up. Hitch pins/clips instead of nuts/bolts maybe?
 
I have the folding "salter" one linked above, but in red. It looks exactly the same, but was purchased through Northern Tools. It is fine for one bike but you would really be pushing it with two. First of all, 4 x 8 is pretty small to load two bikes. The outside tie strap to the forks will not have any angle to it at all, unless you build some kind of out-rigger do-dad to attach the tie strap too. More importantly, that trailer has a max rating of 800 lbs IIRC. Pretty sketchy for two bikes. The leaf springs will be squashed nearly flat and you will have very little travel left. Not every folding 4 x 8 is the same though - some have higher capacity. Personally I would not try to jam two bikes onto anything smaller than a 5 x 8.

Regarding chocks...With two 3/8 carriage bolts through the plywood you can attach a sport chock. I use wing nuts and spring washers on the bolts and it is totally secure and comes off in seconds without tools.
 
BigEvilDoer said:
Hi. I know another fellow who had problems with a HF axle and bearing too, so I think I'll stay away from that brand for now.
When you load the bikes onto the 4x8, I am assuming one is positioned at the front right and the other at the back left (or vice versa) to make sure the handlebars etc have room?

Do you use chocks? Remove them as necessary to fold up? Was thinking of going this way, but is there a better option than using nuts and bolts? I can see that getting tiresome mounting and removing the chocks so you can fold the trailer up. Hitch pins/clips instead of nuts/bolts maybe?
Click to expand...
Yes they are slightly offset. It is tight but it is doable without the bikes hitting each other during transport. I have seen people extend the front edge out a bit to get a better attach point for the corners.

Both my chocks have a base that stays attached to the trailer and the chock unbolts with one or two bolts. Pretty easy. I usually unbolt one and move it to the center if I know I am going to be towing only one bike.

HF rates the trailer for 1200lb so I have never really worried about the weight.
 
i have towed two bikes to deals gap on a hf trailer. my 4banger ranger managed just fine.
 
What kind of maintenance is needed on the HF foldable trailers? Seems like a great economical and space saving choice. I can just fold it up into the garage when not in use. Uhaul trailers are cheap to rent but still adds up with a summer full of trackdays.
 
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