Trucking to the start point | GTAMotorcycle.com

Trucking to the start point

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timtune

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I'm pondering options on a trip to Tuk.
One scenario is trailering bikes to Whitehorse. 3-4 guys with truck/trailer. Many here must have some experience with this (the mode not the destination).
How big a truck is needed to pull a 3 bike trailer? or four bikes? Might have to rent one. F150 enough?
I was thinking with 4 guys we'd drive 3hr stints. On 3 off 9. Stopping only for gas and food. Doable? Crazy?

Thoughts?
 
timtune said:
I'm pondering options on a trip to Tuk.
One scenario is trailering bikes to Whitehorse. 3-4 guys with truck/trailer. Many here must have some experience with this (the mode not the destination).
How big a truck is needed to pull a 3 bike trailer? or four bikes? Might have to rent one. F150 enough?
I was thinking with 4 guys we'd drive 3hr stints. On 3 off 9. Stopping only for gas and food. Doable? Crazy?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Some friends did a straight run to winterpeg crawling through the back window of the truck into a mattress in the bed. Personally, I would rather a longer driving stint but that is easy to alter logistics. As for truck size, what does the trailer look like? Weight shouldnt be an issue but aero drag can be a beast.
 
half ton with a V8 should be fine

towing capacity of 8,000 lbs and up

3 bikes with gear are what, 2,000?
4 bikes maybe 3?

tandem axle trailer is 2,000, maybe 3 if enclosed
figure I'd want a brake comptroller in the tow vehicle
 
3 hour stints are tougher than 6-8 hours. My experience is with short stints everyone gets tired at the same time, then you have no relief for a tired driver.

I towed a 17’ I/O across the continent with a passenger and 100lb dog with a 4cyl Jeep. any small suv will pull 2000lbs without too much trouble.
 
Towing capacity will depend more on your choice of trailer than the bikes (though of they're 900 lb tourers or cruisers, that'll add up too). I have a 400 lb utility trailer that can take three bikes in a tight squeeze (two facing forward and one in between facing backwards), and if the bikes are light, it could be as little as 1700 lbs all in. If you take a covered trailer with more room, and have heavier bikes, it goes up from there. I wouldn't cut it too close, though. Always nice to have power in reserve for hills, passing dawdling RV's etc. Unless you're talking big bikes in a big trailer, pretty much any pickup or larger SUV should do the trick.

It's a heck of a run to Whitehorse, so I'd be as worried about back seat comfort as hauling. The newish F-150 crew cabs have hilariously large back seats, which I'd be grateful for over near 60 odd hours of driving. I'd also want out in Edmonton so I could ride through the Rockies...
 
should have mentioned the bikes - all KLR 650s
 
although a dual axel tows better than a single, you would get away with a 3500lb single axel trailer. the klr is around 400lbs so there would be lots of room for gear without worry.

any medium size SUV would pull it.
 
F150 minimum. Four bikes with luggage racks, crashbars, skidplates etc, 450lbs each. Four adults, plus luggage, plus the weight of the trailer. An suv will not tow that load and the passengers etc.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
 
Iceman said:
F150 minimum. Four bikes with luggage racks, crashbars, skidplates etc, 450lbs each. Four adults, plus luggage, plus the weight of the trailer. An suv will not tow that load and the passengers etc.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
any midsize suv can tow up to 5000lbs. the total payload weight is different than tow capacity. i would do some research to see what would be a good fit
 
Last edited:
Iceman said:
F150 minimum. Four bikes with luggage racks, crashbars, skidplates etc, 450lbs each. Four adults, plus luggage, plus the weight of the trailer. An suv will not tow that load and the passengers etc.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Big real SUV (big engine, real frame) should. I wouldn't want to have that much weight in most of the unibody CUV lifted car SUV's.
 
GreyGhost said:
Big real SUV (big engine, real frame) should. I wouldn't want to have that much weight in most of the unibody CUV lifted car SUV's.
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i wouldn't want anything less than an explorer, or something in that category
 
Whitehorse a 60 hour drive from Toronto... 5400km.
Another 21 hours/1400km to Tuk.

Given the cost of renting a truck/trailer for a 12000km drive, not to mention being coop'd up with 3 smelly guys for days on end...

Wouldn't it be more economical and less Lord of the Flies to ship the KLR's to Edmonton and fly yourselves there... Ride Edmonton to WH.

Why not just saddle up and ride the whole trip..?
 
Hack said:
Whitehorse a 60 hour drive from Toronto... 5400km.
Another 21 hours/1400km to Tuk.

Given the cost of renting a truck/trailer for a 12000km drive, not to mention being coop'd up with 3 smelly guys for days on end...

Wouldn't it be more economical and less Lord of the Flies to ship the KLR's to Edmonton and fly yourselves there... Ride Edmonton to WH.
Click to expand...

I don't think so.

Shipping one bike from Europe to Toronto cost me about $2350 one way. Domestic, I'd estimate it would be no less than $1000 to Edmonton, and then another $1K back to Toronto. Then round-trip airfare would be an additional $200 after all the airline taxes (cheapest option is $120 by Swoop, but realistically, to get the date and time you want it'll be $200).

Multiple that all by 4 people, you're looking at close to $9000.

I rented a one-way 6x12 U-haul trailer from Toronto to Vancouver for about $500:

tacoma-X2.jpg


You could totally fit 4 KLRs in that 6x12. Tow vehicle above is a 3.5L V6. Complained a little bit going up the Rocky Mountains, but other than that, it was more than capable.

$1000 for two-way rental, add gas and food, maybe one night in a cheap motel for everyone to get a good night's sleep in. And also a good tow vehicle, which I don't think will cost you $8000....

Flying is almost an order of magnitude more expensive. I think sharing overland transport costs with 3 other people really brings the cost down.
 
Lightcycle said:
I don't think so.

Shipping one bike from Europe to Toronto cost me about $2350 one way. Domestic, I'd estimate it would be no less than $1000 to Edmonton, and then another $1K back to Toronto. Then round-trip airfare would be an additional $200 after all the airline taxes (cheapest option is $120 by Swoop, but realistically, to get the date and time you want it'll be $200).

Multiple that all by 4 people, you're looking at close to $9000.
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In any case... the OP will have to crunch the numbers and decide if dipping his toes in the arctic ocean is worth the price.
IIRC you can't really ride all the way... It's ride close, then you have to take a bus.
 
Hack said:
In any case... the OP will have to crunch the numbers and decide if dipping his toes in the arctic ocean is worth the price.
IIRC you can't really ride all the way... It's ride close, then you have to take a bus.
Click to expand...

Same as Prudhoe Bay. Rode all the way to Deadhorse, but at the very end, we had to book a bus tour of the oilfields and part of the tour was the chance to dip your feet in the Arctic ocean.
 
Lightcycle said:
Shipping one bike from Europe to Toronto cost me about $2350 one way. Domestic, I'd estimate it would be no less than $1000 to Edmonton, and then another $1K back to Toronto. Then round-trip airfare would be an additional $200 after all the airline taxes (cheapest option is $120 by Swoop, but realistically, to get the date and time you want it'll be $200).

Multiple that all by 4 people, you're looking at close to $9000.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you could probably buy 4 used KLRs in Edmonton for less than $9000. (sorry, more KLR humour - the trip sounds like fun though!)
 
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