Uhaul Motorcycle Trailer for trip to Sault St. Marie (Ride along Lake Superior) | GTAMotorcycle.com

Uhaul Motorcycle Trailer for trip to Sault St. Marie (Ride along Lake Superior)

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viv901

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Hi Everyone,

I want to take my motorcycle ( Entry level Adventure Motorcycle BMW310GS) to Sault Marie from Toronto for a ride up north. I cannot ride all the way and hence was thinking that if I could rent a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul since I have a SUV with towing capability. My concern is around parking this trailer and keeping my motorcycle safe during this time. How do I accomplish this? Can I park my trailer/motorcycle etc in the hotel and keep it safe. This is the first time I will be renting a trailer. Has anyone done such thing before as I like the idea of towing my motorcycle for scenic rides. Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated.
 
can you return the trailer @ Sault Marie and rent it again later? if it's more than 1 day trip
 
viv901 said:
Hi Everyone,

I want to take my motorcycle ( Entry level Adventure Motorcycle BMW310GS) to Sault Marie from Toronto for a ride up north. I cannot ride all the way and hence was thinking that if I could rent a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul since I have a SUV with towing capability. My concern is around parking this trailer and keeping my motorcycle safe during this time. How do I accomplish this? Can I park my trailer/motorcycle etc in the hotel and keep it safe. This is the first time I will be renting a trailer. Has anyone done such thing before as I like the idea of towing my motorcycle for scenic rides. Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated.
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I'd ride but I understand the appeal of the trailer. You could probably use a chain through the wheels to lock the bike to the trailer. Use something to keep the chain off painted surfaces if you leave it on while driving.

I try to back trailers in somewhere so the car keeps the trailer from being pulled out.
 
rakkaus said:
can you return the trailer @ Sault Marie and rent it again later? if it's more than 1 day trip
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I rented a uhaul to exchange a bike in Northern Ontario. I couldn't drop it there then re-rent a week later as their MC trailer one-way rates included a $400 drop off charge. Instead I paid the $14.95 daily rate for $6 days while it sat -- UHAUL did let me leave it in a secured dealer yard for free the week I wasn't using it. I returned it back to Scarborough.
 
Sounds like OP is mainly concerned about parking the bike, not the trailer (or returning it). There's a theft insurance option you can add to the trailer rental, and I would get it if I were parking it unattended. I don't know if car insurance would cover it, but I doubt it. As for the bike, it's the same issue regardless if you towed or rode it. Theft insurance is cheap and gives me peace of mind.
 
sounds like a lot of worry caused by not riding up there
leaving the SUV/trailer while you do the Superior run will be a problem
hotel/motel owners will not want that rig sitting there unless you're still paying for a room

is it a licensing issue to getting to the Soo you're worried about?
there are routes that avoid 400 series highways
 
The bike is certainly capable of getting there at 100-110 kph+ highway speeds. I was quite impressed with the BMW 310 when I took a demo out for the afternoon.
Leave early, take breaks.
 
You really need to be more specific in what you plan to do. Are you saying you're going to drive to SSM, park the SUV and trailer in a hotel/motel parking lot for a few days while you ride around then head back? As long as they have room in the parking lot why would it be an issue if you are staying there?

If you plan to leave the rig in SSM while you travel further and stay at other places then I could see that the hotel/motel might have a problem with this, but why ask us? Call the hotel/motel where you plan to leave the rig, tell them what you plan to do and ask them if it is OK or if there a supplemental parking charge for this.

As to safety of the SUV, the bike and the rented trailer that's why you have insurance. Ask U-Haul what your liabilities are re a rented trailer being stolen and see what they say. You may have to buy additional insurance or call your SUV insurance company to see if you can add the trailer as a rider for a short term period. Buy a few lengths of chain and a few padlocks for the trailer.

When I trailer my bike to the U.S. I lock the trailer to the hitch overnight in hotel/motel parking lots, the foldable ramp is chained as well, the wheels and the spare have wheel locks and the trailer is insured for theft, as are the bike(s). When the trailer is detached from the SUV I have a wheel chock lock and I also can chain the wheels to the axle. There's only so much you can do, if someone wants your bike or your trailer and they have time and motivation, there's nothing you can do to stop them, you can only slow them down so they move on to easier pickings.
 
Stay at the Fairfield Inn in the Soo. They have a huge lot in the back and won’t mind you parking there so long as you stay with them for 2 nights(arrive and depart stays). Call the front desk to confirm.


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Get a cover for your bike, if they can't see it from a distance it is not as interesting. A disk lock is small to carry and makes it a little harder to just roll the bike away just make sure you take it off. I did Superior a few years ago, never felt like I was in a bad area anywhere. Have a great ride!
 
"this is my first time trailer ing my bike"

a greater concern than someone stealing the bike or trailer - is how safely and properly is the bike secured.

what will you be using for wheel chocks / straps? learn how to use these effectively and check them often. people set bikes up to be paint damaged, even fall over during travel. be aware always.

best luck

edit- I would ride via the ferry
why can't you ride? im kind of wondering the reason. head scratcher. tuff it out on the 300 lol
 
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If you want to trail your bike and enjoy riding Lake Superior, then just do it. Don't overthink the things you have no control of. Take your precautions already noted and go have fun.

I have stayed at more than a couple hotels with a trailer on my vehicle, they don't care.

Disc locks are a good deterrent but nothing will stop a wanting thief. Just don't forget to take it off before you ride.

And yes, take the time to strap and secure your bike properly in the trailer.
 
I drove my bike across the country on a trailer when I moved from BC (read too many horror stories about bike movers to trust any of them), and while it's impossible to guarantee protection, there's lots you can do.

For the trailer, I used four locks: one in the hitch, one in the hitch pin, a clamp on the tire, and a padlock on the back trailer gate. I also put a disc lock on the bike and a padlock in the wheel chock I used. Overkill, but some motel lots are prime targets for local thieves. U-Haul trucks are stolen from hotel lots regularly, driven somewhere remote, pilfered of anything of value, and abandoned.

I'd then get motels with a room on the ground floor and park everything outside my window, with the logic being by adding layers of protection it might slow them down enough for me to hear and intervene.

As for leaving your vehicle and trailer, I don't think it'd be too hard to find a motel that would be fine with it in exchange for a couple nights' stay, as mentioned above. Lots of small town motels have a surplus of space, and unlike cube trucks full of valuables, an open trailer is of zero interest to a thief...
 
Best way to keep your motorcycle safe in the motel:

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Lightcycle said:
Best way to keep your motorcycle safe in the motel:

38957207922f3e21dababf892adf5875.jpg
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Not quite that amorous, but I did peripherally join a RAT rally where one guy would only stay at motels with sliding glass exterior doors and surreptitiously wheel his bike into the room at night. Fortunately, it was a newer Triumph, so didn't wet the carpet...
 
I found staying outside of towns along the highway is good. Less locals to go looking and most night travelers are truckers...
For what it's worth I've spent many nights on the road with bikes in an open trailer all across Canada in the last 4 months, never had a single issue.

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Iceman said:
I found staying outside of towns along the highway is good. Less locals to go looking and most night travelers are truckers...
For what it's worth I've spent many nights on the road with bikes in an open trailer all across Canada in the last 4 months, never had a single issue.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
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damn, what have you been doing?
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