Looking to get a trailer. I am ready for all the negativity.....


Well my wife does not like to ride and don't want to subject her to extra driving when the family goes on vacation and I follow behind on the bike.

So I started searching the forums for info on trailers. My first dilemma is that my fuel efficient 4Cyl Saturn Vue is only rated to 1500lbs. There was already a recall for the CVT and I had it replaced so I don't want to put to much strain on the transmission.

Ideally, I would like to get an enclosed trailer to fit two touring bikes. Since I am not looking to buy a new truck right now, an enclosed trailer is out. Besides two touring bikes would put me above 1500lbs.

I read posts that suggests a minimum enclosed trailer of 7 X 14 for two tourers. Living in NYC, a 7' trailer is too wide for my driveway. A 6' will fit.

Question 1. For those that fit two tourers in a 6' wide trailer, what will a 12' long trailer work? Do you stagger the bikes or are they side by side.

Question 2. Since I will most likely get an open trailer, what size would I need to fit two touring bikes?

Question3. How do you position one bike on a trailer that is set up to haul two? Do you center it in the trailer or do you chose left side or right side?


Thanks for all the help.

 

Since you are not buying a truck to pull two bikes why are you planning to purchase a trailer that will tow two?

From what I understand if trailer one bike on a single axle trailer that is setup for two you will have stability problems.

IMHO if you have a 1500 lbs towing capacity I wouldn't try to pull a bike on a trailer. I think that's just asking for trouble.

 

I bought a Triton aluminum trailer and love it. It only weighs 400 lbs and has a gvw of 2200lbs so I can haul 2 dressers with no problem. I usually just haul one and tow it with my maxima and I hardly know it's back there. It has a torsion suspension and not springs. It is 60" wide by 120". Check em out.

 

Dude, You are fooling yourself. If you think a 4cyl saturn is gonna pull a bike trailer on vacation. If towing capacity is 1500lbs, that's what any trailer and bike together will weigh and just cause that's your cars limit doesn't mean it will tow it!
I drive a full size 04 tahoe z71 and pull a small 10x6 enclosed trailer with my bike at times. Total weight under 2000lbs. My TRUCK is rated for I believe around 6000lbs. I would pull with another bike in there in some kinda hangover emergency but would never plan on using that big powerful tahoe to pull two bikes say 1000 miles.
You are gonna wear that satuun out first trip and it won't be safe for your family.

 

An open trailer doesn't have to be as wide as an enclosed trailer. 6x12 should work, staggering them will make it a little easier to load and strap them down.
You can either mount 3 chocks, or move one of the others to the center for hauling one bike.
I've hauled with one bike set off to one side but did notice the trailer handled a little strange when turning, away from that side (it wasn't an 800lb bike).

 

If you must haul two bikes with tha tiny vehicle. Do yourself a favor and look at a Kendon two bike trailer. It is smaller than what you are looking at and most likely lighter and has torsion axles. Torsion axles are important if you want to haul only one bike at a time. No unbalanced issues with torsion axles.

 

I sympathize with your brother. I think what my brother-in-law recently told me about a trailer hitch on a minivan applies equally to your Saturn Vue. "You know what it costs for a trailer hitch on a minivan? A down payment on a new transaxle."

Notwithstanding this good advice, we recently put a hitch on my wife's six-cylinder Honda Odyssey. We were headed to Scottsdale for spring break. I really wanted to bike to be there. I could devise no practical method to transport myself, my wife, and our four daughters 600 miles on a Road King.it was a great vacation, but I don't think I would do it again (although I might look into that Triton aluminum trailer mentioned above).

My 1 ton dually with the Duramax engine would obviously have had no problem pulling the bike. I thought I was saving fuel money by taking the van, but as it turns out after we put that trailer behind it, the truck would have been more fuel-efficient. Although the truck's crew cab would have been less comfortable for the girls, it would have been a better compromise than risking permanent damage to the minivan.

Sometimes you're just better off using the right tool to do the job. If you don't have the right tool you can use what you've got the usually end up just busting that up and then you don't have it to do the job it was intended to do.

 

Some suggestions that are much cheaper than replacing warped engine parts from overheating and rebuilding transmissions.

A) Rent a bike at your destination.
B) Ship your bike to your destination.

Neither are cheap ....just cheaper than auto repairs due to abuse, not to mention the lost time (possible extra hotel / meal costs waiting for repairs.

 

rent or ship !

I've done both -

HD rental about $120 a day

shipping about $ 400 to $ 700 each way

I even shipped my bike to London England round trip about $1400 - toured Europe for a month

 

If you do decide to go with a trailer, aluminum is great and you can get a removable heavy duty canvas type shell made to go over the trailer. These are good quality and very durable. One of my neighbors has had one for his snowmobile trailer. It's 6 years old and looks excellent, no noticable UV damage and everything works as well as the day he brought it home. I'm hoping to have one by summer.

canvasworksincmn.com