Trailer Tips
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
A swivel tongue, as shown in the photo, makes for better handling. I like MCHITCH trailer hitches www.mchitch.com
I had the same trailer in the smaller version & really liked it. I would recommend that you check all of the fasteners. I had several that were only finger tight.
I had the same trailer in the smaller version & really liked it. I would recommend that you check all of the fasteners. I had several that were only finger tight.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
I can't remember and I gave all the paper work to the guy that bought my trailer.
I am fairly certain it is the one shown on this web page http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/hitch-pages/hitches.htm
I am fairly certain it is the one shown on this web page http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/hitch-pages/hitches.htm
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,349
Likes: 142
From: Sioux Center, Iowa
Check out Dauntless Motors swivel hitch. It's the one I use. Got our hitch from HitchDoc. Good people to work with. We really haven't had any weight issues to speak of. Just pack what we need. We've pulled our close to 70K without much trouble. The original tires were crap after 10K so we changed to radials. Still running the same set.
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/hitch-pages/hitches.htm
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/hitch-pages/hitches.htm
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 13
From: georgetown ky
1)Get a swivel hitch. I have a bushtec trailer and hitch
2)make sure to load the trailer properly.
3)NEVER forget when you have your trailer behind you. You are now the same lenth of a small car.Don't go weaving in and out of traffic with out checking to make sure you have enough room.this can and will cause a catastrophic event if you forget.
I use my trailer for going to the grocery,nursery for plant and stuff, If it will fit in it rather than taking the car or truck, We take the bike and trailer.
2)make sure to load the trailer properly.
3)NEVER forget when you have your trailer behind you. You are now the same lenth of a small car.Don't go weaving in and out of traffic with out checking to make sure you have enough room.this can and will cause a catastrophic event if you forget.
I use my trailer for going to the grocery,nursery for plant and stuff, If it will fit in it rather than taking the car or truck, We take the bike and trailer.
Last edited by hardwork2; Feb 26, 2010 at 04:27 AM.
Trending Topics
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
The trailer mfgr will give you load limits, but from many decades of pulling trailers behind cars and bikes, here are my top tips:
1. Put about 10% of the total trailer + LOAD weight on the hitch ball/mount. Weigh the trailer (or get the weight from the manufactuer) and then when loading it, use a bathroom scale, and weigh everything you put in it and add the two together. Make sure that about 10% of that total is on the hitch mount. Also be sure that the load won't shift. The point is to make sure you have SOME weight on the hitch at all times. Why? If you have near zero or negative weight, the trailer will start swaying, and can take you and your bike right off the road if bad enough! IF your trailer hitch leans the trailer back, weight can shift back and you may start out OK, but wind up with negative weight.
2. Check the hitch bolts and mechanism every time you stop, same with chains.
3. Check the tires and axle EVERY time you stop, right after you stop. Touch the tires and touch the axle bearing area. (good idea to run without hubcaps so you can see and touch the bearings.) Even on very hot days, the tires should be just warm or hot, but never too hot to touch for some time. The bearings should never get hot and especially, never get too hot to touch. Adjust the bearings correctly and keep them lubed, but check them every stop. Why? a hot tire can blow at any time and cause a wreck! A hot bearing can heat up a tire to the popping point. A tire low on air can heat up and come apart.
These things take very little time, and trust me, they can save your life. Have fun with your new trailer, you ride easier knowing you have taken care of the basics.
Don
1. Put about 10% of the total trailer + LOAD weight on the hitch ball/mount. Weigh the trailer (or get the weight from the manufactuer) and then when loading it, use a bathroom scale, and weigh everything you put in it and add the two together. Make sure that about 10% of that total is on the hitch mount. Also be sure that the load won't shift. The point is to make sure you have SOME weight on the hitch at all times. Why? If you have near zero or negative weight, the trailer will start swaying, and can take you and your bike right off the road if bad enough! IF your trailer hitch leans the trailer back, weight can shift back and you may start out OK, but wind up with negative weight.
2. Check the hitch bolts and mechanism every time you stop, same with chains.
3. Check the tires and axle EVERY time you stop, right after you stop. Touch the tires and touch the axle bearing area. (good idea to run without hubcaps so you can see and touch the bearings.) Even on very hot days, the tires should be just warm or hot, but never too hot to touch for some time. The bearings should never get hot and especially, never get too hot to touch. Adjust the bearings correctly and keep them lubed, but check them every stop. Why? a hot tire can blow at any time and cause a wreck! A hot bearing can heat up a tire to the popping point. A tire low on air can heat up and come apart.
These things take very little time, and trust me, they can save your life. Have fun with your new trailer, you ride easier knowing you have taken care of the basics.
Don
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025
Verdad Gallardo
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,886
Likes: 3
I sometimes pull a large Time-Out camper trailer with my Valkyrie (it's too large and heavy for most Harley's) but I'll offer a few suggestions.
- A swivel itch, as others have posted, is a good idea.
- Hitch Doctor is a an excellent source of motorcycle hitches, and their stuff is of high quality...great chrome and very sturdy.
- If you actually inflate the tires on your trailer to their suggested sidewall ratings you will wear out those small tires at an unbelievable rate....the center is pushed out too far. You need to run at about half the rated pressure, or even less. I run 25 psi on tires rated at 60-65 psi. At 60 psi I once lost about half the tread life in the first 500 miles. Start a big trip with a new set of tires...even properly inflated they wear out fast.
- Walmart is a very good source for tires if you flat out...and they even sell them with the wheel included.
- Don't forget the trailer is behind you (as others have posted)....road bollards, curbs, and traveling on the side of lane near on-coming traffice must be done with full awareness of that critical fact.
- A tire going flat or blowing out on a trailer isn't as big a deal as you might expect....in terms of bike control.
- Carry an entire wheel /tire spare, and check inflation frequently...they lose pressure faster than motorcycle tires...they're little.
- Don't forget to actually lock the trailer hitch onto the bike's ball hitch, either with a husky clip or a lock...if they pop off (I have a friend that watched his trailer rocket down the street when it disengaged from his bike) things could get interesting...I don't even want to think about handling a bike pulling an unhitched trailer on the legally required safety chains (which should be 'crossed' under the tongue). Some people pulling a trailer use very light chains in the hope that if something goes wrong with the ball hitch the trailer will be jettisoned from the bike.
- Check your brake and signal lights on the trailer...you're constantly clipping and unclipping them so there's great opportunity for bad connections, and motorists won't be able to see your bike's rear lights well, if at all.
- Realize that pulling a trailer with your bike invalidates warranty for any bike.
- Keep the trailer wheel bearings packed with grease...those little wheels are turning at much higher rpm and can get hot instantly without grease.
- Use a fish weight spring scale (it's small enough to carry on your trip) to measure tongue weight on the loaded trailer...follow the hitch manufacturer's recommendations fairly closely (mine is about 25-30 lbs)...over-load the tongue and it can be tough on the rear end of your bike, and make the bike's front end very light and squirrelly. Under-loading the tongue weight means the rear end of the trailer is too heavy, and that can literally 'wag' your entire bike around. It's difficult to move stuff inside the trailer to balance the load, but a good waterproof duffel (get a big one) on top of the trailer makes weight adjustment easy...you can move it forward or backward on the trailer top...spider bungee it down...and it's a great place to put your leathers and other gear for fast access.
- Remember that your stopping distance, fuel mileage (tank range), and acceleration for passing are DRASTICALLY affected.
- Try to use some restraint in how much you pack for the trip....a trailer is a huge temptation to haul everything you think you could need, (including the kitchen sink)...I've seen people pulling trailers (with a motorcycle) carrying lawn chairs, BBQ's, bicycles, smaller motorcycles, and even kayaks....sometimes several of these things at once.
- Use both of your brakes (this is a big one, because a lot of use get in the habit of relying on front brakes...which usually works fine WITHOUT a trailer). This is really important if you ever are going down a hill on a dirt road (like into a campground)....if you load up the front brake on such a surface (with a loaded trailer behind you) and don't use the back brake...that trailer is going to decide which way you're going to go....it could even decide to run over you and the bike!
Last edited by krusty1; Feb 26, 2010 at 10:26 AM.
