Buying and setting up an enclosed trailer to haul your trike
After going through the process of getting an enclosed trailer to haul our trike down to somewhere warmer than Northwest Ohio in the winter, and then modifying it to make it work best, I thought I'd post this.
If anyone has any additional advice, or better alternatives, please add below. I'll try to remember to update these original posts with added info. It should make for a nice place for info from the collective!
First, yes, I'm hauling the trike in a trailer rather than riding it to Florida or somewhere else warmer in January; since we stay a couple months there was a lot more to bring and a cage was necessary. I don't want to hear about "trailer queen" or anything, it's a '14 and already been ridden to all four coasts, 'nuff said.
This discussion is for TRIKES (one) and Wood/Steel enclosed trailers, obviously things will be different for all-Aluminum rigs. Most things will apply for bikes, too. And this first post will only deal with specifics on getting the trailer itself, I'll post more on weight distribution hitches, mounting things inside, towing and other miscellaneous stuff as time allows.
Things to consider when purchasing an enclosed trailer:
-Minimum ramp opening width. A 6' wide trailer doesn't have a 6' wide opening. More than likely you will loose at least 4" on each side cable-to-cable, maybe as much as 6". The Tri Glide has about a 55" rear track plus a couple of inches for the rear fenders, say 58". You'll have to be really careful if your opening is only 60"!!! In practicality that's worse case, some guys have found trailers where they have a couple of inches on each side. Guides can be made from wood strips to help keep things aligned when going straight in, folks have done that successfully.
So you're looking at a minimum 6' wide trailer to start with. 7' makes things a lot easier, more room to maneuver around inside and such.
-Length. The Tri Glide is about 9' long plus a bit, bumper included. But a 10' trailer is really pushing it for length. Not only having a little room to get around inside is important, it's really nice if you can change the position of the trike front-to-back to get the best tongue weight for the combined trike/trailer/stuff weight, since it is by far the heaviest thing you'll have in there. Being able to move the trike is a big influence on that. I'd say a 10' minimum.
-A V-Nose trailer will add between 15" and 24" to your inside dimension. So a 9 footer V-Nose would be fine. However, if you need to go with a load-equalizing hitch the body sticking out over part of the V for the tongue may pose issues, I found this out the hard way. I had to cut away part of the trailer to get the brackets for a weight distributing sway control hitch brackets to fit. It wasn't so bad, just a pain.
-Height. The norm is 6' tall, watch your head. You can get shorter ones, and they pull easier and you get better mileage, but you get to hunch over a lot, too. Some come in a 6'3" like mine. It impacts mileage a lot, it seems, I think I'd take hunching over a bit, but it is what it is.
-One thing VERY important about trailer height: it directly controls the LENGTH of your ramp! A shorter trailer ramp means a steeper angle, both from the ground and going over the hinge; it's easier to bottom out with a short ramp there. More about this later.
-Weight rating. A Tri-Glide weighs in at about a hefty 1300# nominally, more if you have stuff in your tour pack and trunk. So you'll need a trailer rated for at least that, and definitely more. Normally we're at about 400# max of other stuff in there, but this last trip we hauled an additional 600# of stuff down for a relative, and still had plenty of reserve. Make sure the trailer can handle it. An enclosed trailer will run about a ton, or 2000#. Ish. Less for an aluminum one. So minimally we're talking about 4,000# trailer weight.
-Make sure the tow vehicle can handle it. I'll let you look elsewhere for the discussion on GAVR versus GVWR versus Axle Ratings versus weight distribution and tongue weight restrictions. Just don't exceed anything and give yourself some extra room with the numbers to prevent any surprises. Watch out, there is quite a bit of mis-information out there. Always consult with your vehicle manual and trailer and hitch manufacturer recommendations. If anybody has any specific questions I can try to answer them, I've done quite a bit of research on the topic.
-Construction.
-Trikes are heavy, and the weight is on three relatively small spots on the floor. First, a real plywood floor would be best, both for the concentrated weight on the tires; plus if you're adding 5000# rated tie-downs you're not going to have nearly that strength when they're mounted to a particle board floor. 3/4" minimum. Treated is nicer, obviously, OR waterproof it yourself.
-Trailers mostly come with frame cross members every 24" or every 16" to support that floor. Again, with the weight in spots, the closer the floor joists are together the better. Same strength deal for any tie-downs added, although it restricts where exactly you can put them a bit more.
-Axles. Tandem is better for many reasons, one of which is NOT weight. They weigh more. But blowing a tire is much less of a puckerer with four back there instead of two, and the handling and ride will be better. Now trying to find a 10' trailer with tandem axles is tough without going to a custom (=$$$). Tandems are especially nice for when you're using an SUV or only a 1/2 ton pickup to tow it, much less issue with bobbing and porpoising.
-LED lights draw much less current than incandescent, and you can always add more if you want. But good visibility is important.
-A V-nose offers somewhat less wind resistance versus trying to pull something akin to the side of a barn down the highway at 70mph! And a tapered front top would be even better, I wish I could have found one with that option.
-A membrane roof is nice
-a roof vent helps with the heat and adds light; my trailer has a provision to add one, the frame is laid out for it.
-Get the HEAVY DUTY RAMP option, 1500# minimum rating if available. Or plan on reinforcing yours if that's not an option; adding some angle iron on the outside bolted through the ramp is an option.
-Get the fold-out "beavertail" extension flap for the ramp or add one. Note that I reinforced mine under it with some iron strap where the three wheels track over it, it's only 3/4" plywood. Also note that you may want to make sure that the end of the ramp is supported with rubber bumpers to hold it up off the ground. With a longer extension flap you may want to raise the end of the solid ramp up a bit. My trailer just happened to have three bumpers about where the wheels go and the flap is almost perfectly straight.
-Plywood inside walls are very nice, add a lot of strength and look better. Much easier to mount stuff on the walls that way like clothes hangers, tool holders, etc
-A floor covering material is nice, OR do like I did and paint it with outdoor floor/deck paint.
-Lots of tie-down spots, particularly on the floor for holding the trike in place, are important. You can add more where you want them, but it is a bit of work.
-A chock, particularly the removable ones, is needed. DON'T mount it until you know where your trike will sit.
-IMPORTANT FACT: you can brake a whole lot harder than you can accelerate in most cases. So stuff to keep your trike from moving forward should be stronger than the stuff to keep it from rolling backwards!!! A good chock and strong rear tie-downs. And use 5000# rated adjustable straps, at least on the rear. Being able to strap the front wheel to the chock or have floor tie-downs forward are also needed. Then it can't roll back and get a head of steam before the rears tighten up when braking hard.
-Fortunately with a trike, your chock and rear straps should be enough to prevent side motion, not like a bike where it always wants to tip over.
-Positioning the trike.
-The center of gravity of a Tri Glide front to back is at about the front edge of the passenger floor boards as near as I can tell.
-You want 11% to 15% of the weight of the trailer/contents on the tongue. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! Trust me, I know this from a near-death experience. NO KIDDING, THIS IS IMPORTANT!
-So find the center of your axle/axles and mark it on the floor; position your trike so that the center of gravity is about 6" to 9" in front of the axle centerline. If you can, weigh the trailer and the tongue weight and adjust. I think I got pretty darned close by winging it like this, weighing it later proved it worked.
-Try to get closer to about 12% on the tongue if at all possible; then when you add in more stuff to haul, which you most certainly will, try to keep much of it forward of the centerline, which will bring up your tongue %.
That's about it for now, I'll try to follow up and make corrections and additions as time allows. Especially since I can't figure out how to save this as a draft! This is very much a WIP (work in progress). Any feedback that might help someone down the line would be appreciated!
Based on my experience, I agree with everything you have stated. I have beveled 2x3s on the floor for tire guides both on the ramp & on the floor going right up to the chock. The guides do need to provide a bit of space at the hinge so the ramp guides don't hit the floor guides or you won't get the door closed.
I painted my floor & ramp. I had some old texture sand and added some of that to the paint, so there is some "grip" there.
I also sliced a couple pool noodles and slip them over the ramp cables when loading & unloading, my "just in case" thing for the fenders.
Oogie
Great write up, looking forward to the next one.
I just picked up my 6x12 last fall and am slowly getting used to it. Agree on the 7 wide, it is real tight going in a 6 ft. going to out down some guide rails and some traction paint for the ramp when the weather is better. Can't stress tying the trike down good enough. One of the guys I ride with was moving down here, they hit a bad pothole and the bike came loose and shifted to the right and put a small hole in the fender.
Graygoat
Like the idea of the noodles, I'll have to get some.
I didn't see this mentioned, but I would add that you want to be sure to disable the theft deterrent system after loading. The jostling around the bike will get while hauling will trigger it and you will get your destination with a dead battery. Ask me how I know. I should have known better as I have hauled the TG multiple times in my 6 x 12 trailer and always remembered to disable it. The last trip I didn't and sure enough, dead battery on arrival. Just hold both turn signals at the same time after loading the TG. The taillights will blink to let you know it worked.
That noodle idea is brilliant! Good point on the security override, hadn't got to that yet. This time I also pulled the 50 Amp fuse because I knew the trike wouldn't be run for a while.
TRAILER MODS for carrying the trike and a bunch of other stuff, plus some convenience things.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so to save typing that much.....
Before putting it down
From in the trailer
Threshold filler with anti-slip stuff from outside. Rear tie-downs (factory)
Stored.
Cord and rope storage, vent, pass-through, passenger rear by door.
Pass-through open inside. Yes, it's a PVC coupling through a pipe-sized hole from the outside, with silicone caulk all around the flange.
Pass-through sealed
Outside door of pass-through. Not intended for 75mph, hence the duct tape. Also use tape as a little 'roof' over the opening when the cord is passed through. Maybe I'll replace it with a real one. Maybe I won't.
Metal mending plates for . . . A magnetic light. Interestingly I tested one of these things to see how long the cheap, included AAA cells would last, so I could put fresh ones in. It wasn't very bright when I finally shut it off 56 hours later, but it was still going! I should have just kept those original batteries, lol!
I can only post 25 pics??!!!! CRap, hope cut and paste works, I had 52...
Spare tire holder; what can I say, I'm cheap. Saved $35 with some wood scraps and a bolt/nut. Pretty darned strong. The weight of the wheel/tire mostly sits on the holder. LOOSEN YOUR MOUNTS BEFORE ADDING AIR TO THE TIRE!!! Don't ask how I know...
Clothes hangars for riding jackets, under layers and anything else we're taking along. The top piece keeps them from coming off during transit. But swings out of the way to allow normal use. Storage for the larger flashlight and the bar used on the rear fold-down stabilizer jacks. I intend to add more for things like the folding tire iron, torque wrench and some other stuff.
Here you can mostly see where I had to cut into the trailer body to get the weight distribution / sway control bar mounts on the frame. The distance to the ball center was a minimum of 27" and I only had 25.5. Only a small part of the body support frame (NOT the structural frame) and I filled that with some JB Weld. The duct tape was a temporary thing until I could make a better seal.
A little closer look.
Bigger picture. Note the added reflector material. I added a lot.
More added reflector strips and reflectors. I'm paranoid, I know.
This will save your knees! Makes it a lot easier, works good at home, too. We also put an old floor rug there normally, and the no-slip is always a good idea.
Last edited by Oogie Wa Wa; 03-01-2019 at 07:31 PM.
Reason: Iscrewedup.
This will save your knees! Makes it a lot easier, works good at home, too. We also put an old floor rug there normally, and the no-slip is always a good idea.
A permanent floor cleat for some tubs that things like rags, wax, oil and other stuff can go in. Another one sits on that one for various travel supplies and things we need to take for rental houses; washrags, towels, sheets, coking needs, stuff like that.. Wall mount for the bungee cord to hold them from going anywhere.
For tools that may be needed quickly, trailer things like locks for the hitch, spare screws, hooks, hold down straps, towing mirror.
Keeps the door from beating you up on windy days.
My own design spring-loaded wheel chocks.
OK, I got my 25 or less in three posts. Next will be stuff added to haul a bunch of extra items for a relative. The ideas may be valuable for other purposes.
So my wife's Creepy Old Aunt Doris had us haul nine plastic tubs full of stuff down here for her, and I made some mounts inside to hold them in place and not beat up the trike. About 600 pounds of stuff. Weight distribution was also important, so they were kept near the axles center line or forwards.
(In all fairness and in her defense, Aunt Doris is about the nicest 87 year old lady you'll ever find anywhere, and we love her dearly. But her voice is like fingernails on a chalk board!!! Plus at that age she's dating again! And had to ask my wife about, uh, things associated with that. I left the room when that conversation started, I tell you!!!)
Now it turns out that she mostly filled those tubs back up with stuff for us to take back to her Ohio house. Probably another 300 pounds of stuff. So these trailer mods were designed to help with all that. It might not be so useful for most folks, but it might help one or two. Plus I put all that work into it, so I'm showing these pictures!
The stuff in our Jeep. It's full. But our suitcase, clothes bags, food bags, backpacks, shoes, bass guitar and practice amp and a whole bunch of other stuff needs to go in there. Hence the mods for the trailer are needed.
Room for four tubs on the driver side of the trailer, just ahead of the trike rear fender.
One wall brace to keep the tubs from moving back towards the trike fenders, and the other to keep them from going forward. Cleats on the floor to keep the bottoms from moving around. So the tubs sit down between the cleats, and the second top layer of them is stacked on. Then ropes are ran from the bottom, up and over the top tub, and back down. Likewise another rope goes around the tubs away from the walls. So the tubs can't really go anywhere.
The braces keep the top tubs from moving, whereas only using wall anchors and rope would allow them to shift up to 4 or 5 inches forward/backwards under heavy acceleration or braking. There is no front brace on this side.
Everything is mounted with drywall screws, and can be removed leaving only a few screw holes in a few seconds. I plan on just sticking them in a large heavy duty bag of some kind and leave them in the trailer, you never know when they might come in handy.
Even though you can brake a LOT harder than you can accelerate, the braces protecting the fenders are heavier, but you know why that is! For everything else, preventing it from moving forward is the key, unless you have some sort of turbo diesel pulling it or something.
Oh, there is just enough side clearance for the fairing not to be in any danger from the front tubs, but only an inch or so.
Two of the lighter tubs can go behind the trike, with a tie-down rope and cleats in front of them.
02-17-2019, 08:38 AM
Buying and setting up an enclosed trailer to haul your trike
