I Don't Need No Stinking Truck!!!

[Frank Lee]

Twas expedient, lighter, and more economical to make a rail vs decking the whole chassis. Wasn't going to buy a fancy-schmancy motorcycle wheel chock but when they knocked it down to half off I said what the hey:


One man loading/unloading:


D'Oh! NOT aero! I considered attaching the 2x6s under the trailer chassis for a nice lowering of the bike (might have been cg benefits too) but decided against adding any additional loading/unloading drama caused by having to drive up and down crossmembers... also considered flopping axle/spring assy. so that the axle rides above the springs rather than below... might investigate that further... but then I'd need a hitch insert with less rise.


It's highly likely I'll remove the motorcycle's windshield for the trek.

[Christ]

Any idea what the tongue weight is loaded? I know that's a heavy bike... seems like alot of weight is in front of the axle on the trailer?

[Frank Lee]

The tongue weight can't be much... I can tilt the trailer bed easily when the bike is loaded by lifting on the front of the 2x6s. The car didn't squat either. Bike should weigh about 750 lbs IIRC. I do like how the rear Wing wheel ended up exactly over a crossmember... didn't plan it that way... I mean, yeah, that's exactly how I planned it!

Cool thing is, with the way I attached the rails they can easily be slid aft (merely loosen two bolts!) to fine-tune tongue weight/cg. Max tongue wt was 200 lbs IIRC.

[Frank Lee]

Unloaded:


Loaded:

[Christ]

Looks good!

[Frank Lee]

Now to ensconce it with a coroplast aeroshell....

[Coyote X]

Did you check and repack the wheel bearings? I have bought two of the folding 4x8 trailers and both of them needed the tar they called grease cleaned off and some good grease put on them. I bet they would have burned up within 100 miles if I didn't grease them up good. Also get some spare 1157 bulbs. The stock ones seem to last a few hours or so, at least with me pulling the trailer

[Frank Lee]

Yup, cleaned and repacked the bearings right off the bat. I agree, anyone that skips that step is in for big trouble and soon.

Mine also had a bunch of welding spatter on the axle where the grease seal rides. I used wet sandpaper to make it as smooth as a baby's butt before assembly. Not sanding that spatter off probably would have resulted in a failed seal in less than a mile.

Earlier in the thread I speculated that the frames between brucey's lighter trailer and mine were the same. They aren't; mine does not fold up. The lack of that folding joint probably makes much of the difference in load capacity.

Re: bulbs: haven't wired it yet but I've read about difficulties in getting a good ground, and how one guy decided to add his own ground wires throughout the harness. I may go that route. Poor/intermittent ground could be killing your bulbs?

[poorman]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I think the nearest Harbor Freight to my home is 800 miles away. I'd only been to one once before. I think it's a good thing they're 800 miles away; if they were any closer I might be in there more often.

I'm sorry to be the one to break the news to you, but we have one in Fridley just off central.

[Frank Lee]

HA! I discovered that about two weeks ago. I managed to walk through and leave empty handed!!!

P.S. I used that trailer on my 3000 mile journey and everything- the car, the hitch, the trailer, the lights and wiring- all worked perfectly, not so much as a single hiccup.

Looks like hauling that bike lead to a 3 or 4 mpg hit. Not too shabby!