Deeply appreciate your tutorial on proper trailer sway management. So far with all the trailers I have used, I pay careful attention to how I load my trailer and the proper percentage of tongue weight with a LOADED trailer, not just the trailer itself. I learned fast once when I improperly loaded a Uhaul and getting sever sway issues. 😮 Live and learn. Thanks, Rick.
I had the tail wag the dog one time, and just barely managed to slowly regain control. It was a heavily loaded 6x12 cargo trailer behind a 1998 S-10 standard cab pickup, very light with 4 cylinder 5 speed manual. I hadn't realized how much weight I'd put near the rear doors, relative to the weight of stuff further forward. I had no trailer brakes. So, the worst of all worlds. I hit a bump on an interstate curve in a city. Major sway back and forth a good 1/2 lane on either side of my lane. Thankfully everyone around me immediately got out of the way so that I had 4 lanes all to myself. It took me a terrifying 20 or 30 seconds to regain control. Without trailer brakes, the trick was to let aerodynamic drag do the job, but it was a real balancing act. Braking with the truck would have been a jackknife disaster. I actually needed to be PULLING the trailer slightly with the hitch ball, just with less force than the aero drag on the trailer. Slowly the speed came down, and with it, the size of the sway arc until things were OK. I took the next exit, figured out the cause, and rearranged the load. I had a NEGATIVE tongue load, so I was really lucky that the trailer tongue held onto the ball successfully, considering how flimsy the ball-grabbing mechanism is. The saving grace was that once the trailer is at a major angle to the direction of travel, the aero drag on it is high, though the downside of that is that it then pushes the trailer back in the other direction to sway into the other lane. Lifting off the gas less than completely was the only thing that worked. Lifting off completely clunked the trailer forward against the ball as if the truck was braking, and made it worse, creating jackknifing forces that increased the sway angle. If I'd had a big tailwind, I'm sure the trailer would have flipped, and I have no idea whether the ball connection was solid enough to roll the truck over with it.
Well Rick, I can say this was great info that I would take to heart if I were going to be pulling anything. But at my age and handicap, this has at least convinced me that this is not something I need to be doing. I was tempted in the last year to buy a trailer that had been beautifully built out and was listed at a great price. But I passed on it and now after listening to this I'm really glad I did. I don't want to be a danger on the road.
I remember when I was little, in the early 50's, we moved for the first time and my Dad started down a little hill into a town and the uhaul trailer we were towing started to sway. Luckily we weren't going very fast and my Dad was able to stop the sway. He pulled over and rearranged the stuff in the trailer so it wouldn't do that again.........I definitely remember how scary that was.
Great information. My first time towing our old pop-up was in in stop and go city traffic for over an hour. I got sort of dazed from the traffic and when the road opened up I punched it up past 70, forgetting I had a trailer. One of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced behind the wheel was looking in the rear view mirror and seeing our trailer swaying violently. I took my foot off the accelerator and manually applied the trailer brakes. Within a few seconds the trailer began tracking again. I have never driven above 55 ever since while towing.
Those Jerry cans mounted on the side contribute to trailer instability because of turbulence at speed. They are also probably costing you a total of 1.5 mpg, again, at speed. If you mounted them on the front each side of the midline, about 5', up they would move weight to the front and slightly help streamline the setup where dense air over the top of the tow rig hits. Those T-dubs are a classic desert bike. Nice!
The V nose deflects all of the wind from the sides of the trailer. You should see the dust blow off of a dirt road just by driving down it a a fairly slow speed from the nose of the trailer.
3 points of stability looks so much safer. This is really good Rick. Not enough people pay attention to this information. I can't believe some of the trailer/camper loads I see on the highway. I try to steer clear of them.
Thank you Rick, this was a very very good video. Your pictures of the mount underneath the trailer were perfect. I built mine similar to yours all the information you gave us on trailer sway and tires is so very useful. We will be taking off in two weeks for Wyoming for only about a two week stay. We will be pulling our cargo trailer. Thanks again Rick.
Another thing to keep in mind would be suspension hardware on the trailer. Spring shackles and bolts take tons of abuse on smaller single axle trailers because it seems like nobody makes a greasable shackle bolt system for these. I just consider them a wear item and replace regularly.
Such an important tutorial. Trailer sway can kill a family or any living thing. Uneven loading has caused more than one truck to jackknife. Trailer swaying is very common with semis and is very dangerous on the road. Major cause of multi vehicle crashes. Thank you for doing it.
Such good information that everyone needs to see! I’ve been all over our country and I’ve seen way too many scarily swaying trailers. I back right off but still … 😳 Thanks for educating your viewers so they can have fun after traveling safely!
All good information overall Rick ! I tow a small Travel trailer with a pickup truck. I don’t need a weight distribution hitch . But , I do use a sway bar attachment only . Another thing I would do if I owned a small motorcycle . I would mount it to the front of my truck. I have a front mount I’ve been using for years with my heavier mountain bicycles. Probably good place to carry e -bikes . I don’t own any of those . Thanks for adding this Video for people reference Rick !! 👍😁
@@gonagain I drive a four wheel drive four wheel drive F150 2007 . I ordered the hitch on Amazon like 7 years ago . Was built for the front mount! Was a 2” receiver. I also added a 2” riser for a little extra clearance! It’s been a great option for me over the years! Good luck Rick ! Like your channel.👍😁
You can use a bathroom scale to weigh the tongue. Set a 2 by board with one end on a block and other end on the scale. Uncouple the trailer and set the jack along the 2 by board exactly 1/2 way between scale and block, with the trailer level. Multiply scale reading by 2 for weight.
Excellent Video - Your ramps consider pop riveting in some plywood and and anti Skid Tape. It works well. Thank You for your words of wisdom - Rick. Loving the new Yamaha. But be careful I know I don't mend up like I use to - LOL
Long ago I towed a pop up xcountry and 2/3 of the way home my tires were bald and blew out. They “bladed” from the sway. Now I have a 25ft travel trailer but I use an anti-sway weight distribution system. What a world of a difference. I’ve towed other trailers with heavy materials and bumps in the made the trailer sway. Please be careful!! Perhaps you should look into anti-sway systems?? It would be awful if anything happened to you both.
I am a long time fan and fellow camper. Have you considered adding a left and right receiver to stabilize the unit thereby eliminating the tipping and stress of the center receiver? Also, adding some intermediate aluminum plates on the ramp will make the rolling "thump" issue go away as well.
It might seem like overkill but adding two more receiver hitches to your trailer that would align near each axle of your motorcycle then insert a 2”x 2”x 1/4” square stock to support the rack off each of those hitches. (I’m been known to wear a belt and suspenders. 😊)
All I can say is "I wouldn't" but that's just me personally. the thought of $4k motorcycle tumbling down the road and potentially injuring someone is the line I can't cross. If there were 3 of the 2" bars running up to 3 receivers I would be comfortable with it. What concerns me looking at this setup is the leverage of the carrier working against a single center mount... Just me and my safety preferences. You did a nice presentation on trailer safety. Thanks!
That's very unlikely to happen all of a sudden like that. We're keeping a close watch on our receiver hitch, which I installed very carefully. So far it hasn't shown any sign of loosening up or sagging in any way.
We've briefly discussed adding something to the back for hauling. But then, we ended up putting our spare on the back. So thinking we won't be doing that after all lol. I mean we probably still could, but I dunno. We made it where we can haul my scooter inside. Really need a way to haul some kayaks. This is good info, though, for peeps who may still be considering this process.
Hey Rick, I have a very similar motorcycle carrier for my Jeep. The one I have is steel so I welded some reinforcement plates, I do the same with using straps to keep the wobble to minimum. Maybe some grip tape on the ramp could help. Cheers 💪
We love the "Wobble, wobble, wobble" dance you did Rick. What great timing for this helpful video. We just added a cargo carrier to the back of our Jeep, that we flat tow behind our pick-up camper. which is nice, because of no tongue weight. Your hitch suggestions, confirmed what I felt about sway and how to help control it. Headed from Oregon back to Utah this coming week, and confident that the carrier will do its job. If you need to remove your carrier from the back of the cargo trailer, do you have to loosen the U-bolt clamp that you used?
It's getting to be time to leave Oregon (and Montana) and head south! We'll be following along soon. Yes, I need to remove the ubolt clamp that I put on. The reason it's there is to take the sag out of the hitch carrier and it's working great for that, being super strong.
Also keep in mind where the black water and drinking water tanks are on a regular trailer house. Keep them near empty if they are located too far back.
Interesting video...! If you are having to seriously rearrange the weight in order to carry the MC on the rear of the trailer... I think you've out grown your suv & trailer. Maybe it's time for a truck & bigger trailer?
Hi Rick and Linda love your channel, I have been watching your channel since 2019 when I was home recovering from bypass surgery. Now I am retired and thinking of converting a cargo trailer. I noticed your floor looks to be fibreglass I didn’t see a video where you mentioned it. Did you fibreglass the floor yourself? Thanks, you and Linda keep up the great work ! Rick B Halifax Nova Scotia
Hello Rick, thanks for sticking with us all these years! I'm glad that you've decided to convert a cargo trailer yourself because you won't ever regret having it. The floor in ours is just the original wood that has been painted with a good "porch and floor" enamel. Once in awhile we give it another coat.
60% of the weight should be in front of the axle, tapering back to the rear, for the bike on the rear for added weight you could install PIG LEAD WEIGHT IN THE FRONT UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAMPER, EACH PIG WEIGHT COMES IN 50# WEIGHTS, also to stop the sway remember the center of the ball on the hitch should 1' down or below 16" trailer hitch height this will help with the sway . most swaying is cause due in correct balance of the trailer,and truck that are not balance straight, the rear end of the truck sag and the front tires are free wheeling in the air, balance the truck and the trailer and you will not have this problem
I have a lot of sheet lead! I could bolt some of that underneath the frame. Or I could add a flat water tank there, which I've been thing about. Good idea tm!
It’s a good that you have a working ramp and that you have figured out what works best. Just curious why not just open the trailer gate and park the bike inside during travel? Perhaps it’s not long enough or too full.
Because every time we stop for the night, be it a campground or a Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot, we would need to unload the trailer and set up the bunks. Been there and did that and that's why we sold our ATV. This isn't perfect, but it's working. Thanks!
Great video. I am looking for a motorcycle carrier as well to put on the back of our 2024 Ford Transit AWD van. I upgraded the suspension to help. Now I have to find a good rack. Did you consider the Mototote carrier? I t looks solid and will hold my Dr650 which weighs about 364 lbs. Any other carriers you considered? Thanks agin for the great videos, I will tryin fire starting on our next trip.
We bought that particular carrier for our ebikes from Harbor Freight. Since we already had it and it's rated for more than what the TW weighs, we kept it. We keep a close eye on it whenever we use it.
Hey guys, I think you should reconsider carrying the motor cycle on the back of your trailer. I think over time and on some of the roads you travel on it will become a problem. If you can change tow vehicles to a pick up with a 6 foot or better still an 8 foot bed then carry the cycle in the truck bed or modify the trailer to carry the cycle inside the trailer. My concern is that the trailer frame is too weak for this much weight that far behind the axle and it's only a single axle. Jesse
Yup, me again... your hitch clamp is on backwards. You want it to pull the hitch down, since that is the natural way gravity is pulling it, and it will keep it from bouncing, with very little stress. If it is pulling up on the hitch, you are putting all the stress on the clamp. ruclips.net/video/Y88Ly6zJm-g/видео.html
Hello Mark, I purchased it and installed it that way intentionally to take the sag out of the motorcycle carrier. It doesn't make any difference to the carrier because it would be resting on an edge there if installed either way.
@@gonagain Okay, I see why you did that, but yes it does matter. You are putting all the stress on that one small point, versus two points on the bar. Right now, the front of the bar is doing nothing, because you are pushing it in the wrong direction. The top of the front of the bar should be resting against the top of the receiver, but it is not. I know it would be more of a PITA, but you would be far better off putting the clamp on as it was designed to be, and then level out the hitch. You could put spacers under the bars that you had welded on. I'm not trying to be a PITA, but I'm just concerned about you and the people you might influence.
@@gonagain Looking at this again, I know how to fix it right. You would have to cut the pipe partly thru and bend it up, and weld it back in place. I could do it with 100% confidence in the weld, as I have built hotrods and grafted on complete front suspensions on to the original rear frames to accommodate more powerful, more modern drivetrains.
Hi Rick, Hello Linda. The information you are sharing is very important, and I thank you for walking us through the details. There is No Substitute for the Safety needed when towing a rig of any size especially when going off-road. Rick, did you do any research on the Articulating Hitch that I showed you?? The extended bracing you added to your cargo-hitch is very clever considering how much stress is connected to the bike platform. I think I will incorporate your 'added-safety' bracing and breathe easier myself. Thanks Much. Vincenzo.
Hello Vinny! I did look into that articulating hitch and I like it. I just can't afford it at the moment. Right now I'm shopping for tires. Let me know how your search for land is going.
![Quando Rondo - Life Goes On [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eIf3fhMXAow/mqdefault.jpg)
Deeply appreciate your tutorial on proper trailer sway management. So far with all the trailers I have used, I pay careful attention to how I load my trailer and the proper percentage of tongue weight with a LOADED trailer, not just the trailer itself. I learned fast once when I improperly loaded a Uhaul and getting sever sway issues. 😮 Live and learn. Thanks, Rick.
More useful information from an experienced traveler, thanks Rick.
I had the tail wag the dog one time, and just barely managed to slowly regain control. It was a heavily loaded 6x12 cargo trailer behind a 1998 S-10 standard cab pickup, very light with 4 cylinder 5 speed manual. I hadn't realized how much weight I'd put near the rear doors, relative to the weight of stuff further forward. I had no trailer brakes. So, the worst of all worlds. I hit a bump on an interstate curve in a city. Major sway back and forth a good 1/2 lane on either side of my lane. Thankfully everyone around me immediately got out of the way so that I had 4 lanes all to myself. It took me a terrifying 20 or 30 seconds to regain control.
Without trailer brakes, the trick was to let aerodynamic drag do the job, but it was a real balancing act. Braking with the truck would have been a jackknife disaster. I actually needed to be PULLING the trailer slightly with the hitch ball, just with less force than the aero drag on the trailer. Slowly the speed came down, and with it, the size of the sway arc until things were OK. I took the next exit, figured out the cause, and rearranged the load. I had a NEGATIVE tongue load, so I was really lucky that the trailer tongue held onto the ball successfully, considering how flimsy the ball-grabbing mechanism is.
The saving grace was that once the trailer is at a major angle to the direction of travel, the aero drag on it is high, though the downside of that is that it then pushes the trailer back in the other direction to sway into the other lane. Lifting off the gas less than completely was the only thing that worked. Lifting off completely clunked the trailer forward against the ball as if the truck was braking, and made it worse, creating jackknifing forces that increased the sway angle.
If I'd had a big tailwind, I'm sure the trailer would have flipped, and I have no idea whether the ball connection was solid enough to roll the truck over with it.
Well Rick, I can say this was great info that I would take to heart if I were going to be pulling anything. But at my age and handicap, this has at least convinced me that this is not something I need to be doing. I was tempted in the last year to buy a trailer that had been beautifully built out and was listed at a great price. But I passed on it and now after listening to this I'm really glad I did. I don't want to be a danger on the road.
i' 😮Know what Your Saying, bye
I remember when I was little, in the early 50's, we moved for the first time and my Dad started down a little hill into a town and the uhaul trailer we were towing started to sway. Luckily we weren't going very fast and my Dad was able to stop the sway. He pulled over and rearranged the stuff in the trailer so it wouldn't do that again.........I definitely remember how scary that was.
Thank you for this. I've watched a lot of videos on cargo trailer camping. This is the first time I've heard anyone touch on some of these things.
Trailer sway is something I definitely don’t want to deal with! Thanks, Rick! Tell Linda we miss her.
Great information. My first time towing our old pop-up was in in stop and go city traffic for over an hour. I got sort of dazed from the traffic and when the road opened up I punched it up past 70, forgetting I had a trailer. One of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced behind the wheel was looking in the rear view mirror and seeing our trailer swaying violently. I took my foot off the accelerator and manually applied the trailer brakes. Within a few seconds the trailer began tracking again. I have never driven above 55 ever since while towing.
Glad you lived through that!
Those Jerry cans mounted on the side contribute to trailer instability because of turbulence at speed. They are also probably costing you a total of 1.5 mpg, again, at speed. If you mounted them on the front each side of the midline, about 5', up they would move weight to the front and slightly help streamline the setup where dense air over the top of the tow rig hits. Those T-dubs are a classic desert bike. Nice!
The V nose deflects all of the wind from the sides of the trailer. You should see the dust blow off of a dirt road just by driving down it a a fairly slow speed from the nose of the trailer.
Excellent information Rick! You may save some lives with this one! Thanks to both you and Linda for all you do.
Ya Very True better More 😮Tongue LBs Than to 😢little, & 😮oops i' Comment Went To Diff Video@ dDnNcC, Lol
Thank you for watching, we appreciate your comment.
Important lessons here! I went through this twice to take note! Thank you - you're a gifted teacher.
Thanks for all the helpful advice and tips. I like the ratchet strap idea to prevent the bounce
3 points of stability looks so much safer. This is really good Rick. Not enough people pay attention to this information. I can't believe some of the trailer/camper loads I see on the highway. I try to steer clear of them.
Good tips and info! Trailer sway can ruin your day fast. Load weight and balance is very important. Travel safe and enjoy! 🤙
Thank you Rick, this was a very very good video. Your pictures of the mount underneath the trailer were perfect. I built mine similar to yours all the information you gave us on trailer sway and tires is so very useful. We will be taking off in two weeks for Wyoming for only about a two week stay. We will be pulling our cargo trailer. Thanks again Rick.
Wyoming is a beautiful destination, it's one of our favorite states to visit.
Thanks Rick for some excellent advice. I was not aware of sway and that trailer brakes help stop the sway.
Intelligent man- much respect, explain things well- THANKS!!!
Great info , Rick. Appreciate your experience. Glad you are well and tell Linda she was missed.:-) Ride Safe.
Another thing to keep in mind would be suspension hardware on the trailer. Spring shackles and bolts take tons of abuse on smaller single axle trailers because it seems like nobody makes a greasable shackle bolt system for these. I just consider them a wear item and replace regularly.
Good advice on load distribution. Sounds like your pilot experience carries over to towing a trailer! Thanks for your great content!!
Right! Check your weight and balance during the preflight.
Such an important tutorial. Trailer sway can kill a family or any living thing. Uneven loading has caused more than one truck to jackknife. Trailer swaying is very common with semis and is very dangerous on the road. Major cause of multi vehicle crashes. Thank you for doing it.
Thank you, appreciate hearing that.
Add expanded metal to the bottom of the rack. They make it flat with small holes.
Thanks again. Y'all are blessed.
Such good information that everyone needs to see! I’ve been all over our country and I’ve seen way too many scarily swaying trailers. I back right off but still … 😳
Thanks for educating your viewers so they can have fun after traveling safely!
Great information Sir. Stay safe and healthy.
Yep might wanna Add Some Tongue Length 2' to *6' FOr a MotorCycLe PossibLy
Great video with good advice, unfortunately not all the trailer owners with watch it.
Tyvvm Rick for the informative video.Great advice that you give here.I pull a 7×16 TA converted cargo trailer, always looking for tips &tricks
All good information overall Rick ! I tow a small Travel trailer with a pickup truck. I don’t need a weight distribution hitch . But , I do use a sway bar attachment only . Another thing I would do if I owned a small motorcycle . I would mount it to the front of my truck. I have a front mount I’ve been using for years with my heavier mountain bicycles. Probably good place to carry e -bikes . I don’t own any of those . Thanks for adding this Video for people reference Rick !! 👍😁
I've thought about a front carrier and would need to see how it would affect my headlights.
@@gonagain
I drive a four wheel drive four wheel drive F150 2007 . I ordered the hitch on Amazon like 7 years ago . Was built for the front mount! Was a 2” receiver. I also added a 2” riser for a little extra clearance! It’s been a great option for me over the years! Good luck Rick ! Like your channel.👍😁
Great video sir! Yes, I agree, trailer sway is no bueno. All great points and good, solid advice. Thanks for sharing with us
You bet!
Good information. Good Friday!😊
Thanks! Your advice is always helpful!
Excellent info and advice !
great advice. Thanks, I learned something.
good info
Great information. I learned some things from this video. Thank you
Thank you for watching!
Good job ,very informative .
Thank you.
Great show,,,,very good information
Great advice ❤❤❤
You can use a bathroom scale to weigh the tongue. Set a 2 by board with one end on a block and other end on the scale. Uncouple the trailer and set the jack along the 2 by board exactly 1/2 way between scale and block, with the trailer level. Multiply scale reading by 2 for weight.
I just ordered a tongue weight scale from the UK for $39 including shipping. amzn.to/3Z0ebug
It isn't great, but it should work.
Excellent Video - Your ramps consider pop riveting in some plywood and and anti Skid Tape. It works well. Thank You for your words of wisdom - Rick. Loving the new Yamaha. But be careful I know I don't mend up like I use to - LOL
Yup. It takes longer to recover from even the smallest of injuries anymore, dang it.
Long ago I towed a pop up xcountry and 2/3 of the way home my tires were bald and blew out. They “bladed” from the sway. Now I have a 25ft travel trailer but I use an anti-sway weight distribution system. What a world of a difference. I’ve towed other trailers with heavy materials and bumps in the made the trailer sway. Please be careful!! Perhaps you should look into anti-sway systems?? It would be awful if anything happened to you both.
Great info!
Lots of good info here! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Good video!
: ) THANKS MUCH for ANOTHER GREAT Video and information : ) ALL the BEST and Cheers : ) ! !
Thanks, Marty!
Nice to know.😊
Good morning guys,
Very informative video, thanks for sharing it.
Safe travels.
JT
I am a long time fan and fellow camper. Have you considered adding a left and right receiver to stabilize the unit thereby eliminating the tipping and stress of the center receiver? Also, adding some intermediate aluminum plates on the ramp will make the rolling "thump" issue go away as well.
I may do that if we detect any problem with the current set up.
It might seem like overkill but adding two more receiver hitches to your trailer that would align near each axle of your motorcycle then insert a 2”x 2”x 1/4” square stock to support the rack off each of those hitches. (I’m been known to wear a belt and suspenders. 😊)
That's actually a good idea and we'll be keeping an eye on our hitch.
All I can say is "I wouldn't" but that's just me personally. the thought of $4k motorcycle tumbling down the road and potentially injuring someone is the line I can't cross. If there were 3 of the 2" bars running up to 3 receivers I would be comfortable with it. What concerns me looking at this setup is the leverage of the carrier working against a single center mount... Just me and my safety preferences.
You did a nice presentation on trailer safety. Thanks!
That's very unlikely to happen all of a sudden like that. We're keeping a close watch on our receiver hitch, which I installed very carefully. So far it hasn't shown any sign of loosening up or sagging in any way.
We've briefly discussed adding something to the back for hauling. But then, we ended up putting our spare on the back. So thinking we won't be doing that after all lol. I mean we probably still could, but I dunno. We made it where we can haul my scooter inside. Really need a way to haul some kayaks. This is good info, though, for peeps who may still be considering this process.
I mentioned you guys in an upcoming video. Not sure yet how soon it's coming out.
@@gonagain Awesome! Thanks 😁
Hey Rick, I have a very similar motorcycle carrier for my Jeep. The one I have is steel so I welded some reinforcement plates, I do the same with using straps to keep the wobble to minimum. Maybe some grip tape on the ramp could help. Cheers 💪
I think the grip tape is a good idea! I haven't had the rifle out yet, but it's coming with us on our next trip and will be fun.
@@gonagain glad to hear it my friend, that bike looks like a lot of fun for you two.
We love the "Wobble, wobble, wobble" dance you did Rick. What great timing for this helpful video. We just added a cargo carrier to the back of our Jeep, that we flat tow behind our pick-up camper. which is nice, because of no tongue weight. Your hitch suggestions, confirmed what I felt about sway and how to help control it. Headed from Oregon back to Utah this coming week, and confident that the carrier will do its job. If you need to remove your carrier from the back of the cargo trailer, do you have to loosen the U-bolt clamp that you used?
It's getting to be time to leave Oregon (and Montana) and head south! We'll be following along soon. Yes, I need to remove the ubolt clamp that I put on. The reason it's there is to take the sag out of the hitch carrier and it's working great for that, being super strong.
You should tighten the two wobble straps up until they are. "Helping" , Carry some of the load.
Also keep in mind where the black water and drinking water tanks are on a regular trailer house. Keep them near empty if they are located too far back.
That's right, thanks for the reminder.
Great video👍🏻 Wouldn’t sway bars also help? 🤷🏻♂️
You should do a video sometime of you taking the tongue weight of your trailer.
We've been doing it with a bathroom scale, but it's too limited in range.
Interesting video...!
If you are having to seriously rearrange the weight in order to carry the MC on the rear of the trailer... I think you've out grown your suv & trailer. Maybe it's time for a truck & bigger trailer?
I don't think so. We've moved just a couple of items around.
Like 549. Great tips my friend 👍🏻💛🙏🏻
Thanks, Bill! Appreciate the comment.
@gonagain👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My mom's '84 Chrysler had a fancy "continental kit" for the spare tire mounted on the back. Logged thousands of miles but SQUIRRLIEST drive ever!
Hi Rick and Linda love your channel, I have been watching your channel since 2019 when I was home recovering from bypass surgery. Now I am retired and thinking of converting a cargo trailer. I noticed your floor looks to be fibreglass
I didn’t see a video where you mentioned it. Did you fibreglass the floor yourself? Thanks, you and Linda keep up the great work !
Rick B Halifax Nova Scotia
Hello Rick, thanks for sticking with us all these years! I'm glad that you've decided to convert a cargo trailer yourself because you won't ever regret having it. The floor in ours is just the original wood that has been painted with a good "porch and floor" enamel. Once in awhile we give it another coat.
60% of the weight should be in front of the axle, tapering back to the rear, for the bike on the rear for added weight you could install PIG LEAD WEIGHT IN THE FRONT UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAMPER, EACH PIG WEIGHT COMES IN 50# WEIGHTS, also to stop the sway remember the center of the ball on the hitch should 1' down or below 16" trailer hitch height this will help with the sway . most swaying is cause due in correct balance of the trailer,and truck that are not balance straight, the rear end of the truck sag and the front tires are free wheeling in the air, balance the truck and the trailer and you will not have this problem
I have a lot of sheet lead! I could bolt some of that underneath the frame. Or I could add a flat water tank there, which I've been thing about. Good idea tm!
It’s a good that you have a working ramp and that you have figured out what works best. Just curious why not just open the trailer gate and park the bike inside during travel? Perhaps it’s not long enough or too full.
Because every time we stop for the night, be it a campground or a Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot, we would need to unload the trailer and set up the bunks. Been there and did that and that's why we sold our ATV. This isn't perfect, but it's working. Thanks!
@@gonagain Sounds good. Had to ask. Thanks
Great video. I am looking for a motorcycle carrier as well to put on the back of our 2024 Ford Transit AWD van. I upgraded the suspension to help. Now I have to find a good rack. Did you consider the Mototote carrier? I t looks solid and will hold my Dr650 which weighs about 364 lbs. Any other carriers you considered? Thanks agin for the great videos, I will tryin fire starting on our next trip.
We bought that particular carrier for our ebikes from Harbor Freight. Since we already had it and it's rated for more than what the TW weighs, we kept it. We keep a close eye on it whenever we use it.
Some expanded metal would be good for the ramp and on the top.😀
The easy solution to fix your motorcycle rack is to put aluminum diamond plate material
Thank you.
Hey Rick, Am I to gather there was a shorts changing event on the road home after your last camp trip video? Take care...
It was bad and a real eye opener.
Hey guys, I think you should reconsider carrying the motor cycle on the back of your trailer. I think over time and on some of the roads you travel on it will become a problem. If you can change tow vehicles to a pick up with a 6 foot or better still an 8 foot bed then carry the cycle in the truck bed or modify the trailer to carry the cycle inside the trailer. My concern is that the trailer frame is too weak for this much weight that far behind the axle and it's only a single axle. Jesse
Good idea, but it's not in the cards because we can't afford a new vehicle.
Skateboard tape no slip,traction?
👍👍
Thank you!
Put some expanded steel in the empty spots
Can you put then piece of plywood on the ramp part
Good idea.
Was there not an e-bike there before?
Yes there was but an ebike. although heavy, is considerably lighter than the motorcycle.
Like# 6
My thought remove axle on this trailer and bolt it to a flatbed trailer with enough length for the bike
Why not just cut a piece of plywood to fit on that ramp and rack to cover the openings?
Yup, me again... your hitch clamp is on backwards. You want it to pull the hitch down, since that is the natural way gravity is pulling it, and it will keep it from bouncing, with very little stress. If it is pulling up on the hitch, you are putting all the stress on the clamp. ruclips.net/video/Y88Ly6zJm-g/видео.html
Hello Mark, I purchased it and installed it that way intentionally to take the sag out of the motorcycle carrier. It doesn't make any difference to the carrier because it would be resting on an edge there if installed either way.
@@gonagain Okay, I see why you did that, but yes it does matter. You are putting all the stress on that one small point, versus two points on the bar. Right now, the front of the bar is doing nothing, because you are pushing it in the wrong direction. The top of the front of the bar should be resting against the top of the receiver, but it is not. I know it would be more of a PITA, but you would be far better off putting the clamp on as it was designed to be, and then level out the hitch. You could put spacers under the bars that you had welded on. I'm not trying to be a PITA, but I'm just concerned about you and the people you might influence.
@@gonagain Looking at this again, I know how to fix it right. You would have to cut the pipe partly thru and bend it up, and weld it back in place. I could do it with 100% confidence in the weld, as I have built hotrods and grafted on complete front suspensions on to the original rear frames to accommodate more powerful, more modern drivetrains.
Where I live I can only get trailer tires made in China
They're all made in China, but most of the name brand ones are fine. Just get the deepest tread depth and highest load rating that you can find.
Hi Rick, Hello Linda. The information you are sharing is very important, and I thank you for walking us through the details. There is No Substitute for the Safety needed when towing a rig of any size especially when going off-road. Rick, did you do any research on the Articulating Hitch that I showed you?? The extended bracing you added to your cargo-hitch is very clever considering how much stress is connected to the bike platform. I think I will incorporate your 'added-safety' bracing and breathe easier myself. Thanks Much. Vincenzo.
Hello Vinny! I did look into that articulating hitch and I like it. I just can't afford it at the moment. Right now I'm shopping for tires. Let me know how your search for land is going.