Cargo Trailer Info

[BLACKHOOF]

I'm looking for anecdotal reports from those of you have used a cargo type
trailer to enhance your rally experience. What brands worked well, what sized
trailers, weight, etc.... you get the picture. My new to me K1100LT is dying
to get hitched. The SO & I are anxious to began a new chapter in bringing it
all with us in order to avoid the dreaded Comfort Inn Complex.

 

[barryg]

I'm like Blackhoof, looking for a cargo trailer to pull behind my 87 K100RT. I've already got the Reynolds hitch. I'm going to carry a Eureka Timberline 6 tent. I want to be able to stand up in my tent. So I need abox big enough to fit that in. May pull it to the Nat. this year and be in total comfort.

 

[rich]

Check out Bushtec. Pricey but first class all the way.

 

[Ridealot]

I have had several cargo trailers over the years. My opinion is that they are great. The people who say they would never pull a trailer are almost always people with no experience actually pulling one.

A properly set up and loaded trailer will NOT slow you down in the corners. You just need to ride smoothly. If your going to brake for a corner don't wait until you are in the corner. Plan ahead. For twisty roads that you are always accererating or slowing down I use a lower gear than I normally would to increase engine braking. Once into the corner you can go just as fast as if you didn't have the trailer on.

I have pulled trailers with a K100RT and now with a K1100LT. Before pulling a trailer throw your stock shock away and put on a top quality shock. Ohlins, Wilbers, or one that is fully adjustable. Suspension set up is a must. Let me repeat that, suspension set up is a must!

Below is a picture of the last three trailers I have had. The Uni-go was a great handling rig in the corners. You honestly couldn't tell it was back there. It does require very good slow speed bike handling skills though since you are balancing the bike and the trailer. Make a mistake and you drop both.

My favorite and current trailer is the Bushtec. It is expensive and worth every penny. It has a cooler on the front which in hot weather is worth its wait in gold. The cargo capacity is also about 3 times the amount of the Uni-go. With the Bushtec we don't pack much more than we did with the Uni-go, but we also don't have to cram stuff in as tight as possible.

The trailer just makes the rally experience so much better. You can take the little things that you want without packing the bike like the Clampetts. Kermit chairs, sun shade, extra shoes, cold weather gear, hot weather gear take it all.

PEOPLE WITHOUT A TRAILER STOP READING NOW!!!



Don't tell anyone else and give away my secret. But at rallies I show up with the cooler full of cold beer. Then the rest of the weekend the guys we camp with buy all the beer. What they don't know is that the beer I brought is usually the beer that was left over from the last rally.

 

[basketcase]

+1 for the Bushtec if you want top of the line. I've been around a lot of them but don't own one. If I ever buy a manufactured trailer it will probably be the Turbo +2.

Also, I know Bushtec sells and installs a hitch for the K bikes. There may be others who offer hitches that I don't know about.

Meanwhile, my cargo trailer is a homegrown arrangement built from a Harbor Freight kit. It tracks true, pulls effortlessly, and I have a total of $460 and some change in it.

My camping stuff is none the wiser.

 

[BLACKHOOF]

Great stuff folks!

I knew there were some good stories here. The pic with the large red
trailer & bicycle made me laugh out loud. I found an older used Bushtec
that I looked at & was very impressed with the engineering involved in
it's manufacture. All I need now is the $$$.

Thanks for your input.