camping trailer

BklynPete · Dec 4, 2004

does anyone here ever use a camping trailer behind their bmw. i'm thinking of getting one, a trailmaster. i've seen them at some weekend bmw rallies and they seem very easy to set up and more importantly, easy to break down (tired of waiting for the tent to dry from dew, and having to stuff everything in a waterproof bag.). i'm thinking of just doing alot of local weekend bmw camping rallies. just set up the tent and enjoy the rest of the weekend riding around and seeing the sights. i would love to know how stable are they and any ups or downs to doing this type of riding.

pete

BRADFORDBENN · Dec 4, 2004

Helen Twowheels wrote a nice little article at http://www.bmwmoa.org/camping/trailers.htm that talks about trailers.

SHAG · Dec 4, 2004

not me but.........

Met a guy from NY at the Finger Lakes rally & saw him again at Return to Shiloh. He tows a camper with an older K bike & had slept in that thing 87 days this year. He said it's no problem towing . He also said it was the smallest one you could buy. He had room for a cooler with food & drinks.

I also met another guy in Shelby Montana on the way back from the national, towing a larger one with a new LT. He had good & bad comments!

Got me real interested in looking at them!

Stuff2c · Dec 4, 2004

ÔÇ£no big dealÔÇØ

I pulled a Time Out for years with an 85 K100RT, two up. We loved being 2 feet of the ground in those ÔÇ£Toad Stranglers.ÔÇØ Many of the people I rode with had no idea I could ride as aggressive as I did pulling a 400+ lb loaded trailer. The only time I ever had any trouble was in a panic-braking situation. ABS would have been nice in retrospect. Under heavy acceleration you know itÔÇÖs there. Be very careful from a dead stop and a sharp turn start; it will pull you to the ground. Also be careful with curbs, I flipped mine on its side once. Most of the time you wonÔÇÖt even know itÔÇÖs there. Remember your friends will always ask you to carry all their extra stuff so they can travel light. :doh

ItÔÇÖs a ÔÇ£no big dealÔÇØ if you use common cense.

BklynPete · Dec 4, 2004

BradfordBenn said:
Helen Twowheels wrote a nice little article at http://www.bmwmoa.org/camping/trailers.htm that talks about trailers.

yep, read that article awhile ago, also a chapter in a motorcycle camping book i have had for a number of years. thanks for the reply though.

BklynPete · Dec 4, 2004

* SHAG * said:
Met a guy from NY at the Finger Lakes rally & saw him again at Return to Shiloh. He tows a camper with an older K bike & had slept in that thing 87 days this year. He said it's no problem towing . He also said it was the smallest one you could buy. He had room for a cooler with food & drinks.

I also met another guy in Shelby Montana on the way back from the national, towing a larger one with a new LT. He had good & bad comments!

Got me real interested in looking at them!

do you remember which trailer he was towing. i have a 1100rt, it seems alot of people are towing with a k bike. i'm guessing my r bike should be no problem. glad i'm not the only one thinking about this. :wave

BklynPete · Dec 4, 2004

Stuff2C said:
I pulled a Time Out for years with an 85 K100RT, two up. We loved being 2 feet of the ground in those ÔÇ£Toad Stranglers.ÔÇØ Many of the people I rode with had no idea I could ride as aggressive as I did pulling a 400+ lb loaded trailer. The only time I ever had any trouble was in a panic-braking situation. ABS would have been nice in retrospect. Under heavy acceleration you know itÔÇÖs there. Be very careful from a dead stop and a sharp turn start; it will pull you to the ground. Also be careful with curbs, I flipped mine on its side once. Most of the time you wonÔÇÖt even know itÔÇÖs there. Remember your friends will always ask you to carry all their extra stuff so they can travel light. ItÔÇÖs a ÔÇ£no big dealÔÇØ if you use common cense.

thanks for the tips, never would have thought about the turn from a stop thingy. i heard shiloh rally can be tricky most years and that's one that i would like to go to one day. so the idea of having something off the ground and stable sounds good to me for that rally. i guess toll booths could be an issue too. i'm thinking that the bike would be right in the oily part of the booth area if i give enough room not to hit the booth with the trailer. also, do they charge the same for a bike with trailer as they do cars with one? sorry for all the questions, but since you tow one, you the man

Stuff2c · Dec 5, 2004

Toll booths, boy that brings back memories of dragging my hubcaps on the curbing. Remember (and you will) your trailer is quite a bit wider than your bike, so the things like toll collectors can make your pucker factor rise as you pull into the rain soaked toll lane and forget your pulling a trailer. You will pay dearly on the toll roads. Anything that pulls on one wheel more than the other, like speed bumps not hit square at low speed. Now that I think about it, itÔÇÖs mostly low speed stuff that keeps you alert. Down grade loose stuff like gravel, sand and such is much worse pulling a trailer. You can no longer pull ÔÇ£intoÔÇØ a parking space unless you have a friend :help

to act as your reverse gear. Not trailer related but I remember one toll collector tried to charge me for my sidecar rig.

Once again common cense rules!
Enjoy!

SHAG · Dec 5, 2004

bklyn pete said:
do you remember which trailer he was towing. i have a 1100rt, it seems alot of people are towing with a k bike. i'm guessing my r bike should be no problem. glad i'm not the only one thinking about this.

I don't know. All I know is that he got it used & uses it a lot. He said it's the smallest one you can buy! I thought it was perfect!

BklynPete · Dec 5, 2004

Stuff2C said:
Toll booths, boy that brings back memories of dragging my hubcaps on the curbing. Remember (and you will) your trailer is quite a bit wider than your bike, so the things like toll collectors can make your pucker factor rise as you pull into the rain soaked toll lane and forget your pulling a trailer. You will pay dearly on the toll roads. Anything that pulls on one wheel more than the other, like speed bumps not hit square at low speed. Now that I think about it, itÔÇÖs mostly low speed stuff that keeps you alert. Down grade loose stuff like gravel, sand and such is much worse pulling a trailer. You can no longer pull ÔÇ£intoÔÇØ a parking space unless you have a friend to act as your reverse gear. Not trailer related but I remember one toll collector tried to charge me for my sidecar rig. Once again common cense rules!
Enjoy!

i guess i can always mount some angle iron off my fairing with little flags on them to remind me how wide the trailer is..do you know if cops have problems with having a trailer on parkways. i'm trying to remember if i've ever seen one on the brp.

basketcase · Dec 6, 2004

I own a cargo trailer that I've pulled many times behind a Wing, and I know quite a few people who own and have pulled camping trailers behind their Gold Wings.

I've never pulled anything behind a BMW, but have considered putting a hitch on the K11. Bushtec manufacturers hitches for most late model BMW motorcycles. You can find them on their site at the link. They also stock pre-fabricated wiring harness for making the light hook ups.

Next, if you download the MS Word document, there are a half-dozen or so links to various manufacturers of camping trailers for motorcyclists.

Happy hunting.

BklynPete · Dec 6, 2004

RickM said:
I own a cargo trailer that I've pulled many times behind a Wing, and I know quite a few people who own and have pulled camping trailers behind their Gold Wings.

I've never pulled anything behind a BMW, but have considered putting a hitch on the K11. Bushtec manufacturers hitches for most late model BMW motorcycles. You can find them on their site at the link. They also stock pre-fabricated wiring harness for making the light hook ups.

Next, if you download the MS Word document, there are a half-dozen or so links to various manufacturers of camping trailers for motorcyclists.

Happy hunting.

thanks for the info rick. that's a nice k11 you have. too bad they replaced that bike with the k12lt. i may wind up with a k1200 gt at the end of next year, or the new r1200rt. i want to test ride both and see which one causes my blood to flow. :twirl

RevWillie · Dec 7, 2004

I've been pulling a Bunkhouse camper trailer behind my R1100RT for about 2 years. The Bunkhouse is a GREAT camper home-it has tons of space and a comfy bed. People are amazed when they see me roll in and pop it out into a Taj Mahal. One reason that I got a trailer was so that I could keep it packed and not lose a half of a day trying to get all packed up. Now I can stumble out to my bike,attach the trailer and get on the road in the AM instead of near-nightfall. The Bunkhouse sets up fast and tears down fast-a good thing if the weather is not too good. It is also a good way to have a place to crash if you need some snooze time--WalMarts,truck stops and roadside rest stops make for a cheap place to sleep for the night.

Now, when you are pulling it, you realize that you have a rolling anchor attached to your bike. No fast take-offs or roll-ons. I have found that ABS does work very well with a trailer attached, You will lose about 5 MPG pulling a trailer and will have increased tire wear. I have heard of some clutch problems with R bikes, and I had to replace my clutch last year. I know that the trailer put some strain on the clutch but I think that the previous owners of my RT also contributed to the wear.

All-in-all, I am happy with my Bunkhouse.

basketcase · Dec 7, 2004

There are lots of "ways to fly" in terms of pulling a cargo or camper trailer.

Mine is a homegrown rig built from a kit obtained from Harbor Freight. It is a basic metal frame trailer with 8" wheels. Replacement wheels are easily obtained at most any WalMart.

I opted for the cheap route, because (1) I couldn't see putting $3,000 to $5,000 into a custom trailer that would only make a half dozen trips a year, and (2) because I enjoy tinkering with projects, and (3) because when or if I do put big $$$ into one, it will be a camper and not a cargo model -- and not to forget, after I retire.

I caught the frame and wheel kit on sale for around $140 plus a modest shipping charge, ordered the swivel hitch from Venco Wings, and did the fabrication on the tongue myself. The old cartop cargo pod is one that we had stuck under the deck. It is not much to look at, but my tent and camping cot don't know the difference. At present, I have around $350 in the whole outfit.

The link will take you to a picture of it on another thread about Uni-go cargo trailers. Scroll down until you see the photo of the funky looking trailer behind the Green Gold Wing.

Homegrown Cargo Trailer

BklynPete · Dec 7, 2004

Rev.Willie said:
I've been pulling a Bunkhouse camper trailer behind my R1100RT for about 2 years. The Bunkhouse is a GREAT camper home-it has tons of space and a comfy bed. People are amazed when they see me roll in and pop it out into a Taj Mahal. One reason that I got a trailer was so that I could keep it packed and not lose a half of a day trying to get all packed up. Now I can stumble out to my bike,attach the trailer and get on the road in the AM instead of near-nightfall. The Bunkhouse sets up fast and tears down fast-a good thing if the weather is not too good. It is also a good way to have a place to crash if you need some snooze time--WalMarts,truck stops and roadside rest stops make for a cheap place to sleep for the night.

Now, when you are pulling it, you realize that you have a rolling anchor attached to your bike. No fast take-offs or roll-ons. I have found that ABS does work very well with a trailer attached, You will lose about 5 MPG pulling a trailer and will have increased tire wear. I have heard of some clutch problems with R bikes, and I had to replace my clutch last year. I know that the trailer put some strain on the clutch but I think that the previous owners of my RT also contributed to the wear.

All-in-all, I am happy with my Bunkhouse.

thanks rev.,
your the first one to reply that actually uses an rt to tow. i am looking at the bunkhouse and the trailmaster. both seem very well made and each cancels each other out with different features. did you look at the trailmaster too. if so, what made you go for the bunkhouse?

RevWillie · Dec 8, 2004

Yeah, I looked at the Trailmaster a bit while checking out trailers. I went with the Bunkhouse because it had a bigger bed and tent area, and I believe that it has more storage space. I also asked around and I didn't hear any negatives concerning the Bunkhouse. The Bunkhouse folks are nice and helpful and my wife and I saw some Bunkhouses at Redmond and we I liked what we saw.

marks146 · Dec 12, 2004

Trailering on the BRP

bklyn pete said:
i guess i can always mount some angle iron off my fairing with little flags on them to remind me how wide the trailer is..do you know if cops have problems with having a trailer on parkways. i'm trying to remember if i've ever seen one on the brp.

I rode the whole length South to North this past summer pulling a home built HF cargo trailer without any problems from the park authorities. It was a great trip and one I could recommend doing. :nod

When loaded, the trailer weighs around 450lbs total. I don't have any problems pulling it with my '99 K1200LT. I suppose a camper would weigh more after you get her loaded with all the essentials and nonessentials, too.

What matters most is how the trailer is loaded. I could tell right away if the trailer was out of trim, meaning front or back heavy. After a little shifting of the load and things would be OK once again. I do recommend using some way to hold the contents from shifting during travel. I use an elastic cargo net to keep the load from shifting and changing the tongue weight during travel.

BklynPete · Dec 12, 2004

marks146 said:
I rode the whole length South to North this past summer pulling a home built HF cargo trailer without any problems from the park authorities. It was a great trip and one I could recommend doing.

When loaded, the trailer weighs around 450lbs total. I don't have any problems pulling it with my '99 K1200LT. I suppose a camper would weigh more after you get her loaded with all the essentials and nonessentials, too.

What matters most is how the trailer is loaded. I could tell right away if the trailer was out of trim, meaning front or back heavy. After a little shifting of the load and things would be OK once again. I do recommend using some way to hold the contents from shifting during travel. I use an elastic cargo net to keep the load from shifting and changing the tongue weight during travel.

i'm glad that towing a trailer on the brp isn't a problem. i wonder if they are all that way? i was reading a section on trailers that said to rig up a section of 2X4 so that a scale can rest on it under the hitch. this way you can tell if the load is right by the hitch weight. i wonder if putting a rubber mat down would prevent shifting. i was thinking of using plastic storage containers to pack stuff in, easier to see what you may need to get out then duffle bags.

Bill Zeller · Dec 16, 2004

Camping Trailer

We recently bought a R1200C and will be ordering a Bunkhouse Camping Trailer. We wanted a lot of room and a comfortable bed (getting older). We will also tow it behind our Miata. We don't yet have a hitch for the bike. Anyone out there recommend a hitch that will fit it? I believe I saw one on line at A&E but my dealer said BMW doesn't make one.

Anyone out there tow with the R1200C?

Thanks, Bill Zeller (my 1st post) :clap

2002 R1200
96 Goldwing

rbs · Dec 31, 2004

The Lees-ure Lite has been recommended

I just read through this thread and offer my two cents, well maybe a penneys worth.

I am looking to purchase a camping trailer and plan to pull it behind my R1150RT. It was suggested (by my brother) that I seriously consider the base model Lees-ure Lite.

The recommendation was for a couple of reasons. First the roof has no wood in the construction, and second the fold out has rails that preclude it from sitting flat on the ground where it would be subject to flooding. Also there is more than adequate headroom.

Any feedback on this trailer would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

camping trailer

BklynPete

Guest

Slowpoke & Proud of It!

Registered Loser

Stuff2c

Guest

BklynPete

Guest

BklynPete

Guest

BklynPete

Guest

Stuff2c

Guest

Registered Loser

BklynPete

Guest

What's that noise...?

Attachments

BklynPete

Guest

On the Blue Roads

What's that noise...?

BklynPete

Guest

On the Blue Roads

marks146

Guest

BklynPete

Guest

Bill Zeller

Guest

rbs

Guest

Similar threads