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Old 11-25-2009, 07:53 AM   #1
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Now I'll start with the questions....

I do not yet have a trailer to tow behind the rv and haul the bike in, and have a few questions for you guys.

1. With something as small as an enclosed trailer (probably 7 x 12), are trailer brakes necessary? I know I wouldn't need them with that small a trailer behind my pickup or the wife's SUV, but the MH is a bit different in the stopping department. Will the added weight of the trailer and bike send it over the edge, so to speak, or will it be just a very small drop in the very large bucket thus making it of little or no consequence?

2. Do I need to spend the extra coin on a V-nose trailer? My thinking tells me that the MH punches such a big hole in the air that the front of the trailer won't really get any air to it anyways, making the V-nose pretty, but not nearly as functional as originally intended. I'm on a very tight budget, and everywhere I can save a buck really helps, but I also want to do things properly and in my own best interest long term.

3. How secure do you feel your bikes are when you're in a campground/rv park? Do you put the bike back in the trailer every night and lock it down, or just park it? Is there a standard practice, or do you just go case-by-case?

As always, thanks in advance for any help/insight.
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Old 11-25-2009, 08:05 AM   #2
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1. I'd check your MH manufacturer's recommendations as well as applicable state law for trailer brake requirements. I'd think you would be (depending on the bike you'll be hauling) around 1500 to 2000 lbs which, in Texas, wouldn't require trailer brakes. For simplicity and economy with such a light trailer, though, you might consider one with hydraulic surge brakes.

2. The trailer is in the wake of the MH, so I don't think the V-nose will be of nearly so much value as it would be if you were towing it behind a car or pickup. The downside of a V-nose, of course, is the interior space you lose for a given amount of trailer length.

3. It all depends on the campground and surrounding area, but when I'm able to take my 2007 BMW K1200GT with us (a friend with a MH has a 2-bike trailer), I just park it next to our RV and have never had a problem with anyone tampering with it, much less stealing it.

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Old 11-25-2009, 12:12 PM   #3
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I have a 12 foot enclosed single wheel trailer that has a 1000 lb capacity and haul my 600 lb ATV and another 200 lbs of fuel and extra water. I asked the dealer if aux brakes would be nessary and he said no with a single wheel trailer with a 1000 lb rating. I tow it behind my MH and can't tell it's back there when braking. A V nose in my opinion behind the MH would be a waste of $$$ especially a 12' trailer.
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Old 11-25-2009, 12:34 PM   #4
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I have towed my Harly RK in an enclosed trailer behind my old MH. It is a 5x10 Haulmark trailer with a rear ramp door no "V". The MH had a 455ci Gas engine. I had plenty of power and brakes were just fine with discs up front and 4 drum system in the rear.The trailer weighs 1000lbs and the MC 750lbs with perhaps another 200 lbs for asst stuff the MH suspension was not taxed at all it had a rear air suspension. I have been to South Dakota Sturgis, Deadwood , Rapid City and throughout that area of the country there are plenty of hills going to Deadwood and into Rapid City . The trailer does not have brakes, I don't know if it should (I don't believe it is required in NY) but it worked fine without them. I have not towed it behind my Dynasty as yet but I am sure it will work great I do drive pretty conservatively when towing.
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Old 11-25-2009, 01:18 PM   #5
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Trailer

We have a 7X14 V-nose to haul our bikes. Here are some things I've learned. I'm glad we have the electric brakes and the controller on our 40' Monaco. Had to make a panic stop once and it made a significant difference. Your state may have laws concerning brakes on a trailer. The V-nose won't help or hurt IMHO in the towing but might help if you need to back the thing up as opposed to the flat front. We sleep pretty soundly when we park at a Walmart on a trip at least knowing the bikes are locked in instead of the open trailer we used to use. I carry a very heavy log chain and lock for the wheels if we have to unhook for lack of pull-through sites at rv parks.










As a baseline....here is a link for towing laws in the US:
http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm
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Old 11-25-2009, 01:45 PM   #6
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I have an Iron Horse dual clam top trailer and don't need the brakes. I have the brake away hooked up though. Have a Dyna wide glide and Heritage softail and don't know its back there. Pull it with an Explorer also.

Also have a Hydralift. but don't use it.
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Old 11-27-2009, 12:23 AM   #7
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I tow a Contential Cargo, 5 1/2' wide, 6' tall, 12' long, two drop axles, w brakes on both axles, 7000 lb cap, trl weighs 1700 empty, drop rear door, and side door, v-nose. The v starts at the 12 ft mark, therefore I get extra space for storage. I haul a harley ultra classic and all the garage stuff, tools, etc. I believe brakes are a must. It is easy to get pushed thru a sudden stop, and the trailer will probably get sideways if there are no brakes. I don't know the trailer is there under normal stops, but I get a little on the edge traveling thru highly populated areas. I lock the trailer very well, and put a chock type lock between the tires. Depending on where I am at if I keep the bike in the trailer. I always keep the bike locked, and mostly covered. If a pro is after it, it will be gone, but this keeps the little guy from walking away with the rig. I did add the trailer to the MH ins, about 100$ yr. I paid about 4K for the trailer new. I did a lot of shopping before I decided on this trl. There sre a lot of trailers out there. Get something that is good quality from the beginning or it will wind up costing you a lot of $ down the road.
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Old 12-08-2009, 05:41 PM   #8
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Dan, Psst........ Big_Bulky_RK here. I too went through the same questions a few months ago. Took the MH on a 1200 mile cruise with a 12x7 and the Roadking. The trailer didn't have brakes, but I didn't see much difference in braking. Not saying that trailer brakes wouldn't make the mind feel better. My 36 footer has disk front and rear but always reminded myself I was stopping about 23,000 pounds.
I was using a friends trailer, and will get one with brakes when I buy one.

2. Brick nose trailer. Never even knew it was back there.

3. I parked the bike in the trailer at night. Told the wife I didn't want the dew on it, but really wasn't sure myself. That and my wife said even with the level jacks down I rocked the MH while I unloaded the bike. Figure I'd wake up if anything funny was going on in the trailer while attached to the MH.

Glad to see you made it over here. There's so many lifetimes of knowledge on this site. Take care, Glen
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Old 12-08-2009, 06:06 PM   #9
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State laws govern what you need to do. In penna. Any trailer over #3000 gross needs brakes. No questions! And also over #3000 needs to be state inspected in penna. Check your local laws is the best bet.
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Old 12-10-2009, 05:02 PM   #10
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State laws govern what you need to do. In penna. Any trailer over #3000 gross needs brakes. No questions! And also over #3000 needs to be state inspected in penna. Check your local laws is the best bet.
I live in PA and I thought it was 2000 lbs but I could very well be wrong. I think it's pretty tough to find a trailer with a gross over 2000 lbs that doesn't have trailer brakes, maybe that's a federal requirement now.
When I had my Winnebago Sightseer I towed a single axle 7 x 12 trailer W/O brakes and had no problems stopping or going. Now I have to tow a 8 x 20 that I use for my business and my bike so most of the time I'm somewhere around 6800 lbs so I really do use those trailer brakes and they work very well.
One thing you really want to think about before you buy is are you ever going to carry two bikes? Maybe a buddy might want to go with you sometime. I know when I had that single axle it would have been real tough to do that.
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Old 12-10-2009, 08:32 PM   #11
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Each state is different and most have reciprocal agreements that what is legal in your state of residence is legal in the states you drive through.

Just remember to weigh the trailer with everything on it that you are going to carry. Then multiply that weight by 3 and that will be the inertia you have pushing you when you try to stop. A 3000 pound car will have the inertia of 9000 pounds. Stopping distance will vary with the weight and brake wear and tear "may" be greater without an axillary braking system.

Happy trails
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Old 12-12-2009, 07:53 AM   #12
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i live in pa and i thought it was 2000 lbs but i could very well be wrong. I think it's pretty tough to find a trailer with a gross over 2000 lbs that doesn't have trailer brakes, maybe that's a federal requirement now.
When i had my winnebago sightseer i towed a single axle 7 x 12 trailer w/o brakes and had no problems stopping or going. Now i have to tow a 8 x 20 that i use for my business and my bike so most of the time i'm somewhere around 6800 lbs so i really do use those trailer brakes and they work very well.
One thing you really want to think about before you buy is are you ever going to carry two bikes? Maybe a buddy might want to go with you sometime. I know when i had that single axle it would have been real tough to do that.
a lot of just single axle trailers are built to weigh in at just under #3000 lbs just for this reason.when you move to a double axle , they all come with brakes and somewhere around #7000 gvrw(#3500 axles)
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Old 12-12-2009, 08:10 AM   #13
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HERE IS A GOOD QUICK LINK TO CHECK ON STATE BY STATE TOWING LAWS:
State Towing Laws
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Old 12-12-2009, 09:48 AM   #14
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HERE IS A GOOD QUICK LINK TO CHECK ON STATE BY STATE TOWING LAWS:
State Towing Laws
Lots of good info there, thanks for posting it.
One thing I didn't realize was some states require insurance, here in Pa. it is not required however I would strongly recommend buying it. It's dirt cheap, I think I pay about $50.00 a year, well worth it if something goes wrong.
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