Motorcycles for a toad

2-wheeltoad · 08-17-2011, 08:51 AM

Anyone fulltiming in a class A with only motorcycles for a toad? What problems have you had? As soon as the house sells, we're on the road

Wanabee FTer · 08-17-2011, 11:00 AM

Hello 2-wheeltoad,

I personally tow only a car but have seen many that have brought m/c's with them. Usually they tow them in an enclosed trailer, but I have seen one that had the front wheel lifted into a hitch/mount and left only the rear tire on the ground. Many tow a large enclosed trailer that houses a car and a m/c!

Another thing I saw that I thought was pretty cool was a 5'er towing a small m/c trailer behind it. Coming from CA the first time I saw this it seemed illegal but in many other states 2 trailers is okay if under a certain overall length.

Good luck to you and glad to see you here.

Perry White · 08-17-2011, 11:03 AM

Hydra lift on the back of my Newmar Essex. Take the car also.

Wanabee FTer · 08-17-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perry White

Hydra lift on the back of my Newmar Essex. Take the car also.

Forgot to mention the Hydra lift, but probably not an option for a gasser.

2-wheeltoad · 08-18-2011, 08:40 AM

Thanks for the responces but I really want to hear from those pulling only a M/C...We currently have a 35' mh and pull a 12' enclosed trailer hauling 2 Harley's but we've only done this for 2 wks. or less at a time and not fulltime. I am curious not about the physical problems but more the inconveniences of no car, besides the obvious such as weather and groceries...Will it work fulltime?

Perry White · 08-18-2011, 08:48 AM

Get a Smart Car . 8'4" long 1800 lbs. Bigger trailer for both bikes AND the Smart. Problem solved. Pluss , i average 44.6MPG with the Smart. Big enough for me, her and two 6lb poodles.(plus you never get stuck taking the Grandkids home with you) HA

heritage2006 · 08-20-2011, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2-wheeltoad

Anyone fulltiming in a class A with only motorcycles for a toad? What problems have you had? As soon as the house sells, we're on the road

Yup, That would be me ! Have only been doing it since November, 2010 (9+ months) and can't say I've encountered any problems to date.

harris155 · 08-20-2011, 06:07 AM

There are many campsites that do not allow Motorcycles on their grounds.
You have to leave them at their office area even if you are not going to be riding on their grounds.
Five of the six big camp grounds in Myrtle Beach have this policy.
The only bike friendly one is Apache Pier.

Billieg · 08-20-2011, 06:24 AM

We are on a 3 month trip towing my Road King on a 3 bike trailer. First, we spent the last week sitting in the MoHo with nothing to do because in PA it was 60 degrees and raining. (I'd rather have a root canal) Second, the chrome is starting to peel because of all the road filth being put on it when traveling and the paint is fading too. Third, each state has different laws as to what is legal and so far I've collected $215 worth of bad boy tickets. In NY they wanted to impound my bike for loud pipes. (I have mufflers on it too) After the first stop they escorted me back to the MoHo and told me not to ride it in NY again without new stock HD mufflers.

We looked at buying or making a dual trailer where the tow dolly has a platform in the front to hold the bike plus you can tow a small toad. That is the way to go. Wait until you get stuck in the MoHo with the wife for a week giving you that "I told ya so" look, whining and crying and not being able to get out.

I'm making that trailer or going to a toy hauler 5th wheel.

jmckinley · 08-20-2011, 07:15 AM

We spent most of last summer traveling with a motorcycle in tow. Good news is it's cheap and fun running errands and/or touring on the motorcycle. Bad news is when it rains or it's miserably hot you may not be as enthusiastic about it. We never ride without protective clothing so it is sometimes a hassle to get dressed. Enclosed trailer is the only way to go. Bike is slowly destroyed by hauling on an open trailer and it's always filthy and available for theft or tampering. Also with the enclosed trailer, we hung jackets, pants, helmets etc in the trailer so everything was handy and not taking up space in the motorhome. We also carried our tandem bicycle in the trailer for our other sport.

jmckinley · 08-20-2011, 07:19 AM

Just my opinion, but I'm glad to hear NY is clamping down on loud pipes. We live in a tourist area in Ohio and on weekends the noise is really annoying. Loud pipes are why motorcycles are not allowed in some neighborhoods, some cities, some campgrounds etc. There's no reason why one small segment of the population should have a free pass to annoy the rest of us. Stock Harley exhausts sound just fine and are not obnoxiously loud.

Wayne M · 08-20-2011, 08:34 AM

Loud pipes are a problem of the driver. You can easy a motorcycle through any area without "rapping" the pipes. But no, the reel to express oneself is ever present and they take off as if on fire. That is what give the problem. Once on the highway mos people will not care.

I don't ride anymore after a pickup truck pulled out and broadsided me as I was doing 50 mph. That's not fun. And just for reference, my purchased in April 2004 and wrecked March 2007 had 64000 miles on it when it went down. So yes, I rode. I'll even show you the scars and thank the Lord I'm still here.

In regards to your question, many bikers are fair weather riders, and many are just smart and will not ride in the rain. However, there is nothing stopping a rider from going to the grocery store or wally-world to pick up supplies. It's really nice having good saddle bags that don't leak, and a trunk of the same.

If you are the type hat calls ahead to CG's you can always ask about policy and avoid those CG's that have restrictions on MC's.

I have seen some very nice lifts on the back of MH's and they had covers on them. I don't know what the weight limitations are, but that would be a set up I would be interested in. And, as stated, they were still towing a car for those bad weather situations. To me, pulling a trailer is just another headache of where to park it. Especially if you do not have luck finding a pull through. I like my equipment "with" me, or right next to me. My bike had an alarm on it and any movement would set it off. Parking a trailer, even an enclosed one, away from your night time sight, I think, is just asking for someone to take something or damage something. If trailered. enclosed is the way to go because of road grime, but locks can be broken real easy as far as vandalism goes.

Good luck, happy trails, and what ever you do, keep the shiny side up.

goldwingerx2 · 08-20-2011, 10:03 PM

We took only our Goldwing TriCar conversion south to TX with us for a couple of winters. Got along fine. We watched the weather so we did not have to go shopping in rain if possible. The problem I was afraid of was DW cannot drive the bike so if something happened that I could not she would be stuck. We purchased a Smart car last year and take it and the Wing in the enclosed trailer for the winter now. Good thing, I ended up in the hospital for 2 months with no knee. Because we had the car she was able to get back and forth, and after the knee replacement I was not comfortable on the trike until after we got back home. And I am just now getting to where I would consider 2 wheels again.

Edit: I have been riding for 50+ years so I am comfortable in most weather/road conditions.