Custom Made Pull Behind Trailer

Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Yes sir.

About 2 hours worth of work, some 1" strap, angle and a MIG. I'm 215 lbs and I can bounce on the hitch with no real flex so I think it will be fine with the trailer tongue weight at about 20 lbs. It now has a ring on the bottom for safety chains and is Duracoated in matte black.

Trailer lights is the next challenge to be overcome. I thought I found wires that control the rear lights, but they turned out to be something else since only 1 out of 4 had power to them....nothing is ever as easy as it should be.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
534
Age
65
Location
Wakefield UK
Bike
ST1100
STOC #
6583
Hi Lowrider
Looking good,
I got my roof box on Wednesday. It's a start, now on to the build.
I like the look of the hitch, nice and neat, but can I ask for a shot of the hitch/trailer attached to the bike please(close up) I can't work out in my head how it stays in place.
No rush I fully understand I will have to wait until you corner a PC literate child. I'm constantly asking my daughter iPod questions.
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
77
Location
Nescopeck PA
The concern with going over 55 with a trailer has more to do with the vehicle's ability to stop especially in a 'panic' situation.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Gosh....I guess I should have known that before I took her up to 100 and ran 70 for 10 miles. I think the limit is the tires, but I have the same ones or close on a boat trailer that had lots of 65 plus miles on them. I'll see, but my guess is they will be fine.
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Messages
48
Location
Florence, Misssissippi
55 mph max speed is not true. That is stated on tires with full load, I think trailer out of box was rated at 750lbs. or better? If your loaded with that much, you need a truck. I pulled mine across Texas at 85mph. Tires and hubs were cool to touch. No abnormalties in how it pulled etc. I think you can find more info on this through the Delphi trailer forum.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
I switched over from the bulb lights that came with the HF trailer to LED lights...are they brighter?? Yeah...kinda...hard to tell during the day...was it worth the $50...YEAH...I think so!!

Second test pull this morning was 10 miles or so on back roads exceeding the posted limit (but only briefly officer) and it pulled great. This time it was nearly empty and it showed no sign of swerving or "flying". I did some long sweeping turns and some hard turns at a lower, but still pretty hot (just testing officer) speed and it was difficult to tell the trailer was back there at all.

Am I happy with the trailer?

You bet!!

I think I have a enough change left out of a $350 bill to buy a week's supply of Klondike Bars or maybe I'll just have some fruit and a bowl of chili since I'm trying to loose the tire above my belt.

I'm off to NS, NB and PEI in a couple weeks with the trailer following me closely behind.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Just a bit of an update....I'm in St John, NB with almost 1K miles on the trailer and so far so good. I have noticed there is bit of swaying at speeds above 80 MPH when near an 18 wheeler....enough to cause you to throttle back to stay away from the truck. I have about 150 lbs in the trailer and is just a stable as you could ever want....except on really rough roads when it acts a bit like a pogo stick.

Weather has been wonderful so far and the Bay of Fundy is beautiful....off to Moncton in the AM and Halifax on Saturday to pick up my wife.

Great trip so far...wish you were here!!
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
I'm currently at St Ann's, NS and will attack the Cabot Trail in the AM. Weather has been good except for one thunder storm and a romp thru some mist and light rain this PM....trailer got really wet in the thunder storm and I'm happy to say there are no leaks...PERIOD in the trailer or my GORE Tex rain suit!!

I would like to report that if you allow your safety chain to drag on the road....it will wear thru the link in a matter of hours and it did so quietly!!
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Currently in Cheticamp, NS and we finished the Cabot Trail thru rain showers ans some fairly stiff winds.... views were beautiful, fish chowder and clams are great and the the salmon is fresh like I used to catch it in AK. All in all, a worthwhile trip despite the rain.

Trailer continues to follow close behind. Fuel calculations after 1800 miles of a variety of different roads...trailer costs about 8 mpg thru out the trip so far.

House prices are pretty good here....3 bedroom house on St Ann's Bay (waterfront) with 4 acres.....asking $125K....5 BR on 13 acres with waterfront is asking $225K. I can't talk my wife into staying....
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Now in Charlottetown, PEI...took the ferry from Pictou, NS to the landing on the East end of PEI. The ride from the ferry landing to Charlottetown is thru some very nice farm country...wish I could get hay like they have up here in MD...just not sure how much the trailer will hold. Trailer is holding up better than my wife....she is asleep already.

Trailer now has more than 2000 miles on it without a problem...knock on wood!! My home made trailer hitch is still functioning as designed.

5 Harley riders were looking at the set-up when I came out of a resturant at lunch...thought I would get some smart remarks, but they were interested in how I built the trailer and how it towed. I told them great and at speeds above a Harley's useful envelope....they just laughed and I told them I had a Lowrider too and it made them feel better. I try to be sensitive to our fellow riders.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
We spent the last day and a half in Parrsboro, NS...a great little town and the surrounding area has some of the best "coastal " views we saw in NS. We stayed in a 1850's vintage B&B which was exquisitly redone and our breakfast was a social event with the other guests. The Bay of Fundy had a 38' tide for our entertainment and the sky's were cloudless...temps in the mid 70's and low humidity...what a great place!!!

Trailer continues to follow me closely, however it did get sprayed by tar while going thru a repaving operation...bike did too so it will be a mess to be cleaned up when I get home. I checked everything last night and all is well after 2150 miles of some good, some really bad roads. and some gravel as well. It appears there is no wear at all on the cheap little 8" Chinese tires, bearings are still cool after a long pull and the box is holding it's shape well even considering it has been "over stuffed" a few times....just need to figure out a way to haul my DRZ 400 and the kayak....that woud be my F250...I guess...just not the same. This is a great little trailer...cheap and easy to build too!!
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Halifax to Bangor in 8 hours...I love this bike!!

Trailer did just fine at high speed in high temps....91F.

I hit a hard rain storm today in the Vermont mtns and the contents are completely dry...over 3K miles with no problems....I love this trailer!!
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
Home last night...total 3774 miles...not one problem with the bike or trailer...GPS power cord died in NH and I had to find my way home with dead reckoning and solar navigation. Bike temps on I95 in NYC yesterday were between 94F and 103F...damn that bike makes a lot of heat all on it's own with out the sun helping!!

I averaged 37.4 MPG by GPS mileage and gas totals pulling the trailer for the entire trip....900 miles of which were 2 up with my lovely wife and a lot was at 75 - 80 mph when she was not on board. Interestingly...the bike mpg computer came up within 0.6 mpg (high) of the actual. The speedo is not very accurate, but the consumption seems to be pretty close. My bet is that the mileage is a little better because there is none of that damn ethanol in the gas up above the border...bike like that a lot!!

The only failures were the two balls for my drink holders...one broke on the way up in ME and the other broke in the middle of the Tappan Zee Bridge yesterday...just minutes after I filled up with a large McDonalds ice tea. I managed to catch both cup holders and it was a lot of fun holding it in my teeth until I got across the bridge and could pull over to the side. My fix will be to drill out the alum ball and put a countersunk stainless 1/4" x 20 tpi screw thru the ball into the handle bars where I had the others drilled and tapped. My assessement of the ball is that there is < 3/16" of alum holding the ball...clearly not enough to hold a large McD tea for any length of time!!! A 1" ball bearing welded to a 1/4" x 20 tpi bolt would also make a fine cup holder ball thingy.

Canada has some of the most warm and friendly folks I have met lately!!! We sincerely appreciate them sharing their lovely country with us and if we are welcome, we'll be back one of these day soon!!
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Maryland Eastern Shore
Bike
ST 1300
STOC #
7450
As much as I like my little bitty trailer...the bike sure is a LOT more fun without it!!!

Next trip in the planning stages...Ft Myers in Jan 10....we'll see if that works out as well.
 
Top Bottom