New Trailer Owner

[Okie34]

Well, I've gone and done it. Next weekend, I will be the proud owner of a 2004 Aspen Sentry Camper. I spent this last weekend in prepaeration for this. Myself and my mechanic friend put on the hitch (Marvellas) yesterday. Took some doing, it's not near as easy as the instructions give, but we managed to do this without too much cussing. Got the light plug wired, that was actually a little easier than I thought it would go. Put on new Progressive rear shocks and they work great!

Now it's the ride to Nebraska to get the trailer from the folks that currently have it. It's going to interesting to say the least!

-- JD

[TheAudiDoc]

make sure you have a spare tire/rim with you....nothing ruins a 1st trip like a flat and no spare....good luck

[MTN99]

JD,

Congrats on the Trailer... Hope the trip goes well.

Justa word of caution.. unless you've have towed with the bike before... TAKE it SLOW till you get used to the way it handles with the added weight. Your stopping distance will suprise ya..

Also take a fish scale with you to measure the tongue weight... (Lot of discussion on this.. kinda like a oil thread...) I try to keep our tongue wt around 25-30 lbs... works for me...

Now you'll have a place to pack along the fishing rods & gear for those trips to Camp Swampy

Oh ya .... Post some pics when you get a chance

[Okie34]

Well, I picked up the trailer on Saturday. Wow! What a difference! Apparently, the owner added an extension to the toungue to help the swaying and bouncing at some point.

A couple of points I learned rather rapidly:

1. Don't plan on doing ANYTHING fast. Start up, slowdown, stop, turn, etc. It ain't gonna happen, so plan accordingly.

2. Mileage drop was more than I expected. I didn't figure my mileage (I should have, I know...) but it was certainly a noticable drop.

3. Not real bad in the wind, but if it moves you, see point 1.

I think I may like this though. As long as I'm not in a big hurry, I can comfortably cruise along around 62 mph.

-- JD

[Lucasind]

Im glad i came across this post,, I was working on a bike in the garage saturday, when my cell rang. A guy I sold my Z-1 classic to nearly 30 years ago called to ask If I would be interested in a 84 wing with every chrome add on made that has been sitting outside for three years with trailer.. !!!! hard up for cash, he accepted $ 500.00 for both ,, The wing will be shined up and got running and flipped,, but I plan on keeping the trailer, as I've never had a trailer for my bike. My wife and I still go camping on put n bay island on lake erie quite often and this would be perfect ... I am going to repaint the trailer two tone grey to match the 03 voy/12. Any tips or experiences for a new trailer puller would be helpful,,,,, thanks........tony

[Neal]

What kind of trailer? Camper - cargo - cartop on a homebrew chassis????

[Lucasind]

......o.k..... found a name plate on the trailer.... it had been painted over,, it is a COLEMAN trailer made in wichita ks. GWVR 908...CURB WT. 158....MAX LOAD 750....TIRES 4.80 /8....60psi BL.R
swivel tongue,, side opening cargo trailer.... we will re-paint it to match our bike.....it will haul more than what we need on our camping trips !! I took some pics today and will post both trailer and wing soon....( still can't believe I got both soooooo cheap !!! ) not B.S,'n ........tony

p.s. I think I will advertise/sell both my wings at a low price for both.....

[Lucasind]

Here are the pictures of my recent purchases. The last picture is a small line of bikes from the stable.

[Lucasind]

These are some pictures of the blue trailer. It has now been repainted two-tone grey to match the 03' Voyager. Work is not complete, but it will be ready to roll by rally time!

[Lucasind]

.....so sad the 2013 riding season is coming to an end for us folks in the north.... my first year for being a "tugger " is over, as I winterized the trailer that I put soooooo much work into..(back up and see previous posts )... over the past rainy weekend.... I coated the trailer's new paint job after a thorough cleaning ,with a protectant.... then towed her down to another property that I own,, covered her with a loose fitting tarp and said "see ya in the spring" read a bunch of stuff on -line about the pro's and con's of elevating/ removing the wheels...... so I decided to do nothing at all,in the wheel department,, and will check it out in the spring .... as the previous owner did nothing at all exept un-hook it ... and leave it where it lied.to face the harsh weather elements,, my situation is at least clean and dry and indoors so what do the rest of you tuggers do for ur trailers in the " off season " any thing I should know ???

[Dion]

so sad the 2013 riding season is coming to an end for us folks in the north What end I will riding till the snow is covering the road

[Terros]

Have towed a Quik Camp many miles so a few things to remember. A swaying trailer usually means an improperly loaded trailer. I'm thinking the tongue should by 1 1/2 times the width of the axle, as measured from the axle forward. Always check the wheel bearing at beginning of season and regrease. If new to towing, hook up trailer and go for a ride around town. Try to have the trailer loaded to it's approx travel weight. Try stopping quick in a parking lot or making some sharp turns, the trailer can add a lot of pucker power so try hauling it everywhere you go for awhile. And yes carry a spare.
Bob

[Bill from Baltimore]

I have same trailer, its a coleman caboose, I still have paint mine, its the red color. It trailers behind my 03 very nicely, plenty of room for my gear.

[Lucasind]

..... yes, these trailers DO hold alot of gear ! going to the rally last summer ,and everywhere else we go, I am the only one that pulls a trailer, everyones "stuff" ends up behind my bike, most times 4 peoples luggage. On the return trip there is even more stuff as people buy stuff while on trips. An extra (approx.) 400 pounds behind the bike sure drags down the mileage , but once the bike is brought up to highway speed, you barely know it's back there mile after mile. Looking foreward to the 2014 riding season, to pull her down to N.C..............cheers !....tony