Need Help with Enclosed Trailer Choices

[TVRider]

Hope you guys can share your experience with me. I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey Mini-Van. My son and I are going to a family reunion in Durango, CO in August (we live in SE Missouri). It's about 1200 miles. I am thinking about buying an enclosed trailer so we can take our bikes along and still stay in hotels (no security concerns).

Since we often take at least 3 bikes when we ride, how big an enclosed trailer do we need?

How big an enclosed trailer can we tow to CO. with the mini-van?

Can you/ would you put a trailer brake controller on the mini-van?

Any recommendations on brands?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Okiewan]

You need to look at the towing capacity of your vehicle.
Yes, you can add a brake controller to anything, just make sure the trailer you get has electric brakes :) Try to get something with a bubble-nose if you can, it helps a lot.

You can easily get three bikes in a 5x10, 6x10, 8x12 ... go as large as your set-upwill allow, there's always a need for more room (gear, another bike, tools, etc)

There are a lot of choices, Wells Cargo is my pick.

I still never feel safe with my trailer in a parking lot over night. The fact that it has huge DirtRider.Net stickers on it, probably doesn't help.

 

[TVRider]

Maybe I should rephrase my question. Given that I have the mini-van and a 6x12 open trailer what would you suggest for getting my son and I and our 2-4 bikes to Durango, CO. These are the options I came up with:

1. Mini-van, pull open trailer, tent camp at night.
2. Mini-van, enclosed trailer, Motel at night.
3. Rent or buy RV and pull open trailer, camp in RV at night.

Re option 3, I found a 'Class A?" 1977 Itasca (RV on Van Chassis) locally with a 350 Chevy V-8, 55K miles, air, LP generator, fridge and freezer for $7900. It is in great shape. Dated on the outside, beautiful inside. Better in some ways than the '01 Class C sitting next to it. I figured I could buy it and keep it till next spring then resell it for a minimal loss. Or maybe keep it :laugh: (there's always the wife factor).

Any other options I'm overlooking?

Okie, what do you do for security on the road?

I'm justing looking for some input, I have never pulled a trailer that far or driven an RV with or without a trailer behind it.

 

[Gardener]

For security on the road you can't beat the RV with enclosed trailer IMO. Master Lock's Pofessional Series of locks are hooded so a scumbag can't get a set of bolt cutters at the lock, that'll help when leaving your trailer unattended. I also have a lock that slides over the trailer tongue (Rhino??). I raise the trailer off the ball and slide the lock on with the above mentioned locks also securing the safety chains to my tow vehicle.

 

[Zerotact]

I have heard of people setting the trailer up so you can totally remove the safety chains when not in use. People like to use the smalles ball they can find, then put the tongue on the ball, and tighten the chains to hold the trailer on the ball while they drive away. They can do this even if your tongue is locked. I have even seen boots the go arround your tires to keep the trailer from rolling.

 

[KenR]

My choice would involve keeping the bikes in an enclosed trailer at night. You can't beat the security of having everything hidden and locked up, plus it keeps the bikes and gear out of the elements.

As previously mentioned, the towing capacity of your vehicle, whether it be an RV or minivan, is really the driving factor here when sizing the trailer. Your owners manual should tell you what the capabilities are.

A larger trailer will hold more stuff, but will also weigh more and have more wind resistance, putting more strain on the tow vehicle. If I were using the minivan to pull it, I would probably go with the smallest enclosed trailer that would fit the bikes and gear while staying within the load ratings of the van. I think I'd opt for being able to pull easier at faster speeds and better gas mileage over having extra storage space.

That said, I pull a Pace Shadow 8-1/2'X20' behind a GMC Duramax diesel truck. The trailer frequently has four bikes, a couple of quads, gear, and enough other stuff to pit three bikes during a desert race, (EZUp, spare wheels, dump cans, tools, etc.) When the trailer isn't full I usually wish I was pulling something smaller.

Another thing, enclosed trailers tend to hold their value pretty well, particularly the better brands (Wells Cargo, Pace). If you got a small one now, then later ended up with an RV and the desire for more space you'd probably be able to sell it for close to what you paid for it if it was in good shape and get a larger one.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

I used to pull a 6x12 enclosed Cargo Craft with bubble nose behind our Grand Caravan with a 3.0L...no problems.

I always tried to back it into a corner so the back door and side door couldn't be opened very far if they did get the locks off.

 

[lawman]

tow a loaded enclosed trailer behind a minivan full of people & gear up & down over the rocky mountains? not for me, kemosabe. you could use a redneck security system: get a ground-floor motel room & roll the bikes in at night. works great & it's free.

 

[TVRider]

I hope we won't be too loaded down, it's just me and my son who is 12 and weighs less than 100 lbs. I'm only 175. The bikes will be a KDX200 and a TTR 125 and possibly 1 trials bike. That's a max of 600lbs of bikes. Tools, gas, gear, cooler maybe another 500 lbs total in the trailer and van combined. Does that sound close?

 

[Smit-Dog]

Enclosed trailer with appropriate locks (you get what you pay for) and no stickers on the trailer.

Unless the stickers read "Sanford & Son Manure Sales"...

 

[lawman]

ok, i googled "honda odyssey towing", got a bunch of hits on threads on the forums at rv.net. they are talking about a towing capacity of 3500#, way more than i expected. people are towing popup campers with them, so i guess you'd be ok. you might check out rv.net, it's kind of the drn of the camping world. just remember to watch your gcwr, & remember that the mfr's towing specs can sometimes be pretty optimistic.

 

[Zerotact]

Or.... the last option,
Get a Big trailer, You could even rent one. Put the bikes in it, and camp inside of the trailer with your bikes. You could even get, or rent a box van.

If you buy a trailer, you may look to get a " greene county homicide cleanup " sticker for your trailer.

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Originally posted by lawman
you could use a redneck security system: get a ground-floor motel room & roll the bikes in at night. works great & it's free.

I always get the funniest looks when I do that. :scream:

 

[lawman]

me too, but nobody's ever said a word! it's a great place to knock out a little maintenance, too, just be careful of the carpet.