What kind of trailer should I get

[Buellwinkle]

I have 2 bikes, an XR100 and DR350. I have a Honda CR-V that barely carries it's own weight. I'm trying to decide on a traditional 3 rail trailer or a 4x8 utility trailer. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

 

[Highbeam]

I own a 4X8X2 and after a little modification can hold 2 bikes side by side and probably a third facing backwards. I use it for way more than bikes. Moving people, hauling bark, soil, garbage, dead animals, even lawn mowers. The question is .... what can't you do with a three rail that you can do with a utility. My dog even uses it as a patio.

I will concede that it probably weighs more than the three rail but I can easily wheel mine around by hand even with two xr600s loaded.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I would go for a completely enclosed utility trailer, min. size 5x8 to fit a full sheet of plywood. I own one of these and a 6x14 & 6x16. I use the 5x8 almost all the time for the bikes and what ever else you can imagine, it's the most useful trailer I ever owned.

 

[Buellwinkle]

Will an enclosed trailer fit in a garage considering the 7' height of the opening less a few inches for the door? I would love to have a once of those toy haulers that you can stand in and have a bathroom and small galley but they problem has been height. Where I live they don't allow keeping a trailer in the driveway and even so I wouldn't be able to get my car out. Enclosed is not that big a deal around here because it doesn't rain here and if it did the track and desert OHV trails are closed anyway. Kinda like the way the north gets "snow days". I wish I had the land to just leave it on the side of the house but here in suburbia the lots sizes don't get that big. You can almost shake hands window to window in between the homes. When they tell you a house here has a back yard they mean that in the back of their house they have a yard (3 feet).

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

My 5x8 fits in the garage. With the forks lowered all the way in the triple clamps I have to lean the bike a little to get the bike in but other than that, no problem fitting 2 bikes in.

I like the added security of not leaving my bikes out in the open if I stay in a hotel, stop & eat or what ever else sidetracks me.

 

[trlrdr]

I have a utility trailer and I normally haul two bikes with it. Considering the size of your bikes, a utility trailer will work fine. I have a plywood floor on mine and plywood sides that are about three feet tall and I have a tail gate on it. When the tailgate is closed, it's about 5 feet length which is too small for a bike unless it's turned sideways so when I haul bikes, I leave the tailgate down. I put in eye hooks in the plywood for tie downs and the sides give me an added sense of security plus I can haul other stuff when I need to.

I'd consider getting a utility trailer with at least 10" wheels because the 8" wheels are spinning pretty fast when you get on the freeway. I have 8" wheels on mine but I found some 10" 4 bolt wheels at harbor freight that I can replace them with.

You don't say if price is a factor but you can buy a folding motorcycle trailer with full sized wheels and it's heavy duty. They're a bit pricey though but they save space and look pretty durable. Here's a pic of one type:

http://www.bills-trailers.com/myco/

Personally I've been thinking about changing to a three rail trailer because I have a suburban and I can easily haul a large trailer loaded with bikes, three guys and all their stuff.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[Buellwinkle]

Price is an issue and foldability is not because I would just leave the bikes on the trailer in my garage. The dealer had a beautiful 3 rail folding trailer for 1,599 but that's too steep. I can get the Zieman 3 Rail trailer which is an OK trailer, not the best I've seen but only $599. I can get a decent 4x8 utility trailer for $550 so they are close in price. I can get a 2 rail blot together trailer from Sportztrailers.com for $400 but I don't know if it will hold up to the rigors of off-roading. Then there is Harbor Freight which has a two rail motorcycle trailer with 5' rails for about $300 but what's up with 5' rails, aren't the bikes a little bigger than that?

I borrowed a very heavy duty 3 rail with a metal box on the front today and the Honda CR-V did well. I was able to pass someone going 80 so the bigger trailer wasn't as big a burdon as I expected. I'm just wondering if a utility trailer would come in handy for other stuff like trips to a nursery or the dump but not be a big negative hauling bikes. Also the 4x8 utilty trailer would be a foot narrower than the 3 rail.

 

[Dirtin']

You could easily get a utility trailer and buy rails to bolt in and out when you don't need um.

 

[KDX220rm]

I custom built my trailer and added a 4th rail across the tongue.

 

[motojunkie]

I can get the Zieman 3 Rail trailer which is an OK trailer, not the best I've seen but only $599.

I had a local bike dealer quote me $1700.00 for one of these. I told him he was nuts. I'd be interested for $599.00, where did you get that quote?

 

[Buellwinkle]

My local Suzi dealer gave me that quote but it's not an earth shattering price. The Zieman C-3 (not the C-3B in the brochure, that's expensive) trailer lists for $670, cost it $499 (I overheard them on the phone) and he priced it midway. Certainly don't pay over list price for it. My guess is that you got quoted the C-2 or C3B trailer which are very expensive. Here's the site for more info. Also he had other brands that were priced the same. A custom made 3 rail at a local trailer making shop that's a little more heavier duty and 13" wheels was $750. Be prepared to pay an additional costs beyong sales tax for registration fee, licenses fee, documentation fees, rip off fees. In California that should run around $150 for tax & reg & fees is what they have told me.

http://www.zieman.com/products/motorcycle.htm

 

[Highbeam]

one more thing, it's hard to fill an enclosed trailer with a tractor.

 

[motojunkie]

Thanks for the info, I think I was quoted for the C-3B, but it was a shop that would rip you off, so I took it with a grain of salt.

 

[Buellwinkle]

It seems silly that they would charge you double just for the box but it must be heavier duty because it can carry about 2,000 pounds vs. 1,300. My guess is that unless you put three street bikes on there you'll never exceed 1300 pounds. In the meantime my neighbor will let me use his 3 rail trailer until I come across a really great deal on something.

 

[motojunkie]

Thanks for the info, I too will look around a bit, and try to find that great deal.

 

[Ensign]

You won't be disappointed with a utility type trailer. With the three rail trailer, you will just be able to carry bikes. With the utility type trailer, you can pretty much carry whatever you want.

If your CRV is an automatic, you'll probably want to turn off the overdrive or put it into "3" when driving. If your transmission is constantly shifting between "3" and "4" you'll burn it up quickly.

Make sure you get at least the 10" tires. The bigger the better. Think how much faster an 8" tire is rotating than your 14" or 15" CRV tires. Always a good idea to have a spare too.

 

[Free Style]

space?

if you are looking to save a bit of storage space you might want to consider one of these:
http://www.kendon-trailers.com/

 

[MobyP]

I went down to the dealer today, he quote me 700 for the zieman trailer, c-3. I have never haul a bike before, and l'm driving a subaru. Do you know if there are small haulers for sale in the market? Or are the c-3 pretty much the standard size of a trailer? thanks

 

[OnAnySunday]

I bought a cheapy 4X8 trailer kit from K-Mart (of all places) about 10 or so years ago. One of those bolt together jobs.
Still have it. Still haul all sorts of stuff -w- it.
The axle got reinforced -w- a welded in steel rod.
(after hauling about 2,000 pounds of rock tweaked it. dont ask.)
and the std. 8" wheels got trashed. 12"ers bolt right on.
Three rail trailers are nice, but id never give up this thing.:)
Ive hauled everything from bikes to engine blocks to the entire stock of an educational store -w- it!
The security of an enclosed trailer is great, but then you are height limited.
(height challenged?) lol

 

[Brianc]

I have three utility trailers 5x8, 8x14, 8x16
You can do alot more with a utility trailer.
If you buy the cheap 3 rail, by the time you replace bearings from too small of a wheel and buy bigger wheels, and fix a twisted frame from going off road, you could have and should have bought the better utility trailer. In the long run, the utility will cost you less, last longer, do more , and resell faster for more money.
Utility trailers that are clean sell for the same as new.:)
Good luck

 

[MobyP]

Eeerm.. so a utility trailer are those with a flat bed?

thanks

 

[Highbeam]

It can have a flatbed, but you lose a lot of utility without the sides. The sides can be removeable but I prefer a solid, minimum 2 foot high side. You can haul some things without sides but you can haul all things with sides. Gas cans and failed tie down straps are when the sides are nice. ALso, if the tie down points are high on the sides then your bike will be more stable on a narrow trailer. I go for a 45 degree angle down and out.

 

[MobyP]

cool, thanks for the tip