Bike trailer trip

[Andy W]

I do quite a lot of miles in my Traveller. As well as being my regular runabout car it's done four 800 mile round trips this year already.

Next week brings my next trip...Devon to Lincolnshire towing an unloaded motorbike trailer. Collecting a motorbike there & then heading down to Norfolk before then returning back to Devon, still with the bike in tow....I have faith in my Traveller & keep on top of servicing & maintenance but I must confess to being rather apprehensive about 800 miles towing..!

Fingers crossed..!

[les]

Good luck, what's the bike?

[bmcecosse]

It's a light enough trailer - my main worry would be having a spare wheel for it. And a decent tow bar - not just an angle iron bolted across the bumper irons...... Will the bike not go inside the Traveller ??? Surely a better idea than having the empty trailer bouncing around behind you on the outward leg.... perhaps take the rear seats out to make more room?

[Andy W]

Yamaha gen.1 Fazer 1000...hope the picture appears.

Had to sell my customised power cruiser & go to a more ergonomic riding position due to the spirit being willing but the body not so much so these days!
Trouble is, sensible = boring!
At least this one has a nice custom paint job...& I'm already collecting performance upgrade parts in readiness - after all, comfort doesn't have to mean slow & quiet! [frame][/frame]

[ianmack]

My son has a Fazer and loves it. I wouldn't try to get it in the back of a Traveller though.

[bmcecosse]

It does look a little big for inside!

[Andy W]

Yep, no way it's going in the back!
I crawled underneath the car & it's definitely a properly fitted towbar btw, safely fitted & the car is solid so at least I shouldn't get halfway home, look in the mirror & find the trailer is somewhere back down the road..!

[woodiesenfrance]

I regularly tow a single rail bike trailer behind my 1098 trav as part of the breakdown team on local bike rallies.
Towing an empty bike trailer is harder, the damn trailer keeps bouncing around. And of course you can't reverse with it on the back, you have to unhitch.
We've towed a trailer tent behind the trav on countless trips, UK and abroad.
I wouldn't do 800 miles without a spare wheel. When I bought the trailer as a Chrissie pressie for OH my Mum bought the spare wheel and fixing bracket for him.
Just take it steady. Once loaded and the bike properly secured it's no different to any other trailer.
And do make sure that you have a safety cable thingy as well as the towing hitch.

[Andy W]

Well folks, no problem so far...I made it to from Exeter to Louth, north of Lincoln towing the empty trailer.
We loaded the bike & then I drove to Norwich.
Right now I'm just south of Norwich visiting my mum at her care home, where these pictures were taken.
The Traveller is behaving very well & pulling the bike & trailer happily at 55mph!
300 mile drive home later this afternoon....I'm actually looking forward to it..!
My lovely mum, who has Vascular Dementia, had me giving her wheelchair wheelies around the village & wanted a ride on the trailer..!
Andy.[frame][/frame]

[woodiesenfrance]

Lovely pic!

[ManyMinors]

Excellent! Good to see a Traveller being USED . Many of them worked hard for a living in their early lives. I have towed a well laden trailer behind our well laden Minor on foreign holidays etc over the years and never had a problem. I did take the precaution of carrying a spare wheel but never needed it luckily. Have a safe journey.

[bmcecosse]

I towed my 'racing' Mini about on a trailer behind my Minor - and I certainly needed the spare wheel several times... It's quite discouraging when the wheel and tyre overtakes.... That was at the time when early Mini wheels were too thin - and I seemed to find them all......

[philthehill]

I pondered the same question about towing an empty M/C trailer and in the end bought a collapsible single M/C trailer that breaks down into several parts which then can be placed in the back of the car when not used for carrying my M/C.
Phil