I am goinig to trailer my spyder to Texas this year. I have a 6 by 10 flat bed trailer. I plan on tieing the spyder with 3 tie downs 2 through the front wheels and one through the rear wheel. Do you think this will work. any recommendation.
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I am goinig to trailer my spyder to Texas this year. I have a 6 by 10 flat bed trailer. I plan on tieing the spyder with 3 tie downs 2 through the front wheels and one through the rear wheel. Do you think this will work. any recommendation.
I tie my RS-S down just like you--have two additional up to the passenger handles--works great
The owners manual has a section on the correct way to secure a Spyder for trailering purposes.
Had to trailer my Spyder a few times [80 miles one way] And that's how to tie it down.
Always carry extra straps just in case one falls off, or the ratchet fails on a strap.
Also rap a towel around the part of strap that makes contact with the wheels [rub]
Be careful not to put the strap [rear wheel] though the sprocket, it will bend easy.
My experience: for my winter in Texas, I pulled my TandemTow trailer with the Spyder aboard from Anacortes, WA to Kerrville, TX. As a particularly anal type of guy, I tied the Spyder down with 7 tiedowns. Yes, probably overkill, but as I said, anal. The platform on the trailer is 6 x 8 ft. Tie downs along the edges and two down the center through the deck.
Front wheels are tied down sideways from the leading edge of the tires, and from side of trailer around trailing edge of tire back to middle center just in front of the rear tire. Rear tire's trailing edge tied sideways to edge of trailer. Front edge of rear tire is tied forward to forward center tiedown of trailer. Parking brake on, in gear, didn't move an inch for the entire trip. Checked tiedowns couple times a day while on the road. Cloths wrapped around each place where the tie downs passed through the wheels.
Any questions, send me an email.
In addition to the heavy duty, ratchet tie downs already mentioned, I have mounted two motorcycle wheel chocks to the floor of my open landscape trailer. These anchor the front wheels solidly and take a bit of strain off of the tie downs during cornering and the inevitable bumps in transit. Some people have added wooden, home made, braces to the floor of their trailers to act as stationary wheel chocks. I just happened to have a set of metal wheel chocks lying around when I set up the trailer for towing the RT.
Note: I believe that adding bracing to the wheels is not a necessity, just an added level of comfort for me when I tow the RT. Tie downs alone will certainly do the job and a simple check of their tension at every stop along the way is recommended.
Have a safe trip and enjoy your "winter cruising".
Hey Nudle.
Coming down from the great white North?
I tie mine down exactly as you describe. One caveat. Be sure to use a towel or sheepskin sheath to protect your front wheels. I didn't the first time and I scratched mine slightly. Have a safe trip! If you come down Interstate 55, and are near Cape Girardeau MO, send me a PM and we will meet up!
When you run your tie downs thru the wheels be sure that the straps don't come into cantact with the valve stems.
3 works great we just got back form AR pulling a 16 ft tandem with both on one forward on backwards with 3 tie each they did not move. FYI if you pull one back wards the wind can break the WS off if you have the taller ones
Don't use the passenger grab bars. The straps will mar the soft surface. Tying through the wheels is sufficient...and is the method BRP recommends in your manual. If the trailer is too short, you can tie the front wheels back and the rear wheel forward, if need be. You can also cross-tie the front wheels, right wheel to left side and vise versa, to save space. Be sure to check the trailer tongue weight before you tie the Spyder down. You should have 10%-15% of the loaded traler weight as a tongue weight. Too light and the trailer becomes unstable.
:thumbup: That's what I do, too. I have one condor wheel chock that really locks in one of the front wheels and one plain-jane chock. I strap the front wheels to the chocks and the rear wheel using a ratchet strap to tie downs on the bed of the trailer. Traveled through the hills of PA just fine this summer.
:2thumbs: Thanks for all the ideas.Make me feel better about towing the spyder to Alamo Texas in Dec.
I have a RTL with a trailer hitch and JT'S fender. Would there be a problem strapping to the hitch rather than through the wheel?
By going over the hitch your basically transferring all of the weight through that connection. So every bump you hit all the force is transferred there as well. It's really just as simple to go through the Tim, avoiding the valve stem, and your good to go. I've trailered mine that way for a few thousand miles with zero issue.
The after market rear fender is wider than the tire so the strap would rub on the fender. I do not intend to go over the the hitch, but attach the strap to the ball back to the anchor at the rear of the trailer.
From the picture of your spyder in your signature, you could do it. Go from side to side, stay low and your all set. If you want to use the hitch, just be aware that your still basically bound by the 40lb weight limit that would be exceeded by movement of the spyder as the trailer hits bumps.:thumbup:
That is the BRP fender in the picture, the after market one is right in by the wheel. I will have to put it on the trailer and try the side to side method as you suggested. Thanks
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/i...cons/icon1.png Tongue weight rating for receiver to pull RT Limited around 1000 lbs. Question.Hello,
I have a Subaru Outback and the receiver tongue weight max is 200lbs. 1.25" receiver
I think this is to small and weak so what is the recommendation from those who trailer their spyders??
Blessings
Mathew
I have towed my spyder over 9,000 miles this year.
Before I made chocks for the front wheels I had 2X4 stops on all 3 wheels.
I used 3 harbor freight straps
Whatever you do make sure you have a 2X4 in front of the rear wheel, it stops it from sliding