To trailer, or not to trailer? That is the question. I'm downright torn.

[BigLenny]

Hey Y'all,

We've had our 2020 RTL since October of last year. We are absolutely loving it so far! We are now tossing around the idea of buying a pull behind trailer, with the idea that it will give my wife more room for storing stuff that she might buy while we're travelling. Also, It will allow the bike to not be as loaded up with weight directly on it. I don't know, it just intrigues us quite a bit to try a trailer.

Here's the deal though. I have some concerns that it's gonna considerably alter the riding experience because i picture in my mind that it will affect cornering speeds quite a bit, and i wonder if I'll constantly feel it back there, especially in twisties and such. And, does it affect the take off and stopping rates that much?

The problem with making the decision to buy a trailer is you can't just go out and try a trailer before you buy it. It's an expensive proposition to buy and install the hitch, the wiring harness, and the trailer, then only to find out you don't like it.

Several folks have told me to buy the RT622 trailer instead of the Freedom trailer. Maybe about it being built more sturdy or something? Not sure.

We have ridden 2 wheelers for decades, and have never pulled a trailer. Now that we have transitioned to 3 wheels, the trailer is being discussed more and more in our house. I'm interested in the wisdom and ideas you folks could give to help me with this decision.

I'm all ears.

Big Lenny

[oldgoat]

I love my trailer . As long as I am going forwards.
At times I have found it easier to disconnect it and push it if I want to back up.

My '08 GS handles just the same with it on. The only time I have felt its presence was going down a steepish curvy road when the front brakes started to judder, so I slowed down.

[Saluda]

We have the Freedom trailer, use it quite a bit. Have towed it on a 4 hour trip pretty loaded (not above max. rating) quite a few times. This is with the wife on the back of the Spyder. Love it, hardly know it's there.
Does it influence braking, yes but not a lot. Just plan ahead and keep some space to be safe. Have never had an issue. To me cornering is no big issue with the trailer. We now do multiple over nights with all we want with us. Good luck and do seek additional comments.
Backing it up is interesting but you'll get the hang of it. We hesitated prior to purchase but do not regret it at all.

[JayBros]

If you have ridden two wheelers for decades and never towed a trailer, this bloke has to assume your wife made the appropriate adjustments to her purchasing routine to accommodate the carrying capacities of the motorcycles. Therefore, the simple action IMO is to tell her a third wheel is no excuse to change her buying habits.

[fatboy]

if you can find a 622 get it and dont look back the two lids make it much easier wife pulls hers no complaints

[UtahPete]

if you can find a 622 get it and dont look back the two lids make it much easier wife pulls hers no complaints

:agree:

[UtahPete]

We have the Freedom trailer, use it quite a bit. Have towed it on a 4 hour trip pretty loaded (not above max. rating) quite a few times. This is with the wife on the back of the Spyder. Love it, hardly know it's there.
Does it influence braking, yes but not a lot. Just plan ahead and keep some space to be safe. Have never had an issue. To me cornering is no big issue with the trailer. We now do multiple over nights with all we want with us. Good luck and do seek additional comments.
Backing it up is interesting but you'll get the hang of it. We hesitated prior to purchase but do not regret it at all.

:agree: makes touring 2-up much more pleasant. The Freedom is smaller and lighter than the RT-622 I believe. You don't have to get a Can-Am trailer; there are plenty of other motorcycle trailer options out there that will work just fine.

[KosherKid]

I have a 2016 RT and a Lumina type box shaped trailer vs the 622 or Freedom, could not find either in my bike's color. ;)

The cost was better also. We have made a few long trips and you can't tell we are pulling the trailer. I have to check the mirrors to be sure it's still there. Stopping is really not a problem either.

Buy what you can find and afford. Ride safe.

Dave

[canamjhb]

I had a 2014 RTL with matching RT622 trailer. I did 3 different trips of 3,000 to 5,000 miles each towing. First of all, do not get a trailer with a cooler on the tongue. Spyders have hitches that are un-sprung. That means everything your rear tire feels transfers to the trailer tongue. Anything in a tongue cooler will be a mess.

Expect to loose about 3 MPG towing. However, when traveling the trailer is almost not noticeable. The only times I knew it was there was when passing. I had to allow a little extra room. And you also need to allow a little extra room when stopping. Just common sense. Nothing different than towing anything behind a car. Pretty much didn't know it was there in the twisties except when going up steep hills. Required gearing down more often.

Your RT has a 400 lb. towing maximum. Some have towed more without problems but I always kept mine at about 350 or less. The RT622 weighs 50 pounds more than the Freedom so, even though it is physically larger, it can not accommodate as much cargo before getting to your 400 pound maximum. But, you will be surprised just how much stuff you can accumulate before you reach 100 pounds.

Tongue weight is critical for good handling. I found the best weight to be 18-22 pounds regardless of amount of cargo. I used a fish scale that helped me to make sure everything was loaded to have the right tongue weight.

I know what you're feeling about committing to the expense of trailering without knowing if it will be OK for you. The best I can tell you is that it adds to your traveling versatility with very minimal down sides. And besides, a Spyder touring with a trailer looks WAY COOL!!!!! Good luck..... Jim

[EdMat]

Go for it. And there are several other trailers besides the Can-Am versions that you might want to consider.

[CJAC]

Wife pulls a Aluma MCTXL with her 2017 F3L, no problems at all.

[fatboy]

theres a nice 622 for sale on here be a nice weekend trip to pick it up

[Ex-Rocket]

Everybody is correct in saying that when pulling a trailer you don't know its even back there. I pulled a trailer from Arkansas to California on a trip out west back in 2017 with a 2015 RTS and the Spyder have no problems. I wasn't pulling a 622 but a Aluma Trailer. Covered 9300 miles on that trip.

[pidjones]

We pulled a Uni-go behind the Goldwing. Never felt it while riding forward. Advantage to the little trailer was that we rolled it into the room which made packing, parking, and security easier. I advise that whatever you get, have her pack it in the garage the night before you leave. Then sneak in and remove at least half of it! Before we got the trailer she would ask what she could do with souvenirs. I said any place worth buying them will ship them home for us!
We will continue pulling the Unigo behind the RTL.

[YIRYDE]

I had a 2014 RTL with matching RT622 trailer. I did 3 different trips of 3,000 to 5,000 miles each towing. First of all, do not get a trailer with a cooler on the tongue. Spyders have hitches that are un-sprung. That means everything your rear tire feels transfers to the trailer tongue. Anything in a tongue cooler will be a mess.

Expect to loose about 3 MPG towing. However, when traveling the trailer is almost not noticeable. The only times I knew it was there was when passing. I had to allow a little extra room. And you also need to allow a little extra room when stopping. Just common sense. Nothing different than towing anything behind a car. Pretty much didn't know it was there in the twisties except when going up steep hills. Required gearing down more often.

Your RT has a 400 lb. towing maximum. Some have towed more without problems but I always kept mine at about 350 or less. The RT622 weighs 50 pounds more than the Freedom so, even though it is physically larger, it can not accommodate as much cargo before getting to your 400 pound maximum. But, you will be surprised just how much stuff you can accumulate before you reach 100 pounds.

Tongue weight is critical for good handling. I found the best weight to be 18-22 pounds regardless of amount of cargo. I used a fish scale that helped me to make sure everything was loaded to have the right tongue weight.

I know what you're feeling about committing to the expense of trailering without knowing if it will be OK for you. The best I can tell you is that it adds to your traveling versatility with very minimal down sides. And besides, a Spyder touring with a trailer looks WAY COOL!!!!! Good luck..... Jim

Well said,

My trailer was the best accessory I purchased, it was costly and I was hesitant, but it has paid off. The extra space for clothing, jackets, boots/shoes and shopping is worth it when riding two up.

We went on our first Spyder overnight group ride and my wife said we are getting a trailer after seeing the space that it offered (who am I to argue:shemademe_smilie:). I shopped around for a good deal (in 2012) and the rest is history. I have used my trailer with 3 different Spyders.

If you get one you will not regret it.

To answer your question, TRAILER

[trikermutha]

I put a cooler rack on my 622 and yep it did get shaking up , but you dont put delicate items or carbonated drinks it works well. It worked great for water and lunch items.

Plus I put a swivel hitch on my 622. I didnt even know I was pulling a trailer.

[UtahPete]

I put a cooler rack on my 622 and yep it did get shaking up , but you dont put delicate items or carbonated drinks it works well. It worked great for water and lunch items. Plus I put a swivel hitch on my 622. I didnt even know I was pulling a trailer.

Note to OP; swivel hitch not needed with Spyder.

[trikermutha]

Personal choice.

[Peter Aawen]

Check this one out -

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?140895-2013-RT622-pearl-white-Trailer

Oh, and they do take paint pretty well too; or if you don't want to go that far, you could talk to one of the Vinyl Wrap places about their trailer wraps (try https://wrapmyspyder.com/vinyl-category/trailer/ ;) ) so you can easily have pretty much any colour scheme you want, or even match your trailer to your Spyder if that's your bent. :thumbup:

[Copperman]

You'll never regret buying a trailer. I've been pulling one for eight years and have many, many thousands of miles pulling it. I just got back from a 7200 mile trip and I pulled it all but maybe one mile. You don't even know it's back there.

[Steve W.]

I have pulled trailers with two-wheelers since 1978. Most have already stated, but I will repeat, when loaded properly, you will hardly know they are there. I have not pulled a trailer with a three-wheeler, but I would presume that they are less-affected by a trailer than a two-wheeler.

The only way a trailer is going to affect your speed in the twisties is if you hit something with the inside wheel and flip the trailer. But you probably hit that with the Spyder's front wheel, too, so the trailer will just follow you over.

When we were a LOT younger (back in the 70s and 80s), we did a lot of camping, so the trailer handled all of that gear. Our personal 'stuff' was in the saddlebags and trunk on the bike, pretty much like it would be on a non-camping trip.

When you get your trailer, be aware of one of your largest dangers. THE GAS PUMP.
Remember that the trailer 'cheats' the corner, so you need to pull farther forward before turning, or you WILL hit that pole at the end of the island. It's a rather rude awakening when the trailer hits the pole and you stop. NOW.

.

[campermac]

I have had an RT622 Trailer and now have a Freedom Trailer. I like the Freedom Trailer better because if you damage any part of the sides, front or back you can unscrew the outer panel and replace it vs. taking it to a body shop for repair. Several people have said that the Freedom Trailers are plastic and the RT622 is fiberglass. That is a completely wrong statement, or I got lucky and got a Freedom Trailer that is fiberglass Either way stick with the Can Am Trailer which every you choose, because they trailer a lot better than an aftermarket trailer.

[pegasus1300]

Pull your trailer. It is so nice to not have to find a place on the bike for Everything. I carry a lot of extra but necessary stuff that the trailer just swallows with no problem. I would agree with the no cooler on the tow bar. I do put a small cooler in the trailer itself and it seems to ride well. My trailer is an old (1995) Hannigan Europa I and it tows like a dream. I did not notice any drawbacks in towing it on the trip to Deadwood for the 3 wheeler rally, a 2 mpg mileage penalty, and a slight increase in braking distance. It never hindered my ability to drive the wonderful roads of the Black Hills.

[C. Lee]

We have an Americade trailer and it's great. Can't tell it's there with lots more storage, backing up is just like any other trailer. You do need to allow more room for stopping since the trailers don't have brakes. We have been to Kitty hawk, Wilmington, NC and next month St. Augustine, FL. Wouldn't travel without it. Chris

[BajaRon]

I have never pulled a trailer behind a motorcycle. But I used to ride with Lamont all the time, and he did. He never had any trouble keeping up. And he never mentioned any downside to it. My recommendation is to get a quality trailer specifically designed for a motorcycle. My feeling is that the small tire home-builts could have some negative effect that I would not want to deal with. Not disparaging those who have gone this route. Like I said, never pulled a trailer behind a motorcycle. But I have pulled a good number of trailers over the years. And if they are not set up for the load, vehicle, etc., they can definitely give you a negative experience. And small diameter tires are always invitation to issues.

I'd go for it. The pluses far outweigh any minuses you might encounter.

[blacklightning]

You'll never regret buying a trailer. I've been pulling one for eight years and have many, many thousands of miles pulling it. I just got back from a 7200 mile trip and I pulled it all but maybe one mile. You don't even know it's back there.

Copperman, I have nothing to add to the trailer debate. But I just want to say, that is an awesome picture of your spyder and trailer:bowdown:

[Mazo EMS2]

We love our Lumina XL. More space for half the price of the fancy fiberglass versions.

[Copperman]

Copperman, I have nothing to add to the trailer debate. But I just want to say, that is an awesome picture of your spyder and trailer:bowdown:

Thanks.

[NEXUS]

Now I may be a little on the extreme side of this debate, but I have never gone anywhere with my Spyder
without the trailer. I have 7500 miles on the 2020,all with the trailer Why? Because I just like having the trailer.
Never had an issue with any trailer always check the wheel bearings, never overloaded it, RT 622 is the one to get.
I've had 4 RT622 trailers.. I totaled 1 Spyder and trailer in a accident.


Nexus


191566

191567

191568

[bikerbillone]

I considered a trailer a trailer when I bought my 20 RTL, but there was their was the cost of the trlr and the hitch and storage when not in use. The 20 RTL has 47 gallons of storage, so we adapt and have not needed a trailer yet. Would it be more convenient for a road trip, oh yes, no question. I keep an open mind about a trailer, seems a unigo would work just fine if I got real serious. I think a special hitch is required.

[pidjones]

I considered a trailer a trailer when I bought my 20 RTL, but there was their was the cost of the trlr and the hitch and storage when not in use. The 20 RTL has 47 gallons of storage, so we adapt and have not needed a trailer yet. Would it be more convenient for a road trip, oh yes, no question. I keep an open mind about a trailer, seems a unigo would work just fine if I got real serious. I think a special hitch is required.

I have cut the vertical frame off of my GL1800 Uni-go hitch and bored a 3/4" hole in it that mates to the 3/4" hole in a standard RT hitch. Mounted with a 3/4" bolt and nylock nut plus a 1/4" spring pin to prevent rotation. Makes the same adapter you can buy from Uni-go, and you don't have to wait a year to get it. Still awaiting electrical adapter (needs to be a five-wire) to connect to the Uni-go mating plug that I saved off of the GL1800. I will post when it is all together and tested. We plan to pull our Uni-go to Barber in October. Love how we can just roll it into the room which takes care of unpacking/security/parking issues.

[bikerbillone]

Great plan pidjones, thanks for the reply. Enjoy the journey. The 'we' means you ride two up, the unigo should be 'just right.

[pidjones]

Great plan pidjones, thanks for the reply. Enjoy the journey. The 'we' means you ride two up, the unigo should be 'just right.

But, I've learned to have her pack the trailer the night before we leave, then I sneak in and remove about 50% of the stuff she put in it! We came back from the Grand Canyon and I found five pairs of blue jeans in the bottom that had never been removed.

[bikerbillone]

:spyder: Another good plan, well maybe. :rolleyes:

[pegasus1300]

But, I've learned to have her pack the trailer the night before we leave, then I sneak in and remove about 50% of the stuff she put in it! We came back from the Grand Canyon and I found five pairs of blue jeans in the bottom that had never been removed.

You sir are very courageous man, or your wife has very short memory, or both:spyder::bowdown:

[BigLenny]

Thanks everybody for all of your great insights and ideas. You have convinced me that I need to put a trailer in my sights for shopping.
I know many have said they are having great experiences with different brands of trailers, however, I think I'm leaning toward going with a Can Am. There's something about it being the same brand as the bike that I like.
I kind wanna puke when I think about right after I bought our RTL last October, I was at Cruizr Joe's house. Copperman was there too. They both encouraged me to buy a black/red RT622 that was for sale on this site at the time, for a good price. It would've closely matched my RTL color. I hesitated back then, and now what few RT622's that come up for sale are substantially higher in price. One of those snooze ya lose type things.
Well, I'm gonna be in the market.
Thanks again for your help.
Big Lenny