How to use other brands of trailer with RT?

[spydeyblue]

I really want to buy a trailer for my 2012 RT-S, but it looks like there isn't much chance of getting a RT-622 trailer for less than around $4000-4500. By the time I add the hitch, and a few accessories, like the tongue stand, the price tag is going to be over $5000. I don't want to spend that much money, so I've been looking at other brands of motorcycle trailers. My question is how to tow another brand of trailer with the RT? I've seen an RT with the Spyder hitch installed, pictured with a different brand of trailer, so obviously, the Spyder hitch will work with other brands of trailer. Are any modifications to the hitch or wiring required, though?

Linda
(aka Bengaluvr)

[btcherm]

check with Harbor freight they have a trailer that will work for $400.00 my buddy has one and love it56928:doorag::cheers:

[spydeyblue]

check with Harbor freight they have a trailer that will work for $400.00 my buddy has one and love it56928:doorag::cheers:


This trailer looks a lot like the Piggybacker brand, but it is less than half of the price. Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out. I was also looking at the aluminum mini-trailers, because they seem to have a lot of space for the price. Do you know if your friend used the stock Can-Am hitch or not?

[Ga Blue Knight]

The BRP Can Am hitch is fine as it does not matter which trailer as long as it has the correct ball,( 1 7/8" or 2") and not the issue. It the wiring for the lights that has to be dealt with.
But no worries just search the forum for trailer wiring and you will see lots of information, schematics, photos etc. if you still have questions just post them here and I am sure help will be available.

as to the Harbor Freight trailer it is great but I would replace the Chinese wheel bearings with better ones, redo the wiring to make it more secure to the trailer and be better protected from the weather. Also if you got the 8" wheels I would swap them out for the 12" wheels. The wheels and bearing are not that expensive, total around $100 or so for it all. That brings the cost to $500 or so still cheaper than the Piggy Back which if you can afford it would be my first choice in this type of trailer. Best choice for a replacement to the BRP product would be one of the aluminum box trailers as you mentioned. They are light have a lot of space and are pretty indestructible.

[NancysToy]

The wiring is the challenge. There are several combinations of trailers and hitches. If the BRP hitch is used, it will require a different connector on the trailer...or building an adapter. It may also require some trailer light changes and rewiring, if the trailer has a 5-wire system. Cost of the changes would run $70-$200, plus labor. If you use a non-BRP hitch, it will require wiring directly to the the Spyder system. The hard part is finding a place and way to bring out the pigtail. It may also require a converter to match a trailer with a 4-wire system...or changes to the trailer. Costs would be $25-$100, plus labor, if the trailer didn't need changes.

[J W Miller]

I have a Harbor frt. trailer removed one leaf of the two leaf springs and used the 8 inch wheels with 17 lbs pressure. First trip was 600 miles at 70 mph speeds and about 140 lbs of cargo at 85-90 degree temp. Checked tire temps with infrared temp sensor and never once did they get hot. I used stock wheel bearings repacked with mobile 1 grease they stayed cool. This trailer is now 3 years old and still going with no problems. Small wheels make trailer sit perfect behind Spyder and for me seem to look better.

[YIRYDE]

You can also call around to dealers looking for a demo model they want to get rid off. I found a new 2010 RT-622 that I traveled 9 hours roundtip to get for $2400.00. I made a lot of phone calls but it was worth it.

[captblack]

This is what I have and it works really well. It is light and has a good bit of room. They do have a bigger model as well. I didn't think the price was too bad at all.

http://www.motorcycle-rack.com/CycleTrailer.htm

56938

[elpaso]

I really want to buy a trailer for my 2012 RT-S, but it looks like there isn't much chance of getting a RT-622 trailer for less than around $4000-4500. By the time I add the hitch, and a few accessories, like the tongue stand, the price tag is going to be over $5000. I don't want to spend that much money, so I've been looking at other brands of motorcycle trailers. My question is how to tow another brand of trailer with the RT? I've seen an RT with the Spyder hitch installed, pictured with a different brand of trailer, so obviously, the Spyder hitch will work with other brands of trailer. Are any modifications to the hitch or wiring required, though?

Linda
(aka Bengaluvr)

http://jdbrand.com/motorcycletrailer.html
I was lloking at this trailer

[bmwlarry]

A friend of mime has the harbor freight one pictured above and got it for about $339. WE went on a 1400 ride this summer and it towed straight and tru. I tow a Aspen Classic tent trailer.

[lyonsden]

Don't forget to look at one of this sites sponsors. I have 2 friends that have their trailers and they just love them and are very reasonably priced.

http://www.minitrailerusa.com/

Their ad is on the home page of spyderlovers.com

[Big Arm]

Another site sponsor on the homepage is Bushtec. I tow one, and love it.

[spydeyblue]

This is what I have and it works really well. It is light and has a good bit of room. They do have a bigger model as well. I didn't think the price was too bad at all.

http://www.motorcycle-rack.com/CycleTrailer.htm

56938

This looks a lot like the Minitrailers, but it is a little different in the front profile. Thanks for the information! Did you use the BRP hitch and wiring? If so, how did you wire the trailer's lights?

[captblack]

This looks a lot like the Minitrailers, but it is a little different in the front profile. Thanks for the information! Did you use the BRP hitch and wiring? If so, how did you wire the trailer's lights?

I did use the BRP hitch which comes with the harness that hooks to the lighting harness and then puts the plug down on the left-hand fender. To hook up the trailer, you'll need to get a pole harness, BRP part number 710002442. What I did was hook the pole harness up to the connector on the fender, hook up the trailer, and then measure the length that I would need to reach the trailer four pin connector. I then cut off the BRP connector and installed a regular flat 4 pin connector to mate up with the trailer.

Now all I have to do is unhook from the fender and the poll harness stays with the trailer. In the poll harness package there is a wiring code so all in all, it is pretty simple. The hardest part is hooking up the harness to the fender and a friend of mine, who had done it before, helped me do that. The one thing that I added was a couple of small bungee cords to help secure the cable to the hitch frame in addition to the two clips that are already there.

I just took a 1500 mile trip in this setup worked perfectly. The wiring part will be the same no matter what trailer you wind up with. Good luck with whatever you do because the trailer really makes a difference on a long trip. Luckily, I have not been tempted yet to hook it up and go to the store - that could be expensive.

[Paula(Butch2025)]

Here is a link to the Bushtec website, we bought their trailer hitch and wiring harness. They are a great company to work with and are very helpful during the wiring process, if you are having trouble give them a call and they will walk you through it. They are very into quality...our hitch was late being delivered so I called to see what the problem was...it came back from powder coating and the paint was not good so they sent it back to get redone and they were just about to contact us to let us know!
--Paula

www.bushtec.com/

[NancysToy]

I did use the BRP hitch which comes with the harness that hooks to the lighting harness and then puts the plug down on the left-hand fender. To hook up the trailer, you'll need to get a pole harness, BRP part number 710002442. What I did was hook the pole harness up to the connector on the fender, hook up the trailer, and then measure the length that I would need to reach the trailer four pin connector. I then cut off the BRP connector and installed a regular flat 4 pin connector to mate up with the trailer....

This is an adapter as described above, made from an RT-622 harness. It has a 6-pole connector to fit my trailers, but you get the idea. You can also use the 2010 RT-622 Trailer Tongue Harness, but you will have some extra wires.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=25655&d=1292355396


Here is a link to the Bushtec website, we bought their trailer hitch and wiring harness. They are a great company to work with and are very helpful during the wiring process, if you are having trouble give them a call and they will walk you through it. They are very into quality...our hitch was late being delivered so I called to see what the problem was...it came back from powder coating and the paint was not good so they sent it back to get redone and they were just about to contact us to let us know!
--Paula

www.bushtec.com/
The Bushtec hitch is not available for the RT.

[Questions]

Hello Spyder lovers:doorag:.....my name is Robin Russell, I own Grand lake Fabrication, AKA www.minitrailerusa.com (http://www.minitrailerusa.com) we've sold over 50 trailers to just spyder people in the lasst year, not to mention all other bike riders. Built and sold over 350 trailers in the year 2012 so far. Our trailers give you great value for your dollar as well they are built to last. We have many people that have 50,000 miles on them with no trouble.
Its not hard to do a setup for the spyder at all..I've had several guys from this board come by and pickup their trailers up here. They found hitchs for 150.00 and the wiring all though they had to make it up themselves they said it was not hard at all. There is a trailer out there that looks alot like ours but is a import. you can tell if its ours real quick by looking at the corners above the bumper, if it has diamond trim around the corners its ours if it DOES NOT:yikes: then its a china import. there is a spyder on our site I'll try and upload the picture here but its large. we are having a winter sale right now. so take a look see I know you'll enjoy our trailer for the years to come. www.minitrailerusa.com (http://www.minitrailerusa.com)

Give me a call at 918-256-6084 if I don't answer just leave me a message I'm in the shop working and I'll get back to you!
You can save about 300 to 400 by buying now on our winter sale!

Ride safe!:doorag:56946

[Questions]

56950

www.minitrailerusa.com (http://www.minitrailerusa.com)

[nutz]

I have a Piggybacker that I use.:bowdown: The only thing I had to do was convert the BRP trailer plug to a 4 wire combo and wala it worked like a charm. WWW.Piggybacker.com (http://www.Piggybacker.com) Well worth the xtra $ thanHarbor Freight. Sometimes HF does not have the unit in stock and they sub a lot of parts. Piggybacker stands behind their trailers 100%. In fact I have had mine since 2008 and it has over 15000 miles on it. Last year a piece of steel on highway I tried to avoid my tires hitting got picked up and hit the underside of trailer and cracked the tub. I was going to piant trailer this year to match my new White LTD and when I contacted PB to find out the correct compound to use to repair tub, he offered to ship me a brand new one for just the cost of freight. So for $45.00 I got a new tub. That is impressive service. Besides it will also hold 500lbs of properly loaded stuff with ease and not put more that 25lbs on tongue. I would recommend Piggybacker if you want min cost and max performance over fancy looks.
PS you should add a third brakelight to trailer.:yes:

[SpydherLuv]

Bengaluvr, I have an Aluma Trailer for sale. The ad seems to have dropped from the 4-Sale Forum, but I'm happy to send you pics and info via email if you'd like to take a look. I live in the Sacramento area, so I'm not far from you. Send me a PM with your email address if you're interested. It will come with the BRP trailer harness modified for the 2011 RT, so it's a simple plug and go. :thumbup:

-Anita

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

If you are nervous about small wheels....you can get 6 ply tires.....try Eastern Marine 800-453-7379, very good prices.......Mike :thumbup:

[NancysToy]

If you are nervous about small wheels....you can get 6 ply tires.....try Eastern Marine 800-453-7379, very good prices.......Mike :thumbup:
Also remember that an 8" tire rotates 23% faster than a 12" tire. Be sure the bearings are properly packed and regularly repacked, and check for heat buildup at the hubs often.

[Questions]

Just for you folks looking at putting a trailer together for your travels....
Be very careful those harbor freight chassis that folks are getting and then putting a car top on, is not a good idea.
If you'll go on harbor freight site go to that trailer click on down load the manual, page 15 at the top right corner.
It says not to pull over speeds of 45 MPH!:sour:

I think some of them have axle plcement problems, and maybe the tongue to axle placement is off!
That will make a huge difference on how it pulls, that is the most curcial thing on a small trailers pulling ability.

I know of several people that used those and have had very bad results with them, including wrecks..
I've been told that some of them at 65 MPH. they begin to whip back and fourth.

I know that some have no troubles at all and are able to put many miles on them.
But there are still some having major problems.

Not trying to sell anybody a trailer or ofend anybody by this statement but just a word of warning.:bowdown:

Just trying to do my little bit to make everybody's rides fun and safe ones!

[rock]

you can purchase an adapter for the wiring through the internet or the dealer...i have one that adapts from the can am connection to a flat 4 wire standard hook up...i cant remeber the price but it works well on our camper..the internet would probably be a lot cheaper price wise...good luck ...happy towing...

[JJW SpyderRider]

Just for you folks looking at putting a trailer together for your travels....
Be very careful those harbor freight chassis that folks are getting and then putting a car top on, is not a good idea.
If you'll go on harbor freight site go to that trailer click on down load the manual, page 15 at the top right corner.
It says not to pull over speeds of 45 MPH!:sour:

I think some of them have axle plcement problems, and maybe the tongue to axle placement is off!
That will make a huge difference on how it pulls, that is the most curcial thing on a small trailers pulling ability.

I know of several people that used those and have had very bad results with them, including wrecks..
I've been told that some of them at 65 MPH. they begin to whip back and fourth.

I know that some have no troubles at all and are able to put many miles on them.
But there are still some having major problems.

Not trying to sell anybody a trailer or ofend anybody by this statement but just a word of warning.:bowdown:

Just trying to do my little bit to make everybody's rides fun and safe ones!

I have a Mini Trailer USA Nomad trailer on order. I saw videos of another car carrier type trailer going down the road that was bouncing pretty good. This video was on the dealers site and seeing the cover flopping around in the wind did not give much confidence that it would hold up for the long run.

Once the trailer arrives around Jan 11th I will post a thread showing how I end up connecting it to my RT. I am ready to add mods to it. :thumbup:

[Erags]

Just get your wife her own Spyder and if she can't pack enough it her Spyder then you can pack it in your Spyder because you didn't need that much room anyway. And Think about how much more fun it is to have her on her own ride. and look at how much Cheaper it is (LOL) but she will love you for it. I'm sitting in the Hospital and she has gone on the Last Ride of the Year ride today, so you know today is great. I will get to go home later today. YES

[JJW SpyderRider]

I have a Mini Trailer USA Nomad trailer on order. I saw videos of another car carrier type trailer going down the road that was bouncing pretty good. This video was on the dealers site and seeing the cover flopping around in the wind did not give much confidence that it would hold up for the long run.

Once the trailer arrives around Jan 11th I will post a thread showing how I end up connecting it to my RT. I am ready to add mods to it. :thumbup:

Just got a call from Robin at Mini Trailer USA to let me know my trailer ships on Wednesday and should be here by the 4th now :yes::yes::yes:. Site sponsor AND American made :2thumbs:.

[Spyder#353]

:clap:
Another site sponsor on the homepage is Bushtec. I tow one, and love it.

I've been towing a Bushtec trailer for years. I love the fact that the tires are taller and thine:thumbup:http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/images/attach/jpg.gif IMG_1520.jpg (54.5 KB)

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/images/attach/jpg.gif IMG_1461.jpg (43.5 KB):2thumbs:

[Cruzr Joe]

Here are some photos of mine.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/27/ge2yvyra.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/27/zaqezyny.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/27/e5umasym.jpg

I love it

Cruzr Joe

[elpaso]

check with Harbor freight they have a trailer that will work for $400.00 my buddy has one and love it56928:doorag::cheers:

What is the top speed that he has driven with trailer?

[CyncySpyder]

Teddy really likes that options that our lil Moto-Mate Camper Trailer gives us. It works well for us, but taller ppl or couples would not have enough room. Most ppl think its a Pop-Up, but there's no popping to it. I tell them, its basically a bed-on-wheels & you can see a stunned look :shocked: come over their faces :roflblack: One nice feature tho, you take the mattress out & then the entire thing is a utility trailer :2thumbs: with more usable storage space than most SUVs on the market today:thumbup:

We got lucky, as the manufacturer (Micro-Lite in Elkhart Indiana) only made this model for 2 yrs & stopped production to focus on its much larger counter part, which weighs in over 800 pounds, whereas the Moto-Mate is only 330 pounds. We got ours at the RV & Camper show in Indy back in Dec of 2010 & have taken it on 4 trips to Cuba/MO, & 2 trips to New York, 2 trips to Lamonts & we even did The Dragon with it in tow, and am proud to say, we held our own & had a blast :clap:

6287162872628746287562876

[Holdcard]

I am new to this sight so i,m not sure if i am asking in the right place but anyhow,i have a bushtec trailer with a heim hitch we just purchesed a spyder rt and i want to be able to pull the bushtec with the spyder,can it be done?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am new to this sight so i,m not sure if i am asking in the right place but anyhow,i have a bushtec trailer with a heim hitch we just purchesed a spyder rt and i want to be able to pull the bushtec with the spyder,can it be done?
Absolutely.....I have been trying to get people to use this type of Hitch for at least 6 years now. It is less damaging on the drivetrain of the Spyder or any motorcycle.......Because of the cost ( Bushtec's price ) I made my own using a " tie-rod end " from a Toyt Pk-up trk.....( $ 11.00 ) it does exactly the same thing as a Bustec's Heim-joint....You just need to figure out how to attach it to the Spyder trailer Hitch......I never looked closely at Bushtec's......On mine that end has a 1/2 " threaded bolt that I put through my " L " bracket on the Hitch ( it has a 1/2" hole ) and secure it with a NYLOK nut........Why other people don't do it this way baffles me.......Mike :thumbup::thumbup:

[fjray]

You can buy the pin from bushtec and it will fit the hole in the hitch on the spyder. If you know somebody with a lathe it's an easy job to build one. I made mine out of marine stainless. The way the hitch mounts on the Spyder puts a lot more motion into the tongue on the trailer but other than shaking up your drinks in the cooler it's not an issue. I'm going to build a frame mount hitch for mine before the winter is over.

[Bfromla]

The wiring seems to be one of the biggest trailer problems BRP or not fyi get a independent ground to be safe. Lots of modules have failed few survivors had independent grounds. Know many trailers can work I like this one most

http://youtu.be/O1Y_JMBzTXk
BRP hitch has a 40lb tongue weight restriction. Dont recommend more that that for a bike anyway. Make sure whatever you find does not piss the nanny off. Enjoy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dragonfly]

Don't forget to look at one of this sites sponsors. I have 2 friends that have their trailers and they just love them and are very reasonably priced.

http://www.minitrailerusa.com/

Their ad is on the home page of spyderlovers.com

That is where I got mine and I love it. I can not tell it is back there even at +80mph

[OverHillAndDale]

Bengaluvr, I have an Aluma Trailer for sale. The ad seems to have dropped from the 4-Sale Forum, but I'm happy to send you pics and info via email if you'd like to take a look. I live in the Sacramento area, so I'm not far from you. Send me a PM with your email address if you're interested. It will come with the BRP trailer harness modified for the 2011 RT, so it's a simple plug and go. :thumbup:

-Anita

I have an Aluma trailer - pulls easily, holds a lot, great lighting, no water leakage.

[jaherbst]

Also remember that an 8" tire rotates 23% faster than a 12" tire. Be sure the bearings are properly packed and regularly repacked, and check for heat buildup at the hubs often.

The most important part if you are towing any trailer! A lot of the lesser trailers will have cheap bearings from China. Most are bad and need to be changed to U S bearings.

Jack

[easysuper]

The wiring is the tricky part, we had both BRP moduels fail on our bikes and switched to a generic moduel from Uhaul, have thousands of miles over the last 2 years and no problems now. We have 3 trailers we use, one is an Aspen, then a custom dog trailer, and a harbor freight we use in the winter when we are going to just Hotel it insted of camping.
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=123902&stc=1 http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=123903&stc=1 http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=123904&stc=1

[justcalldon]

I heard that if you hook up a trailer that isn't a BRP one that you will void out the warranty, has any one else heard that?


Justcalldon

[WA5VHU]

Also, yes you can buy better bearings than those that come with the Chinese trailers, but as long as you keep them packed with good grease they will be just fine. Do a Google search and filter out the foolks that haven't actually used them properly.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?89933-Upgrades-for-comfort-and-ride-handeling-and-trailer-questions

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?90091-Anything-wrong-with-putting-a-trailer-hitch-on-an-RS-S&p=1089460#post1089460

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I heard that if you hook up a trailer that isn't a BRP one that you will void out the warranty, has any one else heard that?


Justcalldon
...:gaah:...BRP, shovels this BS to scare people......in the U.S. the Moss-Magnusson Act protects you......BRP would have to PROVE that the non-BRP trailer ACTUALLY caused the damage to the warrantied part...........Sooooo if you are towing a 1000 lb trailer you are going to have a problem......if you don't exceed the PARIMETERS of the BRP trailer, BRP is going to have a really hard time proving your trailer caused it...........PS, thousands of people are towing other types of trailers.......................Mike :thumbup:

[justcalldon]

Thanks Mike, that is what I thought but I wanted to hear it from someone else besides the dealer.


Justcalldon

[Marker]

The only thing that will void your warranty is installing an aftermarket hitch to the RT.
The Rt will pull any brand of trailer but you cannot exceed the 400lB weight limit that the spyder can tow

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

The only thing that will void your warranty is installing an aftermarket hitch to the RT.
The Rt will pull any brand of trailer but you cannot exceed the 400lB weight limit that the spyder can tow
.....Maybe in Canada...but not in the U.S.A...Mike ........I'm talking about the Hitch...Read post #42 above for details !!!

[OverHillAndDale]

Even an aftermarket hitch OR ANY accessory can't void your warranty unless that part is directly linked to damage that it causes. If say, a 3rd party hitch didn't fit right and damaged the finish or bent the axle, then BRP wouldn't warrant that part. I have TricLED lights on my bike and if they damaged the fender or electronics, then BRP wouldn't warrant them. However, if my trunk fell off that would be unrelated to the fender lighting and they'd have to warrant that repair.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[almosthere]

I just bought a '15 RT-S and put on BRP's hitch and harness. Dealer says they changed to a standard 4 wire connection that will work on any trailer's flat 4 connection. However I plan to pull a teardrop camper I am building. and expect it to push the 400# weight limit by 40 to 60 lbs. So to compensate I am incorporating 7" electric brake hubs into the trailer build. My BIG question to all here is, "Has anyone ever wired their Spyder with an electric brake controller for their trailer they pull?" this is the unit I was going to use, https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Contr...s/HM47297.html (https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Hopkins/HM47297.html)

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I just bought a '15 RT-S and put on BRP's hitch and harness. Dealer says they changed to a standard 4 wire connection that will work on any trailer's flat 4 connection. However I plan to pull a teardrop camper I am building. and expect it to push the 400# weight limit by 40 to 60 lbs. So to compensate I am incorporating 7" electric brake hubs into the trailer build. My BIG question to all here is, "Has anyone ever wired their Spyder with an electric brake controller for their trailer they pull?" this is the unit I was going to use, https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Contr...s/HM47297.html (https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Hopkins/HM47297.html)
Looks interesting. One challenge you will have though is protecting the components from getting wet. They do not appear to be weather resistant at all. There are very few places on a Spyder outside of the trunks and saddlebag that don't get wet from rain, washing, or water on the road.

Does the 40 to 60 pounds over the 400 limit include the weight of the brake components? If so, you can cut down your weight by 20 to 30 lbs by not installing the brakes and be close enough to the 400 lb number to not need brakes. I think my 'tent on a trailer' setup pushes or exceeds 400 lbs and I've had no issue with braking at all. You just have to give yourself more braking time and distance.

[almosthere]

I plan on pulling this trailer all over the country in a few years when wife and I retire. Maybe even up to Alaska. So we will probably be packing heavier than most would. The brakes are a "what if" component that will give me a bit more piece of mind. That said, I really need a wiring solution. Thanks for any input and help.