My versatile trailer!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I've promised some folks along the way I would post some comments and pics about my trailer. I'd been wanting one ever since I bought my Goldwing in 2006, but no trailers on the market were what I wanted! I wanted one that if I wanted to haul a washing machine home from Lowes with it, I could! Two years ago last spring I made what I wanted. I did most of it myself. Had a retired welder friend weld the frame together, a shop powder coated the frame, and my machinist nephew made the wheel covers. You will see the wheel covers have no holes for tire valve stems. I was looking for 90° valve extensions to go to the inside when a tire store manager said do the easy thing, put valve stems on the inside of the rim! So I did. Have to crawl on the ground to put air in the tires but what the hey? Wheel covers look nice and clean, don't they?

Here was the finished product two years ago.




The first use I made of it was to haul 4 bags of sand from Home Depot.




Then I hauled some 8' pieces of steel from a recycle yard. The "T" bar on the tongue is for long loads and is detachable.




It worked great to haul stuff (junk?) to a yard sale.




Then a couple of months ago, after many months of thinking about it, I decided to make a fold up tent trailer attachment for it. I want a small tent trailer for making trips to save on lodging costs. Since a primary use of it would be on the road I wanted it to be fairly easy to set up and tear down. Most tent trailers on the market are somewhat involved since they offer quite a bit of space and comfort, which I don't need for one night at a time stops. Plus, I wouldn't be using it all that often so did not want to pay for running gear that would go unused most of the year.

So, the first thing I needed to do was bring home a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood from Home Depot!

 

[Showie]

Keep up the good work ;-)

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

My versatile trailer, cont'd. Part 2

Internet connection got mucked up somewhere. Lost contact with SL for a half-hour, more or less.

Here are more photos of my "Tent on a Trailer". I made the platform and had a local tent and canvas shop make the tent.

This is what it looked like in the Corps of Engineers Plymouth Park campground across the Columbia from Umatilla, OR in mid-August. I was coming home from my inaugural trip with the tent.




Here's a little bit closer view. My sleeping bag is on a 3" thick foam pad. Works great!




I put two hatches into the floor of the tent to acess the inside of the trailer. I had the tent maker make a waterproof liner to put inside the trailer. It has a zipper flap in the back and I made a gate in a new tail piece of the trailer sides so I can access the back half of the trailer with the tent folded up.




Here's the tent, foam pad, and sleeping bag flattened out and ready to be folded up.




It's folded! I fixed up hinges with the pivot about 4" above the plywood so when it's folded there's about 8" between the two floor sections. The PVC legs are 'safety' legs to prevent dropping the back half to the ground when I unfold it.



A couple more pics in the next post!

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

My versatile trailer, cont'd. Part 3

Here it is with the cover over it ready to hit the road. The tent maker made the cover also, heavy waterproof material.




This is on a forest road near Mt Hood, OR. I added the tie strap to keep the cover from ballooning while traveling. Since these pics I've started to use 2 straps to keep the cover down snug on the tent. Pulls better with less resistance. This is not an aerodynamic configuration by any means, but like I used to tell my kids, you can't have everything!




When I'm not traveling, which is most of the time, I'll take the tent off and use the trailer like an ordinary trailer! Best part is I have only on the order of $2400 invested in both the trailer and the "Tent on the Trailer."

Now, to end all this I have one comment to make, meant of course in good humor! There's no question the RT-622 trailer is a great trailer, and it does very well what it was designed to do.

But can your RT-622 do ALL THIS!!!!!! :roflblack: :roflblack: :roflblack: :roflblack:

 

[Chupaca]

Wow..!!

That is one great little trailer. Love the wood and diamond effect. Great job..congrats..!! :2thumbs::clap:enjoy it as I know you have...:thumbup:

 

[SpyderDon]

Good job, something to proud of.

 

[sddinnh]

Nice Job

Nice and well thought out. I've been considering a "camper" trailer as well, but I don't have the skills to do something like that. :sour: Thanks for sharing the ideas.

 

[Roadster Renovations]

Awesome! Well thought out. Form and function combining to make a great product.

 

[CentralCoastCA]

Wow

WasWinger, that looks great! Thanks for sharing you photos and look forward to seeing you again.

 

[Oldmanzues]

Looks great to me as well.
Oldmanzues

 

[jpbuch9309]

Trailer

love the hub covers!!

 

[Dragonrider]

Nice job! I'll watch for you on the road!

 

[KX5062]

Looks great, Mac. Great job. :clap:

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

D.I.Y........TRAILER

:clap::clap::clap::clap::agree::congrats::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:.......​As you may well know I consider myself to be a die-hard D.I.Y.er .......And my hat goes off to YOU ........that trailer brought "tears" to my eyes it was sooooooooooooooooooo well thought out .......and well constructed. When I built mine one of the things I have always HATED about towing was the clang,clang, clang of the HITCH.......So I solved it by creating a stiff HITCH from a "tie rod end " which is attached to the trailer instead of the coupler/ball arrangement ......It's lighter and stronger and now I only know the trl. is there if I see it in the mirrors. Vermont legally allows this type of HITCH arrangement and I don't see why your State wouldn't..........Again NICE JOB.....thanks for sharing .........Mikeguyver :2excited:

 

[cptjam]

Cool

Nice job, Mac!
We camp in cheap motels. Seems easier......

 

[jwood4242]

Seriously

I've promised some folks along the way I would post some comments and pics about my trailer. I'd been wanting one ever since I bought my Goldwing in 2006, but no trailers on the market were what I wanted! I wanted one that if I wanted to haul a washing machine home from Lowes with it, I could! Two years ago last spring I made what I wanted. I did most of it myself. Had a retired welder friend weld the frame together, a shop powder coated the frame, and my machinist nephew made the wheel covers. You will see the wheel covers have no holes for tire valve stems. I was looking for 90° valve extensions to go to the inside when a tire store manager said do the easy thing, put valve stems on the inside of the rim! So I did. Have to crawl on the ground to put air in the tires but what the hey? Wheel covers look nice and clean, don't they?

Here was the finished product two years ago.

The first use I made of it was to haul 4 bags of sand from Home Depot.

Then I hauled some 8' pieces of steel from a recycle yard. The "T" bar on the tongue is for long loads and is detachable.

It worked great to haul stuff (junk?) to a yard sale.

Then a couple of months ago, after many months of thinking about it, I decided to make a fold up tent trailer attachment for it. I want a small tent trailer for making trips to save on lodging costs. Since a primary use of it would be on the road I wanted it to be fairly easy to set up and tear down. Most tent trailers on the market are somewhat involved since they offer quite a bit of space and comfort, which I don't need for one night at a time stops. Plus, I wouldn't be using it all that often so did not want to pay for running gear that would go unused most of the year.

So, the first thing I needed to do was bring home a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood from Home Depot!

That is seriously awesome!

 

[jaherbst]

I've promised some folks along the way I would post some comments and pics about my trailer. I'd been wanting one ever since I bought my Goldwing in 2006, but no trailers on the market were what I wanted! I wanted one that if I wanted to haul a washing machine home from Lowes with it, I could! Two years ago last spring I made what I wanted. I did most of it myself. Had a retired welder friend weld the frame together, a shop powder coated the frame, and my machinist nephew made the wheel covers. You will see the wheel covers have no holes for tire valve stems. I was looking for 90° valve extensions to go to the inside when a tire store manager said do the easy thing, put valve stems on the inside of the rim! So I did. Have to crawl on the ground to put air in the tires but what the hey? Wheel covers look nice and clean, don't they?

Here was the finished product two years ago.

Not bad for a farm vehicle!:joke:


The first use I made of it was to haul 4 bags of sand from Home Depot.

Then I hauled some 8' pieces of steel from a recycle yard. The "T" bar on the tongue is for long loads and is detachable.

It worked great to haul stuff (junk?) to a yard sale.

Then a couple of months ago, after many months of thinking about it, I decided to make a fold up tent trailer attachment for it. I want a small tent trailer for making trips to save on lodging costs. Since a primary use of it would be on the road I wanted it to be fairly easy to set up and tear down. Most tent trailers on the market are somewhat involved since they offer quite a bit of space and comfort, which I don't need for one night at a time stops. Plus, I wouldn't be using it all that often so did not want to pay for running gear that would go unused most of the year.

So, the first thing I needed to do was bring home a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood from Home Depot!

Not bad for a farm vehicle!:joke:

Jack

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Not bad for a farm vehicle!:joke:

Jack

That's what I thought!

Reminds me of the story of the city slicker driving his Cadillac out in the country when he missed a turn and ended up in the ditch. A farmer happened by on his tractor and offered to help. As the farmer was starting to hook up the chains the city slicker said, "You're not going to pull my $50,000 car with that, are you?" "No," said the farmer as he unhooked the chain, "I am not going to pull out your $50,000 car with my $250,000 tractor!"

 

[pitzerwm]

I don't think that you mentioned the weight.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I don't think that you mentioned the weight.

Something around 150# for the empty trailer. Loaded with the tent, more than I wish. I don't know for sure but I think it was somewhere aproaching 450#. Weight wasn't as much of a concern when I built the trailer because I had a Goldwing. The torsion axles are rated at 500# for the pair so subtracting the wheel weight from the empty weight (the ground carries the wheel load, not the axles) I estimated I have about 400# payload capacity.

When it comes to braking the Spyder handles the trailer push better than the Goldwing did.