Rent A Trailer? Towing Can Am RT From Charlotte to Durango and Back

[dalavette]

We are planning a trip out to Colorado to spend some time riding around the Rockies.
Our departure date is July 3 retuning July 18th.

We are planning to tow the Can Am behind my truck and have been looking at a U-Haul 6x12 w/ramp . Estimated cost with taxes for the U-Haul is $650.

I don't want to buy a non foldable trailer as I have no place to store it. The Stinger looked good but at $3,000 to pricy for me.

Does anyone live in the Charlotte area and be willing to rent out their trailers?

Hoping someone has a creative idea on how to reduce the cost of a trailer for this trip. (no riding the Cam Am out there and back isn't an option ;-)

Thanks.....

 

[redrazor]

:yes:View attachment 189847:thumbup: This Big Tex 6X12 trailer has worked great for me. $2,600 total cost; plus tiedowns, wheel chocks.

 

[Briorick]

:yes:View attachment 189847:thumbup: This Big Tex 6X12 trailer has worked great for me. $2,600 total cost; plus tiedowns, wheel chocks.

This is the exact sized trailer we used to haul our Spyder home with, minus the ramp. Mine is a tilt trailer, and did great loading and unloading. Just make sure the inside dimension was 6' x 12'. Once strapped down, it rode perfectly home. Success! :thumbup:

 

[Bfromla]

Local U hauls didn’t have any for spyder google wasn’t much help either, ended up friends recommended a horse trailer maker & they did have assortment of rentals & at good prices :yes: just not advertised. If you have any similar in area probably worth a visit, least a call

 

[Steve W.]

We are planning to tow the Can Am behind my truck and have been looking at a U-Haul 6x12 w/ramp .

I don't know if they have more than one style 6x12 with a ramp, but the one that I looked at would not work.

When we brought my wife's Spyder home last year, I went to U-Haul to get some measurements. Yes, the inside measurements are right at 6x12, whether you get the ramp or not, but the model with the ramp (and the ramp is WAY too short) has some gussets (braces) that stick inward at the back, reducing the opening to less than the width of the Spyder. The trailer without a ramp had a full-width opening.

That worked OK for me, as we have some folding ramps that are about 9' long, and I had some lumber that I used for the third ramp. I placed a 2x4 across the trailer about 3' from the front and braced it there with more 2x4s that extended past the outside of the front tires. That would prevent the front end from sliding sideways. Rode the Spyder in, stopped against the 2x4. Used ratchet straps through the wheels to the front corners of the trailer, then used two more straps through the rear wheel to the rear corners. Bike rode the 300 miles home without moving.

$650 might seem like quite a bit to rent a trailer, but look at the bigger picture.
1. How many times do you plan on doing this?
2. Do you have room to store a trailer? (You already mentioned that you don't)
3. Are you prepared for licensing and maintenance on the trailer?
4. Is your tow vehicle equipped with a brake controller? (Depending on your truck, it might have the wires, but not the controller)

I ask about brakes because a Spyder on a trailer is going to weigh a bit over 2000 pounds. (On the U-Haul, it will be almost 3000.) In many (most?) states, that would require brakes. The U-Haul trailer is a tandem-axle trailer, and has hydraulic surge brakes that do not require any special equipment on the tow vehicle.

Personally, I would not have a folding trailer, especially for something as heavy as a Spyder. I bought one many years ago to move my motorcycle from California to oHIo. I admit it was lighter-weight than it should have been, but it failed about 200 miles from where we were going. Fortunately, we had an extra driver, so I was able to get the bike off the trailer and ride it the rest of the way. I have seen a few folding trailers since then, but not many of them have even come close to giving me enough confidence to get another one.

.

 

[dalavette]

That is really great information. I have towed boats for years and would never consider going through the mountains without surge breaks on my trailer. Why didn't I think of that for the Can Am?

Kinda limits my choices though.

 

[UtahPete]

That is really great information. I have towed boats for years and would never consider going through the mountains without surge breaks on my trailer. Why didn't I think of that for the Can Am?

Kinda limits my choices though.

My Aluma trailer weighs only 750#. The Spyder on the trailer is less than 2000#. Keep trying to find someone to borrow from; I'd loan you mine but I'm not close enough to you.

 

[Mazo EMS2]

I bet if you bought a 6x10 aluminum utility trailer with rear ramp, you'd be able to resell it and not lose much at all after the trip. Heck ya might like it so much that you decide to keep it for a good multi-purpose trailer

 

[UtahPete]

I bet if you bought a 6x10 aluminum utility trailer with rear ramp, you'd be able to resell it and not lose much at all after the trip. Heck ya might like it so much that you decide to keep it for a good multi-purpose trailer

That's what I was thinking too.

 

[Hoginedgewood]

We are planning a trip out to Colorado to spend some time riding around the Rockies.
Our departure date is July 3 retuning July 18th.

We are planning to tow the Can Am behind my truck and have been looking at a U-Haul 6x12 w/ramp . Estimated cost with taxes for the U-Haul is $650.

I don't want to buy a non foldable trailer as I have no place to store it. The Stinger looked good but at $3,000 to pricy for me.

Does anyone live in the Charlotte area and be willing to rent out their trailers?

Hoping someone has a creative idea on how to reduce the cost of a trailer for this trip. (no riding the Cam Am out there and back isn't an option ;-)

Thanks.....

Thinking I paid about 1k for a 5'x10' trailer 4 years ago. Its about 2" wider than the canam. My point is if you spend $1200 on a brand new trailer and sell it when you get home that may be a better investment. For a while I had a friend store my trailer and they could use it all they wanted.

 

[dalavette]

Thinking I paid about 1k for a 5'x10' trailer 4 years ago. Its about 2" wider than the canam. My point is if you spend $1200 on a brand new trailer and sell it when you get home that may be a better investment. For a while I had a friend store my trailer and they could use it all they wanted.

That sounds like a good idea.

Question: HAs anyone towed these trailers without trailer brakes through the mountains? Any handling issues?

 

[redrazor]

That sounds like a good idea.

Question: HAs anyone towed these trailers without trailer brakes through the mountains? Any handling issues?

:yes:
We just got back from a trip from the East Bay Area all the way up to Mendicino Ca on some of the windiest roads EVER along the Pacific Ocean coast, and there were no problems at all towing it with my 2007 Chevy Avalanche! 6X12 Big Tex is a single axle without brakes; but it only weighs about 1,000 lbs, 2,000 total with RTL on it. I was amazed at how easy a tow it was. The Ramp is more than strong enough and wide enough for the RTL to go up on. I mounted removable (big) wheel chocks and (4) heavy duty D-rings at front and rear corners of wood flooring. Just remember to use the Heavy Duty ratchet type strapping. Total investment was about $2,800. Tex stays parked on my side lot when not in use with a big tarp over it. ... Good luck. p.s. I'll try to post some better photos of the set-up.

 

[redrazor]

I hope this isn't sideways or upside down (??!!??)ray:

 

[dalavette]

Thanks for the confirmation of your experience.

 

[UtahPete]

That sounds like a good idea.

Question: HAs anyone towed these trailers without trailer brakes through the mountains? Any handling issues?

It depends on your tow vehicle. What is it? Towing through the mountains is not the issue. Stopping safely at speed is the issue.

 

[canamjhb]

I bought a 6X10 Primo Aluminum trailer to haul my Goldwing trike to Texas and back. The Trailer weight empty is 525#s. My trike is about 200#s heavier than a Spyder. Zero issues pulling it with my Buick Enclave. Aluminum trailers of this size are hard to find because of manufacturing interruptions caused by the Chinese Crud. I bought the trailer to accommodate my Texas trip but I like it so much that now there is no thought of selling. If I did decide to sell I think I can get nearly all my money back. Something to think about..... Jim

 

[Hoginedgewood]

That sounds like a good idea.

Question: HAs anyone towed these trailers without trailer brakes through the mountains? Any handling issues?

Check with me next week

 

[Big F]

I have a 6" X 12" aluminum trailer purchased from Northern Tool that we have towed my Spyder thousands of miles all over the greater Midwest INCLUDING the mountains in Colorado. we also go to the Black Hills in South Dakota and the Ozarks every year and have never had any braking issues in all of those mountains.. I have a 2018 RT Limited towed by my 2019 RAM 1500.. Good luck
BIG F

 

[UtahPete]

I have a 6" X 12" aluminum trailer purchased from Northern Tool that we have towed my Spyder thousands of miles all over the greater Midwest INCLUDING the mountains in Colorado. we also go to the Black Hills in South Dakota and the Ozarks every year and have never had any braking issues in all of those mountains.. I have a 2018 RT Limited towed by my 2019 RAM 1500.. Good luck
BIG F

With a 12000# towing capacity I wouldn't think so! We still don't know anything about OP's tow vehicle.

 

[canamjhb]

With a 12000# towing capacity I wouldn't think so! We still don't know anything about OP's tow vehicle.

Yah Pete. He just said he is towing it behind his truck. Not all trucks are created equal. My Buick Enclave (with towing option) has a 4,500 towing capacity. That's more than some of the smaller trucks. My trike and trailer come in somewhere just under 2,000 lbs. I don't have trailer brakes and never felt an issue or need for them. And I did tow up over the mountains. He should be good if his truck is at least 1/2 ton with towing package. Unless the OP has a formidable towing rig, I would stay away from big ol' steel rental trailers. They can weigh easily more than 1,000#s..... Jim