road trip bitten- please help

[SPYDERGUY1]

just completed my first major road trip, 1000km through the national parks and like. Excellent, but now I want to go agin and have my lovely wife with me. That being said am looking for a trailer hitch for a 2008 sm5, have trailer lined up, so any and all info would be greately apprectated. Thanks. Will post in buy and sell forum as well.:helpsmilie:

 

[Capt John]

Try this site

http://www.bushtec.com/product-p/944518p.htm

 

[Major Finder]

Our hitch

I, too, have a 2008 SM5. We mounted a Bushtec hitch on our Spyder. We have pulled a Piggy Backer trailer on our road trips for many miles and we love the hitch and trailer. I like the fact that it mounts on the frame instead of the swingarm. The hitch is designed for relatively easy removal if you're concerned about looks while you're not pulling a trailer but I have left ours on all the time. I don't think it distracts from the looks of the Spyder at all.
Good luck.

Major Finder

 

[ThreeFeet]

Trailer pulling with se5

I just got back from doing about 2000 mi towing the BRP trailer. After a couple days thought maybe I'd better check the manual about towing! :yikes: The darn thing said no towing with this vehicle!!!!OUCH!!! :gaah: OH WELL done did it too late now!!! But have hitch for an RT when I get one of those!!:2thumbs:.. I didn't have any problems with the towing just the stopping. No brakes on trailers:yikes: see. Sooo best to plan ahead and watch out for traffic lights and try NOT to panic stop!! My :spyder2: did really well towing... trailer stayed back there and trucks didn't affect it much just a little wiggle. :firstplace:BRP really made a goody in that department. But the thing about no trailer towing with the SE5or the SM5 is a bunch of hooy. It can do it just make sure what you get is compatable with the towing vehicle. .......ThreeFeet:spyder:

 

[NancysToy]

I just got back from doing about 2000 mi towing the BRP trailer. After a couple days thought maybe I'd better check the manual about towing! :yikes: The darn thing said no towing with this vehicle!!!!OUCH!!! :gaah: OH WELL done did it too late now!!! But have hitch for an RT when I get one of those!!:2thumbs:.. I didn't have any problems with the towing just the stopping. No brakes on trailers:yikes: see. Sooo best to plan ahead and watch out for traffic lights and try NOT to panic stop!! My :spyder2: did really well towing... trailer stayed back there and trucks didn't affect it much just a little wiggle. :firstplace:BRP really made a goody in that department. But the thing about no trailer towing with the SE5or the SM5 is a bunch of hooy. It can do it just make sure what you get is compatable with the towing vehicle. .......ThreeFeet:spyder:

I wouldn't worry about towing with the RS, no matter what the manual says. All motorcycle manuals say the same thing, as far as I know. Only the RT has been assigned a towing capacity. Anyway, BRP is well aware that people are towing trailers with the RS. Lamonster has seen to that! I expect that is why they came up with the trailer hitch and RT-622.

One proviso...if you have an RS with an SE5 tranny, it does not have trailer mode, so be sure to upshift and downshift a little higher, manually.

 

[irish2themax]

just completed my first major road trip, 1000km through the national parks and like. Excellent, but now I want to go agin and have my lovely wife with me. That being said am looking for a trailer hitch for a 2008 sm5, have trailer lined up, so any and all info would be greately apprectated. Thanks. Will post in buy and sell forum as well.:helpsmilie:

I have the hitch from Mel's Monster Garage ($320) which others have as well. Did a 5791 mile trip with it...no problems except that I got a stress fracture in the metal which had to be welded. Material flaw...not a design issue.

 

[widowmaker2011]

I, too, have a 2008 SM5. We mounted a Bushtec hitch on our Spyder. We have pulled a Piggy Backer trailer on our road trips for many miles and we love the hitch and trailer. I like the fact that it mounts on the frame instead of the swingarm. The hitch is designed for relatively easy removal if you're concerned about looks while you're not pulling a trailer but I have left ours on all the time. I don't think it distracts from the looks of the Spyder at all.
Good luck.

Major Finder

After a couple thousand miles with the trailer behind me , I'd never use anything but the BRP hitch. It works on every spyder and its amazing how the hitch works so well mounted on the swingarm. And if you need to take it off , (I never bother) its 5 minutes.

 

[Freddy]

After a couple thousand miles with the trailer behind me , I'd never use anything but the BRP hitch. It works on every spyder and its amazing how the hitch works so well mounted on the swingarm. And if you need to take it off , (I never bother) its 5 minutes.

Interestingly, swingarm mounted hitches are illegal in Australia for the very reason irish mentioned - they fracture. BRP can't sell em here. Frame mounted ones are the only safe way to tow. What other highway vehicles have you seen with swingarm or axle mounted hitches?

 

[SPYDERGUY1]

hitch

freddy, what is your spyder ?? and did you have issues with the wiring ??

 

[Freddy]

freddy, what is your spyder ?? and did you have issues with the wiring ??

I don't have a hitch on my '09 SM.