After renting a travel trailer a few times from the Air Force base nearby, Congress (the wife) has given approval to "Shop around" for a larger one of our own. One concern we have is having to unhook the truck for local travel. I have a 1989 Yamaha FJ 1200 sport touring bike we would like to haul with us. It weighs about 650 pounds wet. We don't want a Toy hauler, haven't seen one in a configuration we like and the cargo area usually use far more space than we need. Are there fivers or travel trailers that can hold 650 pounds on the rear frame using a 2" receiver hitch? Would this adversely affect the balance of the trailer/fiver over the axles and hitch? Always glance at folks hauling and have yet to see a motorcycle mounted the rear. Please advise.

 

Why not buy a ramp, and haul it in the bed? Sorry, just saw that you have a cover.

 

I have seen travel trailers with racks on the rear with a small motor cycle in it.
The 5er I have the previous owner put a reciever in the rear, and was going to have bike racks there. The trailer owners manual says you can't pull anything with the trailer. Check around, and you should be able to find something that would work for you.

 

The cover is easy to remove, but we are favoring a 5th wheel for the greater space and comfort. Often have relatives traveling with us, plus our two Basset Hounds. And the 22ft tt we have been renting is very very tight for space. I only like buying things once and so want to get as perfect for us as possible the first time.

 

Sounds logical. Good luck with the hunt.

 

I have seen bicycles and other stuff mounted to a rack on a 1" receiver. My bike weighs twice as much as the typical small bike or crotch rocket, being old technology and such. My main concern is would 700 pounds or so (Bike and Rack) be too much for the typical trailer frame or upset the balance over the axles while towing. I guess I could try to offset the weight with an equal amount ahead of the axles now that I think about it, but would the rear frame support the receiver and weight.

 

Kokalit---


My 2 cents. I don't see a practical way to put a 650lb motorcycle on the back of the travel trailer hitch. That just seems like to much weight. I would always be worried about it hanging back there.

I used to double tow a 5th wheel with a small utility trailer behind it with my ATVs on it. Seemed to work reasonably well, if you just don't like Toyhaulers.

Pic 1.

But I like my set up much better now. It is a Weekend Warrior FS2600 Toyhauler. Once the bikes are out of the trailer, all the interior space becomes living space again. See pic 2. This pic is of my son sitting on his ATV inside the trailer. The sofas pull up on both sides to make the room for the 2 ATVs in this pic. This is the only interior pic I have to show at the moment but it really doesn't do justice to the actual amount of room inside once everything is set up. I have had 3 ATVs in it before comfortably, plus generator. I have also slept 7 before......6 very comfortably. 2 queen beds, and the sofas make into beds. Don't know if that helps you, but just wanted to add my experience with hauling toys.

 

thanks for sharing the pictures....Here is my 02 cents worth. don't consider doing this on the hitch. I just built one for my bike that is a Klr 650. My bike weighs 350 pounds wet and the contraption I built weighs about another 80 pounds. Here is one problem you will run into. The bike you haul can not go directly up to the hitch. The handlebars need room. So your bike actually will sit about 2 feet away from the hitch. This extra Two feet is a leverage that works against you. Also your weight would be way off. You would have a lot of weight to the extreme rear. You would have to carry extra weight in front of your trailer to offset. Getting the right balance would be tricky. Another small trailer to the rear would work but would not be fun to back up. Getting your bike up into the back of a truck wouldn't be easy either. I am currently looking to buy a toy hauler.

I use my motorcycle rack for my hitch only when I am only carrying my motorcycle for camping without a trailer.

My 350 pound bike with the 80 pound ramp is the max I would want to put on the rear reciever.

Hope that helps.

 

I agree with roger. That is too much to hang off the end. We haul two bikes with us under the canopy. The 86 Honda Reflex is only about 200lbs and when Im tired I can barely get it up the ramp and under the canopy. Cant imagine trying to work 650Lbs up and under on a routine basis.
Had a bumper mount on our other trailer that would hold it but had to take the handle bars off to keep it from leaning out too far. Even at only 200lbs it made the trailer "flex" when hitting bumps. I did not like or trust it.
Lots of luck. My 2 cents: I would only put that bike in the back of the truck or in a toy hauler.

 

I would never hang 650 lbs of the back of an RV. I've heard too many horror stories about a couple bicycles damaging frames and breaking bumpers. And if it matters the majority of RV frame manufacturers do not allow hitches on their frames.

There are a few garage model 5th wheel toyhaulers with only a 6' garage and a side ramp.

 

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!

 

Good man!! I also have an FJ1200, an '86 model. Peggy (wife) and I travel with a 5er and a small trailer for our bikes. The trailer is from smarttrailers.com and pivots with the 5er which makes it a snap to pull and back up if necessary. At the present time we carry my '99 VFR and Peggy's SilverWing scooter on it. We just got back from a three week trip back east and everything performed flawlessly.



Just PM me if you want more pics or some such thing. I've finally figured out there is a PM on this forum.

 

A couple years ago i was fillin up at the local station and i seen a ford excursion pull in. he had his FOURWHEELER on a homemade rack in his reciever. Yes, a 600+ lb 4wheeler on a couple ramps welded on a single 2"x2" peice of tubing stuck in the reciever hitch.

Didnt look to stable, it flexed about 5 - 6 inches just pulling in. wonder what it would have done going around a corner

 

That is deffinitely the way to go DieselNoob.
I just replied to your PM and should have asked if your 5er was already equipped with a receiver on it or did you install it yourself. I only need a trailer big enough for my Electra Glide and I think this one would be ideal.


I believe I would get the optional C rated tires and could come up with a less costly ramp. $595.00 for the ramp is a little too steep for me!

 

I like the trailer behind a trailer setup, I was thinking about that with my 5er, but in some states you can't pull doubles,and my state of Fla. is one of them.