Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

General Discussion about BMW Motorcycles

Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:26 pm

I've been thinking about buying a trailer for the bike for some time now and I think it'll happen in the coming year. If I decide to go the new trailer route, does anyone have recommendations on where to buy in the DC/MD/VA area?

Thanks!
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby JimVonBaden » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:54 am

I recommend a standard 5X8 utility trailer. Bikes have a ramp and fit fine, and you can use it for other things. I use mine a lot!

Jim :cool:
User avatar
JimVonBaden
Smooth Motorcycle Operator
 
Posts: 17669
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2003 11:48 pm
Location: Alexandria, VA

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby eap » Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:08 am

Let us know when you get it -its always good to know where the trailers and pickup trucks are!!! :)
eap
Chesapeake Bay Watershed http://www.chesapeakebay.net
"Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride, E.A.Poe
14 R1200GS LC
01 R1150GS (100K smiles)
81 R80G/S (~50k smiles)
IBA # 60680
User avatar
eap
Board Wizard
 
Posts: 1812
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:13 am
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby stevebmw » Fri Nov 24, 2017 10:28 am

Our sister store, Morton's Power Equipment, sells flatbed (utility) trailers as well as enclosed trailers. Our motorcycle customers frequently get trailers there to carry their bikes safely. If you contact them (540-898-8738), ask for either Jack, the general manager, or Bob Massey, the owner.
Steve Anderson
2002 R1150GS
Morton's BMW Motorcycles
Your HQ for GS fun!
Fredericksburg, Virginia
540-891-9844
steve@mortonsbmw.com
http://www.mortonsbmw.com
User avatar
stevebmw
Board Viking
 
Posts: 2645
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:48 am
Location: Locust Grove, Virginia

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:33 am

Thanks! I'll check out Morton's Power Equipment over the holiday break.

Yeah, I'll have no problem helping out once I get the trailer.

Cheers,
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:32 pm

Following up to my initial post : This is happening and I'm approaching the finish line. I'm down to deciding between a 5x8 utility trailer (1 bike) and a 6x10 utility trailer (1 or 2 bikes). My buddy is trying to convince me to get the 6x10 so we can trailer both our bikes at the same time. I'm not against this idea as I can store either and the price difference is small. However, the majority of the time I'll be trailering just my bike and I've been unsuccessful in finding reliable information on the pro's/con's of trailering 1 bike on a trailer "built for two" (in particular issues related to weight distribution/imbalance). Can anyone point me in the right direction for info?

Thanks!
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby Dave K1200LT » Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:53 am

Jim

I wouldn't own a trailer that would only carry one bike. The weight distribution should be obvious, one bike center, two bikes should be the same distance from center. The car pulling should have enough power for the job. And, Tractor Supply is where I would start looking.
"Big Dave"
________________
2003 K1200LTC "Silver"
BMWBMW, BMWMOA, AMA
IBA-SS1000, BB1500
User avatar
Dave K1200LT
Board Guru
 
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 1:50 pm
Location: Reisterstown, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:12 pm

Dave K1200LT wrote:Jim

I wouldn't own a trailer that would only carry one bike. The weight distribution should be obvious, one bike center, two bikes should be the same distance from center. The car pulling should have enough power for the job. And, Tractor Supply is where I would start looking.



Thanks for the feedback Dave. I need to see if there is any way I can adjust the wheel chalks and rings in case I have 1 or 2 bikes I want to tow. Everything I have found only talks about weight distribution from front to back and not side to side (probably should have mentioned that). My truck can tow 7K lbs so I'm good there.

Thanks!
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby mlytle » Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:03 pm

i have a two bike trailer. installed another chock in the middle. one bike...chocked in middle. two bikes, use the side chocks. ez.

buy off craigslist. for sale/trailers/motorcycle.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva ... 36977.html


or just put in "aluma". get one of those.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva ... 03927.html

i just sold my aluma single last month.
Image

now have an aluma double like this.
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/tro/d/ ... 06314.html
Marshall
92 K75s
94 K75s
09 K1300s
User avatar
mlytle
Frequent Poster
 
Posts: 196
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:41 pm
Location: alexandria, va

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:46 am

A 3rd chock... brilliant... never crossed my mind. Thanks for pointing that out for me. :)
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby Shane R1100GS » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:17 am

I have a Tractor supply trailer, I think it's 6x10. I put two Harbor freight chalks https://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-69026.html Image

I can fit two Triumphs on it. I'm not sure if two BMW's would fit without hitting there heads.
18 Urban G/S
05 Thruxton
88 R100GS
77 R100S
Shane R1100GS
Board Guru
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 11:44 pm
Location: Laurel, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby Shane R1100GS » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:22 am

When I bought the trailer, I thought I could just go there and buy it and drive away. They make you take the paper work to the MVA and get a tag before they let you have it. I had a tag with me at the time from a different trailer but they wouldn't let me take the new trailer with that tag.
18 Urban G/S
05 Thruxton
88 R100GS
77 R100S
Shane R1100GS
Board Guru
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 11:44 pm
Location: Laurel, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby Genen8kua » Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:55 am

A few years ago, I got anAluma 638BT. The bed is 63" wide x 96" long and I sprung for the bifold gate option. I got it to transport my Weta trimaran, which is a small boat that comes with a beach dolly. The boat overhangs the trailer, but it works well. I also added a Condor Pit-Stop. I chose this one because it has I nice easy to use mounting/demounting system and also comes in handy in the garage. If I need it to haul two bikes, I think I'd suck up the cost and buy another one and an extra mounting plate, but that would depend on the bikes I'd need to haul.

The trailer tracks really well with the tires supplied, even at a brisk pace. I fiddled with tire pressure the other weekend when we delivered a zero-turn mower to my brother's house near Cleveland. Coming home empty, dropping the pressure to 35 PSI really decreased the bouncies on bumps. I also like the width of the total trailer, as the fenders are visible in my side view mirrors, which really comes in handy in reverse. I chose aluminum mainly because of the weight difference which I appreciate when moving the trailer without the car and also adds a little to the payload (GVWR-trailer weight). The total package then hovered around the $2K range, but meets my needs for taking the boat hither and yon as well as the rare short distance MC haul. If you're clear about your needs you can get significantly less expensive without compromising safety.

I can't stress enough the importance of doing a little reading about trailering before jumping in. You want to understand weight balance as it applies to your trailer or else you may get into sway problems if the tongue weight is too light (weight too far aft). And you need to do the arithmetic about tow ratings: it's a weakest link kinda thing in that your vehicle will have a Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) which sets the limit on the total (tow vehicle + payload + trailer) capacity. For trailers of this size you don't need a terribly large vehicle, so it's hard to get in trouble, but you will see 3500# rated hitches on vehicles with a 2000# tow rating, and it's possible to have such a vehicle loaded with enough weight that the GCVWR would be exceeded with the addition of a 2000# trailer. I've seen many cases of people who buy, say, an SUV that's marketed to "tow up to 5000 lbs" and find it wholly inadequate for towing their 5000# boat trailer. OTOH, if you've a pickup like the one mlytle showed, it would be real hard to exceed the tow vehicle capacity without grossly overloading the trailer (hard to do with motorcycles, easy to do with sacks of concrete or flagstone).

This guide from Curt mfg is pretty good, and worth understanding before towing anything. Because of safety margins and luck, lots of people have gotten away with knowing less, but the same can be said of untrained MC riders.

Gene

P.S. to Jim's question I got mine at PSL trailersin White Marsh. Price at the time was competitive, they were good with my questions before and after the sale, and the trailer's required no service or warranty repairs. Living in Ellicott City at the time, I didn't think of Morton's. Were I doing it again, I'd make a call to them part of my search.
Gene
2016 S1000XR
2007 R1200GS

What happens in the helmet stays in the helmet.
User avatar
Genen8kua
GO COWBOYS!
 
Posts: 672
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:31 pm
Location: Pasadena, MD

Re: Where to Buy Trailer in the area?

Postby jmb122mp » Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:08 am

Thank you all again for all the very useful insight and information. I (finally) picked up my trailer yesterday. It's a 6x10 utility trailer. I feel like it's a good basic trailer to begin with. I have 3 wheel chocks (1 in center, 2 on sides) in case I trailer 1 or 2 bikes. I'll be practicing my trailer towing skills (mostly backing up) before my maiden trip to Cunningham Falls State Park mid September for some camping, fishing and riding. :) Here's a picture once I made it home yesterday :
Attachments
truck-trailer-800x600.jpg
Jim

'04 R1150R Rockster (Black/Orange)

"Don't Dude me". Dexter Morgan
User avatar
jmb122mp
Member
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:44 pm
Location: Crofton, MD


Return to General Chat

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests

cron