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Trailer for my new rig?

Hello,  Back story, in Nov I got my hands on a nice old Motorvation Coupe Royale sidecar to attach to my sweet 1987 Honda GL1200A. I got excited and then about 36hrs later and emergency came up I had to fly to Florida to help out my elderly mother in the hospital. Fast forward and my wife and I have now been in Florida dealing the elder care issues since, going on 4 months and now it looks like we're down here for an indefinite time. 

I need my toys, I can drive back to Maine in about 2 weeks but I need to make it a quick trip. I would dearly love to bring the Wing and Coupe down to FL, but my MC air ride trailer is only 4ft wide. So I'd like to buy an Aluma 638 trail to drag north with me. But I'm not sure it's actually wide enough. The reason for the 638 is it hits my highest trailer weight limit at 400#. My 2015 Honda CRV is tow rate at only 1500#. So a 400# trailer plus 800# bike and 300# Sidecar I'm right at that magic 1500#. Even so I'm  bit nervous about the Honda CRV CVT handling that weight for 1400+ miles:) 

So does anyone have a decent idea of the width of a GL1200+CR at trailer wheel well height? 

Thanks

Edward

 

I had a K1100LTA with a Motorvation Formula.  When I shipped it to North Carolina the measurements were 85" wide X 92" long and without the windshield on the bike it was 54" tall.  . I bought a Mission BH Flatbed with a bed that was 78" X 120" and it worked fine for that rig.  I hauled it from Rapid City, South Dakota to Corning, NY. As I recall the body work on the bike and sidecar overhung the fenders and siderails.

I don't have an empty weight and I was towing with a Dodge pickup.  What complicates your haul is the CRV.  Maybe you could rent a pickup from Uhaul.  A friend has a Honda Pilot and a similar Aluma trailer and has towed it for many, many miles hauling a similar rig to mine.

Will Short

USCA Ex-President

Edward Jones has reacted to this post.
Edward Jones

Edward,

I'm not suggesting that you ignore the manufacturer's suggestions but...., We successfully towed our old BMW R90/2 - Ural rig [all steel but I don't know the actually weight on a Aluma 7710, [585 lbs] from Minneapolis to North Carolina with our CRV.  I'm sure that we were close to the top weight but had only one time in the Mountains where the CRV complained.  Generally able to go a illegal highway speeds [but your gas mileage goes to hell].

If you're buying an Aluma, you can't go wrong.  They make fine trailers. Too bad you have a short window, they offer some nice options through special order.

Good luck!

Edward Jones has reacted to this post.
Edward Jones

Yeah the CRV tow limit is a pain. When I bought the car my max tow between my couple of bikes and small sailboats was only about 1100# and being an MPG freak I was taken my the 30+mpg and I've even grown to love the CVT automatic especially here in the big city:)  Also I don't want to exceed the max "official" rating just in case I have an at fault accident then any diligent claims adjuster would by all rights have questions about honoring my insurance claim. 

I've been looking at the Toyota RAV4 Adventure which is rated at 3500# but that price jump just isn't doable right now. 

Here's praying someone knows those widths! Small Aluminum trailers as rare in Maine but then there are more people in the 20mile radius of Jax FL then all of Maine! 

Thanks Edward 

EJ, if you still are in Florida, the selection of flat open aluminum trailers there is much better than other states because of the number of golf carts there that people need to haul. The selection and prices in Florida will be better than up north IMO.

I drove to the Tampa area from Texas to pick up the widest Bear Track aluminum trailer made, which is a little bit wider than the widest Aluma trailers. Nothing against Aluma, great trailers,  but I needed that extra 4" width for the sidecamper rig which is 7  1/2 ft wide.  Bear Track trailer fenders are bolted on while Aluma welds theirs. That most likely is not an issue for you.

Driving to Maine with an empty trailer won't be too bad if you throw on a couple of bags of sand on for ballast. I dislike having to pull an empty bouncing trailer. 

Yes, you are reaching the weight limit of the CRV, but you will be driving mostly flat land, no mountain passes.  Keep the speed reasonable and you should have no issues pulling. Be more concerned with your stopping distances with a max loaded trailer behind the CRV. 

If the tranny fluid starts smelling burnt, you are pushing it too hard. Hondas are well built vehicles and will take a lot of abuse if driven with care.

Good luck with your search.

Jan

 

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Edward Jones

 Bear track trailer 450 lbs, Bike curb and sidecar 1,350 10 to 15% tongue weight a go.

Add on tranny cooler runs about $500 installed.

CCjon, yeah still in FL, but having a hard time finding a small Aluminum trailer. I've contacted several listed and they been sold and the SOB listing person is to damn lazy to delete the listing 🙁  Times getting short so I'll probably just get the Bike on my small trailer, well if I can manage the snow and ice. It just dawned on me that I have a reliable guy keeping my 1/4mi driveway clear but the area around my garage were my bikes are napping is cluttered with small trailers naturally could have inches to feet of snow. Well time will tell 🙂 

On the tranny cooler. I've been towing for many years and have installed coolers on all the automatics. But the CRV foiled me again, the CVT auto evidently has no external fluid line that can be tapped into. But Honda now guards their service manuals like precious gems, so I haven't independently verified but looking at my own car it sure looks that way.   

Edward 

I pulled a steel home made trailer with a bike with my old 1997 CRV AWD from SC to Florida several time as well as other stuff and never had any problems. I just ran the limit or about 65 and the Green Bean was happy with 4 passengers to boot once. I think you will be ok unless you try to climb a mountain and I do not know of any on I85 or I95. Of course the gas mileage will suck and it takes a little longer to stop. That tow weight is super conservative and that CRV will surprise you

                                                                                                 Chuck