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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 10
Las Vegas, Nevada | I purchased a Bunkhouse LX Camper Trailer and am not sure if I need to buy or it would help to have a swivel coupler or if I should just use the standard one. Does anyone have any experience or can give me any pointers for towing this size trailer. It weighs about 340 lbs. I'll be towing it with an 08 Vision Premium Tour. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 785
Mt. Vernon, WASH. | Definately spend the bucks for the swivel coupler!! Many moons ago the 2nd ex and I were towing a trailer on a camping trip, we stopped to wait for some friends and I put my right foot down on a golfball sized piece of round gravel on a pretty steeply sloped Oregon shoulder. I leaned hard left, the former dove off the left sice and if it hadn't been for the swivel coupler, the trailer would have slid into the ditch dragging me and the VENTURE along with!!! They also let the bike 'go with the flow' on twisty roads like Montana 12 from Missoula down to Leweiston ID. (which IS a beatiful ride along side the Lewiston River. |
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Tourer
Posts: 576
, IA | Swivel for sure and I found a fish scale for toung weight helps adjust weight with my Aspen 32-36 tongue weight works best |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Swivel coupler or swivel ball will work BUT you don't NEED either. So long as you don't plan to drop your bike it doesn't matter, standard ball and hitch works just fine. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Extreme Southern, AZ United States | Like e said, you don't need one, the swivel could be safer if you get the trailer off kilter, but I have towed trailers for a hundred thousand miles or more with no swivel hitch and I and still pulling my Timeout camper without a swivel, no problems. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 10
Las Vegas, Nevada | That's great to know. I look forward to putting many on my trailer. Thanks to all. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| DON"T use real chains use the plastic ones. If the trail comes loose you don't want it to pull you down.
In Texas if you don't X your chains its a 500 dollar fine I have been told. You would think that would be just slandered thinking. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| I just bought a trailer and from all of the research I did I paid the exra $$ and got the swivel.... |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Another option for the chains: I use a couple of those aluminum belt clips. Where they bend cut about 1/2 way thru with a hacksaw. If the trailer needs to break free they snap like a twig. The plastic chain is a good option except if you get pulled and they notice they aren't metal they can ding you.
Talk to as many folks with trailering experience as you can, they are a wealth of info. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| My question is, because the Vision has tip over protection is a swivel needed? Has any one with a trailer laid their Vision over to check? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 669
Peachtree City, GA | There is a guy over on the THEVMC forum - VisionBob. He tows a camper and does an annual trip (last years was 16K) with his camper... You may want to check with him. |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | RedRider - 2011-02-14 5:15 AM
My question is, because the Vision has tip over protection is a swivel needed? Has any one with a trailer laid their Vision over to check?
Yep....I did.
With my Tag-Along trailer and a standard coupler if you lay the Vision over on the tip overs it will lever the trailer right off the ground on one side. I did it slow and with the trailer empty.....so there was no damage.
I also do NOT use a swivel coupler. I pull a 380lb camper trailer with my Vision - no swivel coupler....no problem.
I also think its ridiculous that there are people out there circumventing safety chains. I shudder to think of sharing the road with them. If your going to do something like tow a trailer, be responsible for your actions and your equipment. Id rather my trailer drag me to the ground then take out a car load of people in the oncoming lane.
Edited by aaronrkelly 2011-02-15 2:02 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | aaronkelly, I've not yet started towing a trailer with a bike but in my mind when I did I had planned to circumvent the safety chains. However, after careful thought and consideration by the point you make in your post "I'd rather my trailer drag me to the ground then take out a car load of people in the oncoming lane." I will not circumvent this safety feature.
I do wish to make this point concerning the matter from being a recovery specialist and having towed trailers with trucks, cars and semi's is the most important thing you can is do is 1-Check and then 2-Recheck. Some folks think this is being anal, but don't forego grabbing that hitch a few times and giving it a good shake all around. Even do this at stops in-between and make sure all is well. If you got a good hitch and you know it's latched, you'll never have to make use the chains for their purpose, so use them.
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Cruiser
Posts: 204
guelph ontario | I can't believe that any responsible person would advocate a break away system for a trailer such as cutting the chains or other retaining devices half way through. Not only is is dangerous, its illegal-hope your not the one to kill someone when your laps in judgment kills someone. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | Probie thanks for you comment, and to drive the point home I will admint I had actually thought at one time "What, chains on a motorcycle trailer, that will kill me if it ever comes undone!" Fortunately, I have never practice this in any way shape or form as I have not yet towed a trailer behind my bike. But now when I do, I will have all safety features in place. Perish the thought if it did come undone and I watch it plow into another group of bikers because of my selfishness. Wow! what a wake-up call. Thanks! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Lol..... Guys if you need those chains you are ALREADY on the ground. As to whether the trailer or your bike or both are a hazard to some other motorist/ped??? Yes, Yes, and Yes.
My advice is to stay upright and check your equipment every chance you get, aka an ounce of prevention.
ps.... you'll find that those half cut belt clips have a higher tensil strength than the single bolt that holds the chain to your 3k trailer. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Funny, I asked the question about fake chains in another thread and got different opinions.
http://www.Vision-riders.com/bb/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7893&pos... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 244
| MYVEGASVISION - 2011-02-12 4:02 PM
I purchased a Bunkhouse LX Camper Trailer and am not sure if I need to buy or it would help to have a swivel coupler or if I should just use the standard one. Does anyone have any experience or can give me any pointers for towing this size trailer. It weighs about 340 lbs. I'll be towing it with an 08 Vision Premium Tour.
I was wondering if you have pulled your Bunk house yet? I used what was called a "tall ball" on my hitch. when I picked up my trailer (Bunk House) in Deerfield IL., the boss laid my 85 Goldwing on it's side and this did not effect the trailer. When I got my Hitch Doctor hitch it appears to also have a "tall ball".
I just pulled my trailer on a 750 trip out. Mostly in 5th gear @ 65 mph. Bike seemed to run poorly by days end. Put new plugs in it and seemed to run ok with no trailer. On the trip home I used 6th gear except to pull hills. Bike seemed to be very hot but it was close to 100 in southern Ohio & northern KY. Seemed to run punkey (poorly weak power) I pulled in the drive at home and let the bike set till it cooled and the plugs were snow white when I took them out. That tells me it was running lean. Checking to see if I can find a cooler plug. What has your experience been ?
09 vv Street with trunk new in Feb with 1 mi. Now 10660mi |
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Cruiser
Posts: 74
shakopee , Mn | I got hit by snowmobile trailer because the alfa hotel didn't hook up his safty chains.
Spent a week in the hospital. 12 inch scar on my fabulous head and assorted punchure wounds. Took the roof off my car level with the hood.
But Hey, it bought me my first house. |
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Towing a Camper Trailer