Thoughts/experiences with MOTO camping trailers?

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greenmonster

Well-known member
I’ve been watching some YouTube videos on moto camping and have learned about small camping trailers that open up into tents. They weigh 250- 350 pounds and cost anywhere from $3-5k. Kompact, Easy Camper and Aspen are a few of the brands. These are meant for touring bikes mostly.
I like camping but find find real on the ground tent camping to be a lot of work as I get older. The idea of popping a few latches and being set up in a few minutes with a cold drink is appealing.
Anyone ever owned one of these or had any experience with one? Did you use it quite a bit? Did towing the trailer drastically change how the bike handled? I imagine you’d have to go slower and allow more room for braking.
 
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APpy

Well-known member
I'd also imagine your speed limit is now 55mph (3 axles!), you must stay in 2 right lanes and pay 3x at all the bridges. Towing in CA sucks.

Not sure about lane splitting though. If it's a 1-wheel trailer, I suppose you could (if it fits, it splits :) ) - but then there's the issue of not having access to the fast lane which is the preferred split.
 
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greenmonster

Well-known member
Believe it or not there is a moto camping forum I came across today that had some interesting tidbits of advice, most which is very cautionary and sort of takes away from the fun aspect. One guy was mentioning that when going downhill be mindful that you have a 300+ pound trailer pushing you down the hill or into turns. Passing cars takes a lot more thought, and parking on an incline in a dirt campground can have some problems.
 
Frame Maker

Frame Maker

Well-known member
Having done a few moto-camping trips (ala Dirtbag Challenge) I can say from experience that minimalism is better. Not trying to talk you out of the trailer, but I would put a lot of thought into your travel routes and final destination.

For example, traveling up highway 1 and camping at Willow Creek would be ideal for the trailer. You're on a highway where doing 55mph (above mentioned trailer speed limit) is still a good pace and the destination is right off the highway. For this scenario the moto-trailer would be nice.

Now imagine traveling up highway 5 where autos and other motos are doing 80+, but because of the trailer speed limits you're restricted to closer to 55mph. Then imagine your final destination is 20 miles up into the mountains via unmaintained bumpy dirt fire roads and perhaps the last 200 yards is across a bed of river rocks. 200lbs trailer = no thanks! That scenario doesn't sound appealing.

A nice three day / two night trip can easily be done with a sleeping bag, tent, and air mattress strapped to the back of the seat; a large tank bag for food and basic utensils; and change of clothes in a back pack, (self-built crazy DBC bike is optional). Very basic, but gets the job done.

Just my $0.02 based on experience.

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[/url]20190824_182200 by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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Frame Maker

Frame Maker

Well-known member
I took a look at websites for some of these trailers and I can see the appeal. I'd love to have one to tow behind my Scion. But behind a moto, I don't think so. All of the websites with videos show the trailers being used on smooth mellow roads with paved campsites adjacent to the road. So I guess if your idea for camping is staying on the highway and pulling into a KOA I guess they have their place. But anything more remote, I stand by my initial thought that minimal is better... at least on a moto.
 
D

davidji

bike curious
greenmonster said:
I like camping but find find real on the ground tent camping to be a lot of work as I get older.
Click to expand...

Most people make it more work than it needs to be. It sounds like you're not so keen on trailers anymore. How about simpler moto camping?

I rarely sleep in a tent on moto trips. For long weekend trips where you're expecting good weather, emergency shelter may be enough. For example I've carried just a bug-bivy & emergency tarp before, though I usually carry a full bivy bag. If you expect to set up camp in real rain, a real tent is better. But even if you're carrying it, you still don't need to deploy it if there's nothing to shelter from.

Find your camp spot. Inflate your cushy sleeping pad. If you want to sleep in the lap of luxury, add another one on top. Throw your sleeping bag on top of that. Use a jacket for a pillow if you didn't bring a camping pillow.

Bring a plastic garbage bag to shelter gear that won't fit in your luggage.
 
berth

berth

Well-known member
davidji said:
Most people make it more work than it needs to be. It sounds like you're not so keen on trailers anymore. How about simpler moto camping?

I rarely sleep in a tent on moto trips.
Click to expand...

How much is the problem the tent, vs the ground.

Just sitting on the ground, lying on the ground, the padding (or lack there of). The geometry of sleeping on the ground just has issues all its own.
 
HadesOmega

HadesOmega

Well-known member
Maybe just get a sidecar and use it as a utility car.

I have tent camped for many days and you get used to it after a while. But it does get old setting up and taking it down everyday. Also looking for places the wind won't destroy your tent or bears eating you.
 
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bobl

Well-known member
Self inflating air mattresses take the huff and puff out of air mattresses. The are filled with porous foam that compresses. and squishes out the air when rolled up. To inflate, you open the air valve and lay the mattress flat, and the foam expands while drawing in the air. The also make air mattresses that have channels that require much less air that the old type that can leave you breathless when inflating. Or you can pack an accordion type foot pump that makes short work of inflation for the old standard type air mattress.
 
OaklandF4i

OaklandF4i

Darwin's exception
1962siia mentioned to me the other day that there is a guy who pulls his supermoto behind a big vstrom or was it a touring bike..... Can't say I havent thought the idea of some small lightweight trailer to pull my two stroke dirt bike around isnt appealing. Practical? Dunno. But appealing. :laughing :thumbup
 
Frame Maker

Frame Maker

Well-known member
OaklandF4i said:
...Can't say I havent thought the idea of some small lightweight trailer to pull my two stroke dirt bike around isnt appealing. Practical? Dunno. But appealing. :laughing :thumbup
Click to expand...

Many years ago I went to Lake Havasu with some friends for a week of water skiing. My friend's brother brought his Arctic Cat Wet Bike. He pulled it on a small trailer behind his Gold Wing. So it can be done.
 
auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Staff member
Frame Maker said:
Many years ago I went to Lake Havasu with some friends for a week of water skiing. My friend's brother brought his Arctic Cat Wet Bike. He pulled it on a small trailer behind his Gold Wing. So it can be done.
Click to expand...

wet bike, it HAD to be many MAny years ago. :laughing

a goldwing is a light duty truck masquerading as a motorcycle, and i hear they are a hoot to ride. towing or not
 
R3DS!X

R3DS!X

Whatever that means
Whenever I've done moto camping(been too long) I've always though that the more stuff you bring the more it ruins the riding part which is like half of what I'm doing. So i always go as minimal as i can and have a backpack, bag, smol tent, and basic food and water needs met. oh and bourbon, can forget that.
 
Starpower

Starpower

Well-known member
There are tons of tents that are much easier and faster to set up then those things and awesome sleeping pads.
 
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