I have already posted about getting and installing a draw-tite hitch for my Solstice GXP
End all, be all: Curt Trailer Hitch (and accessories) Thread
Once one purchases a hitch, they must then get something to haul with it. I did some reasearch, and originally decided that the Reese Backpacker model 750 would be good, the only problem is that Reese stopped making these back in '96 or '97. Shame, too. The only ones around are used.
I posted about wanting to buy
WTB: Reese Backpacker Cargo Trailer but they are scarce enough that the nearest one would be several hours of travel away.
Complicating things are actually searching for a trailer that can be pulled by a motorcycle or sports car. Google for cargo carriers, and you get an overwhelming number of hits for large 12' - 18' trailers. Google for motorcycle trailers, and you get lots of trailers designed to haul the motorcycle.
Even asking locally, if you ask a trailer place for a small motorcycle trailer, you will get lots of information on trailers that haul one or two motorcycles.
I did eventually come up with these links, for those who are contemplating a similar quest:
Motorcycle Trailer, etc. link index
MOTORCYCLE TRAILER INDEX
After lots of searching, attempting to find a Reese Backpacker, I finally did some phone shopping around my local area. Starting at a Harley Davidson dealership, who did not sell trailers but were very instrumental in helping me locate a trailer shop who did, I finally settled on Flash's little sibling after looking at several options.
My criteria came down to these, your own may be considerably different:
Price:
Depending on appearance and functionality, anywhere from $800-$2250, if buying used requiring long distances, I would use a figure of about $1.30 a mile which would include my time, wear and tear on the vehicle, and the risk of buying used sight unseen. If more than 5 hours one way, I would add another $100 for overnight. This seems excessive, but an example was one choice: a $400 Reese Backpacker, the trailer I wanted, but it was over 7 hours away. Heading out on a 2-day trip to go pickup a polyethylene trailer in unknown condition meant an extra 1000 miles and a whole bunch of my time driving for hours on end. Then, what if the sale did not work out, or the person sold from under me?
I found a HUGE range for both new and used Motorcycle Cargo Trailers, from teeney ones for a few hundred to decent ones that can run well up to $5500 or more.
Capacity:
After looking at several models, I decided that absolute minimum was 18 cubic feet. The Reese Backpacker was 34 with the top (17 without the top), and Motorcycle Cargo Trailers, it turns out, range from 12 cubic feet (too small) to maybe 28 cubic feet.
I was looking for something with at least 200# of load carrying capability, and not much more than 1000# max load capacity.
Size/Weight:
The smaller the better, so long as the capacity is met. Again, a large range, the BackPacker weighed 190 lbs empty, and most other Motorcycle Cargo Trailers range from 175 for small ones to as much as 250 lbs or more. I wanted a target of 225 lbs empty or less to facilitate storage and manual moving.
Size was more flexible, but something narrow would be more ideal for garage storage. Desired about 3' wide, certainly nothing larger than 5' wide.
Appearance:
Prefererance for black, since Flash is Carbon Flash Metallic (aka Magnetic). Fiberglass is preferable, as it can be painted. Polyethylene is not really paintable due to the flexibility of the shell, so the color is WYSIWYG - tan on top, black on bottom. White not desireable, but depending on cost everyone has a price.
Additionally, the trailer had to be watertight, no open bed or rack-type trailers.
After talking with several trailer dealers, I did finally find a trailer that, while on the high side of cost, was locally available, in stock, on sale and fit the majority of needs.
A company down in Elkhart, IN, Jason Industries, makes three brands of small carriers
Brochures - Jason Industries,
specifically:
1) a small sport car/specialty trailer called the "EGG", with a whopping capacity of almost 70 cubic feet, and an empty weight of about 300#. It is like hauling around a 2' deep truck bed that is 7' long and 4.5' wide. Max capacity of 1700#. (I certainly did not need something this big and heavy, plus storing would be an issue)
2) a highly styled motorcycle trailer called the "BLADE", Max weight of 780#, 220# empty weight, and approximately 25 cubic feet capacity. Only problem: MSRP around $3300 with no options. A handful of "lightly used" ones out there sell for between $3000 and $4000. Nice but expensive, but fear not, they still have
3) A decent motorcycle trailer called the "ION". Max weight of 810#, 1000# axle rating, 22.3 cubic feet and a low 190# empty weight. This hit just about all of my target parameters, and if I could find it in black, all the better.
It turns out that this company also wholesales the EGG and ION trailers to Continental Cargo, who resells them to trailer dealers under their Forest River marque, as a model called "Travel Companion". The EGG is considered a 5X7 and the ION considered the 3X5.
http://www.continentalcargotrailer.c...lcompanion.pdf
(PS - do NOT try searching craigslist for a "travel companion". Or at least be prepared before you do. Apparently, craigslist has lots of listings for, shall we say, "alternative services", if you know what I mean.
)
I did have one trailer dealer that, as soon as he found out I was towing with a sports car and not a motorcycle, tried like heck to sell me an EGG that he had on his lot. No IONs in stock, so it would have to be orderded and they could only get it in white, but he had a black EGG for sale and he would make a deal on it, etc.
Eventually, my persistence paid off. I found a local dealer with two 2008 black Continental Cargo Travel Companion, with carpet and a spare tire. Out the door for a few hundred less than my max - not a cheap purchase but a good, versatile purchase. I can use any of my normal vehicles to tow this trailer and have an extra trunk available at any time. A Malibu pulling this small trailer will still get better mileage than an AWD Astro Van, for those long distance trips where you need a bit more capacity. I have confirmed that a guitar case fits in this trailer, and the styling is pretty decent too.
Plus, it is the right color.
So, I introduce MT:
)
Linear Mode
