Considering Four Down Need Input

Sarz.  In my case every newer vehicle I'd be interested in is not flat towable or way too heavy for a gasser M/H. Of the few times I think it would be nice to have a Pre Def diesel M/H its when Toads come into play. My buddy has a pre Def 36' pusher; not my thing but he has no need to worry about the toad weight.

Sarz.  In my case every newer vehicle I'd be interested in is not flat towable or way too heavy for a gasser M/H. Of the few times I think it would be nice to have a Pre Def diesel M/H its when Toads come into play. My buddy has a pre Def 36' pusher; not my thing but he has no need to worry about the toad weight.

I am right there with you.

I guess the cycle hauler has four wheels for 'Four Down'  ... but I LOVE having the trike inside for a toad. 

The trike can go most anywhere we want, and maybe places we shouldnt. 

People love the look as Mrs V has a mile wide grin when riding.

It stays inside the trailer in bad weather.

The trailer can also hold additional 'treasure' as we go, and carry supplies when we go to festy. Also useful when needed at home, just put the trike in the garage while using the trailer.

The trailer serves as a garage for the trike when we are home.

I dont trust my hip on two wheels anymore, three is much safer for me. And you can park in motorcycle only spots.

So far, the tandem trailer has not given any clearance issues, and I can back it up like a champ. Rides very well behind the camper. Weight with the trike inside is about 3500#, but that IS a guess, have not scaled it yet.

So.... if you are trike-friendly, and dont need another car, something to consider.  Glee on three!

What brand do you have? Any pics?  Interesting....

Thanks

Ron S

2006 Honda VTX1800, Motor Trike conversion.  18K miles. Pleasure to drive. I like a 'minimalist' looking trike, there are goldwing conversions that offer almost any option should you want a 'Cadillac on Three Wheels'.   There are offerings from Harley Davidson also, I am just a long time Honda fan.      Dependability is a HUGE plus in my book.



Best pics I can find here at work of all 3.. I am modifying a tour box to add more storage. Trailer is 8 ft wide , 8.5 ft tall and 17ft overall length. 13 ft box length. I put a 13K AC unit on top and a powered roof vent. Plans call for a fold down queen bed to be installed on the left/drivers side.  Trailer tows like a dream, very smooth. I forget it is on there sometimes  ... I wont tow with a single axle over 10 foot, too rough a ride.





Here it is with the trailer and side tent, but we took a cart to this festival. A car would have been worthless, we did not need 'street legal' transport. (This is in Brooksville FL, at Sertoma Youth Ranch)   You can see the camera tree by the cart, and the trailer was full of recording gear. Shows the versatility of the trailer. 



'In The Hole'  I had it parked all the way to the front, it usually sits further back. Trike is 105" long, cargo box is ~155"

Still finishing the inside, hence the wavy carpet edge.





Biggest hurdle is finding a tandem axle trailer that isnt too heavy.   Most of the used tandems (8.5x14) I looked at were 7K GWVR minimum, and about 2500# empty weight.  This cycle hauler is 1250# empty, and 5000# max GVWR. PERFECT for our 2350.  The only drawback is the 60" wide door. That limited my trike choices, as many seem to be in the 61-65 inch wide range. There are cycle / snowmobile trailers that are lighter (~2000# empty) with a 72" door.

Not sure if they are still in business, copyright 2014.....but here is the current version of my trailer.  Wider door!

http://chariotmanufacturing.com/?page_id=279

Hard to find used, took me a couple months and mine was found on Facebook marketplace.  Got it cheap needing work. Did a bunch, and it is AWESOME now.


Sure, this is NOT a replacement for a car/truck.  But it does give us mobility, and serves many other needs. And we already had too many cars...   

One more note... there is one HUGE benefit we found in the trailer. It is an isolated space to put things in that might be buggy. See the mat on the ground in the campground pic? There is a tarp under that. Similar setup under the side tent of the camper.  This is GREAT for keeping dust and dirt out of the camper, but a big liability when we pack up. After 5-10 days parked, there are many ants and other critters that now call it home. I dont want them in the camper storage areas!

Pre-trailer, I had a hitch mounted cargo hauler, and would stack them there to keep the 'new residents' from moving into the camper. PITA, and didnt hold a lot.

Now I can toss them in the trailer, as packing up tends to be a 'get up, get out and get back home ASAP' task. Neatness is NOT graded... if it fits in, it goes in.    Keeps all the bugs in the trailer, easy to eradicate later.     We do a total unpack,clean, test and repack of all the video and sound gear anyway. Adding the tarps and carpets is just part of the routine now.

I realize that might not be a benefit to the full timers, but as an occasional RV user it is something we value.

Sarz, I think I've got my Toad figured out. I've made a deal on a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (2 door, long wheel base) with 45K miles. It's already set up to tow. If it checks out when I get there its a done deal. Being it was only made for 2 years if I don't care for it there will be no problem getting my money back in resale. One owner home state in Az. 

Joseph
Congrats.  Nice toad.  I was considering that type of vehicle as it could replace my Mustang convertible. It is hard for Linda to climb in though so probably not going to happen. I prefer a real toad versus a car toad one takes a chance with the transmission while pulling it. Have to stop every six hours and start it just is not appealing to me.  That can create errors in itself.  So your Jeep should make towing easy. 

I am stuck between a dolly with existing Escape (harder to find nice new vehicles without AWD would limit future options for dolly), a Cherokee, or a Chevy Sonic ( stop and run engine every 6 hours). CRVs, Buick Envision are too expensive. Buick too small inside.  I looked at trikes and Slingshot (now has automatic) but not our style. 

Something will come along.  Good luck with your Jeep.

Ron S