klr650goldwing wrote:
Has anyone carried a 500 lb motorcycle on the back of a Solitude 5th wheel? Did you reinforce the receiver hitch on the trailer? Any negative pin weight consequences? Please tell me about the pros and cons of doing such a thing.
Yes, it can, and has been, done. You'd want to reinforce the frame from the rear a minimum of 4-5' to the front, if not all the way to in front of the rear spring hangers. You'd also want to add several cross braces. Bouncing is likely to be a problem. Look at what people with rear kitchens can face, and that's =inside= the rig, not hanging 3-4' off the back. Handling can be affected but, IMO, not as much as you might think. If you =do= have handling problems again, IMO, you're already marginal on pin weight to begin with.
Alternatives:
1) Easiest, IF IT'S LEGAL, would be to tow a small trailer. You'd likely also want to add a rear view camera, NOT a backup cam, so you can keep an eye on the trailer.
2) Add a swivel wheel tote. You'd still have to do some beefing up of the frame, especially if you use one that uses dual receivers to mount. Be aware that even one of these, that's mounted to the frame, is considered by some states to be a "trailer" and, if double-towing isn't legal there, you can get ticketed for it. I do know of one instance where someone added a swivel wheel to his FW but took it off after only a couple trips, as it =did= affect handling. Now, this was with a Gold Wing-sized bike, so likely added a =lot= more than 500 lbs to the back of the FW.
Lyle
