GL1500A Roadsmith conversion.... I am having silly thoughts about camping. Will NEVER NEVER happen with a tent, air bags and fire ants and my missus. We have tried it and we both are sort of needing a bit more civilization. I have been looking at the motorcycle camper situation. The most interesting is a Wonadaygo camper which is essentially a hard box that will end up at over 700 lbs when packed up. Anyone ever have one? I can't imagine how such a trailer would pull being higher than the trike. Nor can I imagine what gas mileage would be. Anyone with any REAL EXPERIENCE. I think I already know what the answer will be. I know Bunkhouse is a sponsor but there are other pop ups out there... Mini Mate, Easy Camper, Time Out, etc. Any experience with any of these? I see some make accommodation for an a/c unit. I guess this means a generator? In Texas, that would certainly extend the camping season. Anyone use an A/C? Looking for tips/suggestions and wisdom on the subject... besides even fleabag motels are getting really expensive on the road.
campers?
- Thread starter geol
- Start date
Never owned one George but I pulled a buddy's one time and it was a load to say the least. I expect you already know that based on the weight alone. Even though it will be tucked in behind the trike there will still be some wind drag factor also. Can't speak to the a/c feature. His had it but in November it's not needed. There are not many "FREE" camping places so I expect the need for a generator would be less then you think. Which brings up another point. The cost so camp even at state parks has gone up so it is not as economical there as it once was. I guess it depends on the person and the circumstances but I don't think I'll ever own an RV or a motorcycle camper. Cost of ownership just doesn't justify it. If you do decide to get one electric brakes are a must. Stopping that load in a reasonable distance is very difficult with just the bike brakes. As I recall my gas mileage was down in the low 20s.
I pull a 1988 Combi Camp with my 1800 Motor Trike. The camper weighs 350-400lbs fully loaded. 1800 pulls good and stops good. I do not have electric brakes. You obviously need a little more stopping distance, but been pulling it for over 2 yrs with no issues. This rig drops my gas mileage 3-4 mpg. I have no experience with AC. As you suspect, I'm thinking the camper you are considering is too big, that's heavy and tall, for the 1500. JMO
Now, here's what's important to me in a camper. 1) setup and close up time. My camper is essentially a 1 man camper and I do camp with out the SO, so being able to do it by myself is important. Leesure-Lite, Shur Kamp & Sport Campers all have the "clam shell" styling, that allows for quick set up. 2) having a "dressing room". At my age, crawling around on the bed/floor to put my pants and/or shoes on is a pain in the butt. Not to mention, this style camper has you off the ground, which is an additional plus.
I would checkout the cost of campgrounds in your area. You might be surprised to see how expensive many are. Some are $40-$45 per night, with hookups. There are still state park campgrounds out there for $10-$15 per night, but that does vary greatly by state.
I would suggest you get on www.motocampers.com for a little more research.
There are some great used campers out there, if you are patient, if you don't want to spend the money on a new one. Good Luck.
Terry
Now, here's what's important to me in a camper. 1) setup and close up time. My camper is essentially a 1 man camper and I do camp with out the SO, so being able to do it by myself is important. Leesure-Lite, Shur Kamp & Sport Campers all have the "clam shell" styling, that allows for quick set up. 2) having a "dressing room". At my age, crawling around on the bed/floor to put my pants and/or shoes on is a pain in the butt. Not to mention, this style camper has you off the ground, which is an additional plus.
I would checkout the cost of campgrounds in your area. You might be surprised to see how expensive many are. Some are $40-$45 per night, with hookups. There are still state park campgrounds out there for $10-$15 per night, but that does vary greatly by state.
I would suggest you get on www.motocampers.com for a little more research.
There are some great used campers out there, if you are patient, if you don't want to spend the money on a new one. Good Luck.
Terry
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I have 2 campers,1 for the motorcycle and 1 to pull behind my truck.I like to camp.I like having my own bed and being able to be outside,have a camp fire,and not be stuck in a room.
Campers are like motorcycles.They cost more money than they save.3 or 4 thousand dollars will pay for a lot of nights in motel.Some campers cost more.My camper,most likely weighs 425 to 450 loaded. I would not want to pull anything that weighs more behind a motorcycle,even with brakes.Camping is something that you have to enjoy,to be worth doing.Camping rates are going to average 25 to $30.00 a night.As stated in other post,there are differences in campers ,some good suggestions. Easy set up and fast set up are at the top of the list for me,then storage is next on the list.then the weight of it all. A lot to think about.
Campers are like motorcycles.They cost more money than they save.3 or 4 thousand dollars will pay for a lot of nights in motel.Some campers cost more.My camper,most likely weighs 425 to 450 loaded. I would not want to pull anything that weighs more behind a motorcycle,even with brakes.Camping is something that you have to enjoy,to be worth doing.Camping rates are going to average 25 to $30.00 a night.As stated in other post,there are differences in campers ,some good suggestions. Easy set up and fast set up are at the top of the list for me,then storage is next on the list.then the weight of it all. A lot to think about.
Sorry ,had to end post before I was done,something came up. When it comes to camping there is a lot to think about.There are times we stay in a motel,and have the camper in tow.I have camped in the rain many times.I have got a motel room so I did not have to set up in the rain,or when it was late and tired of riding and just wanted to lay down.I enjoy camping and the outdoors,but it's not always cheaper when all things are considered.Good luck with what you decide is best for you.
We have a "Little Guy" Joey teardrop trailer and pull it with my wifes Victory trike.
@ #490 empty, it's heavy, but it pulls at 65 mph @21 mpg all day long. Can't use 6th gear though. We have a smaller trailer that we load all the "stuff" in so the teardrop is pulled empty.
Took it to Sturgis last year and the wind in Wyoming was a real pain.
There are several mfg who make aluminum teardrops that weigh in at <350 lbs.
@ #490 empty, it's heavy, but it pulls at 65 mph @21 mpg all day long. Can't use 6th gear though. We have a smaller trailer that we load all the "stuff" in so the teardrop is pulled empty.
Took it to Sturgis last year and the wind in Wyoming was a real pain.
There are several mfg who make aluminum teardrops that weigh in at <350 lbs.
G'Day mate, i have a comby camper too, i was supprised how good the HD trike pulls it, as mentioned above, and im sure you would know this anyway, braking distance has to be increased, but overall the combie camper pulls nicely and has never shown any sign of misbehaving behind the trike..
Also i did tow a reasonable sized box trailer around the USA, and the fuel consumption when going hard out was pretty bad. better if you arent a throttle jockey.
a bit slower is safer and less expensive
Also i did tow a reasonable sized box trailer around the USA, and the fuel consumption when going hard out was pretty bad. better if you arent a throttle jockey.
a bit slower is safer and less expensive
DK Custom Products
Sponsor
We've owned 3 pop up tent campers-
Time-Out
Bunkhouse
Leesure Lite
The Time-Out we had was the older style, where we had to put the poles together. Still it was a nice unit, but not much storage when all folded up. It had A/C access, but we never used it.
The Bunkhouse was VERY NICE when set up, and it had room for a LOT of storage, and it was easy to access. We had this while we were still on 2 wheels, and it was pretty heavy, and a large profile for wind resistance. This would not be near the issue now on two wheels.
But there were two more draw-backs-
It took a bit of work to set up...not terrible, but more than what we have now.
The biggest drawback was terrible Customer Service. We purchased it new, and had troubles with it from the first day until we sold it. I expended an exorbitant amount of time talking with Bunkhouse trying to get the issues resolved. Long story short, they did not fix it, and they lied to me. I did disclose to the buyer what problems we had, so they knew what they were getting going in. If we had never had any problems with it, then my entire perspective would be different...but that was not the case.
We now have a Leesure Lite. It is a low profile and I believe it is the lightest pop-up tent trailer on the market. The biggest benefit is that it literally can go from pulling to fully set up in less than 2 minutes. Super easy.
Drawbacks, it is not as big as the time-out or the Bunkhouse. It has a bit more storage than the Time-out, but not nearly as much as the Bunkhouse. It is also one of the most expensive.
Here's a pic of it from earlier this year-
Kevin
Time-Out
Bunkhouse
Leesure Lite
The Time-Out we had was the older style, where we had to put the poles together. Still it was a nice unit, but not much storage when all folded up. It had A/C access, but we never used it.
The Bunkhouse was VERY NICE when set up, and it had room for a LOT of storage, and it was easy to access. We had this while we were still on 2 wheels, and it was pretty heavy, and a large profile for wind resistance. This would not be near the issue now on two wheels.
But there were two more draw-backs-
It took a bit of work to set up...not terrible, but more than what we have now.
The biggest drawback was terrible Customer Service. We purchased it new, and had troubles with it from the first day until we sold it. I expended an exorbitant amount of time talking with Bunkhouse trying to get the issues resolved. Long story short, they did not fix it, and they lied to me. I did disclose to the buyer what problems we had, so they knew what they were getting going in. If we had never had any problems with it, then my entire perspective would be different...but that was not the case.
We now have a Leesure Lite. It is a low profile and I believe it is the lightest pop-up tent trailer on the market. The biggest benefit is that it literally can go from pulling to fully set up in less than 2 minutes. Super easy.
Drawbacks, it is not as big as the time-out or the Bunkhouse. It has a bit more storage than the Time-out, but not nearly as much as the Bunkhouse. It is also one of the most expensive.
Here's a pic of it from earlier this year-
Kevin
DK Custom Products
Sponsor
Yes, we are in MS. We bought from a distributor in Colorado. Just looked, and it seems they are no longer a distributor. We were going to ride out and pick it up, but ended up paying a couple hundred $ to have it shipped to us by truck.
Kevin
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