Is that a good thing, or not? The use of swivel is hotly debated on many motorcycle forums.  Folks in the “pro-swivel” camp say that a swivel will help a trailer tow smoother because it pivots easier and further than the ball-and-socket joint that couples the bike and trailer. “Anti-swivel” folks cite that it doesn’t make the trailer feel that much different and is just a waste of money.

I’ve towed trailers with and without swivels and here’s what I think. If your only reason for buying a swivel is to make the trailer “feel” better, it’s probably not worth the money.  (And I say that as someone who sells them! But keep reading…).  When I’m towing a cargo trailer, I can’t really feel any difference, and that’s regardless how aggressive I’m riding.  When towing a heavy trailer, it does make the trailer set up a little faster behind the bike, and that makes it more comfortable. But I’d tow the same trailer without a swivel anyway.

Now, there is one good reason why I do have a swivel on my camper, and it has nothing to do with feel. I put a swivel on my trailer because it’s cheap insurance in case the bike, with trailer attached, falls over in a parking lot. Over the years, I’ve made good money selling replacement hitches and tongues to folks who had their bike tip over in a parking lot with trailer attached, and bent the tongue and hitch.  With a swivel, there’s little chance you’ll damage anything other than your pride.

Swivels install easily,and I’ve created a video showing how it works. Take a look at this:

Safe riding, and happy swiveling!

Harley pass-thru connector for direct wiring.

Adding trailer lights increases the load on a circuit originally designed to drive one set of lights. Years ago, that wasn’t an issue. Light circuits used heavier gauge wire and could handle higher loads. Today’s bikes use thinner wire for weight and cost savings. Thin wire has more resistance per foot than thicker wire, so you can expect your trailer lights to receive a lower voltage.

Doubling up the lights probably won’t cause an outright failure, but the wiring harness will simply be unable to deliver the full power both sets of lights require to operate at maximum brightness. When lights experience a voltage drop of as little as half a volt, this can lead to the loss of as much as 20% of an incandescent lamp’s output. That’s a visible difference.

There can be other consequences as well. An increasing number of bikes are sensitive to changes in the load placed on circuits, especially bikes using the new CANBUS system like recent BMWs. Wiring in a trailer directly on a CANBUS-equipped bike can trigger failure conditions in the bike’s monitor systems, even if everything is wired properly. Sometimes it becomes necessary to add countermeasures such as “load equalizers” to make the circuit appear to function normally to the bike’s control sensors. Expect CANBUS and other load sensitive monitoring systems to appear on an ever-widening range of bikes over the next few years.

If that weren’t enough, there’s another reason to avoid direct wiring. Even though your trailer may be well designed, the wiring running from the bike to the trailer is exposed to the elements, possible damage, and the potential for shorting. Short circuits and wiring problems are not common, but they can develop over time, particularly at the point where the trailer and bike are plugged together. When a short develops in a direct-wired harness, the problem will affect the bike’s lights as well as the trailer’s.

In the next installment, I’ll discuss a better method for powering your trailer lights using a isolation harness with relays.

Wash the trailer’s exterior to avoid damage to the painted surface from environmental pollutants, acid rain, tree gunk, etc. Bird droppings are especially harmful to any painted surface. Droppings adhere to your trailer like acidic glue, eating away at the clear coat, then the paint.

When you use cleaning products designed for motorcycle or automotive applications, you can use these on your trailer, too. For example, always use a detergent designed for bike or car applications. Never use dishwashing liquid, it’s too harsh and will dull the painted surfaces over time. Use a soft terrycloth towel designed for washing applications. The fibers in terrycloth capture the contaminants removed from the surface, reducing swirl marks and spider webbing in the clearcoat.

While you’re washing, don’t forget the underside of the trailer. Use a long-handled brush and soap up the underside to remove road grime, particularly salts leftover from winter road treatments. Also clean the wheel wells, wheels, and tires. Rinse everything completely. I like the Mr. Clean wash system that includes a water filter. Using this as a final rinse, you can let the trailer air dry. If you don’t use filtered water, wipe the trailer exterior and sides with a chamois cloth. Unfiltered water contains mineral deposits that remain behind when the water evaporates leaving spots.

If water beads on the surface of the trailer it has a sufficient coat of wax. If water breaks, leaving a thin film on the surface, you should consider preparing the surface further and then wax the trailer.

Where you go from here in preparing the trailer’s surface for waxing depends on your level of interest. There are entire books written on professional methods for cleaning that discuss when and how to use paint cleaners and polishes. In brief, cleaners are used to remove residue like bug carcasses and tar that ordinary detergents can’t remove. Polishes are used to restore the clearcoat on the paint when it begins to show significant spiderwebbing. Spiderwebbing or swirl marks are tiny scratches in the clearcoat that occur from any contact made with the trailer’s surface when it is not clean. Polishes are available in differing levels of abrasion. You always start with the most abrasive polish you intend to use, then follow up with less abrasive polishes to finish the job.

One method for deep cleaning the surface is to use a paint-cleaning clay. Paint-cleaning clay picks up contaminants left behind that washcloths miss. Lubricate a limited portion of the surface you’re cleaning with a detail spray, then rub the surface with a clean chunk of clay. After finishing a section, fold the clay to trap the surface gunk in the clay. Move on to another small section, folding and reshaping the clay as you go. Be sure to wipe away the leftover detail spray as you go. You will be amazed that how smooth the surface will be when you use clay.

With a clean surface, you’re ready to wax with a quality carnuba wax. Wax is a necessary final step because it provides an essential added barrier between the environment and the trailer’s clearcoat. Wax restores the luster of the trailer’s paint finish by filling in the tiny surface scratches that look like swirl marks or spiderwebbing. I prefer pure wax products to combination products that have some type of cleaner embedded. Use a soft, moistened applicator to put down a thin coat of wax. Don’t use too much wax on a single coat. It’s preferable to apply several thin coats if you’re trying to build up wax on the trailer. A heavy coat of wax leaves behind no more product than a thin coat and is harder to remove.

Don’t forget the exposed metal bits on your trailer. These will benefit from the use of a high-quality polish to match the type of metal, e.g. aluminum polish for aluminum wheels, chrome polish for chrome wheels, etc. After polishing chrome, apply a thin film of carnuba wax. Wax will greatly assist in preventing surface rust from developing on chrome. You may have heard that coating your wheel rims with Vaseline will prevent them from rusting. While some people do that for long term storage, I think it’s messier to deal with and returns no better results than simply keeping the wheels clean and waxed.

A motorcycle trailer is no different. Constant exposure to the sun bleaches out the natural oils of rubber tires, causing them to dry and crack. UV rays will cause a painted trailer to fade while environmental hazards like acid rain, tree sap, and bird poop eat away at the clear coat on the paint. Moisture accumulates on the components underneath, eating away at metal components and corroding electrical components.

Before you store your trailer, it should be clean and dry. Storing a dirty, wet trailer creates a microclimate from whence all manner of organisms will spring to life to attack your trailer including rust and mold. If you have a stone shield (bra) on the front, that should be removed as well. Moisture trapped behind the stone shield can cause paint to blister with long term exposure. Open the trailer lid and let it air out thoroughly if you brought home anything inside the trailer that was wet. Once the interior is completely dry, close the lid to avoid providing an inviting new home for mice.

For long term storage, remove the tongue to save space. Most trailer tongues bolt to the front of the trailer and can be easily removed. This makes the trailer more compact and you won’t stumble over the tongue trying to navigate through your garage.

Tire maintenance is simple. If your trailer uses regular trailer tires, keep them inflated to at least twenty-five pounds of air. Trailer tires are rated to handle up to fifty pounds of air pressure, but you’ll never need to maintain that much. A lower pressure will provide some additional cushion for the contents of your trailer without significantly shortening the life of the tires. Inspect your tires at the beginning of the riding season for signs of deterioration or embedded objects. While you’re on the road, check trailer tire pressure when you check your bike’s tires.

Unless you travel tens of thousands of miles each year with your trailer, you will probably never wear them out. Its more likely that you’ll need to replace your tires after a few years due to exposure to UV rays. Over time tire rubber loses the natural oils that make it, well, rubbery. This leads to cracks in the sidewall. The tread of the tire may become noticeably hardened, much like an old pencil eraser. In either case, these tires should be replaced. Standard size trailer tires are available at many locations in the U.S. including Wal-Mart and any RV or trailer dealer.

Trailers using typical lightweight axles have two-piece caged bearings that are packed in grease and are set between the wheel hub and axle. As the wheel rotates the hub, the bearings spin around the axle. Trailer bearings are made of hardened steel and will usually last for the life of your trailer when they are properly maintained. Opinions about what constitutes proper maintnance varies widely, so I’ll try to offer you a reasonable maintenance schedule that should suit the widest range of trailer users.

The most important aspect of bearing maintenance is to keep bearings well encased in fresh axle grease. Axle grease prevents metal-to-metal contact, absorbs heat from the friction generated by the spinning bearings, and prevents moisture from getting to the bearings. Since bearings are made of hardened steel, they will rust overnight if exposed to water. Over time, even heavy axle grease tends to break down and wear out, providing less lubication and allowing moisture to creep in.

Wheel-on Bearing Inspection

You can check your wheel bearings any time simply by observing how the wheel feels when you rotate it. This is something you should do at least once a year and preferably each time you plan to take a trip. Wheel bearings should display no visible play, meaning, if you grab the top of the wheel, push in and pull out, the wheel should not move. Likewise, with two hands, grab the tire and the nine o’clock and three o’clock positions and try to turn the wheel in and out like the front wheel of your bike. Again, you should feel no movement in the wheel. If you do, it’s a sign your bearings are worn and should be replaced immediately. Jack up one side of the trailer and spin the wheel. It should turn freely with no grating sounds. If you find the wheel won’t make at least one complete revolution or you hear any grinding noise, you’ll need to pull the bearings for further inspection.

Wheel-off Bearing Inspection and Service

Many trailer manufacturers recommend that you check your trailer bearings and repack the grease annually. If you’re so inclined, there’s no harm in that, but it probably isn’t necessary. If you pull your trailer a few thousand miles per year or less, you can probably go several years between wheel-off inspections. If you trailer between five and ten thousand miles per year, expect to repack the bearings every three years or so to keep them in peak condition. For those who trailer more than ten thousand miles per year or frequently trailer in extreme conditions—rain, bad roads, dusty conditions—you are a candidate for annual bearing inspection.

Wheel-off maintenance entails disassembling the wheel hub, pulling out the bearings for visual inspection, cleaning and repacking them with grease. It isn’t difficult, and it’s a good thing to know in case you run into trouble on the road. If you don’t care to do this, a mechanic can do this for you.

Begin by removing the dust cap. Use a hammer and cold chisel to pop the cap off. Don’t use pliers to pry off the cap, you will dent the cap and possibly compromise its ability to seal. Remove the cotter pin that holds a castellated nut in place. Now remove the nut. This will allow you to remove the wheel hub from the spindle.

Remove the bearings

With the bearings removed, wipe everything in the assembly as clean as possible including the inside of the wheel hub, the spindle, and the bearings. Opinions differ whether to soak the bearings in solvent to remove all the grease. I think it’s not necessary because solvent may find places to hide that will attack the new grease you put in. I think it’s better to simply wipe the bearings as clean as you can get them and call it good.

Run your fingers over the bearings, feeling for any hesitation in their action. Examine them for rough spots or pitting on the surfaces. Bearings are not expensive, so if you find any problems, replace them with a new set.

Packing bearings is fun and messy. Place a glob of grease in the palm of your hand and work it into the bearing assembly until the whole package is packed with grease.

Checking your lights should be part of your preflight check every time you hook up the trailer. When you find a light is not in working order, it’s usually a simple to troubleshoot the problem.

If a single light is not working, start at that light and work your way back. Open the lens and remove the bulb to inspect the filament. Some trailer lenses have external screws. Some lenses fit into the body of the trailer, requiring you to loosen the lense from the inside and pop it out.

Your trailer likely uses a standard tail light bulb. Single filament bulbs (1156) are used for turn signals. Dual filament bulbs (1157) are used for running and brake lights. Holding the bulb up, a broken filament is usually self-evident. Replace the bulb with a known good bulb and try the light again before you reassemble the lens.

If replacing the bulb did not solve your problem, begin checking at the plug that runs from your bike. Let’s say your left turn signal is not working. Attach a test light or voltmeter to the pin on the bike-side plug that should be the left turn signal. Activate the signal and check the meter or light. If the voltmeter needle shows no activity or the test light does not blink, the problem is likely on the bike and not in the trailer.

If the voltmeter needle swings or test light blinks, move to the trailer and check for any breaks in the wire between the trailer plug and the turn signal socket. If this wire run shows continuity, check for continuity between the ground side of the light socket and the ground wire on the trailer.  Unless the trailer has sustained damage to the wiring harness underneath, the best candidates for problems are a loose ground wire or a problem at the plug.

1) Confirm fitment before you buy.  Given all the different models of bikes and trim levels, it’s just not possible for hitch manufacturers to test their hitch on every combination. For example, a hitch that fits a Harley Softail Classic may or may not fit a Softail Deluxe. Another model of hitch might fit the entire line of Softails. If there is any uncertainty, make sure you ask first before you buy.

2) Again, because of all the different bike/model combinations, manufacturers do not design their hitches with aftermarket parts in mind. So, if you have aftermarket products on the back of your bike, you’ll need to determine if they’ll work, or if you need to remove them.

3) RTFM (Read the freakin’ manual). Take out the directions and read through them entirely so you’ll have a complete understanding of the process. I’ve learned that if you don’t read through the directions, you’ll often be tempted to take a shortcut during installation that you’ll have to undo later. End result – you’ll spend more time reinstalling your hitch than if you’d read the directions the first time.

4) Lay out all the parts. I know you’re anxious to get started with your installation, but I’ve laid out hitches and found important parts missing. Wouldn’t it suck to have your bike torn apart only to find you were missing a critical bracket? Now, do keep in mind that if you’re missing something like a bolt, you may be able to source this at the local hardware store or Home Depot.

5) Do a test assembly. This pre-installation preparation also includes pre-assembling your hitch. Take out all the hardware from the bag and install it into the holes indicated in the directions. This gives you a chance to sort out the correct placement of bushings, bolts, washers, etc.

6) Stay organized. Clear plenty of space for your installation. When you remove a piece from your bike, place the hardware with the piece you removed or screw it back into the bike. This will help you keep your parts straight and speed reassembly.

7) Don’t force it. Unless the installation manual indicates some tight fit or modification that needs to be made, your hitch should fit with a minimum of effort. You shouldn’t need to muscle it into place. If a bolt doesn’t seem to be going in well, back it out and check to make sure the replacement bolt has the same thread pitch as the original bolt.

8) Get some help. A fender style hitch is easier to install with an extra set of hands helping keep everything aligned while you get it bolted on. If you get stuck during the installation, call your dealer or the hitch manufacturer for guidance. They can often give you a few pointers or help you interpret those grainy, hard-to-figure-out pictures that come with many hitches.

9) Secure the hardware. On an installation of this importance, make sure you take steps to secure the hardware. Never leave off the lock washers. For extra security, especially on bikes that generate a lot of vibration, use a thread locking compound like Locktite. If you do use a thread locker, use the non-permanent solution like “blue” Locktite that can be removed without heat.

Fear not. You can get a hitch made for your bike if none is available, it will just take a little extra effort on your part. A welding shop or machine shop can often fabricate something for you that will work just fine. You can make the process easier by researching the available hitches and determining what style of hitch might work best for your bike.

If you own a cruiser style bike, a fender style design may work best for you. A fender mount hitch will only work, however, if the fender bolts to the frame.  Cruisers designed to handle optional saddlebags will have the necessary support. Even if your bike wasn’t explicitly designed with a saddlebag option, your bike may still have the necessary support if it is a related model.

If you own a sport bike, dual-sport, or bike that doesn’t have much in the way of rear fender, a towbar design is a better bet. For a towbar style, you want a miminum of four attachment points to create a sturdy hitch. You’ll want one attachment point on each side at the approximate level of the trailer tongue. From the rear of the towbar, you need one attachment point on each side to support the tongue weight of the bike and to keep the towbar level when braking.

Take your research and your bike to a couple of fabricators. If you aren’t sure who to approach, start with a local custom bike shops or independent service shop. Show them pictures of similar bikes with hitches and discuss what you’d like for your bike. Any fabricator you choose will need to have your bike, or a model just like it, on hand so they can make measurements and check for clearances.

Your hitch should be sturdy with no flexibility, and adequate clearance of any moving parts, like your rear tire. The best hitches are made with ¼” steel, then powdercoated or chromed to resist rust.  You can find powdercoaters in just about every area of the country. To have a hitch chromed, you’ll probably have to send your hitch out. Chroming is an environmentally dirty process, so it requires a lot of specialized equipment. A popular company that does chrome for motorcycles is http://www.classiccomponents.com/.  A Google search may turn up someone closer to you.