Chrome Hidden Hitch for Harley Softail

Q: I would like to get your receiver style Chrome Hidden Hitch for my 2005 Heritage Softail Deluxe. I have the deluxe rigid saddlebags & a detachable solo rack which includes the required docking hardware kit, all mounted on the bike. Will these items cause a problem in installation?

A: The hitch would fit, and should work with your saddlebags without issue. The rub may be with the detachable rack.

When you install a hitch on the outside of the fender, as is the case with almost all cruiser style bikes, you add a total of about 3/4 of an inch to the total width. This additional spread affects the ease with which you can put on and remove detachable items.

So, I don’t think those accessories would present a problem to installing the hitch, but might make it difficult to use the luggage rack. It’s possible you could spread the attachment points and angle them a bit to make them work better. After all, it’s probably not something you are putting on and taking off every day.

Be sure to check out the Harley Softail Hitch installation video. This bike has a fixed backrest and luggage rack and, as I mentioned above, I had to stretch them a bit, but they do go back on the bike.

We also have Softail hitches for current model bikes as well as other members of the Softail family, such as the Fat Boy. I don’t always have them all listed, so if your bike is not among those on the current hitch list, use our contact form to ask me about a motorcycle hitch for your Softail (or any other bike, for that matter!)

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Question:I would like to buy an Escapade motorcycle trailer in just the plain gel coat finish but I’m told it is different than other gel coat trailers. Why is this?

Answer:The gel coat on the exterior of the Escapade is the same as other trailers. However, it is not a smooth finish that you would consider suitable to use as the primary finish. The reason has to do with the Escapade’s stylish curves and the way fiberglass trailers are made.

Fiberglass trailers are typically made up of a lid (the top) and a tub (the bottom). Simple fiberglass tubs are wider at the top than the bottom. This allows them to be removed from a fiberglass mold in one piece. For this reason, the gel coat surface can be buffed and used as the trailer’s primary exterior finish.

The Escapade Elite motorcycle trailer has a more complex shape that can’t be made in one solid piece. This means it is made of multiple pieces that are bonded together. That creates seams, and those seams must be finished after the molding and assembly process.

A rally that attracts a lot of out of town riders is a great place to see trailers and talk to their owners.

Question: I would like to buy a trailer but I am not sure about doing this online.  I would like to make sure I’m getting what I pay for.

Answer: I agree, and I don’t think you should order a trailer online if you’re not sure it’ll fit your needs.

Different folks have different comfort levels. Many of the people I talk to already have a pretty good idea what they’re looking for in a trailer. Sometimes they are buying the same thing a friend has. Other times they saw a trailer or camper on a road trip.

I try to provide as much info as I can to give folks what they need to make a purchase decision they can feel good about. When I put together the product lineup for Open Road Outfitters, I looked at over sixty companies that make trailers. Some I wouldn’t pull out of my street.  Others, in my opinion, are way over-engineered and overpriced.  I tried to strike a balance with the trailer line up I’ve assembled, but they all have a few things in common:  they are well-made here in the U.S.A., they tow well, and they represent a good value.

Sometimes having that info online is enough, sometimes it’s not.  I encourage folks to ask questions.  I try to answer them as honestly and fairly as I can, but I also realize that my opinion is not always sufficient to justify a purchase of several thousand dollars.

I usually tell folks that if they aren’t sure what they want,  go to a couple of bike rallies, especially those that cater to moto travelers like Americade, or one of the big national events like Sturgis or Daytona.  Rallies with Gold Wingers tend to have a TON of trailers, so even if you’re a died-in-the-wool Harley rider, check with a local Gold Wing group. Seeing a trailer firsthand and talking with the owner at a rally, I think, is one of the best ways to get a firsthand, unsolicited opinion on how a trailer performs.

Occasionally I can put an interested buyer in touch with a customer who has purchased the type of trailer they are considering.  My customers are scattered all over and their contact info changes fairly often so this isn’t guaranteed, but when it works, it’s a great way to learn more about the specific trailer you are looking at.

Answer: The short answer–8″ wheels are fine. On some trailers they are the only choice due to the design. I would not make a buying decision based solely on wheel size.

The longer answer is that the problems people have with bearings has more to do with maintenance than wheel size. It is true that an 8″ wheel turns faster at the same highway speed than a 12″ wheel, that’s just mathematics (or geometry or algebra or physics or something, I dunno.) However, today’s axle assemblies use bearings that are designed for much heavier loads than a motorcycle trailer or camper will EVER carry, so when you’re tooling along at 80 mph on I-90 out west, properly maintained bearings can handle that all day long, day after day.

To achieve the proper ride height based on design, sometimes an 8″ wheel is the only choice. For example, the Mini Mate and Time Out campers both use 8″ wheels and as a class motorcycle campers are heavier than cargo trailers. I’ve towed both thousands of trouble-free miles.

The key is keeping the bearings packed with fresh grease and this is not a big deal either. If you are a casual tower and don’t ride in a lot of rain, you may need to service the bearings just once every few years. This consists of pulling the dust cap and castle nut off the hub, pulling out and wiping off all grease from the bearings and hub, then repacking with fresh high speed high temperature grease.

12″ wheels do have a couple of advantages but, as I said, they are not deal makers or breakers for me. A 12″ wheel will not step as deeply into a rutted road surface, so it pulls fractionally smoother over rough surfaces. And there are a few more design/material options in 12″ wheels, chrome and alloy, so you have some different looks. But that’s about it.

Bottom line, I’d not hesitate to pull a trailer with 8″ wheels and I wouldn’t worry about maintaining a specific road speed to “save” the bearings.

Have a question about motorcycle trailering? Feel free to e-mail me, dale@openroadoutfitters.com and I’ll try to answer your question, or point you in the right direction.

Answer: BMW makes a great bike, but in this situation, the wiring system they use for their bikes is a little too smart for its own good. However, it is possible to add trailer wiring to your recent model Beemer. And, as other manufacturers adopt smarter wiring systems, this situation is going to occur with greater frequency.

Most bike signal circuits are wired the way they have been for decades. 12 volt power runs throughout the system and it is applied/removed from lights and turn signals based on the position of various switches, e.g. the ignition switch, kickstand, and kill switch. For the most part, the bike doesn’t monitor the power drain on the system in any way. It either works, or it doesn’t.

BMW began adopting the Controller Area Network BUS (CAN-BUS) for their motorcycles somewhere around the mid 2000′s. It makes sense, and it’s a move that other motorcycle makers will eventually adopt. CAN-BUS is essentially a “smart” wiring harness. It simplifies wiring, which reduces production costs and improves reliability. On the other hand, it makes it difficult to bolt-on goodies that have to interface with the bike in any way beyond tapping the battery. For example, adding a harness to drive the lights on a trailer.

The problem is most apparent when you try to figure out how to make your CAN-BUS bike drive the brake and tail lights of a trailer.

In the department of brake and tail lights, most bikes use a bulb with two filaments, one that operates the tail light and one that operates the brake light. Extending these functions to the trailer is easy. Tap the wiring harness for each light separately and run them to the trailer. Do the same for each turn signal and you’re done.

When you pull off the tail light module of a CAN-BUS Beemer, the first thing you’ll notice is the brake/tail lights use bulbs with just one filament. And just two wires, a hot wire and a ground. How do you get tail lights and brake lights out of a bulb with one filament and just one hot wire? The CAN-BUS system. This intelligent wiring system runs the bulb at a low 5 volts of power, enough to make it glow as a tail light. When you apply the brake, CAN-BUS bumps up the voltage which brightens the bulbs. Voila! Brake light!

This presents two problems for the would-be trailer puller. To begin with, a trailer has separate circuits for brake and running light. Second, CAN-BUS systems are very sensitive to the amount of load on the circuit. Extending the circuit by adding lights can make the bike’s computer think there is a problem, shutting down the circuit. Like I said, a little too smart for its own good, in this situation.

The good news is, there is a simple fix. First, make sure your trailer’s light are drawing the smallest amount of power possible. If your trailer is equipped with incandescent bulbs, replace them with LEDs. Plug-in equivalents that fit standard light sockets are inexpensive. LED lights draw a fraction of the power that incandescents require, which will prevent the bike’s computer from detecting a fault.

Now, since the bike is driving the lights at low voltage, then high, your trailer’s LED lights will mimic the action of the bike. All you need to do is hook up the trailer’s running light circuit to the bike’s combined running light/brake circuit. When first turned on, all your running lights will operate at low brightness, just like they should. And when you grab the brake, your running lights will brighten, just like brakes.

Answer:You know, when I first started handling Mini Mates as a dealer I had the same question. I’ve taken them out on many occasions though and I’ve never had a problem. When the entryway is zipped up, it fits pretty snugly against the door and I’ve never had a bug issue. All of the campers have some type of gap somewhere.

The Time Out, for example, uses snaps around the base of the tent canvas and there are places where there are definite gaps between the canvas and the tent shell. I had one of those at Forked Run State Park in southeastern Ohio last year where the mosquitos were thick enough to swim in and I never had a bug problem inside the tent with anything that crawls or flies.

I think the combination of tight-fitting fabric and the fact that the campers are off the ground make a big difference. Of all the campers, the Mini Mate actually probably offers the most protection because excepting that doorway area, the rest of the canvas is fully attached to the camper body all the way around. If you were really intent on blocking anything from coming in, I suppose you could attach a strip of Velcro to the top of the door and an opposing piece to the inside of the canvas where the two meet. You would all but completely seal the unit then.

Answer (from Rampage):Toy Haulers — there are two types we know of:

Drop down door – Depending on the door height, when the door is down, the standard Rampage is likely to drop down onto the back side of the door when its fully extended. The rider may have to ride up a little to get the front wheel against the cradle. Then they’d have to leave the bike in gear temporarily as they set up the ties to the cradle. Kick stand distance to the ground may require they carry a small block for that. Depends on how far up they have to ride to reach the cradle. Alternately we could make a longer Rampage unit. The standard 99-1/2″, or a custom length (+ $ 400 MSRP).

Roll up or hinged door – A standard installation, but… the distance from the inside of the door to the edge of the deck may be too much to clear safely, and we’d have to either A. block up the Rampage (photos attached) to clear the edge of the deck, or B. install Rampage roller supports (photos attached – Sprinter Van), and move the unit back and forth approx 7″. Both work fine. I like the roller supports better, since it only raises the unit 1″-2″.

Bottom line, we should be able to do Toy Haulers. I say “should” since there are so many different ones now we need to know a little about each one before committing. The drop down door could be a little tricky for the rider, depending on how close the bottom end of the Ramp ends up to the ground, which depends on the door length (height when closed), but I think they would be OK in most cases.

Also, what size truck bed is needed for the installation? And have you encountered any other reasons that it couldn’t be installed?

Answer:These are great questions.

The Rampage can be removed by one person if you take the sliding ramp out of the base. The ramp is manageable but the base is still pretty heavy. It’s 1/4 and 3/8 steel, so it’s just a heavily-built base. One person who is fairly well fit can handle it, but it’s much easier if it’s a two person job. Some people have built workarounds to make it easier for one person to handle it, but I think it’s easier and less expensive to spring for a couple of six packs and get a buddy to help when needed.

The unit will work in pretty much any size bed. 5′ 4″ is the minimum. Standard bed length is 6′ to 6.5′ and of course the max is an 8′ bed. If you go with an 8′ bed, the benefit is you can mount the unit so that you can put the tail gate on after you load the bike. You could also leave the unit in the bed and have it fully covered, so it wouldn’t be as necessary to remove/reinstall it.

The downside to an 8′ bed is that you have to be more exacting about putting it in. It’s important to place it so the ramp clears the lip of the bed in the back when it’s tilted down, but is in far enough that you can put the tail gate back on.

Sometimes this means that the Rampage mounting holes are over top of the stringers that run under the bed and connect the bed to the frame. That’s a problem when using the rivet nuts that are used for installation. The advantage of rivet nuts is that they stay in the bed so you can easily bolt/unbolt the unit. However, those have to be located on a flat surface. Hitting the flange on one of those stringers when you are drilling the holes for the rivet nuts is an “Oh shit” moment.

If you have a standard size bed, you can move the unit forward or backward a little bit to miss the stringers that run underneath which eliminates this issue. That’s because the rear of the unit is going to hang off the bed anyway, so you’re not trying to meet two placement objectives at the same time. Of course, this means that the rear of the unit will be exposed, even if your tonneau cover is fully deployed, so you’re more likely to want to take the unit out if you do not plan to use it for a period of time.

Although it sounds tricky, installation is actually pretty simple. You’re drilling four holes, installing four rivet nuts and running a power cable. I did it by following the printed directions and did not have a problem. The keys to a successful installation are:

1) Get the right size drill bit that is recommended for the rivet nuts
2) Pay attention to where the stringers run under the bed so you don’t hit them when drilling
3) Make sure the ramp can properly clear the lip of the tail gate
4) Avoid overdrilling the holes for the rivet nuts

Answer: Those are the same dimensions as the Piggybacker unit on my site. You didn’t say what brand your trailer was but Harbor Freight trailers also use the same setup when the tongue is 2.5″ wide and the center-to-center is 2.5″.

This unit comes with spacers and a new coupler for the front. It has those extra pieces because the swivel units are designed to fit a 2″ square tongue and use a 2″ coupler on the front. The spacers make it fit snug in the tongue and the new coupler allows you to bolt it onto the front with the proper hardware, eliminating the possibility of binding that comes with trying to fit a 2.5″ coupler on the front.

If you happened to have a trailer with a 2.5″ tongue but the center holes were only 2.25″ center-to-center, then that is the same as a “Shelby” coupler. You also need to have the spacers and the coupler. You can just order the Piggybacker unit but put “Size for Shelby coupler” in the comments section and I’ll have it drilled accordingly.

Answer: I’m not aware of anything special needed to install this hitch. It attaches to the two fender struts on the fender and to the exhaust brackets, so I don’t see where it would require any modification. You don’t need to take anything off the bike to install the hitch, just take out a couple of bolts to put the straps in place. Pretty straightforward.

The wiring is a plug-and-play setup, so you find one plug under your seat (on the rear fender in the backrest bracket location), open that up and put our t-connector in place, then plug in the rest of the kit. That’s pretty much it. As far as wiring goes, it doesn’t get much simpler.

Got a question about trailering? Feel free to send it to dale@openroadoutfitters.com and I’ll try to answer as best I can. Thanks!