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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: There are a few things I’d consider with any used trailer and a couple of specific points with the Escapade.

To begin, I would only buy a used trailer if either a) the manufacturer is still in business or b) replacement parts are clearly available from auto sources. I get many requests for parts for trailers (especially campers) I have never heard of or that went out of business decades ago.  Business stability and length of production are factors that I  considered when choosing the trailers I would sell.

In evaluating a trailer I pay most attention to the stuff you can’t see easily because that’s usually where the problems lie. I mean, a trailer isn’t that complicated, so there isn’t that much to consider.  If you’re buying a trailer to tow right now (as opposed to buying a restoration project) you want to make sure the frame underneath is clean and straight, that the trailer shows no signs of neglect (stored outside uncovered for years), and that any special parts are in good repair (more on that in a minute).  I would pull one of the wheels off, take off the dust cap and look at the condition of the grease.  Dry, old grease means the bearings may need to be replaced.  Any slop or movement in the wheel while attached to the hub may mean the same.  Check the lights to make sure they work and the wiring harness hasn’t been hacked.

Inside, does the trailer show signs of water leakage? Is the gasket around the tub in good condition or does it show signs of dry rot?  Is it dirty or does it look like it’s been kept reasonably clean?  Carpet can be refreshed or replaced if its worn but an unusual amount of crud is just another indication of how the trailer may have been kept. What’s the condition of the fiberglass? Are there cracks or breaks that need to be fixed?  Does hardware like locks and hinges work properly? Likewise, exterior cosmetic issues like trim or paint can usually be fixed (or ignored) but a big slash or gaping hole might give you pause to wonder about a trailer’s history.

Campers require an extra level of scrutiny because they have many more parts, some of which are sensitive to wear. Set up the entire rig and check the tent canvas carefully.  Look for signs of dry rot or weakness due to UV exposure.  Nylon tent material breaks down as it is exposed to sunlight.  Many campers develop problems not because they’ve been heavily used but because they haven’t been maintained properly. For example, a rider returns home from a wet weekend camping trip and forgets to air out the canvas…that’ll create ripe conditions for rotting, a situation you can sniff out as soon as you open up the unit.  Does it smell musty?  If it does now, it will months and years from now unless you strip it and refit it.

You also want to set up a camper to make sure it has all its poles, supports, etc.  The first camper I bought had a half dozen poles needed to set up the interior. A few years later I sold my bike and camper to a buddy in California who flew out and rode it back.  He sold off the camper when he returned home.  A few years later I was cleaning out the garage and found…you guessed it…the poles.  I’d forgotten to include them and he never set up the camper.  Apparently, the buyer never did either.  Whoops.

Now, about the Escapade.  This brings me to the topic of special equipment.  The Escapade is a well made trailer that uses air shocks to smooth out the ride.  Those air shocks are also specially made for the trailer and available only from Escapade.  I would make very, very sure the air suspension system holds air because replacement shocks are north of $350 each.   The air system may leak air due to old o-rings in the air system fittings, so if there’s any question about the air suspension, you’d want to sort out the problem or have the seller account for the replacement cost of those shocks as you negotiate your price.

As usual, common sense, a little skepticism and a critical eye are useful tools in evaluating a used trailer. Hopefully the points I just outlined will give you some additional points to look at to ensure that you make the best buy possible.

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: 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: It depends. Often it’s not too tricky, but sometimes the setup throws you a curve. The reason a conversion is necessary is because, as you say, a motorcycle trailer usually has five wires and four-wheelers use a four-wire setup. Motorcycles, unlike cars, has a brake circuit separate from the bike’s tail lights. Most cars/trucks have brakes and tail lights that share the same bulbs.

Easiest: If you haven’t yet ordered your trailer, ask your manufacturer if the trailer can be wired for a four-wire system. Some accommodating folks will do this for you just for asking. Put a four-wire harness on your bike, and you can swap the trailer between your bike and car with no conversion.

Simple: If your motorcycle trailer has turn signals with red lenses, you’re in luck. All you need to do is hook up the ground, running light circuit, and two turn signal circuits on your trailer to a four-pin plug and ignore the wire for the brake circuit. This will plug up and work with a car/truck with no problem. You can actually rig up a converter to go between the existing plug on your trailer and a four-wire plug to match the car side without doing any re-wiring on the trailer or your bike. When you want to tow with your bike, just remove the converter.

Less Simple: If your turn signals are amber, you can’t use them as turn and brake. Brake lights must be red. The next simplest thing is to source red lenses for your lights. Many trailer makers use off-the-shelf lights which are available in either color.

Harder, but doable: If you have a trailer that uses proprietary turn signals, like those that match the Honda Gold Wing, you have more engineering to do. That’s because neither the old style (01-05) nor new style (06+) offer tail lights with red turn signals. In this case, you need to do some re-wiring. The easiest way to accomplish this is to move the turn signal wire down, replacing the brake wire on both sides. This is a permanent change, so you’ll want to confirm that by doing this you will still have running lights. You will also need to put a four-wire harness on your bike to run the new system. You are not building an adapter like the “simple” process above, you are making a permanent change to your trailer.

As always, with any wiring project, test your work before you make it permanent, and always do a shakedown run. Don’t do this the night before you take a long trip! If you aren’t comfortable making wiring changes, enlist the help of a buddy from your club or if someone at your dealership is knowledgeable about trailers, ask them for help.

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!

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!

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.

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.