Wingnut
Veteran Member
Let\'s talk trailers again ...
I need to do some major surgery to my motorcycle trailer. This is custom designed and built small flatdeck that has some characteristics that were quite innovative when it was built back in '83. Hmm ... I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I need to do some surgery ... it's 22 years old!
Anyway, this puppy has a deck that drops to the ground so I can drive my Goldwing on board, and then (after I strap the bike down) I use a boat winch to crank it back up to operating position and put in 3 pins to keep it that way (one on the tongue and one on each side).
The surgery is required because I noticed that the deck is getting pretty rotten ... after 22 years, I guess that's not a surprise. 3/4" plywood doesn't last forever!
Now that I plan to use it a bit more, I need to replace the deck and look at upgrading some things. For instance, I have an electric boat winch that will replace the manual ... getting lazy, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
One thing I've never liked is the wheel size. Back then, most tent trailers and small trailers had the dinky 8" wheels .. and I think I would get better tire life, and just generally feel safer, if I went to a larger tire. I've averaged a blowout at least every second year, and I really would prefer NOT to chance my GL1800A to another blowout or two.
So, finally, my question .... are there adapters to allow larger tires on a 4 bolt spindle? Should I be looking at replacing the spindles? Is that normally a welding matter? Obviously, since this sucker folds flat to the ground, it doesn't have your ordinary everyday rigid axle ... I need to take a look but, as I recall, they're independently suspended (and they don't "fold", only the center section of the trailer does that). Better off to just buy new axles (or whatever they're called) or adapt these?
Opinions greatly appreciated.
We'll be headed south within a week to trade our micro motorhome in on its replacement - a much newer micro motorhome more capable of hauling the motorcycle along on a trip or two .... so that my wife can quit bellyaching that I take all my vacations without her (she thinks a long bike ride is an hour or two ... my idea is a week or two) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I need to do some major surgery to my motorcycle trailer. This is custom designed and built small flatdeck that has some characteristics that were quite innovative when it was built back in '83. Hmm ... I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I need to do some surgery ... it's 22 years old!
Anyway, this puppy has a deck that drops to the ground so I can drive my Goldwing on board, and then (after I strap the bike down) I use a boat winch to crank it back up to operating position and put in 3 pins to keep it that way (one on the tongue and one on each side).
The surgery is required because I noticed that the deck is getting pretty rotten ... after 22 years, I guess that's not a surprise. 3/4" plywood doesn't last forever!
Now that I plan to use it a bit more, I need to replace the deck and look at upgrading some things. For instance, I have an electric boat winch that will replace the manual ... getting lazy, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
One thing I've never liked is the wheel size. Back then, most tent trailers and small trailers had the dinky 8" wheels .. and I think I would get better tire life, and just generally feel safer, if I went to a larger tire. I've averaged a blowout at least every second year, and I really would prefer NOT to chance my GL1800A to another blowout or two.
So, finally, my question .... are there adapters to allow larger tires on a 4 bolt spindle? Should I be looking at replacing the spindles? Is that normally a welding matter? Obviously, since this sucker folds flat to the ground, it doesn't have your ordinary everyday rigid axle ... I need to take a look but, as I recall, they're independently suspended (and they don't "fold", only the center section of the trailer does that). Better off to just buy new axles (or whatever they're called) or adapt these?
Opinions greatly appreciated.
We'll be headed south within a week to trade our micro motorhome in on its replacement - a much newer micro motorhome more capable of hauling the motorcycle along on a trip or two .... so that my wife can quit bellyaching that I take all my vacations without her (she thinks a long bike ride is an hour or two ... my idea is a week or two) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
