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Old 01-09-2011, 03:09 PM   #1
Trabuco
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Idaho Tote Motorcycle Trailer

In addition to the Montana we should have in the next 6 months or so I need to come up with a way to transport my motorcycle. I'm not really interested in the toy haulers and the motorcycle is too heavy to hang off the back of the 5er. I'm interested in hearing from anyone that may be using the idaho tote. I've included a link below

http://www.idahotote.com/

Ken
 
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Old 01-09-2011, 04:33 PM   #2
Emmel
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Ken, have you looked at Swivelwheel.com? They have a 4ft model we are looking at for our Harley, cost around $3k with hitch.
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Old 01-09-2011, 06:37 PM   #3
clutch
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Swivel wheel is about half the price of the Idaho Tote. On the other hand you can put a hitch on the front of the Idaho Tote and use it like a trailer behind your truck. The 15" tires on the Tote are a big ++++ in my book.
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Old 01-10-2011, 03:32 AM   #4
Captain Joe
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I also like the idea that you have two tires vs. one on the swivelwheel. Would also want a camera to keep an eye on things back there.
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Old 01-10-2011, 04:56 AM   #5
gbsb
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We have found a used swivel wheel trailer we are purchacing to take our Ultra Classic with us. We have a '01 GMC dually and a '09 3400RL. Talked to the previous owners and they said it pulled great and only problems where with flat tires. Also said even with flat tire the trailer didn't wiggle or wobble and done a great job, They sold their camper and didn't need the trailer any longer. Just one more year and we will be retired. We are allready fulltiming and working and love the life style. Can't wait will be doing the worker camper thing at campgrounds or volentering at State Parks can't just set down. George
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Old 01-10-2011, 04:59 AM   #6
Emmel
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Captain Joe

I also like the idea that you have two tires vs. one on the swivelwheel. Would also want a camera to keep an eye on things back there.
Agree on the rear camera, no matter which trailer you get. However, swivel wheel comes with two wheels too, it's on their website.
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Old 01-10-2011, 06:02 AM   #7
Art-n-Marge
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I think for the weight of the Harley the dual wheel swivel wheel would be a good option to prevent excessive stress on swaying when carrying the bike. While the Idaho Tote is very nice, you might not need something that big and more capable.

Will you need some kind of driver's license endorsement with these? It seems to me that these are just extensions of your existing trailer and not a double tow, but you know how governments can be. After all, the length of your tow will be a little longer and some states will need a license endorsement when a rig gets a certain length. It's something else to check.
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Old 01-10-2011, 07:01 AM   #8
Trabuco
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I have checked out the swivel wheel and was a little concerned with tire diameter. The tire(s) will be spinning faster than on the idaho tote. The swivel wheel has it hands down in the price catagory. I believe the swivel wheel applies more weight to the rear of the 5er somewhere around 500 lbs. What does that do to the pin weight on the front of the 5er? The wheels on the idaho tote are centered under the center of the trailer and presumably the cargo weight. This in turn applies less weight to the rear of the 5er. Just thinking out loud!!
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Old 01-10-2011, 08:16 AM   #9
KTManiac
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There is one downside that has kept me from ordering the Idaho Tote.

The tires can only turn just so far, due to the design of the system. They cannot turn far enough for the tires to track properly when doing a tight turn (where the truck is at or near 90* to the 5er) and the Tote tires have to scrub/skid on the pavement to make the turn.

Now, if you're not forced to make this kind of turn, there is no problem. So, planning ahead for your turns is a way to avoid the tire scrubbing issue.

One other thing is the on-board air compressor that is used to actuate the mechanism that allows for the wheels to turn the right way while backing up. I assume that it is wired to the back-up lights of the 5er so that it "knows" when to activate the reverse mode. What happens if it doesn't work properly?

....advantage to the conventional swivel wheel design as it is totally passive, the wheels just do what they're supposed to do. 360*, no matter how tight you turn, they won't scrub


The biggest advantage that the Idaho Tote has over the regular swivel wheel design is the tongue weight. If you look at the swivel wheel designs, the wheels are well to the rear of the unit. While this makes swivel wheels trail smoother and not wobble like a bad shopping cart, it also makes the tongue weight of the unit much heavier (I would guess up to 35-40% of the load)

The Idaho Tote axle is pretty much under the middle of the Tote (slightly aft of center), so the load is carried mostly by the axle on the Idaho Tote and not the tongue (your Montana bumper), depending on how you position the load on the deck.

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Old 01-11-2011, 02:47 AM   #10
kerry
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I have the dual wheel swivel dolly. I use it to haul my golf cart, works great. If you have any ?'s you can PM me.
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