Piggybacker

[Charlie from Illinois]

I got a trailer this winter and after the first trip with it I have realized that I have to do a better job of packing stuff. Do any of you use something to keep the bags in one place or just let it move around? I was wondering if any of you use the cooler rack much or take it off? I put a swivel hitch on it and it seems to work good.

[WingNutLori]

I've never been accused of "packing light"! When we travel, the trailer is packed so full that NOTHING moves!

FYI... It gets REALLY hot in the trailer. Getting ready for the trip to the AVA rally in Rapid City, I splurged and purchased one of those big Rand-McNally atlas books (just in case the GPS failed us). Nothing is cheap these days, and I figured it would be a good idea to protect the atlas and purchased the one that comes with the plastic slip cover. Turns out we didn't use the Atlas that much and it worked it's way deep into the trailer.

Back home after a great couple of weeks on the road, I unloaded my stuff and started putting everything away. When I pulled out the Atlas, there was something really odd about it. Upon closer inspection, I found that the plastic slip cover had SHRUNK! The heat had actually attempted to turn my Atlas cover into a "shrinky dink"! (Remember those?) I pried the book out of it's sleeve and flattened it out and tossed the sleeve into the trash...it was now at least an inch too narrow and too short!

There's no "moral" to my story. I just couldn't believe that it would get that HOT inside the trailer. Although it *was* 117 degrees on the day that we drove through the badlands.

[Chris near Kansas City]

You could have the inside of the bottom half coated with that spray-in bedliner stuff. Or, in my old trailer, I used one of those parts counter floor mats, rubber on the bottom, carpet on the top. The rubber won't move around much on the plastic, and the bags won't move around much on the carpet. Any bolts inside that attach the box to the frame, pull those out and replace them with eye bolts. I did that when I built the trailer, and before I got the floor mat, stuff was sliding around big time. I got the mat and cut slits in it, so the eye bolts would stick through it, thereby locking the mat in place. When I destroyed the box last year in our wreck, the eye bolts came in handy so we could tie stuff down.

[Charlie from Illinois]

Just got back from a 3600 mile vacation pulling the piggy backer. The only problem I had with the trailer is that one of the grease seals failed on the right tire. I just kept putting grease in it every so often and that worked. The trailer was a whole lot handier than trying to pack just the bike. Even took my pillow with.

[MTN99]

Charlie,

Didn't the Piggybacker folks ship xtra Bearings, Caps, Latches & such with yours ??? When I got mine back in 07 they sent along a bag of spare almost everything... Great folks to do business with...... (they even sent another set of gas shocks for opening the lid...)

I can get the seal numbers off mine real easy If'n ya need (the're still in the bag)

Glad you had a good trip, Even if it was a little wet.... Looking forward to some pics...
BTW did the Piggy stay dry on the inside, I have had no H2o problems with ours...

[Charlie from Illinois]

I have a set of seals for it but didn't want to take the time to do it while on vacation. The piggy backer stayed dry for us. I hope it stays that way. It seems to be a good trailer for the money. I'm glad I got it.

[Charlie from Illinois]

Picture of my wife, Cindy and our piggybacker trailer up in the Smokies this summer.

[dwp]

I have a piggybacker just like yours. I have maid five trips from West Virginia to Maine, used the cooler rack for cool drinks it is great. We usually have enought stuf to cover the bottom of trailer so no problem with sliding arround. Those trips were with a 2003 Kawasaki Nomad, just traded it for a 2011 Voyager the last of september looking forward to pulling with it.

[gbakman53]

Great to hear that the Piggy Backer owners are happy with theirs. I just found one on Craigslist and
purchased it from the guy for $800. It is a 2010 year model and he stated he only made one long trip
about 1000 miles round trip and a couple of short trips. Has less than 1300 miles on it. He had to
sell the bike and the person did not want the trailer. I pick it up in two weeks. Never pulled a trailer
with the bike so been reading all the posts on different sites about the trailer pulling.

[ithitwhat]

Bought one of these last year, these are really a good trailer for the money. I replaced the bolts that hold box to frame with large eyebolts, handy straping down cargo inside of box, also bought led brake and signal lights and mounted them on the lid so the trailer now has four lights instead of the two down by the wheels. Mount the spare as far back as you can under frame, if that sucker comes loose under the axle it can get really exciting, this will also help reduce tounge weight. Have fun and be careful, remember you will need more room to stop and turn. Also be mindful when you park that you do not have a reverse, just a small grade can be a real pain!

[David (N. Alabama)]

Bought one of these last year, these are really a good trailer for the money. I replaced the bolts that hold box to frame with large eyebolts, handy straping down cargo inside of box, also bought led brake and signal lights and mounted them on the lid so the trailer now has four lights instead of the two down by the wheels. Mount the spare as far back as you can under frame, if that sucker comes loose under the axle it can get really exciting, this will also help reduce tounge weight. Have fun and be careful, remember you will need more room to stop and turn. Also be mindful when you park that you do not have a reverse, just a small grade can be a real pain!

Just make sure you tongue weight is at least 10% of the total trailer weight or you will be asking for trouble.