Topic: Reese BackPacker trailer

[Yamahawk]

Well, I installed a trailer hitch on the wife's Can Am Spyder friday, to haul this nice little trailer I picked up for $120. It is a Reese BackPacker, and has a lot of potential! It needs some paint, as it's pretty ugly right now, but hey... once it is painted to match her white/black/orange paint. it should be pretty cool.
This trailer can haul up to 750lb of dirt or stone, and pull a pin, and it can dump it too. I think it will make a nice traveling companion, and haul all our gear! It only weighs 180lb empty, so the tent, air bed, sleeping bags, and clothes will fit no problem. Been thinking of installing 12" rims and tires, though to take it easy on the axle bearings...
Charlie

[Don R]

 My mind is racing on the wheels, maybe some billet jr. dragster front wheels?

[dave500]

$120 bucks?bloody bargain!yeah those wheels look like they'll be spinning fast,larger ones will take load better if you really want to haul dirt or gravel.

[Yamahawk]

My mind is racing on the wheels, maybe some billet jr. dragster front wheels?

Whoa... now that would be cool! Hadn't though of that, but I do know that the four bolt hubs would fit some pretty cool aluminum mags for early Mustang II's etc. I will have to explore the options!!

$120 bucks?bloody bargain!yeah those wheels look like they'll be spinning fast,larger ones will take load better if you really want to haul dirt or gravel.

Yeah, that's what I am thinking too, Dave... except it will probably never haul dirt or gravel lol... maybe a load of ice and beer.... the tub is waterproof HDP lol!
Charlie

[dave500]

BEER?sign me up.

[754]

Is it sprung? Or solid axle ?

[Yamahawk]

Is it sprung? Or solid axle ?

It's sprung, got a nice leaf on each side, Frank! Was thinking that a small motorcycle shock to give it some damping would be nice. (without the spring) Did that to a California Friendship sidecar, which had torsion bar suspension, and the Monroe shock I used was a shortie I had been given by a friend. It really smoothed out the suspension, and the sidecar tracked bumps very well. Not sure if this would need a shock, but it couldn't hurt!
Charlie

[jgger]

It will tow much better with a set of shocks. My old desert racing buddy had a short tongue 2 bike trailer, it was all over the place, then we put some old shocked off his El Camino and it could tow at 75 or 80 and smooth as silk.

[dave500]

I put old air adjustable ride leveller rear shocks from a car on a three dirt bike trailer,made a world of difference it really towed better,in the rear view mirror you could see the trailer wheel go up and down and the trailer stayed level more or less with little jolting,it would have all the camping gear on it aswell as four full jerry cans,dig that old valiant parked over the other side of the road?

[Yamahawk]

Hehe yeah that's got to be a 1970-71 Plymouth there... my oldest brother had a Valiant, but it was a 1961, with the push button transmission on the left side of the dash..now that was an old Valiant lol.
I am in agreement on the shocks, now to find out how to install them!!
Charlie

[754]

 I always have a problem with the huge weight of trailers.
 It's like packing a passenger, except weight is lower.
 Keep in mind, if you can change the frame to aluminum, it's 1/3 the weight..

[spotty]

freiend of mine had a convertible version of that val for a while and mrs spotty has a 62 S series val with the scary pushbutton gear selector. i've only been alloowed to drive it once and i may have accidentally run up the arse of another car when i went into a roundabout a little hot, locked the ( #$%*ful drum ) front brakes and it bounced up and down as it shoved itself into the back of the car in front. mrs spotty not happy and banned me from driving her pride and joy ( Fcuk it was fast though, blueprinted, balanced, hot cam, stupidly big carb, extractors, monster elec ignition)

[dave500]

VE valiant,if a six would've been the old slant 225,if a v8 the 273 unless another motor had been swapped in?in the day a 245/265 six would've gone straight in or any small block 340/360,never see em on the road these days?the r and s series command a lot money now!the 225 was a lump but souped up sort of ok,solid lifters and that #$%* to get to dissy.

[Yamahawk]

I always have a problem with the huge weight of trailers.
 It's like packing a passenger, except weight is lower.
 Keep in mind, if you can change the frame to aluminum, it's 1/3 the weight..

Yep, aluminum would be the best! The trailer in the background is a 6x12 vee nose, with all aluminum frame, too. it only weighs like 1200lb or so.
But, this little Reese weighs as much as a passenger, and her Can Am Spyder will pull it nicely. The tongue weight isn't much, at all, and with 100lb of gear, shouldn't be too bad on stopping, either.
As for painting it, need paint that won't crack and peel when the top flexes, I know there are several plastic paints out there, but what to do with this current paint lol... I might just paint it white, and then mask off and paint the black, and add some orange to complete the matching Spyder paint. Here is a stock pic, my wife's has a Yoshimura pipe and aftermarket seat and fender eliminator kit on it...
Charlie

[Don R]

 The nice thing about the Spyder is the tire contact and brake size. Some of the newer cars has light weight aluminum rims for a spare tire. Not so exotic looking but might be the ticket weight wise. 

[Yamahawk]

The nice thing about the Spyder is the tire contact and brake size. Some of the newer cars has light weight aluminum rims for a spare tire. Not so exotic looking but might be the ticket weight wise.

Don, that's a good idea, if I can find the correct 4 bolt pattern that would fit the bolt circle of the trailer. I will measure and see what is available!
Charlie

[754]

If the in between is not hollowed, you can refill a lot of 4 bolt wheels.
 Just put new pattern between the old pattern.

[scottly]

The tongue weight isn't much, at all, and with 100lb of gear, shouldn't be too bad on stopping, either.

You want a certain percentage of the trailer weight resting on the tongue; if the trailer has the weight concentrated towards the rear, it can whip from side to side, sometimes violently enough to flip the tow vehicle with a heavy trailer. The tail begins to wag the dog, and it's hard to stop once it starts, and will make you pucker tighter than a toothpick when it happens.

[Yamahawk]

The tongue weight isn't much, at all, and with 100lb of gear, shouldn't be too bad on stopping, either.

You want a certain percentage of the trailer weight resting on the tongue; if the trailer has the weight concentrated towards the rear, it can whip from side to side, sometimes violently enough to flip the tow vehicle with a heavy trailer. The tail begins to wag the dog, and it's hard to stop once it starts, and will make you pucker tighter than a toothpick when it happens.

Hehe yep, when I first towed anything, it was my dad's 21ft. PennYan boat and trailer, and the trailer was set up for a larger boat, and built out of 6" tube steel with tandem axles. I towed it from Port Huron Mi to Toledo Oh with my 1978 International Scout Terra Rallye pickup... there was actually a negative tongue weight, and needless to say, the drive through Detroit was 'interesting' to say the least...
Forward weight on the tongue is very important, and it should be enough to allow the trailer to track well, without sagging the suspension too much. This trailer seems to be well set up now, and I think it might be due to it coming from Reese, a company that makes trailer towing equipment. I want to get the lighting done, and take it for a spin around the block with the Spyder and see how it feels! And as Don R stated, the tire contact patch and brakes on the Spyder will be good for towing.
Charlie