Trailer Hitch

oldNbold

New member
Jun 2, 2017
36
8
Toddville Iowa USA
Wanting to add a trailer hitch to my 2013 Tri Glide. Any recommendations or advise?

Any info on wiring in electrical plug for the trailer as well. I can handle mechanical projects but electrical on these things is all voodoo to me.
 
I use a Rivco hitch, works for me and fit my 2017 with the chrome bumper.

as for wiring, we have a Bushtec trailer so I called Bushtec and ordered one of theirs...also 14 and up require the Can Bus wiring...just FYI
 
Ditto on the Rivco hitch, just recently installed one. For electric hook-up I used the Khrome Werks plug and play wiring harness, simple installation. ThumbUp
 
Wanting to add a trailer hitch to my 2013 Tri Glide. Any recommendations or advise?

Any info on wiring in electrical plug for the trailer as well. I can handle mechanical projects but electrical on these things is all voodoo to me.

Just my 2 cents....regardless of the hitch you decide on - If you are running a bumper, be sure of the clearance - some have found their hitch too short - And just to throw another option out there....I have a Hoover Hitch and really like it. Fit and finish are first class and install was a snap - Under $200 including the ball, delivered. jc
 
I will put a hitch on someday but haven't found a hitch I like, looked at the rivco hitch, don't see no place to hook chains, also found the hoover hitch on ebay and it doesn't show a place for the trailer chains either.

My other bikes which are 2 wheelers have the hitch doc hitch, can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere online, open road outfitters had one that I liked and should have bought it then but didn't, the one they show now for my 2016 I do not like at all. I showed the picture of it to a friend and he said do not buy that one, he knows a guy that has one similar and he says their is alot of flex up and down where the ball is which I do not care to have that much flex, guess he already has had to bend it back into shape as well which doesn't sound good.

Most hitches I have seen do not show a place for the trailer chains, which I'm sure they have them but not sure why the pictures don't show them. And the ones that do show looks to be to far in IMHO, maybe just me, guess I'm used to the hitch doc's on my 2 wheeler's. If anyone has a picture of the hitchdoc hitch for a the triglide for 2016 could you post it.

All for now Trampas
 
I like the look of the khromewerks and really like where the chain hooks plus and a big plus the ball is not sitting real high like some of them like the rivo one posted by mirider.

still waiting for someone to post what a hitchdoc looks like, hopefully anyway

All for now Trampas
 
There is lots to consider when picking out a trailer hitch for your trike. When I got mine I didn't have or at that time intend on getting a rear guard (bumper) for my 2012 Triglide. Its a vertical receiver hitch. Now a couple years later, I have a bumper added and I had to change the hitch some to make everything work the way I wanted it to.

The hitch would not allow the trailer tongue to fit on the ball without the trunk opening down and hitting the lock lever on the trailer tongue. I was very careful not to let the trunk door open and swing down and hit. The trunk cables could have been shortened but that would have limited the opening of the trunk door. That was no good.

Then the issue got worse when I decided to weld up a rear guard (bumper) and the ball was to close to the home made bumper to fit the trailer on the ball. I don't know if the Harley bumper would have been better with clearance but I don't think it would have been.

So, I had a great trailer hitch on the bike but if I put a trailer on it the rear trunk door would hit with a trailer mounted on the ball. I couldn't put a trailer on the ball once I made up a rear bumper for the trike.

I had to cut the mounting bar that the ball was mounted in and extend it. I also had to take half of the rise out of the hitch bar. This allowed the ball to have a couple inches clearance both from the bumper and the trunk door when opened. Once I got all that done, now its all good. The trunk door opens fully without touching the trailer hitch and there is plenty of room for the trailer to mount onto the ball without hitting the bumper with the bullet lights mounted across it.

Anyway, its all good and always fun to modify things so they work the way they should have from the aftermarket suppliers. I don't know who engineers these things but it seems little thought goes into the final details for the end users.

milemaker

SamIMAG1497.jpgIMAG1500.jpgIMAG1471.jpgIMAG1501.jpg
 
Open Road Outfitters is where I got my Trike Hitch setup. I also used their Isolating Trailer Wiring Harness that was very easy to install using their instructions. You can look them up on the internet. Very happy with my setup.

milemaker

Excellent folks to work with. I go back with them to the old shop in VA. I've bought several trailers from them.
 
There is lots to consider when picking out a trailer hitch for your trike. When I got mine I didn't have or at that time intend on getting a rear guard (bumper) for my 2012 Triglide. Its a vertical receiver hitch. Now a couple years later, I have a bumper added and I had to change the hitch some to make everything work the way I wanted it to.

The hitch would not allow the trailer tongue to fit on the ball without the trunk opening down and hitting the lock lever on the trailer tongue. I was very careful not to let the trunk door open and swing down and hit. The trunk cables could have been shortened but that would have limited the opening of the trunk door. That was no good.

Then the issue got worse when I decided to weld up a rear guard (bumper) and the ball was to close to the home made bumper to fit the trailer on the ball. I don't know if the Harley bumper would have been better with clearance but I don't think it would have been.

So, I had a great trailer hitch on the bike but if I put a trailer on it the rear trunk door would hit with a trailer mounted on the ball. I couldn't put a trailer on the ball once I made up a rear bumper for the trike.

I had to cut the mounting bar that the ball was mounted in and extend it. I also had to take half of the rise out of the hitch bar. This allowed the ball to have a couple inches clearance both from the bumper and the trunk door when opened. Once I got all that done, now its all good. The trunk door opens fully without touching the trailer hitch and there is plenty of room for the trailer to mount onto the ball without hitting the bumper with the bullet lights mounted across it.

Anyway, its all good and always fun to modify things so they work the way they should have from the aftermarket suppliers. I don't know who engineers these things but it seems little thought goes into the final details for the end users.

milemaker

SamView attachment 46279View attachment 46280View attachment 46281View attachment 46282

Nice bumper ! I like that.
 
Has anybody used a trailer hitch from Motor Trike, looks good and the price is right.

Still waiting for a pic of hitch doc for the triglide????

I don't like the looks of the one from open road outfitters for the 2014 and up. I like the fact it is hidden real good when taking the tongue off, but that tongue looks to me like it would bounce up and down quite a bit going down the road. A friend of mine said another guy has a hitch similar but on a 2 wheeler and the tongue goes up and down all the time from what he said, guess he has had to straighten it up once because of the flexing up and down, so I know I'm not going with that hitch from open road outfitters, prefer a more solid one.

All for now Trampas
 
Only thing here James is that you'll be mounting one designed for a trike rather than one for a two wheel scoot. Worlds of difference.
 
MikeyTX, I know the 2 wheeler is different the way they mount, just saying the tongue part is basically the same as the triglide, it is a U shaped tongue which IMHO would not work good, just MHO, it might work great, I just don't like the design of it, I prefer a more solid tongue mount, I have never seen the hitch this guy has on his 2 wheeler and don't know the brand either, just reporting what my friend said since they have traveled together in the past.

I'm liking the looks of the motor trike hitch, the tongue comes straight out and I like the way the chains hook up compared to the rivco hitch, I know the rivco hitch is popular but with the rivco hitch the tongue sticks to far up in the air, I know they have a lower tongue but you have to buy it and that is more money.

All for now Trampas
 
Another thing I forgot to say, with the tongue coming straight out you can still get into the trunk if needed without the lid hitting the trailer ball, with the high tongue on the rivco it would hit the ball unless you opted with the lower tongue, even the kuryakn one is high, my cousin has this hitch and he has to be careful getting into the trunk and if going down the road and trunk pops open the lid will hit the ball and so some damage, just saying.

All for now Trampas
 

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