tying down a 1800 with Roadsmith conversion

[bigred06]

Anyone trailer their 1800 with Roadsmith conversion? What do you use for tiedown locations? I have a trailer with 6000# D rings bolted through the floor into steel brackets welded to the frame. Roadsmith factory people said use holes on top of shock mounts, but unable to as straps won't clear the body. Almost have to go straight down and I have no D rings located their. Front is no problem, just the rear. Anyone using the trailer hitch? It don't look to strong to me as just a tube and welded to rear of differential. No lateral support on it. I don't see much alternative though. I don't like going through spokes of wheels real well either as undue pressure pulling outwards. How you guys doing it with this trike? thanks bigred06

[1800 06 Champion Trike]

Anyone trailer their 1800 with Roadsmith conversion? What do you use for tiedown locations? I have a trailer with 6000# D rings bolted through the floor into steel brackets welded to the frame. Roadsmith factory people said use holes on top of shock mounts, but unable to as straps won't clear the body. Almost have to go straight down and I have no D rings located their. Front is no problem, just the rear. Anyone using the trailer hitch? It don't look to strong to me as just a tube and welded to rear of differential. No lateral support on it. I don't see much alternative though. I don't like going through spokes of wheels real well either as undue pressure pulling outwards. How you guys doing it with this trike? thanks bigred06

I have a Champion Trike and have trailed it a few times to my dealer 300 miles away.
I used my enclosed 20 ft snowmobile trailer.
I drive it up the back ramp.
Take one come-a-long and hook to a eye bolt that I put in where the tie down bar goes for the snowmobile.
Hook one end to the bolt, then 2 times around the wheel rim and back to the bolt, hooking that end to the bolt.
I then does the same to the back of the trike, hooking the come-a-long to the trikes trailer hitch.
Pull both come-a-longs tight
Pull them tight and close the door.
I use to check it about half way there and it never moved.
Don't move a inch on the whole trip

[SMSgt]

My Roadsmith made the trip from Georgia to Utah, via a commercial carrier, with straps through the front wheel and a strap through each of the rear wheels then to the D rings on the floor. It wasn't pretty but it made it with no problems.

[Blueribbon]

My Roadsmith made the trip from Georgia to Utah, via a commercial carrier, with straps through the front wheel and a strap through each of the rear wheels then to the D rings on the floor. It wasn't pretty but it made it with no problems.

I agree. I don't think the wheels are going to come off. I double up is the only difference.

[SMSgt]

I agree. I don't think the wheels are going to come off. I double up is the only difference.

That is a great idea.

[Calgary]

I use a Wheeldock chock http://www.wheeldock.com
bolted through the floor and cross two tiedown straps from either side of the trike trailer hitch to the rear floor mounted D rings.

The chock has a tiedown strap that absolutely holds the front wheel in place.

I tow the trike about 4000 miles a year and it never shifts position!

The cargo trailer floor is coated with a traction type paint, which I believe is very helpful as well!

[bayoudave]

Tie through the wheels as the others have mentioned. If you tie to the body or frame and you get it too tight and hit a few hard bumps you will blow seals and shocks, don't ask me how I know, expensive lesson learned.

[cavie]

D-rings in the floor. Straps thru the wheels angled front and back. Front wheel in a chock.

[Solidbob]

Just loaded the Roadsmith in the Toy Hauler, pulled it about 6" clear at the back / two wraps around & thru the back wheels to the D - Rings on each side, these pull back toward the door. The front pull forward, again two wraps around the front engine crash bar and in front of my highway pegs (remember this is a trike so I do not tie the front end just lock it to the side, no binding / it can't fall over) and take both hooks to side forward D-Rings.... tried it yesterday and it never moved, did leave it in gear though just in case. You don't need to tie high as it's not a bike and won't fall over. Forgot to take photos... sorry!!! Other crap on my mind,, like fixing the spot on the trailer somebody side swiped... sure there was a note... at Wally World in the middle of the parking lot. Doubt they had insurance anyway.

[Bighorn]

I've trailered my Roadsmith a few times and have always used the trailer hitch for securing the rear. Like a previous poster said, it's a trike so it isn't going to fall over. All you need to do is to stabilize the sideways movement. I used the engine crash bars on one occasion and ended up with a broken engine subframe after encountering a rough section of road. I now use D-rings on the trailer floor and straps over the top bridge. If I'm using a trailer other than my own, I find some way to secure the front wheel, and I leave the trike in gear. No problems!

[UBoat]

Whatever you do, do not use the crash bars as a tie down point. The aren't designed to handle that kind of stress under a nomal Wing's weight much less the additional weight of a trike. My opinion only.

Chuck

[bigred06]

Thanks to all who responded, lots of ideas. Think I will go thru the wheels and cross tie them, ( ex, right wheel to left D ring, etc., and my front wheel chock with soft ties over triple tree and ratchet ties to front D rings, with none cinched overly tight, just secure from side movement. As I mentioned, that trailer hitch just don't look anywhere near as solid as my 06 Champion hitch. I used to cinch it down pretty tight. Could maybe use hitch on Roadsmith and not cinch it down tight, just keep it from side movement. Gotta get it trailer up sometime and check things out. thanks guys. bigred 06

[triwinggirl]

Has anyone though of attaching the straps to the engine guards and pulling them tight to compress the front end into a wheel chock.

just asking it seemed self explanatory to me.

You can't attach to the handle bars odviously, but the engine guards are exposed and bolted to the frame. should be secure enough.

Then as was said before attach to the trailer hitch to secure the rear.