Northeast 2015 Rally

[Rosy]

Leo, is your trailer to vehicle level? Is more of the weight going towards the rear of the trailer? Anyway, can you extend your chock forward to get more weight forward on the trailer?
I know, it is getting late to make major retros on the trailer. Sorry!
Rosy

[leo3wheel]

Leo, is your trailer to vehicle level? Is more of the weight going towards the rear of the trailer? Anyway, can you extend your chock forward to get more weight forward on the trailer?
I know, it is getting late to make major retros on the trailer. Sorry!
Rosy

Rosy, Trailer has 12.5" clearance front and 12" clearance back. If I apply slight pressure to tongue, trailer levels out at 12" all around, so trailer is pretty much balanced. One problem is that trike is slightly longer than trailer. What this means is that tailgate/ramp cannot be raised to 45 or 90 degrees as designed. So tailgate must extend to back, and it is quite heavy. Trike overhang and extended tailgate serve as a lever prying up the front of the trailer. Because the trailer is pretty much balanced, whatever weight is added to its front is essentially tongue weight. Plan to use four bags of rock, 184 lbs at $16. Could add tool box(es) to trailer front to hold rock, but will think more about this. Right now, trike tank is half full, so I will fill it. The chock is at its front most position. Axle is fixed because trailer has split bed with hydraulics. Love the compactness of this trailer, and it has a max cargo weight of 1950 lbs, so I can add a lot more rock. Trailer also folds up and can be stood on end for storage.

[roadrunner1800]

Rosy, Trailer has 12.5" clearance front and 12" clearance back. If I apply slight pressure to tongue, trailer levels out to 12" all around, so trailer is pretty much balanced. One problem is that trike is slightly longer than trailer. What this means is that tailgate/ramp cannot be raised to 45 or 90 degrees as designed. So tailgate must extend to back, and it is quite heavy. Trike overhang and extended tailgate serve as a lever prying up the front of the trailer. Because the trailer is pretty much balanced, whatever weight is added to its front is essentially tongue weight. Plan to use four bags of rock, 184 lbs at $16. Could add tool box(es) to trailer front to hold rock, but will think more about this. Right now, trike tank is half full, so I will fill it. The chock is at its front most position. Axle is fixed because trailer has split bed with hydraulics. Love the compactness of this trailer, and it has a GVWR/GAWR of 2700 lbs, so I can add a lot more rock.

LEO...I used to deliver gasoline into gas stations by big rig tankers. I can tell you gasoline only weighs 6.6 lbs. / gallon so you better buy more rock or....here's an idea since your going to a rally....beer is mostly a water product....water weighs 8 lbs. / gallon...so buy a bunch of cases of beer and bring to the Rally. That will give you more ballast weight than the gas would lol.

[leo3wheel]

Great idea, but empty beer cases won't get us back home. Hopefully tongue weight will not be a issue with the rock I've purchased.

[Rosy]

More questions Leo, can you remove your tail gate easily and store it under the trike. From the photo, it looks like you have room under the trike.
Two things:
You remove weight from the back of the trailer.
You add weight to the tongue by storing the tail gate up front under the trike?
Maybe no additional weight of rocks or beer needed! LOL
Rosy

[John Luciano]

Try backing it on. We came home from Pittsburg with a light tong weight and every time we exceeded 60 we wobbled. We backed the trike in at the first rest stop and everything was good. I do like the beer idea. And liquor is cheaper in Vermont you can re fill cases with vodka for ride home.

[Bikerbozo]

Bow.....bow before the king of "Gas Roulette". Made it to ferry in 160 miles and 3 1/2 hrs. Filled up gas on LI. 6.01g in 6.0g tank. The risks are great. If I had run out on such a hot day, you all know Dianne would have made me pay dearly.
Nice ride back. Most of the cars that did stupid things in front of me happened in 1st 8 miles.

[spiritdream]

Another one over, seems like much too quickly. Wonderful seeing everyone again, although I wish I'd had more time to spend with all of you!!

Hope everyone made it home, or wherever you were heading, safe & sound - look forward to seeing everybody again next year if not sooner!!

[leo3wheel]

Thanks everyone for a most enjoyable time. We arrived home safe and sound around 5:00 p.m. today. When our truck transmission slipped in the driveway on Thursday, thought this event was going to be a wash for us. Glad we had no issues triking there. It was great to see familiar and new faces. Everyone was so nice! The rides and meal get togethers were really special. Rode NY Route 22 and the Taconic State Parkway on the way home. Was pleasantly surprised to find that they had resurfaced Route 22. Thanks Jonesy for the tip. Look forward to doing this again. Cheers!

[87Trike1200]

We, too, made it home to "the Jersey Shore" in one piece about 5:45 pm, after a couple of gas/rest stops. As some know, instead of using both trikes this year, we used my trike plus our Mini Cooper (but that's another story - ), then rode 2-up with the trike for local rides in Vt. We did switch off, going and coming, and Barbara rode the GL1500 about 100 miles each way to "keep current". Total trip for us was about 275 mi each way.

We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everybody. Thanks to all those who made this event special...

[Rosy]

Did anyone take a "special" picture of Warren? LOL Like I did last year!
Glad to hear everybody has gotten home safe and sound!
Leo, need to check the transmission on your truck, before it lets you down.
Rosy

[leo3wheel]

Rosy, Tried to get a good picture of Warren at dinner, but my camera is not right sometimes.
Camera needs replacing, and truck needs transmission work. Story of my life.

[87Trike1200]

Rosy - Did you and Leo attend the same school of photography?

I think Leo was using one of those trick lenses like they use at the Boardwalk Arcades that make you look heavier than normal.

Take note that the excellent avatar you provided is still in use.

[brianl]

Had a great time at the rally as expected. Thanks to everyone for making me feel special on my birthday. The little girl, Sophia, kind of "spilled the beans" so I knew something was up. The cake was awesome as well as everyone singing me Happy Birthday multiple times! Cynthia and I took the scenic route on the way home. 250 miles and 8 hours. ( 83 miles and 2 hours to get there) Looking forward to next year's rally. Curious to see where and when it ends up.
Brian and Cynthia

[Rosy]

Warren, you are using the Avitar because it was not I who took the picture, as you recall it was Janice, that's why it is so good, if Leo or I took it, it would have ended in the round file! Or 🚽
LOL Sorry Leo!
Rosy

[leo3wheel]

Wow Rosy! You know how to hurt a guy.

[Rosy]

Well, Leo, Warren didn't like either your picture or mine, so, I just assume we need to go to photography school, or let Janice or Jennette take the pictures, true!
OR, some people are hard to please! LOL
Rosy

[87Trike1200]

...OR, some people are hard to please! LOL
Rosy

Ahhhh - maybe you have hit on to something...

[roadrunner1800]

I just wanted to say it was fun meeting all you people at the Grey Ghost Inn and I enjoyed leading a fun relaxed ride through the woods and on the roads I ride all the time here in Vermont. I picked those roads because there is a rather enhanced sense of fun when you are not having to deal with thousands of cars and trucks on the same road as you're riding. Honestly I'd probably give up riding if I lived where Leo, Bikerbozo, or Jonesy lived.

So for the next Northeast Rally I'd suggest you all bring new fresh batteries in your cameras because I'm thinking everyone showed up with dead batteries...I mean where's the pictures? Haven't seen only a few so far and the saying on the internet is "if there are no pictures it didn't happen".

I don't know where you all rode on Saturday because I decided to just stay home. I had to dig a 3' hole to bury my nearly 17 old dog in the hardest rock infested ground you can imagine. With pick and shovel and more than a few beers I dug while I suppose you all enjoyed the slightly hot day.

I have that route saved if anyone wants it for future rides...just email me at: roadrunner1800@hotmail.com


Allen Serviss

[leo3wheel]

Allen, NJ has nice areas to ride. It's not all parkway and turnpike. Thanks for tour of your area. Leo