GG54172 Posted August 24, 2006 Share #1 Posted August 24, 2006 Here is the scoop, I just purchased a 1999 Exploder off of eBay on the far far side of Pennsilvania. Picking up the truck will be a 1200 mile round trip. My plan is to weld a hitch together and ride my wife's Nighthawk 750 out to PA, use this hitch to bring both vehicles back. (The explorer has a 2" hitch receiver) It's no big deal with the Nighthawk, as I can quickly remove the chain, and prevent any possibility for transmission damage. However, the venture would be a much, much more comfortable ride. Has anyone actually towed a venture with the rear wheel on the ground 600 miles? Obviously the trans would be in neutral, and as far as i can see, the gears are constantly submerged in oil. I only have 10 days to pick up the explorer, so I can't really use opinions. If someone has towed a venture like this, please let me know, otherwise I will be flying on the nighthawk. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Hauler_003-587x350.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted August 24, 2006 Share #2 Posted August 24, 2006 Personally I would be very concerned about towing either bike that way. You have more nerve than I do, that is for sure. Suggest looking at U-haul and see what the drop of feees would be ? PS how far you travelling ? Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7Goose Posted August 24, 2006 Share #3 Posted August 24, 2006 The angle is going to affect the pooling of the oil - not sure if it will be enough to cause a problem. I don't have any idea how the shaft splines and CV joint in our drive shafts are lubed, but some BMWs and Guzzis used to rely on oil spinning up the shaft and then draining back through the housing. The angle would probably cause a big problem for that also (if applicable). Besides, who you gonna find to help muscle a 500lb front end that high in the air? There ain't enough room for four guys to grab hold of that thing! I know you said you couldn't use opinions, but I just can't help myself! Goose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry M Posted August 24, 2006 Share #4 Posted August 24, 2006 I think if I were going after the truck I would ride the nighthawk there and load it in the truck and drive back home.Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG54172 Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share #5 Posted August 24, 2006 Personally I would be very concerned about towing either bike that way. You have more nerve than I do, that is for sure. Suggest looking at U-haul and see what the drop of feees would be ? PS how far you travelling ? Brad Uhaul quoted me $130. That is until they found out what type of vehicle I wanted to tow the trailer with.... U-Haul rejects Explorers By Eric Mayne, The Detroit News U-Haul International is forbidding its stores to rent trailers to customers who plan to tow with the Ford Explorer, saying it no longer can afford to defend product liability lawsuits linked to the best-selling SUV. http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gifhttp://images.usatoday.com/money/_photos/2004/01/08/uhaul.jpghttp://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gifU-Haul says the decision was not related to safety.http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gifBy Tim Boyle, Getty Images The reasons for the unusual move by U-Haul aren't entirely clear but it comes after the Explorer appeared to have overcome lingering image problems associated with the Firestone tire debacle. U-Haul — North America's largest trailer rental company with more than 17,000 outlets — implemented the policy Dec. 22, saying the ban was not related to safety. "U-Haul has chosen not to rent behind this tow vehicle based on our history of excessive costs in defending lawsuits involving Ford Explorer towing combinations," the company told The Detroit News. Joanne Fried, a U-Haul spokeswoman, declined to disclose how much the Phoenix-based company has spent defending lawsuits involving Explorers. "The decision is not based on one accident," she said. "It's based on several different lawsuits going on for several years." Ford Motor (F) spokesman Jon Harmon called U-Haul's decision "surprising and disappointing." "This is all about runaway litigation and trial lawyers forcing businesses to make unfortunate decisions for fear of lawsuits," Harmon said. U-Haul was embroiled in a lawsuit that Bridgestone/Firestone settled out of court in September. It involved three college students who were injured in 1999 when their Firestone-equipped Explorer overturned while pulling a U-Haul trailer. U-Haul would not release details about the accidents cited in its lawsuits. A bulletin issued to U-Haul dealers last month, which was obtained by The News, says the company's move was "based on the negative perceptions of Ford Explorers ... we are separating ourselves from the negative public perception and its potential consequences." U-Haul has no ban on rentals to Mercury Mountaineer owners, although the vehicle is mechanically a carbon copy of the Explorer. "We've had no issues with the Mercury Mountaineer," Fried said. The slight is the latest in a series of setbacks that have dogged the Explorer, America's top-selling SUV and the sixth-best selling vehicle in 2003. In August 2001, Firestone was forced to recall 14.4 million defective tires — equipped mostly on Explorers. The treads on the tires often separated, causing drivers to lose control of their Explorers and often roll over. Federal regulators linked 271 deaths and more than 800 injuries to the defective tires. Ford recalled an additional 13 million Firestone tires in May 2001. Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone have spent millions of dollars to settle product liability cases over the tires and SUV. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in February 2002 that there was not enough evidence to open a formal defect investigation of the Explorer. In the wake of the widely publicized Firestone tire recall, the Explorer has become a favorite target among product liability lawyers, said Sid Gilreath, a Knoxville, Tenn., lawyer involved in product liability litigation for more than three decades. The number of lawsuits involving Explorers isn't necessarily a reflection of its performance characteristics, Gilreath said. "The lawyers who do those (cases) know that we have more documentation on the Explorer," Gilreath said. Ford maintains the Explorer is safe. In 2002, NHTSA traced Explorer tire failures and resulting rollovers to tire manufacturing flaws. Still, the controversy prompted federal regulators to adopt ratings that rank SUVs based on their propensity to roll over. The test used to set ratings recently was revised to better reflect real-world driving conditions. The 2003 Ford Explorer was among the first vehicles subjected to the new test. The results are pending. Acknowledging the same legal cost pressures U-Haul cited in its rental ban, Harmon said Ford has settled Explorer lawsuits out of court, adding the company is 8-0 in cases that have gone to juries. Fried said the rental ban applies to all model years, even though Explorer was redesigned in 2002 — the same year the SUV improved its NHTSA rollover rating from two stars to three, and was voted "tow vehicle of the year" by Trailer Boats magazine. "It's a perfectly capable tow vehicle," said Stuart Bourdon, automotive editor of the California-based publication. "The bottom line is, if you don't overload the vehicle and you've got the proper tires with the appropriate ratings and they are properly inflated and you drive with common sense, you really shouldn't have any problems." Motorists often exceed the towing limits of their vehicles, said John Oraha, sales manager at Avis Ford in Southfield. Engines and suspensions must be a match for the job, he said, so motorists should ask themselves questions such as: "Do you have a V-8? Do you have a tow package?" Jim Hall, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, which oversees NHTSA, said the large number of Explorer models on the road must be factored into accident frequency. And in U-Haul's case, trailers can be "quite difficult to handle," said Hall, who now runs Hall and Associates, a safety and security consulting agency in Washington. Ford launched the Explorer 14 years ago and this month will deliver its 5 millionth unit. 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GG54172 Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share #6 Posted August 24, 2006 I think if I were going after the truck I would ride the nighthawk there and load it in the truck and drive back home.Jerry In the back of an explorer? Maybe if I remove the front forks and tire. I am considering a lot of options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG54172 Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share #7 Posted August 24, 2006 Besides, who you gonna find to help muscle a 500lb front end that high in the air? It's all about leverage my friend.... or a handy 2 by 6... http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/07/1f/e9/a7_1.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7Goose Posted August 24, 2006 Share #8 Posted August 24, 2006 Personally I would be very concerned about towing either bike that way. You have more nerve than I do, that is for sure. Suggest looking at U-haul and see what the drop of feees would be ? PS how far you travelling ? Brad This is actually a very good way to tow a bike, as long as there are not any lubrication problems. I've done it with other bikes just using the step bumper on a pickup. If the front end is fully compressed with straps on the forks, it ain't goin NOWHERE (unfortunately, straps are a bit difficult to put on an RSV). The rear suspension and ability for the bike to pivot around the front axle provide good compliance with the road. Frankly, 600 miles shouldn't be that bad unless some gears are running totally dry. Goose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7Goose Posted August 24, 2006 Share #9 Posted August 24, 2006 It's all about leverage my friend.... or a handy 2 by 6... http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/07/1f/e9/a7_1.JPG Damn, you smarter than me! Goose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted August 25, 2006 Share #10 Posted August 25, 2006 Goose, Still looks scary to me. Best of luck. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Newf Posted August 25, 2006 Share #11 Posted August 25, 2006 I would take the nighthawk and remove the chain option. :2cents: :2cents: :2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG54172 Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share #12 Posted August 25, 2006 I would take the nighthawk and remove the chain option. I probably will take the nighthawk. It is a risk that the Exploder can break down, and I don't need two vehicles damaged 250+ miles from home. I drew this up in Pro-E yesterday: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/bike_hitch.jpg I bought the materials at a local metal shop, all of the pieces are cut, and I am planning on welding them all together next week. I should be able to find a way to mount this on the nighthawk for the ride down. Otherwise I will next-day-air the hitch to the dealership, and they said they would throw the box in the back of the exploder till I get there. Nothing like a road trip for some vehicle, just two weeks ago I was in Indianapolis buying another nighthawk 750 for cheap so my brother could ride. This is the last road trip I swear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted August 25, 2006 Share #13 Posted August 25, 2006 Looks good but approx. how big is it ? Just Curious Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted August 25, 2006 Share #14 Posted August 25, 2006 I have used these type hitches before and if the bike has a Chain or shaft drive remove it. Then try to keep the front of the bike as low as you can when towing . The bike will lean in turns from side to side ( which kind of freeks me out ). Oh if you back up be real careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG54172 Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share #15 Posted August 25, 2006 Looks good but approx. how big is it ? Just Curious Brad The main beams are 2" square tubing-3/16" wall. The longest tube, on the bottom of the hitch is 28" long The upright is 16" long, the gusset tube is 6" long (longest point to point), and the flanges are 4" wide by 3" tall. So the final dimensions are 30"L x 18"T x 4"W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG54172 Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share #16 Posted August 26, 2006 I have it built! Hooked the hitch up to a truck just to try it out. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0190.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0189.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0188.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0992.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0993.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0994.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/Ggerg1186/Waterford/Part%20Design/DSCF0995.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted August 26, 2006 Share #17 Posted August 26, 2006 Very nice bike. Did you take it for a test ride ? How did it handle ? Still has me nervous, but it does look secure ! Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpagak Posted August 26, 2006 Share #18 Posted August 26, 2006 I have used these type hitches before and if the bike has a Chain or shaft drive remove it. Then try to keep the front of the bike as low as you can when towing . The bike will lean in turns from side to side ( which kind of freeks me out ). Oh if you back up be real careful. i could agree this.. i used to have a hitch like that 20 years ago.. never did use it so i sold it.. but it should work.. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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