i would like to not tow vehicle but understand need for trips for items without unhooking etc.what are members thoughts on this e.g. moped bikes smallest tow vehicles et al.,any thoughts,inputs
thanx,patnpat

I just met with Tom Loughney today, and he had a large, two-seater motor scooter on a platform on his hitch receiver.

quote:

Originally posted by PATNPAT:
i would like to not tow vehicle but understand need for trips for items without unhooking etc.what are members thoughts on this e.g. moped bikes smallest tow vehicles et al.,any thoughts,inputs
thanx,patnpat

It depends.

Solo or with passenger?

Distance traveled?

Road....flat, hilly, freeway?

Off-road, too?

I have done a lot of it, from moped to full-sized motorcycle, on front, on back, trailing along with the rear wheel down, etc, but it depends on your needs and wants.

bill h brings up an issue I forgot to mention about Tom's scooter - it's got a 260cc engine, giving plenty of power for two people regardless of terrain. Many of the scooters have only 75 or 90 cc engines, and they're pretty anemic. MoPeds tend to have less power than that.

If a large scooter/motorcycle scenario presents weight problems on a hitch-receiver setup, you might consider a swivel wheel platform...It's pretty much a self-supporting extension of your chassis without the normal hassles of a trailer.

http://www.cruiserlift.com/swivelwheel.html

Bicycling is good exercize and great for near-by traveling, but longer distances & hills present their own challenges....For that, maybe a pedal-assist package is worth looking into.....

http://www.bikeengines.com/

And don't forget the classic Whizzer!

http://whizzermotorbike.com/

For road conveyance the Susuki 400cc and 650 Bergman or 250 Honda Reflex are popular with Rvers. The big 650 Bergman scooter is a 75 mph highway cruiser.
Don

I have the Yamaha Morphous which is 250cc like the Honda and legal for interstate. Have not attempted to take it with me as I only stay a couple of days and either have it on hand or do without lol. I do have trailer that I could use, but have never felt the need.

I have yet to tow anything behind the Stagecoach. That will obviously change by the time we are ready to head east for the big 2009 Washington DC GTG. I'm trying to figure out how to pull our 2004 Olds Silhouette (Mini-Van) along with a Honda Goldwing. Personally, I'd be scared to death to have one of those swivel wheel setups. If it is bigger than the 4X6' pictured, it looks like a tremendous amount of overhang and an accident waiting to happen.

i was thinking of short aesy trips to srores.what about smallest known options for towing?thanks for moped etc scooter comments.

forgot to mention.two people requirement. also always seem to buy a lot of goodies at every opportunity therefore big baskets required. any mopeds or scooters for sale by members?

quote:

Originally posted by towerguy:
I have yet to tow anything behind the Stagecoach. That will obviously change by the time we are ready to head east for the big 2009 Washington DC GTG. I'm trying to figure out how to pull our 2004 Olds Silhouette (Mini-Van) along with a Honda Goldwing. Personally, I'd be scared to death to have one of those swivel wheel setups. If it is bigger than the 4X6' pictured, it looks like a tremendous amount of overhang and an accident waiting to happen.

I have been coveting one of these tandem tow dollies. Just need about $3,500.00.

Nick

quote:

Originally posted by PATNPAT:
forgot to mention.two people requirement. any mopeds or scooters for sale by members?

Having owned several, and currently owning one, I would not recommend a moped for two people. Many mopeds have inadequate suspension and/or brakes for even one full-sized adult.

A few years back Suzie and I re-visited Bermuda, where I lived in the early 70's, and I was surprized to see the ever-present moped had been largely replaced by Chinese built scooters. We rented one and found it capable of carrying us up any hill on the island, which are numerous and steep. They have a variable speed centrifugal clutch similar to snowmobiles, and you might not get to the top of the hill fast, but you'll get there. I have no idea what they cost or if the 50cc 2 stroke would even be allowed in the states, but it sure would make a cool little bumper ornament if one could find one.

Our favorite Two Wheeler is an Enfield 350..... I doubt if they are still available, but the 500CC ones are, They are dead reliable and used for touring in Nepal and places a Land Rover would be challenged.Irene and I fondly remembering hitting a sand wash and turning upside down in the middle of Nowhere Nevada...... (Or was it Utah?), and thinking as oil and petrol dripped on us "what a hell of a way for somebody to die"! Eventually we crawled out in the soft sand, restarted the Enfield and explored more remains of abandoned p
pianos, furniture and chests, before returning to Wendover and our Barth.

Like Bill H said, 'It all depends'. Our 28' Regal can go anywhere a large van can go and it takes us about 2 minutes to unhook the electric and water and we're ready. We don't hook up the waste water until we're ready to empty the tank. Two minutes is worth a lot compared to the worry about towing anything. Now, we haven't tried it in on the sand at the beach yet!
Jim