Have Motorcycle, Will Camp

I personally do not own a motorcycle, but I have friends that do. One of my best friends is taking a trip in a few weeks that I will be envious of. He and another friend will be riding to Alaska and back. Their trip will rack up more than 8,000 miles over a four week period.

When he first started talking about taking this trip, I suggested that he take my small dome tent just in case. I think he was interested but ultimately, he really wants a camping trailer for motorcycles. He asked me to help do some research and so I Googled and sent him some links to companies that offer these specialized units.

It really is amazing what the biker community has been able to do with regards to camping. of course, all one has to do is visit the Black Hills of South Dakota and it won’t be long to bump into someone that has one of these units. There were two in the campground we were staying at last year just outside Keystone.

Most of the units for motorcycles are pop-ups which makes sense, because they really need to be lightweight. My friend found a unique one on Ebay where someone built a small Teardrop trailer to pull behind a motorcycle. That was really cool and I wouldn’t blame him for pursuing that one because he will be traveling in ‘Bear’ country and soft sided campers and tents might be vulnerable to a curious bear. Of course, having a hard sided trailer doesn’t guarantee that a bear will not target that unit either, but it is a small measure of security.

Some of the companies that make these units are Roadman Campers, B&G Enterprises, Scooter Schooner, and there are many others. I am impressed with what these companies have done by basically fitting a really nice tent onto a trailer that a motorcycle can pull and also offer some storage.

When I was looking at these small trailers, it occurred to me that this is also a great alternative to entry level camping or for a unit that can be pulled behind any car. Even my wifes hybrid which has a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds could easily pull one and honestly, it makes me think that it might not be bad to own one in addition to my 33′ travel trailer for those quick weekend trips where we just want to get away.

I do think that an innovative person could easily build something as well…as long as they keep it under 300 pounds. When we first got our tent years ago and we wanted to camp out in it; instead of pitching the tent in the back yard, we pitched it on the deck just outside our bedroom. This was because my son was very young and a bit scared but staying close to the house was one way for us to do this with him. Well, if I take the concept of camping on a deck and taking a tent and building a portable platform to pitch the tent on….you have a motorcycle or small car camping trailer with the advantages of being off the ground and being able to move easily.

So…how about it my Biker friends…..are you riding and camping? Share with us your experiences with this style of camping.

Happy Camping and see you next Sunday!