Road Trip To Florida - Need Advice!

I'm planning a trip to Florida, and I am just looking for general advice; anything you can think of, as I'm taking this trip solo... I plan on leaving Pa on or about Feb. 21st.

I've been towing a trailer w/ bike by car for a few years I'm comfortable with it, but I recognize the risks of failure, etc. For a while I would tow 300 miles every other weekend. But now I'm about to embark on a 3000 mi. roundtrip adventure to from Pa to Fl and back. Once I'm in Florida I plan to use the bike to tour some of the state. I will probably skip Bike Week, but I want to head to the Space Center to view a shuttle launch scheduled for March 15th. Other than that I may head to the keys. My "home base" will be my aunt and uncle's house in Naples.

My towing method goes like this: I use a Canyon Dancer Bar Harness w/ a ratchet strap to the trailer on each side. In the rear I use a ratchet strap from each passenger peg bracket to the trailer. I always keep the bike sitting straight up supported only by the straps (and bar harness) w/ the kickstand retracted. The bike is kept in first gear, and the front wheel is in a wheel chock that's mounted to the trailer. Anyone ever tow by strapping the bike down w/ the kickstand or centerstand down? I've thought about that, but I don't know how much stress those component can take.

But now that I'm preparing to tow a new bike w/ a new trailer by a new car, I've been thinking if I could be doing anything different/better, so any advice concerning my current towing package, driving tips, etc are all appreciated. I'm excited and nervous...

Two specific questions I have are:

W/ an automatic transmission, should I drive like normal, or should I be doing a lot of manual shifing?

When I put the bike on the trailer and strap it down, it obviously compresses the suspension. How long can I leave it like this? Obviously I'll try to keep it compressed for as little time as I can, but it's getting ready to snow, so I put the bike on the trailer now (not leaving for two weeks, and didn't want to load it if there's inches of snow on the ground). Right now the bike is on the trailer, leaning on the kickstand for now, but still strapped tight enough to keep it from falling over.

Here's the package I used to tow:





Here's what I'll be towing now:



The Trailer: It has a galvanized welded frame and is slightly larger w/ a longer toungue. The old trailer was small and had a bolt up frame (I built it from a kit). The trailer I'll be using (pictured below) now has a pressure treated plywood deck painted black, wheel chock and toolbox (for storing straps, etc) bolted to the tongue. I also replaced all the wiring, and installed new lights. Oh, I also painted the trailer fenders w/ the same flat black paint I used on the deck. I just had the wheel bearings packed, and the suspension was inspected by a local shop. I drilled two holes in the deck where I insert two bolts w/ butterfly nuts used to attach the 4 foot steel folding ramp during transport.



The Car: 2002 Honda Accord EX V6. 117k mi. Nice car; I got it over the summer. I traided my TL1000R and the old Kawasaki Mojave (pictured above) for it. I traded the MR2 Spyder (pictured above, but you knew that, right?) for the 2003 Honda VFR (Yep, you guessed it; pictured below). Anyway>>>>> I just had $2000 worth of work done to the car. I had the tow hitch installed, along w/ wiring harness. Four brand new tires on a set of five spoke 17" wheels (16's pictured below now for sale-$200 plus shipping), coolant flush, oil change, tranny flush, new brakes, new plugs and new timing belt/water pump.



The Bike: My 2003 Honda VFR. As I said, I traded my Spyder for this baby. I made the trade this past summer and I have no regrets. The bike was perfectly stock and only had 211 miles on it (currently has 3400 mi.). The Spyder's realistic book/selling value was approx. $6000, so a straight up trade seemed like a good deal to me. I had been shopping for a VFR for three months before finally getting a deal like this. I've since removed the passenger pegs and grabhandles and added the seat cowl that just arrived the other day (Thanks Daniel Paul! Buy stuff from him and you'll get it two days later...) That piece really cleans up the rear beautifully, and I've been lusting for one bit didn't want to buy one new. I wired in a cigarette lighter adapter w/ an extention cord so I can use up to three devices within ten feet of the bike (cell phone/Ipod/GPS, etc). Other than that the bike is basically stock. When I get to Florida, I'll unload it, start it up, put on my gear and ride it to the beach.



All the vehicles are 100% ready to go. I'm even 80% packed. I packed most of the clothes I'll wear, all my motorcycle gear is packed into my Oxford soft luggage (tank/tail/paniers) and I've got a toolbox and spare tire already in the car.

So, like I said above, any and all tips and advice are continually appreciated as I get ready to embark on this solo roadtrip adventure.

Stay Tuned!

 

Nice, sounds like you have it all down pat, looks and sounds fine to me, other than I'm a fan of enclosed trailers. BTW take a lot of bug spray LOL

 

By the way, I also added larger wheels to the trailer. Those little 8" jobbies were not gonna cut it...

 

You shouldn't have any problems pulling a trailer with that car. With the auto transmission you will want to turn off the overdrive when you are in town or driving through hilly areas. If you get on the highway and are keeping a steady pace you should have no problems letting the car shift into overdrive. You don't want the car to constantly be shifting between gears because this will cause the transmission to fail. If this begins to happen turning off the overdrive should stop it.

 

I'm probably not the only one in Ohio that's jealous, expecially after the dump of snow we got today. Sounds like you've done your homework.
My Buddy and I have towed to Florida to Bike Week for several years. You've pretty much covered our checklist. You might think about using some abrasives in the paint you put on the deck - that plywood can be slippery.

 

I have the bike on the trailer now, but not leaving for a week. Is it ok to leave the suspension compressed like that for so long?

 

I would go to U-Haul and see how much a Transmission Fluid Cooler would run. For a Honda, the mileage is not THAT high, but with the stress of the extra 700-800 lbs of the bike and trailer, plus all your gear and clothing, for such a long trip its worth the extra $200 (if that) rather then get stranded and need to rebuild the trans or something. Make sure you bring all essential fluids for top off or emergency fill up during the trip (power steering, oil, COOLANT, Brake fluid). Towing a trailer is not a normal thing for an Accord, so there will be some extra stress on the various components. Also, get some Fix-A-Flat for the trailer even if you have a spare. The longer the trip, the more bad things CAN happen... but like others have said, you seem to have written the book on how to prepare for a long trip, and followed it accordingly. Best of luck and have LOTS of fun.

Oh... make sure you bring a camera!!! I want to see all the sweet honeys that will be oogling your VFR!

 

Sounds like you have got it covered. I was wondering the same thing about the compressed suspension because I just loaded my bike into the bed of my truck yesterday for the first time and drove an hour back to college. When I got down here I loosened up the straps and let the bike rest on the kickstand with the straps loose but tight enough to keep the bike from falling. And I threw my cover on the bike.
I also used a Canyon Dancer with another set of tie-downs connected to the passenger pegs, I really didn't load the suspension down too tight because I was a little afraid of the Canyon Dancer bending my bars because I have bar risers on the bike.
I am planning on heading down to Florida this weekend and being there for a week. March 1st -6th or so. If you are around Ft. Lauderdale or Miami one of those days give me a call at (812) 890-3559.

I am like you, hauling my bike makes me a little nervous. Best of luck to you!!!

Have a good one!!!

 

the only advice i can give you is to call me when you get here, i live in bonita area, which is just north of naples. I will be in daytona march 2nd and 3rd but ill be back on the 3rd. Anyways, my number is (239) 450-0707. same with you im944, ft lauderdale is only a couple hours away.

jeremy

 

Ahhhh solo! The best way to travel.

Sounds like you have everything covered. I have a couple observations based on direct experience driving/riding to Florida many times. I've also towed my track bike to Florida from Eastern PA twice.

1. Where are you located in PA? If you have the option, don't take I-95. It's a drag. Take 78, 81, 77, 26, 95. It's much more entertaining and provides a lot of different scenery while not adding more time to the trip. I went to school in Jacksonville, FL so I've tried all routes. Any offset in time is made up with the decrease in traffic and increase in scenery, etc.

As previously mentioned, if you do take the alternate I outlined, take your car out of OD when going through the mountains. The constant shifting in and out of OD will kill it. Your motor can handle the RPM's and the tranny will thank you way down the road. On a flat surface with the V6 you should be just fine. The car itself will be just fine. The tranny is the only thing that could potentially suffer any consequences.

2. For added insurance, buy yourself a set of $20.00 Bearing Buddies for your trailer - http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0001882013059a.shtml. This will virtually eliminate any chance a bearing will go dry on you. I know you just had them packed but it's still worth it. I use my little 4X7 open trailer to go back and forth to Florida and all points in between. Never had a problem. For the cost it's a no brainer. Open trailers are the best for your vehicle. No reason to lug around all the extra weight for nothing. I even neglected to put a wood flooring on mine to reduce the weight and drag.

3. If, IF you are looking for a little more adventure jump on highway 301 just south of Columbia off of 26. It's basically the old I-95. The road is completely empty while also giving you a taste of old Americana. This road is a lot like a time machine similar to Route 66 but not quite :biggrin: If you have the time, give it a shot. I've done it both in the car and on the bike. On a bike it's pure heaven in my opinion. There are no twisties or anything just a pleasurable experience taking it all in. Here's a photo from my bike trip 3 years ago.



5. Enjoy the trip. I'm jealous!

 

Wear the edges off your tires before you get here....not a curve in sight..we have to plan ahead to find em..js4drc.....nic eto see another rider on the site from fm...