Some background first, because there might be new peeps reading this who ride Spyders not Vstroms 🙂 6-7 years ago, because I had been stationary since my RTW return in 2013, I had some travel plans in my head. Not overseas, but here in Oz. I was a maxi taxi driver, but working for someone else. I had built up a personal client base, so, I decided to buy my own vehicle. That way I could retain 100% of my income, rather than 50%. Which I did. The plan being, I would be able to pay it off over 5 years, also pay off the house and then prepare for retirement, I hoped 😉 That retirement plan was to travel Oz, by converting the Maxi to a camper, add a small postie bike(CT125cc as used by the Postal Service) and the wheelchair lift could bring it inside and buy a metal detector and go find some gold, and have a bit of fun.
Of course, Covid lock downs hit, the day I picked up my brand new Maxi, which smacked the industry around a bit. But over the next 4 years, I still achieved the original two goals, of paying off all debts. But, during that time I had a heart attack(2 stents), then just as I started back at work after rehab, my knees started to bugger up. Arthur Ritus, which meant no more lifting bikes. It also left me mentally unsure whether I could negotiate the rough country out back without a serious fall and leave my body to be devoured by kangaroos. So;
To the present. As posted previously, I have bought a CanAm Spyder. I also bought a trailer, it looks like this. Sort of attached already, but there are issues.
Now, I was lucky to find the camper trailer, as it was for sale quite close to my town, a very lucky pickup, and the seller delivered it the day I returned from my Spyder purchase adventure down south. So, I parked it in the shed for now as I needed to buy a hitch, so I could tow it. And I was unsure where, how, or who to buy one of those from.
I had read some forums, and I knew the bike could tow, but I had also read some posts, at sometime during my study that mentioned some difficulty in wiring. But, finding a camper/trailer so close to home, and viewing it on my way past meant it was a done deal. As you can see from the photo above, it is a compact little unit, and all that soft looking area above the middle, is apparently a full on fold out bedroom with fully screened outer living room. Note, I have yet to attempt to erect the tent, so it is all a mystery under there. But to top it off, that small box like thing just in front on the draw bar, is an esky which can hold a full box of lemonade!!!! How cool is that? I reckon I can replace that with an electric one and add a solar panel cover, just thinking.
So, I have checked a few boxes. I have mobility, 3 wheels, not two wheels and dodgy knees. I have stability, 3 wheels, yay. Riding wise, a) If I fall off this bike, I am probably already dead. b) If I get hit or involved in an accident, yeah, well, that is up in the air, but probably dead as well. So, that leaves the fun part of the bike, the ride. Physically, I can get on the bike, there is no strain in riding it. I found quite early on while I was riding up from Wooloongong that there is no need(in my mind) for full on safety gear, see a) and b) above. I did learn quite early in my ride that sunscreen was imperative, or some type of long sleeved long legged sun protection. And sunscreen on my feet if I ride with thongs! That was a painful lesson!
Back to the trailer install. After some study, I had decided on a trailer hitch from a Canadian company, Canada being where the CanAm was produced. The main draw card being it included a wiring harness that “plug and played” between the OEM harness and the trailer. So, Feb 26 I bought this unit and it arrived about a week later, so probably by plane, hence the hefty freight bill.
And that was all well and good or so it seemed. As they advertise, it only takes about 10 minutes to install. Well, maybe a tad longer for me because apparently, I need two spanners, both 22mm(or 1 socket) and now I am stumped, I don’t have any. Bike up on wheel ramp and nowhere to go!
The basic principle of this hitch is that it slud?, slid?, slided? fitted along the swing arm, then a very long bolt was passed through the axle(which is hollow). In the photo above, you can see there is not much space between the muffler and bike. The axle nut is behind that, so you need a flat spanner in that area. I managed to borrow the gear I needed from my regular mechanic and proceeded to install. Easy as.
I had to buy a tow ball of course, but that was for later. Next step was also supposed to be easy, installing the wiring harness. Now, this was also easy, lift the passenger seat up, a little bit of effort, no screws, just clips. Right under there is a large plug and socket. Pull that apart and insert the new adapter cable. Tuck it all back in and drop the loose end straight down and it comes out underneath and is long enough to run right to the back with some extra. I looped it around the passenger hand grip for now.
Right, that was a good result. Next steps. Buy a tow ball. I could not find any info inscribed on the actual trailer about this, so I contacted the builders who said it needed a standard 50mm ball. Well, another learning curve, went to a parts shop, and found quite a few choices, but I chose a chrome one, so it looks pretty, right 😉 When I got home, bad luck, the shaft of the tow ball was too big for the hole in the hitch. Scratch head, open beer. Just a quick note, this is all being done over quite a few weeks while working, so there is plenty of brain time being used and I am not in a hurry, it is still way too hot for riding and camping.
I found out from Elite, the camper builder, that the north Americans use a 5/8″th shaft on their tow balls. Down here we use a 7/8″th so I would have to drill the existing hole to match, of course I do not have the equipment to do that. No worries. Ahh, but, I also have given back the spanners I borrowed for the original install and I really don’t want to keep going down that path. So, off to the shops, buy 2 x 22mm open ended spanners. I am good to go. Off with the hitch and eventually I had my local mechanic do the job to drill out the hole. So I return home( a week later) and re install the hitch, with ball attached 🙂
Progress. Hitch on, cable long enough to do the job. I had bought a 7 pin flat socket, to mount somewhere near the tow ball, the trailer had a 7 pin flat plug. I was somewhat stymied by the Spyder 4 pin wiring, how was I going to match that??? More head scratching.
I went back to the Spyder forums and re-read some of the posts about the Spyder wiring concerned with trailers. The Spyders use a Canbus system, sort of like a USB thing on computers, they can send multi messages down the same cable and activate different lights etc. Being the patient person I am(not) I decided NOT to rush ahead. And it took another week or so before I found out that I cannot connect direct into the Spyder wires. There would be a good chance of blowing the ECU on the Spyder. Hmm, bummer!
More feelers put out through the Australian Spyder forums and I found a chap down in Victoria who actually makes a harness kit to do exactly what I need, fit between the Spyder Canbus system and a standard 12V trailer and it bypasses the ECU system. Cost a bit, but it is needed. And right at this point in time, it is in the mail and won’t arrive for nearly 10 days. (side note : isn’t it amazing, I can get my hitch sent from Canada within 7 days, but have to wait 10+ days for a small package from Victoria, only 17,000kms closer, go Australia Post). So, it is Friday night, having a few beers, watching the Broncos kick the Titans arse: This is our town! and no more can be done until the harness arrives. I reckon I will go for a ride tomorrow.
Just for the record. I have attached the trailer a few times over the past week, and taken it for a ride out the front gate, I have a big frontage, then practiced reversing back through the gateway and down the driveway into the shed. That was interesting. More beer needed and more practice.
To be continued…..