Trip report - Pulling a Trailer up hill

[bigjohn]

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the BTK Forum Ride in Red Lodge, MT. This was my third trip to Red Lodge with this group. Good people, great times, excellent food and plenty of good cold, local beer.

Roger, a VN-900 rider from the Puget Sound area, spent the night here in Lake Stevens with Nancy and I. We hit the road early Tuesday morning.

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Roger's VN900 and my Nomad parked in the garage. My wife informed me that I shouldn't get too use to having more than one bike in the garage. :-[

On this journey, Rogers' "little" 900 did a very credible job of keeping up with my 1500 Nomad. True, I was handicapped a little with 450 to 500 pounds of trailer tailgating me.

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We pulled out of Lake Stevens at about 8:00 AM and headed for US 2 for Stevens Pass, Wenatchee and Spokane. From Spokane we hit the I-90 Super slab to St Regis, MT for the night.

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This is my dear, sweet Naomi the Nomad parked in front of the bunkhouse trailer at the St Regis Campground. The Bunkhouse is, in my never to be humble opinion, the best bang for the buck camper trailer you can buy. Lots of room inside, you sleep in a king sized bed, up off the ground, can access all your "stuff" inside the trailer from inside the tent when it is up. AND I can put up the basic trailer in less than 5 minutes, without help.

In the morning, it took me just a little longer to get organized, put everything away, fold up my little camper, hook it to the bike and be ready to ride. Plus, it is nice to have everything accessible from outside the trailer while on the road. You can just dump your leathers into the trailer when it gets too hot. And, the ice chest is a real nice touch...cold lemonade at every road side stop. Sweet...

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Oh yeh...roger slept in a tent. It took us about the same amount of time to set up and tear down.

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Our destination, the Alpine Motel, in Red Lodge, MT. And all the friends I haven't' seen in about a year, plus some I'd never met. It was a good time.

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This is Big Jim, the owner of Beartooth Kawasaki, sponsor of the ride and the force behind the BTK forum. He is, beyond all shadow of a doubt, one of the kindest, nicest, biggest hearted people I've ever met.


The following are people and bikes at the rally. This year's group was a little smaller than the last two years. There were about 25 or 30 out of towner's. Even so, it was a great time. Montana and the Beartooth Mountains are a great place to ride.

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This trip was the first time that I had had the opportunity to really test the 1500 Nomad pulling the Bunkhouse. On the flats I encountered no problems. The trailer pulls like a happy little puppy dog and just follows where ever I lead. Up and down little hills is no problem. Leave some extra space for braking and maneuvering. You will never forget that it is back there, it's kind of like carrying a very large passenger behind you.

Where I really began to notice the additional drag was on the mountain passes like Stevens Pass (about 4100 ft), 4th of July (Maximum Elevation: 3,173 ft. Maximum Grade: 5%), Lookout Pass (Maximum Elevation: 4,725 ft. Maximum Grade: 6%). The combination of altitude and grade resulted in considerable performance degradation. I had to drop down into 4th and, once or twice, into 3rd going up the grades . The down hill runs were a little scary to start with. It felt like I was being pushed down hill by the trailer. Just had to get use to the feeling.

Out on the flats across central Washington we encountered high winds. Fortunately, they were from behind, mostly. I heard form the weather guessers that the winds were clocked at 40 to 50 mph. Sweet, that helped with the fuel consumption, which had tanked.

I normally get 120 miles before the warning light comes on (2000 Nomad with only 4.7 Gal). Pulling the trailer over hill and dale the consumption drooped from an average of 38 or 40 to 30 or 35. Worst was on he return trip, westbound, into 30 mph headwinds going up hill over some of the Montana passes at 75 and 80 mph, wide open throttle the consumption dropped to as low as 25 MPG. :-/

My conclusion, sad to say, is that when pulling a 450 to 500 pound trailer across the passes of the Pacific Northwest, a 1500 cc Nomad is adequate at best and marginal at worst.

I am reevaluating my tow vehicle needs. I don't want to giv eup the Nomad, i love it too much and have finallygot it set up to where i redally like it.

But, Kawasaki does make a vehilce thatshould have more than enough power and handling for the task...

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Look Ma...it fits!!!

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If I put Nomad bags on it, can I still stick around here?

Looks like a nice trip all around John. I post at BTK from time to time, yet have never gone to any of their rallies, but I'd like to. As for the VN2k, having ridden one that was just very modestly hopped up, It's definately got the power to pull a trailer. Your trailer does sound a little heavy for a Nomad, and particularly for the carbed models. The FI Nomad does run better at high altitudes. For those high passes, a little Nox might just be the cheapest solution. Just a little though! You don't want to lean it out so much you burn holes in the pistons.

BTW, if you decide to buy a used VN2k, make sure to have the late model rear hub installed. The early ones had a weak bearing arrangement, and towing a trailer would definately point out that one weak spot on an otherwise very sturdy bike.

[bigjohn]

Thanks for the pointer on the early V2Ks. I'll keep that in mind. Unfortunaly, NOx isn't a real option. It's an '00 with FI and holing a piston isn't an option. Especially heading up one of the passes.

We should plan on a NOW ride up here in the PNW either before or after the BTK event. That would make for an AWSOME couple of weeks. I passed a group of Nomad riders someplace on Hyw 2 out in the farmlands of Central Washington. But, by the time I saw them pulled over at a gas station, I was already past.

[ianicky]

Hi bigjohn thanks for posting some great pictures, looks like you had a great time http://s2.images.proboards.com/cheesy.gif

Smart trailer to, dont think we can get anything like that over here :(

[cactusjack]

I'd like to make the BTK rally at Red Lodge sometime. I spent a lot of time in Montana as a kid, had family up there.

[bigjohn]

It's a great bunch and we have a wonderful time. Usually have a band on Saturday night, along with the eats and beer. Unfrotunatly, one of the band mambers passed away this winter and it just didn't feel right to ask them to play this year. So, Jim had a local platter spinner do the honors. We still had fun.

I see that the NOW ride is scheduled for next July at about the same time. Just might make it a two week ride, BTK in Red Lodge and NOW in Custer. Could be real fun. Not that far apart.

[pirate]

Big John, thanks for the pics and report of your trip. Sounds like a great time. I've been to Red Lodge a few times in my life, and it's a great area. I was there last year for the Beartooth Rally and poker run. I didn't make it this year, but I believe it was this weekend. I see you're from Lake Stevens, WA. The pastor that used to serve our church moved to Lake Stevens in 2000. I always think of him when I hear Lake Stevens mentioned.

[bigjohn]

Big John, thanks for the pics and report of your trip. Sounds like a great time. I've been to Red Lodge a few times in my life, and it's a great area. I was there last year for the Beartooth Rally and poker run. I didn't make it this year, but I believe it was this weekend. I see you're from Lake Stevens, WA. The pastor that used to serve our church moved to Lake Stevens in 2000. I always think of him when I hear Lake Stevens mentioned.

You're welcome. The BTK run is usually between the 4th of July and the Hog Rodio. Add in the Goldwing gathering up in Billings at the same time and there are motorcycles running out your ears.

You rpastor, which church did he go to? We need to get back into a good local church. Since moving here I just haven't felt the call to a local body. Really ned to get back.

[pirate]

Our pastor went to a Lutheran church out there in Lake Stevens, but I don't know the name of it. His name is Mark Molstre. As far as I know, I think he's still serving out there. I haven't gotten an email from him for a while, so I assume he's still there.

[misunderstood]

Nice pics. Looks like a great time and oh man do I want a bunkhouse in the worst way. One of these days !! http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[bigjohn]

Our pastor went to a Lutheran church out there in Lake Stevens, but I don't know the name of it. His name is Mark Molstre. As far as I know, I think he's still serving out there. I haven't gotten an email from him for a while, so I assume he's still there.

As far as I know, Mark is serving at Elim Lutherin, just down the street from us.

[bigjohn]

Nice pics. Looks like a great time and oh man do I want a bunkhouse in the worst way. One of these days !! http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

The little Bunkhouse is, beyond a doubt, the nicest camper I looked at. The room is amazing and it is so easy to set up nad take down.

The down side is that once you load it up the weight runs up against that 400 to 500 pound mark and the Nomad just can't pull it gracefully. There is a reason that you see Goldwings pulling camper trailers across the intermountian west, They can easally handle the weight. That is why I am seriously considering a VN2000lt.

It pains me imminsley to consider loosing my Naomi. She is such a lady and does everything I ask her to. I jus tcan ask her to sacrifice her lovely motor pulling a trailer up to the top of anymore 6,000+ foot passes. That is cruel in inNomad treatment.

[pirate]

John, if you should happen to see Pastor Molstre, please tell him hello from Ryan Eraas in Tioga, North Dakota. I haven't spoken to him in a few years, and I can't find his email address. I'd love to get back in touch with him. That's cool that he serves just down the street from you. Small world!