One of the noteworthy things I learned on the trip was that the trailer will tow without problem during "hellish" crosswinds and driving rain. While heading east from Abilene Kansas, there was a colossal  thunderstorm moving slow  to the north; threatening to cut off my route. The storm was so large I think it would have taken about 8 hours for it to clear my path. I suited up and headed east hoping to beat it. Though I had to lower my speed to about 40 mph in the driving rain and wind, the trailer tracked true with no indication of slipping sideways, no leaks also.

One very important thing I learned was that when pulling a trailer with a motorcycle, gradual acceleration is important because if you accelerate like you normally do without a trailer, you will peel the tread right off your rear tire. When I left home, I had nearly 80 percent of my tread. When I got to Branson, MO, all the tread was gone and cord was nearly showing. Of course, getting a tire while out on a trip was very expensive. When I arrived home, I had nearly all my tread because I used my "new" acceleration technique. Finally, I have made long cross country trips without a trailer and with. The great thing about a trailer is that you can carry kitchen items and food as well as being able to lock things up.

I appreciate all of the help I received from the participants of the Delphi Motorcycle Trailer Towing forum in helping to make this trailer successful. These links were also very helpful:

http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/trailer.htm

http://www.gadgetjq.com/trailer.htm

By the time I made it home, I had ridden on 9,300 miles on that leg alone and I saw more than 60 different attractions along the way, many of the best attractions are listed here. There was no problem with the trailer at any time but in upper Ohio, I had to replace the tires and I serviced the bearings as well. I averaged 39 miles per gallon towing the trailer.

Another (and last) Update: In 2011, I thought I was all done taking road-trips by motorcycle and so I sold the trailer. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't sell my Harley so, I came up with another road-trip. At that time, Harbor Freight Trailer Kit Freight was selling a trailer called the Tag-a-long. I thought the trailer would work great, so I bought one and made some alterations to it by adding a spare tire and rear bumper extinction that was a great place to store my tent and chair.

Photos with captions

I originally went with 2 bicycle kickstands and I was not happy with them because of there asymmetrical look and they were not all that sturdy. I since have installed a regular trailer stand and it works a lot better. In the building process, I narrowed the trailer axle by 6.5 inches. I would recommend only 5.5 inches because the fenders were squeezing the shell. I ended up spacing the fenders out 1/2 and inch on each side to resolve the problem. I lengthened the tongue and added an additional cross member out of angle iron. I am very happy about the way it tracks, no sway at all.

I installed some small bumpers in the back. I can plug in some other longer ones and set the whole thing on its back edge. When storing for the winter, I probably will remove the shell and store the trailer separately. I ended up mounting the license plate up high on the shell. The original Harbor Freight position, would have been dragging when moved by hand. Click Here for more bumper information

In order to support the lid, I made holders from PVC, so far, they seem to be working OK. If The wind is blowing, I have the option of clipping to my attachment points on the bottom of the carrier. This will lower the lid a bit.

It is amazing how much room there is the containers will keep things from moving around. I have a strap attached to the box in the front, it holds everything back. With the wheels located so far toward the back, it would be real easy to overload the hitch. If necessary, I can move the whole carrier 4 inches further aft using another set of holes. My next phase will be to build a support for the spare tire behind the axle and under the deck.

Because of the black color of the Sears car top carrier that I used for my trailer, and the heat that would be generated inside, I wanted to have some airflow at least when motoring down the road. This inexpensive solution is what I came up with.

One of the things that I really like about this trailer is that I can store it in a reasonably small area like shown in the photos. The small  bumpers on the back allow me to raise the trailer and store it vertically. Like this it is completely out of the way. After I took this photo, I placed a large duffel bag of my son (who is in the Army) stuff in the middle between the wheels. The cross member holds it up.