# Right of way trailering



## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Wife says it never ends...

Now that we can ride the right of way up here, does anybody know off hand, rather it is legal to pull a small trailer, yard cart, or something similar?

I run the quad back and forth to the lake ice fishing. The front rack already holds the power auger. The rear rack has the boxes and gear that's always needed. However, I'd probably fish more often if I were able to cart along my portable shanty (Eskimo Quickflip II). Just no where else to put anything unless I build something over head.

I'm running about 6 miles of road, one way, to the lake. Once on the lake, its anyone's guess. I was thinking about a pull behind of some kind. Understandably, it would have to have tail lights and brake lights and.... be light weight. If it were a yard cart, would it have to be lisenced? *Would it even be legal to do this?*

Wife doesn't understand, that hooking up the trailer, loading the quad, loading the portable, finding a place to park, unload everything to fish, then load back up after dark, when its colder than hell, unloading everything and unhooking the trailer once home, isn't fun. Right now, I can back the quad out of the garage and head to the lake, come back home and pull into the garage, shut it off and walk to the house.

Now, some of you might just suggest that: "that's fish'n". And that's ok. However, once you start getting a little older, you learn to improvise a little.

Anyone with any ideas on the LEGALITY of pulling a trailer? Anyone with a cart/trailer idea???

P.S. The wife says that I WILL NOT be buying a Ranger


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## MUDDY4LIFE (Apr 13, 2001)

I dont see nothing in the launguage of PA 240 that prohibutes you from pulling a trailor behind you nor would a license be required to haul it behind you, and though I agree that having tail lights and brake lights on the trailor or cart is also a good idea, im not reading anything in 240 that suggests they'll be required on anything you pull behind you, only the ATV/ORV should be required to have them.

Be very careful with PA 240, its not exactly the same ordinance for EVERY county. Get ahold of the PA 240 ordinance for the county you'll be riding in and make sure there are no restrictions regarding pulling carts or trailors behind you, you can get copy of the local ordinance from the county clerk, or sheriffs department BEFORE you venture out .

Best of Luck.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

I may have fixed my problem. Bought a hitch haul yesterday and installed it last night. I had to move a few things around on the quad to equalize the weight but I think its going to work.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Pic's?


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

I'm Jealous. Wish we could ride like that in our county.

If it is the type of hitch haul I'm thinking, the stuff you haul might cover up your tail light. You may want to put some auxilary lighting on the back so someone texting and eating at the same time doesn't turn you into roadkill.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Swamp Monster said:


> I'm Jealous. Wish we could ride like that in our county.
> 
> If it is the type of hitch haul I'm thinking, the stuff you haul might cover up your tail light. You may want to put *some auxilary lighting* on the back so someone texting and eating at the same time doesn't turn you into roadkill.


I did just exactly that. Yes, it completely covered the tail light so I just picked up a 3-way connector and a single tail light.

If I get the 5" of snow pushed off, I'll hook it up and get a pic. Nothing fancy but, it'll get me back and forth with equipment.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Took a couple Kodak's of the contraption. I used to have both boxes on the rear and just the auger on the front. But, the added weight of the portable made me change things around.

The extension behind the back box is for the minnow bucket. I knew I'd need a tail/brake light and mounted that right on the extension.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

:lol: Yeah,, I'd say you need a trailer, for sure....:lol:


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

William H Bonney said:


> :lol: Yeah,, I'd say you need a trailer, for sure....:lol:


Hey, what's so funny? It gets me there..... :lol:


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

I do believe you've got a nice setup there!


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## slayer (Jun 1, 2002)

Very cool set up if you ask me. I think someone is a little jealous :lol::lol:


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Looks perfect! Thats why we own those things...to get us and our gear where we need to go! I'm sure you've thought of this but make sure that nice cover on the shanty is not up against the exhaust. Would love to beable to drive my Teryx from my garage to the lake! Where I plan to retire, I'll beable to, so someday!


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Well.......... its going to take a little more work :sad: After running it 6 miles to the lake, a couple miles across the lake and then back home, I found that the frame just isn't going to handle it as is. It wanted to bend the attachment part of the frame down, which caused me to scrape the road a couple times. It didn't ruin anything and after I took the portable off, I was able to bend it back straight. That connection point is made more for pulling than it is to support weight.

After running in that mess today and tonight, the quad is in the main garage, over the drain to thaw out. Because there's an attachment ring to the top of the receiver, I'm thinking about strapping it up to the frame under the seat. This will keep it from bending down again. It also appears, that I should cut a notch out of that insert, maybe a 1/4" and then have it welded back up. It would give me just a little more of an upward angle.

I've looked all over the place up here for a SINGLE (one place) light weight snowmobile trailer. It would be much easier to pull the trailer and to unload the quad.

Just more to try to figure out..........

P.S. Ain't no fish in Hubbard Lake......


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

What about those small 4x6 trailers you can pick up at TSC etc for around $400 or less. A friend purchased one becasue she wanted a lightweight trailer she could easily move by herself after I built a Kayak rack out of PVC for it. Takes no storage space and they are very light. Also, you can buy those trailer kits from harbor frieght and the like for a couple hundred bucks. Not sure how well those would tow in 8" of snow but? 

I hear Polaris has some good deals on the Ranger 800XP!  With all the extra racks and attachments available, would be no problem to haul all your gear and slide the shanty into the bed. Plus you can enclose the cab and heat it! Oh, and you can get a set of tracks and never worry about getting stuck. After writing a check for $18-$20k you should be all set! :lol:


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Swamp Monster said:


> What about those small 4x6 trailers you can pick up at TSC etc for around $400 or less. A friend purchased one becasue she wanted a lightweight trailer she could easily move by herself after I built a Kayak rack out of PVC for it. Takes no storage space and they are very light. Also, you can buy those trailer kits from harbor frieght and the like for a couple hundred bucks. Not sure how well those would tow in 8" of snow but?
> 
> I hear Polaris has some good deals on the Ranger 800XP!  With all the extra racks and attachments available, would be no problem to haul all your gear and slide the shanty into the bed. Plus you can enclose the cab and heat it! Oh, and you can get a set of tracks and never worry about getting stuck. After writing a check for $18-$20k you should be all set! :lol:


I think if I bring up a Ranger one more time to the wife, you probably wouldn't see ol' Encore online again. I called a couple places for parts the other day. The wife was knitting baby hats and footies, which she takes to the hospital maternity wards and donates them. She over heard me talking to the Polaris dealer and I guess out of curiosity, asked how much a Ranger would cost. So I asked the guy. He came back with $11,500 out the door for green. I can't print what she said when she heard the price.....

So.......... not to be denied of something....... I have an old Holsclaw trailer, that we've just been using to haul brush with. My dad had it years ago, so many that I couldn't tell you. The wheel width isn't very wide, actually just a little wider than the quad.  Almost runs in the same tracks. So, I brought that thing up to the barn and after looking it over, figured I could do something with it. I took the hitch off and cut 4' of the tongue off and reinstalled the hitch. Shortened the bed up that was on it and took off a ton of weight. Of course the lights and wiring were shot, so I'll pick up the necessary items tomorrow.

Now, the wife walked out and looked at this outfit. Then SHE started making suggestions. She thought that because the trailer would have enough room, that I should remove the boxes from the quad and mount them to the trailer. Well, it wouldn't be that bad an idea, got to give her credit. I had to tell her though, that there are times that I won't need the portable, therefore I wouldn't need to haul the trailer.

I have the front box mounted with hitch pins. Quick release and its off there. The back box however, takes a little more work to get off. I guess I'll have to start thinking again, maybe I can make it work....


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

I guess this is what I'll use.


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## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

Encore are you related to the Clampetts by any chance? :lol: Just messing with ya. I totally understand what a pain trailers are. I think about it everytime I pull my boat onto the hoist while all the other guys fight at the launch loading an unloading. I'd rather take the machine right from the house too. Thats gotta save you at least an hr worth of farting around time by the time you do the unhook, unload, reload unhook shuffle.


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## glockman55 (Mar 9, 2006)

Looks good to me, you've even got room to pick up a walker on those cold nights..


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

CaptainNorthwood said:


> Encore are you related to the Clampetts by any chance? :lol: .


My third cousin was married to Jethro's first cousin. However, Elie May never married but had three children, two of whom are third cousins by marriage to my other third cousin............ Figure that out... :lol:


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

glockman55 said:


> Looks good to me, you've even got room to pick up a walker on those cold nights..


I believe its definately going to work out. However, the wife is a little concerned about rather the law is going to allow it. I've checked the ordinances out and there's nothing prohibiting pulling a trailer, cart, sled or any other object behind them. Its obvious to anyone that would look at it, that its not made for or, intended to be pulled behind a truck/car. The lights I understand would be a requirement at night. With the speed limit of 25mph, it certainly would classify as a slow moving vehicle, thus the triangle. When I'm not using it for ice fishing, I'll continue to use it around the property.


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