Preparing a Two'sDay for Touring
From: Bradford Miter 13 Feb 2003
Subject: tandem two'sday travel trailer touring
We have about 2000 miles of tandem trailering behind us including an
End-to-End in the UK.
1. Buy a package of 1.5 - 2" felt furniture skid pads to put between the
two suitcases. It will avoid a lot of noise and chaffing of the suitcases.
2. Consider replacing the cotter pins with hitch pins. At the very least,
carry a couple of extras as you will eventually hit a curb with the axle and
possibly lose a pin.
3. After riding in the rain, tilt the trailer on end to empty water out of
the lid channels.
4. Consider carrying a small scrub brush or doby pad to clean the muck off
the trailer.
5. Carry a Topeak Master Blaster or equivalent pump as you can more easily
get to the valves on the trailer.
6. Grease the axles and parts prior to assembly. I carry an almost
exhausted tube of Phil Wood grease for this purpose.
7. It probably would be a good idea to attach a small flag to the traffic
side of the trailer but I haven't gotten around to doing it.
8. Take a small cable lock to discourage thieves when leaving it overnight
in a storage location (hostels).
9. I have never carried a spare tire but I make sure I have a tube. I
figure you are unlikely to have a blowout, especially as the tires do not
wear excessively. You could always put a boot in the tube if you had a
small tear. I always carry a bit of duct tape too. Never leave the house
without it!
10. In countries that drive on the left you will have to remember that the
trailer is several inches further to the left than you expect. I bounced it
off a lot of curbs before I made enough allowance for it.
Brad Miter
>>we have always toured with panniers on our tandem two'sday. in
a couple of months we are going on our first tour using the tandem
two'sday travel trailer setup. i have scoured the list archives
for tips and tricks to travelling with the trailer and have found
some useful info. does anyone have any experiences or advice
about tandem two'sday trailer touring they have not shared with
the list?
jack schwellenbach
Re: Preparing a Two'sDay for Touring
We pedaled a full day on Missouri's Katy trail and in the rain. The crushed limestone became a slurry. By the day's end we and everything exposed to the elements had turned to a light color of gray.
The following summer we pedaled from Williams, Arizona to Grand Canyon. On the return trip, and a dozen miles from any shelter we came upon road construction and...yeah, another rain storm. A red, volcanic ash was used in the construction. By the time we reached a Star Mart we looked as though we'd rusted along the way.
Sometimes these moments are tough, but the memories are vivid. We tell them anytime anyone will listen. ;-)