Modern Vespa

My spouse and I have been trying to figure out how to take our scooters with us when we take off with the little 16 foot long teardrop trailer. Thus far the answer seems to be "You don't".

In Massachusetts, you can't hitch a trailer to a vehicle, and then hitch another trailer to the trailer.

If we decided to put them on the tongue mount and then extend it to pull the trailer as well, the weight would exceed the tongue mount capacity and our Pilot wouldn't be too happy either.

So I think for now we are going to leave them home. I mean, who are we kidding with this "we need to bring the scooters" stuff? Our typical excursion involves getting up a zero-dark-thirty, fishing until around one in the afternoon, taking a nap until around 4 in the afternoon, going fishing again until dark, eating dinner, and going to bed. Rinse and repeat.

However, one day, after one of us retires, we plan to get a bigger teardrop, haul it with a pickup truck, and put the scooters in the pickup. That seems like the most viable option.

Any thoughts on this?

I have done the pickup hauling very recently and successfully got my GTV 300 from NYC to Pittsburgh without a scratch! Though I did have to remove the pack panel that the license plate attaches to and the rear tail light to get the truck bed closed.

LITTLE 16 foot teardrop trailer?

Dang, I made an 8' long, 5' wide teardrop camper trailer and thought it was spacious....

That sounds like a good plan.

Personally, I'd rather ride the scooter whenever possible. You could pack a tent and the fishing tackle on the scoots and go minimal. Or, on the other end of the scale, go with an all-one-one whole-hog toy hauler. 8)

Scooters in the tear drop?

John

I load two scooter and tow a small bumper pull. Make sure you get a truck with a minimum 6 foot bed. The dual cab small bed trucks are too small for a Buddy let alone a Vespa.

The Toyota Tacoma with a towing package has been the best light duty V6, lots of tie down options/track mount, with a trailer hitch that can support a double hauler that I've found (shameless plug )

My thoughts..... Get that pick up now, why wait??

Paul

Dumb question, can you tow a trailer with the tailgate open on a pickup, or does it eat into the space between the truck and trailer?

TroutGirl, Hello. I'm also member of the "Tearjerkers". One couple hauled their 2 Vespas in a pickup at first then bought a second Teardrop with a cargo rack in the front. They carried the Vespas there but some damage was done as the two rubbed each other on the road. They eventually gave up bringing the scooters as they spent more time cooking and started hauling a kitchen box.

Once while camping I saw a pickup with a slide in camper and the owner had mounted his rack on the front of his truck. He had his scooter there. Worked for him. Good luck finding a solution and enjoy yourselves.

Larry, Short answer yes it eats into the space. Turns have to be much wider (and stuff falls out of the truck. I know.)

One solution would be to replace the tailgate when traveling with a mesh or net version.

I have a 3/4T pickup with an 8' bed and haul a 26' travel trailer. The truck is also a diesel and we typically go out 2 wks at a time so having the scooters to get around where we are staying is a blessing

When you buy a truck make sure all the payload and towing numbers are considered carefully

Then there is one of these:

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-reviews/2016-palomino-ss-550-review/

You could still add the Versa-Haul to the hitch, provided total vehicle load does not exceed max.

hard to find rental companies that have pickups with hitches installed.
I would go that route and put the scooters in the bed.
A 1/4 ton pickup wont be overloaded unless your tear drop weighs 4,000+ lbs.

Or you can rent a van with a hitch like a transit cargo.

Or get an extended tear drop with 6' extra so you can load your scooters on
the trailer.

Highly depends on the options installed on the truck. Straight cab, extended cab, 5 1/2 ft bed or longer, bed liner, etc.

The payload capacities are rated on a 150 lb driver, no passenger, no cargo and I forget if a full tank of gas is in that rating. Then for payload, subtract additional passengers, weight of driver over 150lbs, luggage, pets, etc. then you arrive at the net payload you have left. Load in a scooter or two reduces payload. Then if you have a camper, those hitch ratings are based on no full propane tanks, clothes, food, chairs etc.

So a lot of realistic weights. Plus the tires are only rating for a max of 65 mph and matched to axle ratings.

Bottom line...figure it all otu to be safe

Hi TroutGirl! Did you ever figure out a way to haul both scooters and trailer? I've been looking for a solution too: how to haul a small trailer and two scooters. I don't really want a big monstrous truck but I haven't found a better way.

Hitch hauler

That is a very nice ride. Lottsa Luck with it!

I just put them in the back of the van:

Put one hauler on the tongue, and one on the back of the trailer. A scooter in each ought to about balance out. And they won't rub against each other.

Just be darn careful not to accidentally put one on the back and leave the front one off. A tongue-light trailer is an accident (impatiently) waiting to happen.

Whats a quarter ton pickup?

Consider having a receiver mounted on the FRONT of your vehicle.
Then use a ramp such as the "Versa-Haul" to carry the bike on the front.
Front receivers are limited to 500 pounds but your Vespa won't stress that.

I don't know Massachusetts law, but I'd be careful to not block the headlights or line of sight.

Here's one made for the Honda Pilot by Curt.