Best deal out there trailer rentals (2024)

U-Haul, motorcycle specific trailer $14.95/day

Cheaper than owning or storing a trailer especially if there is a U-Haul facility near you.

I used to rent from UHaul, but since have bought a Kendon trailer. Aside from the base price/day, you need to think about some other stuff.

1) Be realistic. Renting for a trackday at THill or BW would be a two-day (or more depending on how many days the event is) rental without it being a rat race. Sonoma could be a one-day rental, but still a time crunch.

2) Account for your time making trip to UHaul and doing all of that stuff. It used to take me roughly 30-45 minutes to get in and out of a busy SF UHaul center. Then account for the same thing upon returning home and unloading the bike then making the trip over.

3) Their trailers are beaters and your travel time and gas mileage will suffer.

4) Be sure to reserve well in advance. Chances are there is another rider that wants to go to the same trackday or event. Most UHaul centers have 1 if any of these.

5) Don't count out the trailer at your local UHaul being out of service or gone on a permanent move for months on end.

6) Don't discount the convenience of a trailer of your own if you have any space to store it. Fold up Kendon is the way to go. You can trust your own maintenance and upkeep to ensure it is running safely. And time is money baby. I value my time very highly and you should too.

7) Your trailer may cost you a pretty penny, but it is yours and can hold its value quite well if you take care of it. So really you are only out how much money you lose on the sale. In most cases, not too much when considering cost offset.

Just my

Archimedes said:

Re: the Kendon, how easy is it to load your bike alone? I currently just ride mine up into my truck on folding ramp, but I've been considering a trailer. I've heard that the base Kendon single rail is a 2 person job due to the narrow channel. True?

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I have a single rail Kendon and I just roll it up the little ramp with no problem at all. I plop it into the front wheel slot and just have the tie downs ready to go. It takes 15 minutes from start to finish. And that's if you take your time by yourself. Even easier with another person to ratchet down one side of tie downs. Now the trick is loading all your crap in the car. That's where I spend a good 45 minutes playing Tetris.

Uhaul won't let me rent their motorcycle trailer. I guess they don't like the idea of me towing with a TSX.

Oddly, they'll let me rent the general purpose trailer which has a spot for a motorcycle front tire to fit into. It's odd since the general purpose trailer is heavier. More expensive per day, too.

Med23 said:

If you have serious back problems, I probably wouldn't advise it. But it is pretty easy to get upright if you aren't injured. Just grab it by the neck and roll it up onto the caster wheels.

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Yeah, right now I use two big ramps that weigh about 40-45 lbs each and are kinda cumbersome to move around. My back doesn't love that. The advantage of the trailer is not having to deal with them anymore and having the bed of my truck available for all my gear.

Archimedes said:

Yeah, right now I use two big ramps that weigh about 40-45 lbs each and are kinda cumbersome to move around. My back doesn't love that. The advantage of the trailer is not having to deal with them anymore and having the bed of my truck available for all my gear.

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If you want to come over and see the Kendon in person, just let me know. We can set something up. Then you could get an idea on how easy or difficult it is to move.

I feel like I threadjacked Thumper, but I've benefited so much from having my own trailer that I had to preach on it.

Med23 said:

If you want to come over and see the Kendon in person, just let me know. We can set something up. Then you could get an idea on how easy or difficult it is to move.

I feel like I threadjacked Thumper, but I've benefited so much from having my own trailer that I had to preach on it.

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Thanks for the offer. Orlandi's got one in stock and they're just down the road, but I decided I'm gonna hold off for this year and just do the pickup truck ramp thing. Then decide next winter based on how things go this year on the track.

I'm a little superstitious because I bought a brand new Kendon trailer on a Saturday in August 2000 after I decided to retire from the street and just do track days. That night a buddy talked me into one last street ride the next morning, which turned into a life altering crash for me. Never even got to put my bike in that trailer one time. I can tell on some subconcious, illogical level I have this fear that as soon as I drop coin on another trailer, I'm gonna bin my bike.

Back to the OP's point, I used to rent UHaul trailers all the time back in the 90's when I drove an old Land Cruiser and they always worked out great. Pretty cheap, never had any problems.

It's $14.95 for six hours. I recently did some calling around, and all the ones local to me (Monterey) don't even have the motorcycle trailer. One place has a 5x9 and it's $25/day, and they're closed on Sundays (The day I need to rent it). So for me to pick up Saturday and drop off Monday it's $50. I guess still cheaper then buying a trailer, but not quite $14.95.

I'm wanting a trailer to head up to Sonoma on either a Saturday or Sunday. If anyone knows of anything else, please let me know.

Hibs said:

It's $14.95 for six hours.

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that's the default setting when you make a reservation, it's $15 for every 24 hours, it's on one of the drop downs when it asks for for when you need it...
I've only got lucky once where the U-Haul down the street from me had a moto trailer, all other times I have to drive at least 25-30 minutes to pick it up... kinda lame...

Trailer is on my list for next years big purchase....

there are a couple advantages to only using your truck.
speed limit in ca is 55 with a trailer (yea i know who does 55).
and parking. backing up etc. (ever see how some can not back up a car let alone a truck with a small trailer in tow??
took one lady over 20 min to get her truck next to a gas pump.

but owning is far and away better than a rental.
i just picked up a cheap frame ($50.usd) will drop another bill to get it up and legal for the street. so cost can be adjust as to how much trailer you want to buy.
look for a old single axle boat trailer.

but then i live on a 1 acre lot, so have room.
three trailers, two cages, one bike, need another pu-truck. wanting to buy a dual sport bike.
but no time to cut down the weeds.
if the wind would die down and still be damp (not all dried out) i can burn the brush. legal here where i live.

but as the owning a trailer,
get a pti tag on it. cheap lasts 10 years.
no insurance needed, covered by the towing vehicle
(pending how cheap your insurance company is).
permanent lubed bearings.
get trailer tires, good in the sun for a decade before they start to dry rot.
very little cost involved.
but space can be a problem for those stuck in a city.
this is why a 8 foot bed truck is prime stuff.

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