RVs and motorcycles, what an adventurous pairing! Obviously, we here at RV LIFE have an inherent need for freedom, open roads, and open skies. We seek a lifestyle that allows us to pick up and go on incredible trips.
Whether across the state or country for weekend getaways or yearlong road trips, we just want to go. We want to connect with nature, see incredible sights, and maybe grab an awesome bite to eat along the way. To be honest, this sounds eerily similar to what every motorcyclist wants.
Enjoying the scenery in West Virginia. Photos by Taylor Cabler
While a connection is not immediately made between RVing and motorcycling, the patrons who enjoy each have an awful lot in common. There is even an entire class of RVs dedicated to letting you extend your adventures. Cue the toy haulers.
With an entire garage at the back of your rig, there is no excuse to not bring your two-wheeled companion. Even if you don’t have a toy hauler, you can easily get your motorcycle strapped to the back of your RV on a trailer or hitch-mounted carrier.
Two motorcycles parked at the campground.
Why bring your motorcycle?
There are many perks to bringing your motorcycle on a trip. The most notable is being able to explore places and roads that you might not be able to pull your RV down.
As lightweight and rugged as some trailers are getting these days, most of us don’t own an “overland” truck and trailer combo. Motorcycles let us see roads that our RVs impede us from accessing. Adding a cherry on top, the most beautiful motorcycle roads often surround some of the best camping locations in the country. If you have a dual sport or adventure motorcycle, your options are almost limitless.
Using an RV is already a great way to travel and see the country. If you add a motorcycle, there is a little bit more at your fingertips. You can pick a beautiful destination to set up camp and park your rig. Then, take off on your bike to ride all the backcountry roads.
Once you’ve worn yourself out shifting gears all day, you can meander back to your campsite. Your RV will feel like coming home with a warm shower, a comfortable bed, and some home-cooked food. Then you can sit back around a fire and talk with your riding partner about all the incredible things you got to see that day. Go to bed, get a good night’s rest, and wake up to do it all again the next day. I would call that living the dream.
Whether you ride motorcycles or dirt bikes, getting to see more of the world on two wheels is never a bad thing. So strap that glorious machine down to your RV and hit the road!
Whether it’s my big rig or my baby camper, my trusty Yamaha WR250R comes with me.
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Among the other advantages mentioned, destinations normally off limits during the summer rush become a practical option.
We recently visited Yellowstone and Glacier during July and never had a problem parking and the traffic was much easier on a bike.
The visibility on a bike is unmatched.
We bring our motorcycles with us, Class-C motorhome and a enclosed trailer for our motorcycles
Agreed, The only real limitation is weather and wearables.
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Toy haulers aside, towing a bike like the 300cc scooter shown is a breeze in a Class A or any other class I imagine. You do have to keep looking to make sure it’s still there. Backing up a small trailer in a Class A can be intimidating until you learn to use your mirrors and the backup camera..
Cheers
Ron
Just purchased a Kendon trailer and will be taking our Yamaha FJR1300 with us this summer up to Colorado, pulled by our Jayco Greyhawk. Should be fun.
I installed a hitch on the front of our motorhome, it makes life so much easier when backing in a tight spot.
The ZERO brand electric motorcycle is idfeal for this. No oil or gas or maintenance, stays clean. Charges overnight from a regular 120 volt plug-in at campground without using any more power than your air conditioner. Range of 100 miles. We have used this for 5 years now.
Very Nice
Been riding and camping for over 25 years….just got back last week….the only way to fly!
The article was put together perfect somebody read my mind . The only thing wrong they didn’t use Harley in the picture .
Till you run into a campground that does not allow motorcycles. I was just looking for a place to camp around Pymatuning Reservoir. Found a place that looked reasonable on the lake. Just happened to read the rules and noticed NO MOTORCYCLES allowed. That is the second time I’ve run into that.
Keep a pair of bicycles on your carrier for those occasions.
I’d still call and ask what’s behind the “NO MOTORCYCLES” rule. I bet it is due to the the LOUDEST examples out there. Perhaps if you ride one that won’t shake your neighbors rig when you start it up…they’ll make an exception.
Loud pipes save lives
Maybe this site could begin a list of Campgrounds and +- features like allowing motorcycles.
Having said that, some campgrounds ban M/C for a reason that has to with abusers and things like noise. All very good reasons.
I was to a campground last year in PEI that had a sign banning M/C, but on talking to the manager, he agreed to allow us in with certain provisos. Turns out he had issues with noisy bike gangs/groups in the past that disturbed the peace. Once he understood our bike was V/quiet and our only other mode of transport he relented, asking only we keep things quiet, which is my preference.
It pays to call first.
Loud pipes just annoy everyone else around you. When a car pulls out in front of you, good luck.
I agree, good riders know safe and alert riders save lives, not stupid gimics like loud pipes and blinking lights. Bottom line, bikes are small and easy to miss, thats why riders need to look out for themselves. If you can’t get that you don’t belong on a bike.
Good to know thank you
No offense to motorcyclists – I used to ride – but we need to encourage cycling as in bicycle. As a society we need to exercise more and cycling is a wonderful way of enjoying the scenery and getting in some exercise. And as we age, we can move to electric bikes where you can still pedal but set your level of assistance.
A 30′ Home away from Home TOY HAULER, a H-D STREET GLIDE, and a Dodge RAM puller….a PERFECT combo for ANY ADVENTURE!
The bikes in your pictures certainly cannot be carried on the hitch carrier you show!
What is the weight limit for that carrier?
How would you carry the bikes shown?
I have a swivel wheel trailer I use behind my motorhome to haul our two scooters. It is able to tow my jeep behind it. Being a swivel wheel it stays attached when backing and follows the coach. We reached a point where we don’t take the scooter now so we are willing to sell at half the price of new. Would work great for a motorcycle, ATV or golf cart.
Give me a shout if interested.
Is it the single wheel or dual wheel swivel trailer?
Where are you located?
Dual wheel. We are in Minnesota but can deliver if you are close by
a couple years ago, I converted the rear area in our 2015 Vegas 26.5 into a toy hauler to haul our Honda 1800 Trike with us on trips. This gives us the freedom to adventure around towns, etc, after parking the RV in the RV park. It beats calling for a cab or renting a car. When the trike is out, we set up twin beds in there. If we only stop for one night while traveling and don’t want to unload the trike. We sleep on the queen pull out sofa bed I installed where the dinete used to be.
http://www.Hydralift.com Attached to the back of a class A can carry a 1000 lb hog. Not cheap but bike is safe up out of the way.
We’ve a class A towing out truck the bed of it holds our HD Heritage Softail. If we want to go off road we take the truck and if we want to just and explore we take the Harley. Best of all worlds!
We haul our 2017 Harley Trike in the bed of our 2018 Ford F-150 with a 6;6′ bed. We use a Load All system designed for our trike. We pull the F-150 on the rear of our 2007 Monaco Knight motor home. With a Cummins 330 diesel, we do not notice the truck at all, Been using this system for almost two years and have no complaints. Here is a link to the Load All system. www//loadall.com/products/v3-expansion-loading-ramp?variant=926450399.
Loud Pipes Save Lives is fiction of the worst kind. I have a screaming eagle Harley but I know from simple science that the exhaust sound is behind me and my horn sound is forward. My attention had better be omnidirectional. If I owned a campground I would prohibit loud bikes (and I carry mine with me, but I keep my engine as quiet as I can especially at a campground). Frankly, I hate obnoxiously loud bikes too and I’m happy when, after they have passed me (so then I can hear them) they keep going and take their loud exhaust noise with them. Irritating the people unfortunate enough to be close enough to hear them, but not making anyone think positive thoughts about bikers. I’ve even read the ridiculous claim that it’s faster to rev the engine than honk the horn, really? Like I said, worst kind of fiction, self-deception.
Loud pipes aren’t used as a replacement for a horn, it’s to give other vehicle operators a ‘heads-up’ that a bike is in the area, as a leading cause of car/bike collisions are from drivers pulling out/turning in front of bikes because they don’t see them.
Like I said fiction. They aren’t a heads up. Next time you are in your other vehicle pay attention to when or even if you hear those loud pipes. The sound comes from the exhaust. Behind the bike AFTER they pass you. Too late to save you. Heck, if the driver has their radio on and their windows up they likely won’t even hear you then. Loud pipes don’t save lives. Heads up riders save their own lives.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree
We take our motorcycle with us safely tucked away in an enclosed trailer behind our RV. If you’re an enthusiast, there are few better options for seeing the scenery. We have encountered numerous parks absolutely fed up with loud piped bikes and as far as they are concerned, bring your money elsewhere. You’re not welcome here. I don’t blame them. The only person who thinks all that racket is “cool” is the one annoying everybody else around.
As for touring, bring a Go-Pro or comparable camera to record your adventures. Most of all, ride safe.
🙂