In my zealous quest to get the family equipped with AC ATVs, I think I may have taken it for granted that I could simply drive off into the forest and ride. After several hours of reading through government docs, and bureaucratic b.s., I have come to the conclusion that (with the exception of my 4 1/2 acres) I'll have to travel a bit to find those areas that embrace ATV-ing.

Which leads me to my question. I've seen fellow AC forum members from MN and WI post topics here, and would love some hot-tips on areas (somewhat) close to the twin cities. At the risk of sounding frustrated, I can't believe the red-tape associated with simply finding a legal place to ride. I realize much of this changed for us Minnesotans in March, and am seriously considering joining a club/support group etc. to encourage equal rights for ATV-ing...

But I digress, any help would be great. Also, any of you mid-westerners in ATV clubs you would recommend?

Thanks!

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Glad to hear that you and your family will be joining the 4-wheeler crowd. I live in Maine and won't be able to help in finding places to ride. Please join a club. They are the only way 4-wheelers are going to make it. Strength in numbers. Clubs can be very helpful to help keep places open.

 

Hi,
if you are looking for close riding by the Twin Cities, the St. Croix Forest area is just north of you,also the Red Top Trail starts over by Mil Lacs Lake. The Croix area also hooks up to the Munger and Gandy Dancer Trails,I think they even go over the border into Wisconsin. If you want some real nice trails,a 4 hour drive will put you in the Iron River area in north Wisconsin,very ATV friendly, most campgrounds have trail access,and even several of the hotels in town are right next to trails that lead out of town to several branches. You could park in town in a hotel lot,and never have to use the trailer !! The trails are well marked,most with street type signs,very hard to get lost. My son and I spend a week up there every summer,we camp a couple miles outside of town at a camp called Tri Lake Timbers,sites with hookups,or cabins to rent,and right on the trail. I hope this is the type of info you were looking for.

 

Exactly! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! Now if I could only find a way to tow my two ACs behind my pop-up camper which is connected to the back of the Suburban! Anybody have any thoughts on this?

 

Use ramps park the cats on top of the camper. ( with tie downs of course)

 

Allright, for creativity you get a 10! Now, all I have to do is verify the structural integrity of the top of the camper. My guess is it will not be able to sustain the 1200 pounds of two Arctic Cat ATVs. I've actually considered this option before, but have been challenged to find a way to mount the quads without destroying the top of the camper. For the reason of weight, the top is about as strong as styrofoam! I wonder if I could somehow run a rack from the front hitch connection of the trailer to the rear bumper. What a sight that would be. I wonder how our friends at the department of transportation would view this...???

 

Have you considered the top racks that some dealers have that mount over the truck bed. This may work on your camper as well?

 

Ya, I actually spent 2 hours on Sunday seeking some options. I ended up in a chat room for campers (pop-up campers). Categorically, almost all of them said that, as they began altering the weight/accel ratio of their trailers, they began noticing "violent changes in their towing experience" which then created a "equally unpleasant experience" in the vehicle towing the trailer.

At this point, I may be wiser renting a truck from Avis, hooking it up to my existing quad trailer, and investing in a set of Motorolla walkie-talkies to communicate with my wife in the vehicle towing the camper.

So much for my visions of single vehicle recreational domination. I seem to remember a few posts of people forgetting to tie thier quads down and subsequently watching them do a bit of extra-curricular riding through their rear view mirror. The last thing I need to see is my camper (and two quads) doing the funky chicken down I-94... Oh, well. Thanks anyway...

For those creative types, please let me know if I am simply taking the easy way out here and what you may recommend.

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Hey when you are talking about the amount of money invested in the ATV(s) and vehicle towing them, why take any chances on losing that investment!!!!!!!

 

What about pulling two trailers? I know I've seen people pull boats behind campers before. Is it legal to do this in every state, some states or not at all? Might be an option. LOL