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Motorcycle hitch carrier options

Sharky

Sharky

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2002
Location
Walnut Creek
Moto(s)
GSX-R 1000; CR 250 x 2; Duke II; XR650L; YSR 50;
Ok, I am looking for a double hitch carrier that will accept a trailer hookup. Meaning car-bikes-trailer. I am not too concerned about tongue weight as I plan to have two light dirtbikes with a pop up trailer. Is there such a thing out there?

Seems like I have ran across something like that, but can't find one at the moment.

Anyone heard of such a thing?
 
I've never seen one, but it wouldn't be too difficult to make.

What will you be towing this with?


One issue is that the farther out you go, the greater the effective load - by quite a bit. At a minimum I would look at the lever arm length from the rear axle.
 
Yes, there are. Just do a quick google search for a dual or double hitch reciever adapters. Find one with enough space between receivers for your off the shelf dual motorcycle carrier (try discountramps.com) and the ball and tounge of your camper trailer. Also make sure your adapter has an antisway mechanism built in like a bolt that tightens up against the receiver or your bikes are going to be swaying drastically and causing undo stress on your hitch. That said......

I'd try to convince you to not do it with two bikes unless you have a full size long wheelbase truck and then you probably wouldnt need it. My Land Rover is 4800lbs (just a few hundred lbs less than a full size Tahoe), has airsprings, and you can REALLY feel it out back. So much so, that I have to slow down considerably on winding two lanes. Add in gear and the family, I'd never do two bikes. It really tires you out (I noticed it a lot on my last baja trip).

Then again... if you already have a large truck, a dual bike carrier, and it feels good to you, your experience may be different. You are welcome borrow my mxhauler and load a bike onto your vehicle to see how it feels if you havent ever done it yet.

I've noodled the same thing you are considering, and I came to the conclusion that I'd probably just fab something up to the add to the trailer itself on each end to balance it out if and when I have the funds for a camper trailer. Just my thoughts.
 
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If by 'car' you really mean car, I'd suggest you Google the word 'lever' and then don't do it.
 
Archimedes said:
If by 'car' you really mean car, I'd suggest you Google the word 'lever' and then don't do it.
Click to expand...

Car in this case is an SUV and the trailer I am contemplating is one of those pop-up tent trailer weighing way less that 1000lb.
 
I think it will be too much.

A 1000lb trailer (you said less but don't forget to include the water etc) will have a 100-150lb tounge weight, assuming a standard 10-15% tongue load, add that to the end of a lever holding say 500lbs of bikes, you are at a minimum 600-650lbs hanging off the end of your hitch.

If your hitch isn't close to being overloaded from a weight perspective, your rear axle will be especially once you add gear, people etc. If possible, I would add a front hitch, and two carriers and put one on either end of the vehicle. Even then you may be overloaded.

Check the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and add up all the people/gear etc which will go in the vehicle, and see if you are overloaded
 
If you figure a small 125 weighs around 200 and a small tent trailer we'll say weighs 1700 lbs, you're looking at a minimum of 570 lbs on the back of your tow vehicle. What's your tow vehicle rated for? 570 lbs tongue weight is what you'd expect to see if you were towing a trailer that weighed 3,800 to 5,700 lbs. (Assuming 10 to 15% of the tow weight is on the tongue.) Also remember that a dual setup will put much of the load further back, effectively raising the tongue weight. If you're even considering putting the dirt bikes on the back of the tow vehicle, I'm assuming you don't have a pickup truck, or you have a camper shell on it or something. I would give very serious consideration to either removing the shell or simply getting a properly equiped pickup so the bikes can go in the back and you only have to deal with the tailer at the hitch.

And remember that putting a lot of weight on the back of a vehicle can seriously degrade its handling and stability.
 
As an example. 2013 surburban considered a beefy SUV

http://www.chevrolet.com/suburban-half-ton-suv/features-specs/capabilities.html

5680 curb weight
7200 gvwr
= max payload of 1520lbs (this includes passengers gear everything)

soo if i did it right.

1520 payload
-350 2 people
-550 2 bikes (including weight of carriers) one on front and rear maybe
-150 trailer tongue weight
-300 gear/coolers etc
--------
leaves you with 170lbs to spare
 
Sharky said:
Car in this case is an SUV and the trailer I am contemplating is one of those pop-up tent trailer weighing way less that 1000lb.
Click to expand...

Well, that could be anything from a V8 Suburban with beefed suspension and a class 5 hitch to a cute little Honda CR-V with a class 2 hitch
 
Many SUV's have crappy towing and load capacities because they're built on car platforms. You need to check the specifics of your vehicle and consider how it's equiped.
 
sgrant914 said:
I think it will be too much.

A 1000lb trailer (you said less but don't forget to include the water etc) will have a 100-150lb tounge weight, assuming a standard 10-15% tongue load, add that to the end of a lever holding say 500lbs of bikes, you are at a minimum 600-650lbs hanging off the end of your hitch.
Click to expand...

That math only holds if the bikes are suspended solely off of the hitch. It's wrong if you have two wheels of a trailer on the ground.

OP if you had some way of extending the forward end of the trailers frame, placing the bikes there and then placing the tongue in front of that, I think you'd simply have the equivalent of a heavier trailer. Again, assuming it is one frame and wheel set up and not a separate piece for the bikes and then another hitch to the trailer. That would be a nightmare.

Assuming it's one mount, add the weight of the trailer, plus the bikes, multiply by .15 and see if that exceeds your max tongue weight. Unless you're driving a CRV, you're probably fine.
 
It still depends upon the specific vehicle. My old '93 4Runner with a 5 speed was rated to tow 3500 lbs and had the factory tow package and hitch. When I put 3500 lbs behind it with 350 lbs or a bit more on the hitch, the rear squatted like hell and my headlights were pointing to the sky. And handling was iffy. And I know the actual tongue weight was correct as I weighed it and it had good shocks. I ended up putting 20% stiffer springs on the back which also raised the ride height about an inch and a half and also added Rancho 5000 adjustable shocks. Plus I added a sway control. Those three changes made a HUGE difference on what I could tow and do so safely.

OP: Do NOT expect that all you'll have to do is keep within the manufacturer's stated towing limits. You may have to do more.

Also know that most vehicle have both a trailer GVWR limit as well as a tongue weight limitation. You must adhere to both limitations.

And even with a light weight tent trailer, you'd be better off with some trailer brakes and a decent controller.

And I can't emphasize the benefit and importance of a sway control. It's easy and simple to install and could save your life, to say nothing of your trailer, gear, and two vehicle. I've seen video of a simple, lightweight, motorcycle trailer with one dirt bike on it start to sway, get totally out of control and dump the trailer, the bike, and cause the tow vehicle to crash.
 
I was thinking about the tongue weight, but estimated on the light side as I will be hauling my CR and my sons cfr50. Not exactly heavy bikes.
Alas, it looks like it might just be a dumb idea and I will have to go back to the drawing board.
 
Archimedes said:
That math only holds if the bikes are suspended solely off of the hitch. It's wrong if you have two wheels of a trailer on the ground.

OP if you had some way of extending the forward end of the trailers frame, placing the bikes there and then placing the tongue in front of that, I think you'd simply have the equivalent of a heavier trailer. Again, assuming it is one frame and wheel set up and not a separate piece for the bikes and then another hitch to the trailer. That would be a nightmare.

Assuming it's one mount, add the weight of the trailer, plus the bikes, multiply by .15 and see if that exceeds your max tongue weight. Unless you're driving a CRV, you're probably fine.
Click to expand...

True. I was assuming a bike carrier was installed in the hitch receiver and then the ball was attached to the bike carrier , therefore having the hitch carry the weight not the trailer. Now if you can attach bikes to trailer, then yes wieght would be shared between trailer wheels and hitch. But that isn't how i read the original post. But I would be carefull there too. The weight carrying capacity of the pop up axle/tires may be stretched with bikes on it. My single axle camper doesn't have much extra load carrying capacity on it
 
buy a 16' flatbed trailer, mount tent trailer on to it over the axles, load bikes on trailer.

may cost a little more to buy the flatbed, but, it'll be doable.


other option if its a cr and cr50 is to get a single hitch for one bike and then a second hitch to do a hitch mount behind the trailer for the 50. or heck the 50 is prolly light enough you could damn near just use a bicycle roof rack on top of the travel trailer for it.
 
mount the 50 on the front of the vehicle, attach wheel baskets to the rear frame for the cr and use trailer hitch, normally, for the trailer
 
Lots of good ideas in this thread. I solved the problem for myself by putting a receiver hitch on the front of my motorhome. :cool
 
OP, might help if you post what your tow vehicle is.

As others have posted, something like this could end up being an incredibly risky setup. Just by putting the weight of the bikes 2-3' behind the rear axle has already unloaded the front wheels of the tv, and then add on the trailer tongue weight.

Have you considered something like this:

http://www.mantecatrailer.com/showroom/Jayco/Baja-/Folding-Pop_Up-Campers.aspx
 
We built a pull out bumper rack with a hitch on the Sprinter. When not in use it is basically a standard step bumper with a 2" receiver.
We can pull the bumper out 3 feet and put 2 dirt bikes on it AND tow a light trailer.
 
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