Trailer Lights For The Accessory Hitch?

Cary Winch said:
Pat,

Thank you, Cary. That is great news. I have considered an e- bike but have to make sure I have a method to load and unload. So far the regular bike has served me well. I have a two bike rack and I sometimes carry my solar panel in the other bike holder.

Cary
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Andrew Cushingham said:
This is the beauty of this forum. Shared wisdom from shared experience.

I own both a single and double 1up bike rack which I have used with my 560. I love these racks. The manufacturer does not recommend more than 2 bikes on the back of a camper. Keep in mind as you add more length, you increase leverage, and as you add more weight, you lighten the tongue which can lead to dangerous swaying if your tongue is too light.

The good news is that both the single and double bike racks can be unloaded and folded in the up position, maintaining access to the galley. We have the SUV height 560 and my wife, who is 5'3' complains that the rack pushes her too far from the stove to cook comfortably. I am 6'3" and can manage it, but unless we are having a quick roadside lunch, we remove the bike rack once at camp. An easy place to put it is on the tow vehicle. Which is also nice because then we can easily take the bikes with us to a trailhead. The single 1-up is out of the way at the waist level when folded up.

I have also researched the rakAttach swing arm but there were 2 concerns. One was incompatible fit with the 560 bumper, causing the bike rack to be just too far from the back of the camper and increasing leverage. The second was the added weight as they are not light. If you are going E-bikes, they are heavier than regular bikes as is. Some have removable batteries that you can store elsewhere which would be a good idea.

See pictures below of a single and double bike rack in the down and up positions.

My only cons to these racks, are the obscuring of the camper brake lights and turn signals. I was intrigued by the Kuat Pison Pro-X which has integrated lights and a similar functionality to the 1up racks. This would require an additional 4pin connection at the back of the trailer which I have heard is possible with Cary's help.

Let me know if you have more questions.
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Andrew, I've been on the 1UP website and under my 560. Based on their measurements (and your photos) it appears as if it is a questionably tight fit. They show a clearance from the front of the hitch of 3.1". That seems to put me right in the middle of the bumper while being approximately an inch below the bumper. At that point the rack starts to angle up but at an angle away. But I really can't tell if that is enough clearance. Do you know if your rack is the current one they still sell, and do you know if your measurement from the face of the hitch on the 560 is the same as what I measured?

Thanks for any light you can shed.
 
I’m not sure I understand your clearance question. The 1up rack uses a pressure fit tightening mechanism that allows you to adjust how far you insert the rack into the hitch before tightening it. I haven’t had any issues with the compatibility of the rack with the 560 and bumper. The 1up rack I am using is their Quik rack, not the Equip-D. Let me know if you need additional info.
 
Andrew Cushingham said:
I’m not sure I understand your clearance question. The 1up rack uses a pressure fit tightening mechanism that allows you to adjust how far you insert the rack into the hitch before tightening it. I haven’t had any issues with the compatibility of the rack with the 560 and bumper. The 1up rack I am using is their Quik rack, not the Equip-D. Let me know if you need additional info.
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When you push the rack into the hitch it can only go so deep. At that point when I use their clearance measurements from the front of the hitch (3.1") it appears it isn't long enough to clear the bumper. Nothing to do with the anti-rattle screw.

https://www.1up-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/100025_FITMENT.pdf
 
Lipster said:
Bikes get stolen from the "nicest" neighborhoods...
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I can't imagine transporting a nice bike on the back of a trailer anyway --- the grime and gook that comes off the streets is pretty gnarly. Especially with eBikes. One of my nomad friends cooked his just by traveling through rain with it on the back of a class A.

I think this thread becomes more important --- becuase covering those bikes seems like an necessity to me which would make external lighting a must-have.
 
Andrew Cushingham said:
It’s tight but it works. I use a skinny lockable hitch pin at the minimum allowable depth of inserting the rack into the hitch.
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Thanks. That was kind of what I suspected. I spoke with the company but couldn't get a definitive answer. But they do have a 60 day return policy and they will pay the return shipping, so I think I'm going to give them a try. I finally bought an ebike today and almost got a hernia lifting it in and out of the car. That's a trip to the hospital waiting to happen. :eek: I really need a rack now. :D
 
Skeej said:
John, I purchased the super duty single 1up rack. Its very sturdy; the fit, finish and tooling very complementary to the CampInn's.
I also ordered the optional light bar holder which plugs into the optional 4 wire kit for the CampInn, giving a third brake light plus flashers, turn repeaters.

The Campinn 2" rear hitch and stainless rear bumper dimensions provide sufficient depth for the 1up which as you know from the literature is designed for varying hitch lengths in different vehicles and in this application the 1up snugs up rock solid with as much clearance from the bumper bars as you might like, either in the 90degree folded or "extended" approx 125 degree folded position.

The total length of my relatively heavy steel framed bike fits within the width of the CampInn fenders. In the short time I've had it on driving around town and highway I dont notice it in terms of drag or balance, and I expect that loading other heavier gear in the cabin forward of the wheels will have more impact on weight and balance, as per the owners manual. However, loading an e-bike or two with light loaded forward cabin will indeed change that tow hitch weight, and by putting more weight at very end of the moment arm, contribute to possible sway, so each CI and tow vehicle load will be different. There is a diagram in owners manual to estimate effects.

View attachment 7838

Your ebike will be heavier than my "urban cruiser" steel framed bike but I'm guessing will be within the CampInn 150# total spec limit of two bikes plus hitch.
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Looking good!
 
Thanks Kevin. Your photos capture the tightness of the fit that worried me. Since you and Andrew both made it work I'm hoping that's a good sign for me.

I just got off the phone with 1up. It sounds like I should be able to make it work including tightening it down over a rear fender. The fender was also a potential problem area for me. I think I have a solution that is going to work just fine.

Thanks to both of you Kevin and Andrew!
 
I do wonder though, if Cary would have a formula for calculating impact on tongue weight, based on "pounds" x "distance from hitch". That would allow folks to calculate their own weight impact based on their specific bike(s) weight on any rack. As Ron White would say, "that's a handy piece of information to have".
 
Lipster said:
He pretty much does in the owners manual.
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There is a reference to the 150 lb limit and the page that Kevin posted above. But neither describes the weight impact of hanging a specific amount weight off the back of the trailer on a rack.
 
JohnC said:
I do wonder though, if Cary would have a formula for calculating impact on tongue weight, based on "pounds" x "distance from hitch". That would allow folks to calculate their own weight impact based on their specific bike(s) weight on any rack. As Ron White would say, "that's a handy piece of information to have".
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This seems so individual. What do you have in your bins? Cabin cabinets, fore and aft? Under the bed? Any gear on top of the bed (lots for us)? Are your tanks empty or full? How much? Will they be empty on the return trip? Roof rack? Standard or large propane tank?

You can see where I’m going with this. A manufacturer provides specifications with a safety margin.

With loading so individualized, my personal feeling is that weighing the tongue is the only answer to JohnC’s question. I’d guess that the CI team did the same: calculated, then weighed the tongue when it was built, then weighed the tongue again under different loading conditions.
 
SethB said:
This seems so individual. What do you have in your bins? Cabin cabinets, fore and aft? Under the bed? Any gear on top of the bed (lots for us)? Are your tanks empty or full? How much? Will they be empty on the return trip? Roof rack? Standard or large propane tank?

You can see where I’m going with this. A manufacturer provides specifications with a safety margin.

With loading so individualized, my personal feeling is that weighing the tongue is the only answer to JohnC’s question. I’d guess that the CI team did the same: calculated, then weighed the tongue when it was built, then weighed the tongue again under different loading conditions.
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I'm merely asking if there is a way to calculate the impact of a bike or anything hanging off the back on a rack. Same as for all the examples shown in the manual now. It's then up to me to decide where and how to offset that weight if at all.
 
Andrew Cushingham said:
I'm looking at a bike rack that has brake lights integrated on it, so that when the bikes cover the tail lights of the vehicle/trailer, there are still lights for safety. Is there a way to rig up a 4pin connector near the accessory bike hitch on a 560?
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I just added a four pin to the back of my CI for a bike/cargo carrier. Basically, it’s the same as adding a four pin to a car. The tail lights pop out and have labels on the lights. I tied in the tail, right, and ground to the right side and the left to ….the left light. The wires can be pulled through the license plate mount hole. I have heard that some people might be tempted to pull a tandem trailer, crazy.
 
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