Good point. Same issue here. This setup eliminates that problem - there's plenty of clearance. With the new hitch the bikes will be sitting higher, which may affect mpg slightly...
Tongue Mounted Bike Rack?
- Thread starter Long Truong
- Start date
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
Very nice solution especially for heavier bike(s) and racks.
Looking forward to post trips updates!
I wonder if putting the hitch ball out further on a lever arm might challenge a smaller tow vehicle's hitch weight limits ("50%" per e-trailers review), and change turning radius.
A Subaru Outback that can easily manage two-4 bikes on a 1up
on TV bumper might be more stressed by a dual rig with the CI ball thats now 1 foot further aft.
A larger tow vehicle like a Passport or a large SUV or a pickup truck would have no problem, I'd guess.
I know I can carry one or two bikes on a 1up on the CI trailer hitch option thats 150# limited, but not so sure about going from that to say 2 e-bikes on the 1up...or four MTBs. I sure do envy those folks with electric motors going up hills...
So I am kinda fooling around my "Subaru Outback-wannabe" VW Alltrack with increasingly heavy loads, adding incrementally to see how it handles more hanging off the back of the CI. Like Long mentioned, you can tell that has its limits in handling too, too much and you create sway. I notice "more bounciness" like two kids on a teeter totter.
I was seriously thinking of the dual hitch as it looked like such an elegant simple fix, but on reflection decided I prefer to keep my turning radius as small as possible ...again for dispersed camping exploration/long gravel roads aspirations.
I've discovered its tricky backing the CI all the way back uphill on a single lane sandy road with no turnouts for a y-turn...and a flat spot in the field on one or both sides of the road might save my butt if I can pull a 180...
Like Bear wrote once, re his 550- if he gets to a spot he can go no further, his tongue weight is light enough he could unhitch and spin the trailer by hand and rehook up to his 4x4 jeep. My 560 Utra SUV fully loaded up is another thing to haul around, and my awd VW Golf is not a jeep...
Trade-offs...
Looking forward to post trips updates!
I wonder if putting the hitch ball out further on a lever arm might challenge a smaller tow vehicle's hitch weight limits ("50%" per e-trailers review), and change turning radius.
A Subaru Outback that can easily manage two-4 bikes on a 1up
on TV bumper might be more stressed by a dual rig with the CI ball thats now 1 foot further aft.
A larger tow vehicle like a Passport or a large SUV or a pickup truck would have no problem, I'd guess.
I know I can carry one or two bikes on a 1up on the CI trailer hitch option thats 150# limited, but not so sure about going from that to say 2 e-bikes on the 1up...or four MTBs. I sure do envy those folks with electric motors going up hills...
So I am kinda fooling around my "Subaru Outback-wannabe" VW Alltrack with increasingly heavy loads, adding incrementally to see how it handles more hanging off the back of the CI. Like Long mentioned, you can tell that has its limits in handling too, too much and you create sway. I notice "more bounciness" like two kids on a teeter totter.
I was seriously thinking of the dual hitch as it looked like such an elegant simple fix, but on reflection decided I prefer to keep my turning radius as small as possible ...again for dispersed camping exploration/long gravel roads aspirations.
I've discovered its tricky backing the CI all the way back uphill on a single lane sandy road with no turnouts for a y-turn...and a flat spot in the field on one or both sides of the road might save my butt if I can pull a 180...
Like Bear wrote once, re his 550- if he gets to a spot he can go no further, his tongue weight is light enough he could unhitch and spin the trailer by hand and rehook up to his 4x4 jeep. My 560 Utra SUV fully loaded up is another thing to haul around, and my awd VW Golf is not a jeep...
Trade-offs...
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Long Truong
Junior Ranger
Resurrecting this thread bc I got a new tow vehicle and my kids are getting old enough that throwing the bikes inside the CI is getting awkward.I think I've found a solution to the issue of mounting a bike rack over the tongue of the trailer. We've been doing this for several years now with decent success, but the issue of the rack contacting the propane tank when turning tightly is a problem. We had a hitch mounted on the back of the trailer, but found that to cause a fair amount of fish tailing.
What I found that I think is going to work is a hitch made by Patriot Hitches. It can be raised or lowered to accommodate your setup, and it gives us the clearance needed to keep the bike rack above the tank. We're heading out tomorrow for a few days at a fairly close-by campground that we have never made it to before, so I'm excited to see how this new setup does.
Do you know about how high of a rise you need to have the bike rack? The dual receiver you listed is extremely expensive
In my case I was able to mount the hitch as high on my car as it could, since the tailgate cleared it when opening. So that may vary vehicle to vehicle. The way I have it mounted in use, there's a 10" rise from where the trailer mounts to where the bike rack mounts, as I have shown in the Pic.
As far as the cost of the Patriot Hitch I have forgotten how much it was, but, it has allowed us to keep the bikes mounted on the car (not the trailer) which is important. This way you're not limited to only being able to ride your bike from where the camper is, unless you move the rack back and forth between the car and trailer. And towing with bikes behind the trailer was not a good experience handling-wise.
Hope this answers your questions. If not let me know
EDIT:
OMG! I DID NOT PAY $500-550! And their product line has changed. My setup is pretty basic compared to what is on their site now. I'd call them directly and see if they can set you up with a basic hitch similar to mine. He was very accomodating when I dealt with him, talking over different options to make it work...
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TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
Yay! So glad you are checking in, and reminded how much fun it was camping with kids as they get older...
Looking forward to hearing more on Maverick as TV, great trucklets and the AWD makes them so much more capable than sedans, wagons, SUVs with 2WD.
I guess throwing kid bikes in the Maverick bed is a no-go?
You are gonna be like ...@dirty6 soon with kids on top...but in meantime use a bike rack on top of sturdy shell made for Maverick?
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Long Truong
Junior Ranger
So upon further investigation, my concern with this setup is tongue weight. My mav can tow 4000 lbs so I have 400 lbs of tongue weight to work with. The CI is about 150 and between a bike rack and bikes and the payload, I'm a bit worried?In my case I was able to mount the hitch as high on my car as it could, since the tailgate cleared it when opening. So that may vary vehicle to vehicle. The way I have it mounted in use, there's a 10" rise from where the trailer mounts to where the bike rack mounts, as I have shown in the Pic.
As far as the cost of the Patriot Hitch I have forgotten how much it was, but, it has allowed us to keep the bikes mounted on the car (not the trailer) which is important. This way you're not limited to only being able to ride your bike from where the camper is, unless you move the rack back and forth between the car and trailer. And towing with bikes behind the trailer was not a good experience handling-wise.
Hope this answers your questions. If not let me know
EDIT:
OMG! I DID NOT PAY $500-550! And their product line has changed. My setup is pretty basic compared to what is on their site now. I'd call them directly and see if they can set you up with a basic hitch similar to mine. He was very accomodating when I dealt with him, talking over different options to make it work...
I might just buy a cheap tailgate pad and use that until the kids bikes get too big and take up too much space
Long Truong
Junior Ranger
My older kid already pitches a tent and sleeps in there with her friends half the time lol.
I'm going to get a cheap tailgate pad and give that a go. I'll let you know how much space it takes up in the bed.
Certainly a valid issue. The Yakima rack is 50# and each of our 2 bikes weigh 30# so it uses some poundage..
Turnip936
Novice
We are working through a similar exercise now. Our starting point is as follows:
TV with 1.25" receiver, 220# tongue weight limit
CI 550 with 2" receiver, 150# weight limit
2 bikes at 30# and 50#
Our current setup is a Bikewing Neo (manufacturer = Let's Go Aero), 1.25" hitch.
This rack is sturdy, lightweight and relatively inexpensive.
We mount it either on the TV (when CI isn't needed) or securely bolted atop the CI tongue (no propane tank).
It is easy to move (10 min) to move from one configuration to the other, once the bikes are off
We have some issues when traveling that are manageable, but not ideal:
1. Turning radius when towing is very slightly reduced, but not a real problem.
2. Exceeds recommended tongue weight for TV if bikes are fully loaded
in this case we move one of the bikes into the CI (ugh)
When the rack is mounted on the TV (with CI parked), there are two issues:
1. the TV hatch can't open unless the forward bike is removed (minor issue)
2. ground clearance isn't great - OK on flat roads but not in rougher/hillier terrain which risks damage to the bikes
We are looking for a solution in which we can bring everything conveniently without risking load limits or impacts on the bike.
Our focus has been on a sturdy bike carrier with good clearance and a 1.25" hitch. We are considering the current Kuat line, which is expensive.
The rack weights are of the order of 40-60#, so no problem for the TV but pushing the limit on the back of the CI.
Q1. To put the rack on the CI, it needs to mate to a 2" receiver. Does anyone have any experience with the use of adapters that bolt securely onto the 1.25" shank without shims (link 1.25 inch to 2 inch Adapter). I am against using simple adapters, for which any mechanical play that leads to bounce.
Q2. If the answer to Q1 is not satisfactory, what is involved in swapping out the CI receiver hardware for a 1.25" version? There are bolts on the receiver beam near the CI axle, underneath the galley, and possibly more is involved. Craig indicated to me that it was possible, but it may be a bigger job than I'm comfortable with.
Thanks in advance!
TV with 1.25" receiver, 220# tongue weight limit
CI 550 with 2" receiver, 150# weight limit
2 bikes at 30# and 50#
Our current setup is a Bikewing Neo (manufacturer = Let's Go Aero), 1.25" hitch.
This rack is sturdy, lightweight and relatively inexpensive.
We mount it either on the TV (when CI isn't needed) or securely bolted atop the CI tongue (no propane tank).
It is easy to move (10 min) to move from one configuration to the other, once the bikes are off
We have some issues when traveling that are manageable, but not ideal:
1. Turning radius when towing is very slightly reduced, but not a real problem.
2. Exceeds recommended tongue weight for TV if bikes are fully loaded
in this case we move one of the bikes into the CI (ugh)
When the rack is mounted on the TV (with CI parked), there are two issues:
1. the TV hatch can't open unless the forward bike is removed (minor issue)
2. ground clearance isn't great - OK on flat roads but not in rougher/hillier terrain which risks damage to the bikes
We are looking for a solution in which we can bring everything conveniently without risking load limits or impacts on the bike.
Our focus has been on a sturdy bike carrier with good clearance and a 1.25" hitch. We are considering the current Kuat line, which is expensive.
The rack weights are of the order of 40-60#, so no problem for the TV but pushing the limit on the back of the CI.
Q1. To put the rack on the CI, it needs to mate to a 2" receiver. Does anyone have any experience with the use of adapters that bolt securely onto the 1.25" shank without shims (link 1.25 inch to 2 inch Adapter). I am against using simple adapters, for which any mechanical play that leads to bounce.
Q2. If the answer to Q1 is not satisfactory, what is involved in swapping out the CI receiver hardware for a 1.25" version? There are bolts on the receiver beam near the CI axle, underneath the galley, and possibly more is involved. Craig indicated to me that it was possible, but it may be a bigger job than I'm comfortable with.
Thanks in advance!