Trailer Hitch Question

[skiri251]

I have this motorcycle carrier (https://www.versahaul.com/vh55ro.php) which is mounted to a trailer hitch receiver. My 2002 Jeep Liberty Ltd is equipped with class III hitch receiver which has max. tongue weight of 500 lbs. Of course, I cannot put a motorcycle on top of the hitch ball position due to handlebar interfering with rear gate. So it will be further aft which will reduce the tongue weight due to cantilever effect.

The hitch receiver is similar to the pic below.

Suppose the support point of the cantilever is in the middle of the bracket. This gives 22" to the ball. With the carrier, the motorcycle will be 30" away from the support point. That gives the max. weight of 500*22/30=367lbs. I want to carry my BSA A65 which unlaiden weight is 368lbs.

Now the carrier itself weighs 90lbs and I need to consider weight of gas and oil. That means it's over the max. carrying weight. On the other hand, this 500lbs number got some safety margin in it.

Will it be safe to carry my BSA?

Actually I did it once without knowing the above math. (I just looked at the max. carrying capacity of the carrier which turned out to be much less than stated. The manufacturer web page says the real max carrying capacity for Jeep Liberty is around 285lbs.) It was a one hour trip on a freeway. I somewhat felt that Jeep's steering got a bit lighter but it was drivable.
Since then, I have carried my XT500 which weighs 300lbs (dry) several times without an issue. Am I fatiguing the receiver which will fail catastrophically all of a sudden?

 

[joedrum]

hmmmmmmm thats alot force on the hitch chas with no tyrailer wheels for releaf .....thats pushing the envolope of the numbers big time ....on a bummpy road or pot hole it could be a disaster to much hanging behind the mounting points of the jeep .....its the jeeps frame id be concerned about

 

[macka]

buy a decent trailer. I have a utility trailer with the tailgate as a ramp. I can pull all my toys (quad,snowmachine, and bikes) without sweating it. I bought mine second hand for 500 bucks, when a family upgraded their trailer to a dual axle.

 

[skiri251]

Okay, so I shouldn't carry the BSA. Even XT is a bit too heavy.

Now this carrier itself has a receiver so that you can carry and tow. What if I attach a wheel with suspension to it to support the weight of the motorcycle? I guess that will work, right? I haven't seen anything like that on the net so that worries me. Something fundamentally flawed? I guess it would be considered a trailer then I need to go to DMV to register but still it's much easier to prepare my HF foldable trailer.

> buy a decent trailer

I have an HF trailer. Not sure it's decent. It is a foldable 4'x8' 1200lbs or so capacity. I have no space to keep un-foldable one. It's a bit of hussle to prepare this foldable one. Takes an hour of labor. Plus I need to manuever it in the camp ground, I got to be careful not to overly exceed 55MPH speed limit on freeway, etc.

 

[joedrum]

i dont know how bad the HF trailer is but it better thing to deal with and more care free than a HD bicycle carrier ...that all the praise i can give that design for tha jeep....but your a smart man im sure you will come up with something that will do for you

 

[slabghost]

Here's an option. At least the wheel.

 

[dan filipi]

Hey there ya go!

What happens though when going up into a parking lot or driveway, does the wheel travel up and down enough?

 

[skiri251]

Here's an option. At least the wheel.

Wow!
So it does exist.
Thanks for the pic!
Now I can come up with something w/o worrying too much. LOL.
From the pic, it isn't even registered as a trailer. Maybe I can get away in that aspect also....

> What happens though when going up into a parking lot or driveway, does the wheel travel up and down enough?

Good question. My driveway has two dimensional slope so it will be tested when I leave home for the first time.

 

[Five]

Good question. My driveway has two dimensional slope so it will be tested when I leave home for the first time.

Just playing Devil's advocate here (and snickering a little), but what happens when it lifts the jeep's rear tires off the ground and you find yourself rolling back down your driveway steering with both ends??? :smilie_happy:

 

[joedrum]

:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :shock: :fiddle: :rant: :hihihi:

 

[scdmarx]

I actually did that driving a coach with a tag axle. Pulled in to gas up and dump, didn't get enough angle when pulling out the driveway. The bus settled "right THERE". Just a little embarrassing. The station owner was getting a little upset that I was blocking the driveway to his business, so he had Hose-A and Hose-B throw a rope on it and pull me out with his pickup. It worked great, except for the part where Hose-B thought a conveniently located coolant pipe was as good a place as any to tie the rope. Boy was my boss pissed! I drove the AMTRAK route for the next 3 months!

 

[slabghost]

Hinges at the front could eliminate issues there.

 

[Five]

Hinges at the front could eliminate issues there.

And slam a nice BSA into the back of a Jeep...sorry, Devil's advocate again. :evil:

I want a hitch hauler too, but only for my dirtbike. I'm going to mount it behind a popup camper for weekend trips. The streetbikes will have to stay at home or climb in the back of the truck.

 

[danf]

Questioning it tells all...Better to be safe..Maybe a trailer would be best or find someone to drive your jeep.. But....do as you wish or what your comfortable with.. k:

 

[skiri251]

I looked at more pics on this "swivelwheel" trailer web page. They do have hinges at front. This is really a single wheel trailer.
The support wheel for hitch mounted carrier is totally different. I guess I need constant spring rate suspension with big enough travel? Air shock with huge reservoir?

Meanwhile, I will take XT for this weekend's camping. I will remove the spare tire and move the carrier a bit closer.

 

[joedrum]

all you would need is somting to cushion absolute bottoming out with some spring torque ...id suggest a real spring on a adjustible threaded deal to acomidate different hieght rates and the simplisity of the spring would make it completely machanical ...in a triangle type set up with the spring being on side where the wheel is at and then to top of triangle ....gee i wonder if anybody going to understand this rambeling :smilie_happy: :headscratch: :mrgreen:

 

[skiri251]

Do you think I need a caster?

 

[slabghost]

With the frame or lack thereof in todays vehicles a caster wheel would be a good thing. Just keep your rig in mind when driving with it so you don't cause yourself trouble or damage whatever load you may have.