need to take two bikes to france i have a new citroen c4 picasso Noseweight limit 60kgs, witter have just released a towbar last wednesday and have had it fitted saturday i have two different rear door bike carriers that don't fit and am contemplating buying a witter two bike carrier that bolts behind the towball flange BUT the question i ask myself does this then interfere with the noseweights ? and is it safe to carry and tow as advertised the trailers noseweight at moment weighs in at 60kgs therefore estimate weight of two bikes 45kgs gives me a noseweight of 105kgs if i'm thinking right ?? any feedback appreciated
towing trailer with bike rack on towball
- Thread starter Mike_374308276
- Start date
Mike, With a nose weight limit of 60kg and bikes and carrier 45 kg you would be left with only 15kg van nose weight. This is of course unacceptable and would lead to the tail wagging the dog.
With only 60 kg to play with and as you say your trailer's noseweight is about that then a tow ball fitted carrier is out of the question.
Ray
With only 60 kg to play with and as you say your trailer's noseweight is about that then a tow ball fitted carrier is out of the question.
Ray
well geordie/lutz i am towing a conway folding camper and i can't put them on the vehicles roof as the vehicle has now roof bars available it's brand new 5 seat version has no roof bars available yet but thanks for the responses Mike !
Mike....My bike rack fits on the rear door of my car (I have a 4x4) but it is suitable for most hatch backs, estate cars, people carriers and 4x4s.
There is less drag fitting them here than on the roof of the car but the downside is you cannot get access to the rear door without removing the bikes first.
Also, it makes hitching a bit more difficult (gash on my head from a protuding peddal to prove it.)
There is less drag fitting them here than on the roof of the car but the downside is you cannot get access to the rear door without removing the bikes first.
Also, it makes hitching a bit more difficult (gash on my head from a protuding peddal to prove it.)
You can get "aftermarket" roof bars, they are usually black or "chrome"; I fitted a set to my Vitara, they had enough give in them to follow the curve of the roof, but you need an applicator for the "nutserts".
Another thought, what about an inflatable roof rack, for the car or the trailer?
Another thought, what about an inflatable roof rack, for the car or the trailer?
Mike,I'm no folding camper expert, but is there no way they could be mounted upside down on the camper and secured with the small type ratchet straps.
When I had a Conway Crusader I used a Witter carrier, as (a) the car could take the noseweight and (b) potential snaking is far less of a risk.
I guess that you have a Cruiser or Crusader. You can buy racks which fix to the trailer chassis and provide roof-bar like mounting points for bike racks. They work well and keep the bikes low, but have the disadvantage of requiring removal before you can set up the tent and obviously are the last thing to be fitted after packing down.
I think you're over-estimating the weight of the bikes. A mid-range racer will weigh about 18-20lbs (8-9kg). A cheap mountain bike will weigh 30-32lbs (14kg) and a decent one about 26lbs (11.8kg). But remember to allow for the weight of the carrier.
I guess that you have a Cruiser or Crusader. You can buy racks which fix to the trailer chassis and provide roof-bar like mounting points for bike racks. They work well and keep the bikes low, but have the disadvantage of requiring removal before you can set up the tent and obviously are the last thing to be fitted after packing down.
I think you're over-estimating the weight of the bikes. A mid-range racer will weigh about 18-20lbs (8-9kg). A cheap mountain bike will weigh 30-32lbs (14kg) and a decent one about 26lbs (11.8kg). But remember to allow for the weight of the carrier.
Hi
We followed a van up the A1 the other day and it had a bike carrier (believed to be a fiamma) on the rear of the van, (fixed around the end washroom window)
Interested in getting one for our van, any comments?
Lolly x
We followed a van up the A1 the other day and it had a bike carrier (believed to be a fiamma) on the rear of the van, (fixed around the end washroom window)
Interested in getting one for our van, any comments?
Lolly x
It is the worst place to put weight ... right at the back and well above the centre of gravity. Personally, I wouldn't do it. There are alternatives.
We carry two bikes on a Witter tow-ball carrier which raises an interesting point. As the weight of the bikes and carrier is thus carried by the car and not the caravan, surely they have no effect on the noseweight imposed by the van?
But be sure to check that, when the weight of the carrying frame and bikes is added to the nose weight imposed by the caravan, that you are not exceeding the maximum weight on the tow bar as recommended by Witter.
Secondly, if you carry two or more bikes ( they can take four ) and you tow in an area where hairpin bends are common, there is a likelihood that, at the apex of a tight bend, a bike can make contact with the car. This can also happen when you reverse the van through 90 degrees.
Finally, the bikes can only be loaded onto the rack after you have hooked up the van and connected the electrics - this at times can be a pain in the backside.
Hope this helps,
Olly.
But be sure to check that, when the weight of the carrying frame and bikes is added to the nose weight imposed by the caravan, that you are not exceeding the maximum weight on the tow bar as recommended by Witter.
Secondly, if you carry two or more bikes ( they can take four ) and you tow in an area where hairpin bends are common, there is a likelihood that, at the apex of a tight bend, a bike can make contact with the car. This can also happen when you reverse the van through 90 degrees.
Finally, the bikes can only be loaded onto the rack after you have hooked up the van and connected the electrics - this at times can be a pain in the backside.
Hope this helps,
Olly.
A bike rack on the towball doesn't have an effect on the noseweight imposed by the caravan but it can severely restrict the noseweight that you can set the caravan to.
If the vertical towball limit of the car is 75kg and the bike rack with bikes already weighs, say, 40kg, then the all you are left with for noseweight is 35kg, which is way too low for a safe outfit. Only if you have a 4x4 or other towcar with a very high towball limit will you have enough to achieve the 75kg or so that you need for the caravan.
If the vertical towball limit of the car is 75kg and the bike rack with bikes already weighs, say, 40kg, then the all you are left with for noseweight is 35kg, which is way too low for a safe outfit. Only if you have a 4x4 or other towcar with a very high towball limit will you have enough to achieve the 75kg or so that you need for the caravan.
Sorry Lutz, I don't think I made my point to Mike as clearly as I might - but it was made at 2.09am so put it down to tiredness or stupidity ( and what are you doing up and about at 5.00am ).
I perhaps should have mentioned that most expert sources I checked with when we began caravanning advise that, for the sake of safety when towing, 75Kg should be considered as a maximum nose-weight to accept when loading a van or trailer.
Therefore, as the Witter bike carrier isn't attached to the tow-ball ( it's attached to the car via the towing-bracket ). The important thing to check is the maximum weight that can be imposed upon the bracket.
On our car, the maximum figure for this towing attachment is given as 112Kg thus giving a margin of 37Kg for the bikes and carrier before the caravan nose-weight would be compromised.
Hope this is now slightly clearer than mud,
Olly,
I perhaps should have mentioned that most expert sources I checked with when we began caravanning advise that, for the sake of safety when towing, 75Kg should be considered as a maximum nose-weight to accept when loading a van or trailer.
Therefore, as the Witter bike carrier isn't attached to the tow-ball ( it's attached to the car via the towing-bracket ). The important thing to check is the maximum weight that can be imposed upon the bracket.
On our car, the maximum figure for this towing attachment is given as 112Kg thus giving a margin of 37Kg for the bikes and carrier before the caravan nose-weight would be compromised.
Hope this is now slightly clearer than mud,
Olly,
Hi Lolly,
I agree entirely with Mike but also I believe that many caravans do not have the structural strength in the rear panel to take these carriers. Should you eventually decide to go for one check with the manufacturer if the van structure can take the weight otherwise it can cause all sorts of structural strains that will lead to water ingress or even breaking the rear panel.
Alan
we enquired to our caravan dealer about fitting one of these to our new caravan which has the structure fitted within the caravan walls and was told that they would have nothing to do with the fitting or garantee after this had been fitted. ( we only collected the van in March so i am not going to tamper with any garantee) make sure you check this out with your caravan dealer.
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