where to put 280lbs of un-planned weight ?

[UK4X4]

Due to the wife suggesting LIPO and me hating gym's we settled on me joining the local enduro bike club.

So its the bike that weigh's not me-well at least not yet..

Considering we attend all the BBQ's I thought it was about time I lifted more than a mouse and got my gently enlarging rear end out of the office chair and swapping it for something a little strenuous.

So to the issue at hand- my trailer was designed and built with no bike in mind

now I need to concider adding it to the trailer - rather than relying on mates to help transport the new toy to the site.

So front or rear ?

There have been some recent posts about mounting a bike on the front and extending the hitch.


In other threads people have added rear hitch mounted carriers to trucks and the like.

I have welder - but don't really want to compromise the present designs integral strength- but also don't want it bending like a prezel

Side members are presently 3x2 heavy wall, can't remember the wall thickness but were the same as Rezarf's build.

The front section originally had plans for 4 off jerry cans- with another front biased internal 15ltr tank.

what end and why ?

trailer is 60" wide as reference and just under 8ft long to fit sideways in a container.

Items to balance bike weight are 1 off battery presently rear mounted
and 95lts of water which is around 200lbs

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I don't think there's any choice but to load it on the tongue. Putting it on the back would surely give you negative tongue weight. Loading it on the front will give you a heavy tongue weight, but I think it will be fine on your Disco since the trailer is so light. Looks like you might already be set up to run an extended tongue?

You mentioned a hitch mounted carrier, and if you don't need to take your trailer along, that is your best option. I use one all the time with my WR250. My bike is 250lbs, and the rack is 50, so 300lbs on the hitch. The rear springs sag significantly, and the steering gets a little light, but it'd doable. I'd say you need either the air springs, or HD rear springs (which I have). The only issue is loading the bike onto the carrier is a challenge, since it's so high on our trucks. And your bike is heavier than mine even? One thing that would help is the ramp included with my rack is only about 3 feet long. If it was 6 feet long, that would make it easier.

For a while I contemplated having a special hitch drawbar that would allow me to use the motorcycle rack AND tow a trailer, but after looking at the configuration, I abandoned that idea. I was wanting to be able to carry my bike along with my Seadoo, but I think I'll be building a rack to mount on the tongue of the Seadoo trailer.

 

[UK4X4]

Rover was in the US

Now a nissan Patrol.....no leaks

just that hitch weight bothers me

 

[R_Lefebvre]

What's your hitch weight currently? If you put a bike on the trailer, about half the bike's weight will be on the hitch, and the other half on trailer axle. That trailer looks light weight, I'm guessing 100lbs hitch weight at most. So 140lbs will end up on the hitch for a total of 240lbs, which really shouldn't be a big problem. Just my guestimate.

 

[ntsqd]

I haven't done the simplified Shear-Moment Diagram to see how it all works out, but it is my intention to make use of the extendable tongue to bring the tongue weight back down to reasonable after putting my XR250L on the tongue of the TrailBlazer.

I have a socket receiver mountable rack for the bike. I plan to make use of it by attaching a short socket receiver to the tongue of the trailer. That way I've only one rack to deal with, and it works where ever I might want to use it.

 

[UK4X4]

Hitch weight right now < 100lbs probably 50 the design balances out really well,
the front mounted jerry cans were going to add the tongue weight.

The RTT weigh's more than the trailer contents.

aluminum panels all round...I can lift a wheel fully loaded for camping...just

when I said hitch type mount I was thinking on the rear of the trailer
rather than vehicle as this needs to be a family come too type scenario.

Only a bolted on affair- hinge up type thing that would be removable

jerrys further forward than the bike is aft....I'm mr practicle engineer rather than mr theoretical...

ie I'd take a piece of wood- scale it and add scale weight rather than a calc

the only issue is I have to weigh the trailer as is to make that work, empty its slighty front weighted just due to the tongue and reciever.

I'd love rear mounted as it would look right- minus moveing the lights - front mounted - makes the design worthless, gets the bike in the impact zone
and to me adds too much tongue weight.

an extender is an easy possible - and add a swing out gerry/ spare mount at the rear to balance

 

[ntsqd]

My own plan is similar, find existing tongue & wheel weights, find bike weight on tongue, find tongue length (on paper) that results in similar tongue weight %, extend tongue, drill new hole, not worry about being exact, & be happy. :sombrero:

I can find the weights easily using a beam torque wrench and this contraption (model represents real part in the garage):

(the beam ratio is 10:1)

 

[Titanpat57]

With 21 Gallons of water...160 lbs., a full cooler at a 100 lbs., and a battery and some misc. gear, prolly another 60 lbs. (thats 320 #) my "truck" (a Mazda CX-9) only goes down about an 1-1/2" I can stand on the tongue bar (and I'm a svelt 299 3/4 lbs.) it only goes down another 1" or so.

Now granted that weight is distributed between the trailer and the TV..but I would much rather have more tongue weight than too little. You could help to offset some of the tongue weight by moving the heavier contents to rear of the trailer. If the TV can handle it...and the actual trailer tongue bar can handle it..go for it!

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I would put it on the tongue and slide the axle forward about six inches to a foot to compensate for the added weight up front.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

No way should you put that on a rack on the back of the trailer. You'd never get it to balance. I have plans to use a rack on the back of my trailer, but that's only if there's a heavier bike on the front, first.

 

[mnfeo2]

Can you move the jerry cans to the rear and move the bike back a few more inches to get move of the weight on the trailer and off the tongue?

 

[BoxCar]

If you had two bikes, one for the front and one for the back, the problem would be easer to solve. I'm just sayin...

 

[jefe066]

Hey there UK 4x4

I don't have any suggestions but a question yes. What brand trailer is that?
Thanks, and good luck with your setup!
Jeff