My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Bicycles for campers, rvers, or just riding around where ever you are

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby Camp4Life » Thu Aug 18, 2016 11:36 am

I have two ideas floating around. I might pick up a dual receiver

Image

My rack sticks out quite a bit so I'm not sure if it'll interfere with pulling a trailer

Image
Image
Image
Image

In case you're wondering about the cargo strap, I hit some really rough roads with holes and washboards. The rack is very solid and doesn't move much, but I wanted it to be extra tight for reassurance that my bike won't get dropped :frightened:

My other solution is to add a receiver to the back of the trailer on a swing arm so it can be moved away without removing it.
Camp4Life
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 223
Images: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:49 pm
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby BigGoofyGuy » Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:16 pm

User avatar
BigGoofyGuy
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 463
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2015 5:37 pm
Location: Newburyport Massachusetts United States of America

Re:

Postby TimC » Sun Aug 28, 2016 8:45 pm

Fenlason wrote:I prefer to carry my bikes inside.. out of the rain.. and bug splatter.. and out of site.. of vandals

Until gas went to $4.00 a gallon I used to have a 15 passenger Ford van for them.

We also ride tandems a lot... so the extra length was good for that.

We also carried a 21 ft tandem kayak with it.

it was a great toy hauler


Like Fenlason, I carry my bike inside my tow vehicle whenever possible. It stay clean and hidden away. I don't have a real big TV, it's a Ford Edge. I usually take the wheels off and I have a fork mount with a homemade extension that holds the rear up off the floor. It works well and I think I will build a wheel holder as well to keep them from being tossed around. Don't fear the wheel-less bike reassembly! Once you learn the tricks to put them back on you'll probably like the idea. I even turn the handlebars 90 degrees when I am rally packing tight in the Edge.
Tim
Niagara, WI
My First Benroy Teardrop Build Thread - A 5x8 Woodie - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=63575
My Second Teardrop (partial) Build Thread - Started August '16 - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=66939
#3 My son's Benroy Foamie team build - Started July '20 - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=72877

Image
User avatar
TimC
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 1364
Images: 732
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 4:15 am
Location: WI/MI border
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby Fenlason » Sat Sep 03, 2016 8:08 am

We are actually back to a "big" van again. A year and a half ago we purchased a Ram Promaster. It's my combo bike hauler / lumber carrier / daily driver. The engine is a smaller turbo diesel so it gets better milage than my wife's Honda minivan. I have some cabinets in the back. and I then mounted old Thule bars. and put Rockymount roof top bike carriers on those. I can carry 4 bikes on that, and still have room for a bit of lumber or other building materials underneath this.

It is also tall enough I can stand up to change inside.
glenn

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
Kahlil Gibran

We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw
User avatar
Fenlason
Tour de Post Yellow Jersey
 
Posts: 75849
Images: 221
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:33 pm
Location: Winslow Me.
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby EnduroFit » Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:52 pm

nj_rider wrote:I love this set-up:
Image

The trailer did come with a Thule hitch mounted on the back of the trailer itself but I didn't like the idea of not being able to see the bikes and if by chance one were to come loose and bounce off as I was traveling down the highway I wouldn 't be aware of it until much later.

So this solution works for me 8)



I know this is an OLD post, however, did the extender and double mount work well?

Thanks,
Brent
EnduroFit
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:59 pm
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby dancam » Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:05 am

Hitch extenders typically cut your max tongue weight in half, so on a class 1 hitch your bikes may be all you can put on it, no trailer.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
dancam
500 Club
 
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:27 am
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby tony.latham » Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:57 pm

We just bought a Yakima Swingdaddy. I've got great hopes for it. 8) :thumbsup:

Image

Image

Image

Tony :beer:
User avatar
tony.latham
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 6880
Images: 17
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:03 pm
Location: Middle of Idaho on the edge of nowhere
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby working on it » Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:12 pm

dancam wrote:Hitch extenders typically cut your max tongue weight in half, so on a class 1 hitch your bikes may be all you can put on it, no trailer.Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
tony.latham wrote:
  • We just bought a Yakima Swingdaddy. I've got great hopes for it.
  • IMG_2876_zpsmvxhwekx.jpg
    IMG_2876_zpsmvxhwekx.jpg (226.59 KiB) Viewed 10258 times
Won't putting a bike carrier (especially one with extra weight-the extension arms) have the same effect as using hitch extenders ?; by weighing down the rear, in effect, you've lightened the tongue. Not that I carry my bike with me, my knees won't allow me to ride it, but I would think the best place to carry a bike (or two) with a TD or TTT, would be on a roof rack, or on a carrier/ front hitch on the TV (if a truck or SUV). JHMO
2013 HHRv "squareback/squaredrop", rugged, 4x8 TTT, 2225 lbs
  • *3500 lb Dexter EZ-Lube braked axle, 3000 lb.springs, active-progressive bumpstop suspension
  • *27 x 8.5-14LT AT tires (x 3) *Weight Distribution system for single-beam tongue
  • *100% LED's & GFCI outlets, 3x fans, AM/FM/CD/Aux. *A/C & heat, Optima AGM, inverter & charger(s)
  • *extended-run, on-board, 2500w generator *Coleman dual-fuel stove & lantern, Ikea grill, vintage skillet
  • *zinc/stainless front & side racks *98"L x 6" diameter rod & reel carrier tube on roof
173193172890148599
User avatar
working on it
2000 Club
2000 Club
 
Posts: 2170
Images: 457
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: DFW Texas
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby tony.latham » Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:31 pm

working on it wrote:
dancam wrote:Hitch extenders typically cut your max tongue weight in half, so on a class 1 hitch your bikes may be all you can put on it, no trailer.Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
tony.latham wrote:
  • We just bought a Yakima Swingdaddy. I've got great hopes for it.
  • IMG_2876_zpsmvxhwekx.jpg
Won't putting a bike carrier (especially one with extra weight-the extension arms) have the same effect as using hitch extenders ?; by weighing down the rear, in effect, you've lightened the tongue. Not that I carry my bike with me, my knees won't allow me to ride it, but I would think the best place to carry a bike (or two) with a TD or TTT, would be on a roof rack, or on a carrier/ front hitch on the TV (if a truck or SUV). JHMO


My tongue is on the heavy side and it tows fine with two 28# bikes on the rear. Here we are on a thousand mile journey last year:

Image

I thought about a roof rack on my truck but that would be a big hassle loading/unloading and I'll pass on the extra drag.

Tony
User avatar
tony.latham
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 6880
Images: 17
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:03 pm
Location: Middle of Idaho on the edge of nowhere
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby booyah » Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:26 pm

If I am pulling the tear and have bikes, I use a hatch mount bike carrier. It can bring two, and I have a roof rack that I can get two more on without real trouble.
My build, 5x8 modified benroy "Smiles to go". Started April 2nd 2015, first trip August 2nd 2015.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=63145
User avatar
booyah
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 424
Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 5:27 pm
Location: Lansing MI
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby dancam » Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:12 pm

working on it wrote:
dancam wrote:Hitch extenders typically cut your max tongue weight in half, so on a class 1 hitch your bikes may be all you can put on it, no trailer.Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
tony.latham wrote:
  • We just bought a Yakima Swingdaddy. I've got great hopes for it.
  • IMG_2876_zpsmvxhwekx.jpg
Won't putting a bike carrier (especially one with extra weight-the extension arms) have the same effect as using hitch extenders ?; by weighing down the rear, in effect, you've lightened the tongue. Not that I carry my bike with me, my knees won't allow me to ride it, but I would think the best place to carry a bike (or two) with a TD or TTT, would be on a roof rack, or on a carrier/ front hitch on the TV (if a truck or SUV). JHMO


Wont putting a bike carrier what? Sorry, i dont understand the question.
Class 1 hitch handles 200 pounds tongue weight. Cut that in half with an extender is 100 pounds. Thats a bike rack and 2 bikes or so.
If you have a 1000 pound trailer with 100 pound tongue weight you can add 100 pounds of stuff to the tongue. However if you add a hitch extender your rating becomes 100 pounds which is what your trailer itself is and you cant add anything.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
dancam
500 Club
 
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:27 am
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby mtbikernate » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:00 pm

This is the setup I had last month.

Image
IMG_20170228_123221_824 by Nate, on Flickr

Drove from Indianapolis, IN to Sedona, AZ and back for a RT of about 3300mi.

My hitch rack is a Kuat NV. Some challenges I have to deal with. Rear galley access on my Hiker Trailer is a side-swing door. The Kuat doesn't fold down enough to permit access. For that matter, Kuat is emphatic about NOT using its racks on either extensions or the backs of trailers, so I won't be going there with it, though some manufacturers are okay with it (1upUSA hitch racks, for example, if you limit to 2 bikes). The bikes in question weigh probably 60lb in total. On this trip, I knew I would need to be driving between camp and the Sedona mtb festival grounds every day - roughly a 20min drive. I had already attached the roof trays onto the trailer and didn't feel like moving them to the car. However that may wind up being the long term solution to that problem. For short trips where we can ride out of camp, bikes on the trailer are no problem.

Here's a close up of the connection so you see some limitations of the setup I actually used.

Image
20170226_160446 by Nate, on Flickr

I won't be doing it this way in the future because there's just not enough room. I had to be careful about turning radius, because the rack would contact the tongue box. Also you can see that the underside of the rack was VERY close to the coupler on the trailer tongue. There was no contact on the trip, however to attach/detach the trailer, I had to remove the rack. That was a PITA. I also had to remove the tongue jack that came with the trailer and install a new one that I could fold out of the way.

My long term goal, I think, is to buy a small pickup so I can load the bikes in the bed. This will be especially useful when I need to transport them to trailheads distant form camp. Also it will be nice for getting the bikes out of the wind when on long drives. Fuel economy on the subie for this trip dropped from around 28mpg to 18mpg. Considering the size of the fuel tank, it meant for more frequent fuel stops, and more transit time. I think even a 4cyl pickup would allow for much improved fuel economy when towing. Partly due to improving aerodynamics of the package, but also due to improved ability of the truck to tow the TD.

Short term, I think I'll manage mostly with what I have. Heading out this weekend with the camper and the bikes. May not be able to ride because of Saturday rain, but my campsite will be right by the trailhead if I do, so no need to worry about bringing the hitch rack.
mtbikernate
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 122
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:59 pm
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby McGuffin » Tue Jun 18, 2019 6:00 pm

Hi There,

I've just completed my build - Tigin Linn - Little House and Us - and I figured out a simple, cheap and effective method of carrying two bikes. If you have a look at these snaps it's fairly straight forward and it could be modified to work on a tongue box too.

I put an "extra" ball hitch on the tongue (drilled and screwed though one of the chassis members) and clamped a Thule bike rack onto it. Then mounted the bikes on that:

Image

The hitch ball is 12" from the front of the teardrop and the coupling socket is another four feet away so when I am reversing the rear of the car does not get fouled up with the bikes.

Image

Here is a link to the Thule Xpress 2-Bike .... it's really very good

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thule-TH9700-X ... ay&sr=8-10

Hopefully it's available in the US :thumbsup:

Cheers,


Larry
User avatar
McGuffin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 90
Images: 211
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:04 am
Location: Ireland
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby tony.latham » Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:22 pm

I was not happy with hauling our bikes off the tail. There was just too much weight back there.

Here's what I have cooking on this current build:

Image

This winter I'll modify a platform rack to sit above the tongue box. It'll look like this:

Image

I stole that photo and idea from Inka Outdoors. They went belly-up. :NC

Tony
User avatar
tony.latham
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 6880
Images: 17
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:03 pm
Location: Middle of Idaho on the edge of nowhere
Top

Re: My solution for carrying bikes & towing the ttt

Postby McGuffin » Wed Jun 19, 2019 5:17 am

Ha,

Great minds think alike! :thumbsup:

Regards,


Larry
User avatar
McGuffin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 90
Images: 211
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:04 am
Location: Ireland
Top

PreviousNext

Return to Bicycles

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests