Towbar carrier for six bikes

"Holly, in France" wrote in message
...

That is a good point too. But these towbars are regularly used to pull
trailer loads of up to 1500kg. Trailer is double axle so carries alot of
the weight itself, but it still noticeably lowers the suspension on the
vehicle when fully loaded. We also tow a heavy road compressor with a
single axle. My maths/physics isn't good enough to do any sort of
meaningful calculation but I would have thought, again subjectively,
that six bikes even at a metre or so out from the towbar wouldn't
produce anything like the load of the trailer/compressor.

Your vehicle handbook should specify a "nose weight" for the towbar, say
80kg eg.
Work out the distance from the towball to the rear axle, say 1500mm, a 40kg
weight @ 1m will equal the same, but of course you've also got the other 5
bikes at less than a metre to take into consideration.
And that's just the allowance for a downforce on the towbar, think of the
swing weight when you corner, a trailer is a different matter as its own
tyres take care of the sideways drift.

Pete

Hi all, I have been hunting for ideas for towbar carriers. I have found
lots that carry four bikes but none that carry more. Has anyone ever
made or seen one for six bikes? Anyone know if there is any sort of
legal restriction on size/length of towbar mounted carriers/boxes etc?
We have welding gear and materials so could make one to fit. It would be
to go on a diesel minibus so no issues with engine power, weight,
suspension etc.

Towbar carriers seem the perfect idea. A trailer has to be taken
everywhere or else one has to find a safe place to leave it. A roof rack
would be awkward to load and unload regularly and the places we go often
have height restrictions on the car parks.

Any thoughts/ideas please?
--
Holly, in France.
Holiday Home in Dordogne
http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr/

"Holly, in France" wrote in message
...
Hi all, I have been hunting for ideas for towbar carriers. I have found
lots that carry four bikes but none that carry more. Has anyone ever
made or seen one for six bikes? Anyone know if there is any sort of
legal restriction on size/length of towbar mounted carriers/boxes etc?
We have welding gear and materials so could make one to fit. It would be
to go on a diesel minibus so no issues with engine power, weight,
suspension etc.

Towbar carriers seem the perfect idea. A trailer has to be taken
everywhere or else one has to find a safe place to leave it. A roof rack
would be awkward to load and unload regularly and the places we go often
have height restrictions on the car parks.

Any thoughts/ideas please?

The big problem is the weight overhang. Having the weight off six bikes plus
the rack overhanging is going to have an effect on handling.

Moray Cuthill wrote:
The big problem is the weight overhang. Having the weight off six bikes plus
the rack overhanging is going to have an effect on handling.

And may pose a problem for the towbar itself. It may not be designed to
take that sort of loading.

Jon

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 12:55:41 -0000, "Holly, in France"
wrote:

vehicle when fully loaded. We also tow a heavy road compressor with a
single axle. My maths/physics isn't good enough to do any sort of
meaningful calculation but I would have thought, again subjectively,
that six bikes even at a metre or so out from the towbar wouldn't
produce anything like the load of the trailer/compressor.

I would think that the weight of 6 bikes *all* acting through the
towbar would be worse than a heaviertrailer which is only partially
acting through the towbar. A trailer has weight infront and behind its
axle. Any weight behind the axle reduces the component of weight
downwards on the towbar.

--
Microsoft Sam speaks his mind:
www.artybee.net/sam_speaks_his_mind.mp3

"Holly, in France" wrote in message
...

That is a good point too. But these towbars are regularly used to pull
trailer loads of up to 1500kg. Trailer is double axle so carries alot of
the weight itself, but it still noticeably lowers the suspension on the
vehicle when fully loaded. We also tow a heavy road compressor with a
single axle. My maths/physics isn't good enough to do any sort of
meaningful calculation but I would have thought, again subjectively,
that six bikes even at a metre or so out from the towbar wouldn't
produce anything like the load of the trailer/compressor.

-- .
Holly
Holiday home in Dordogne
http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr


Don't forget that the loading on a bike carrier is entirely on the towbar,
whereas on a trailer, the loading is on the towbar BUT also on the axle of
the trailer, hence a trailer can safely carry a much heavier load than when
the loading is entirely on the towbar - as is the case with a bike carrier.

Cheers, helen s

Moray Cuthill wrote:
"Holly, in France" wrote in message
...
Hi all, I have been hunting for ideas for towbar carriers. I have
found lots that carry four bikes but none that carry more. Has
anyone ever
made or seen one for six bikes? Anyone know if there is any sort of
legal restriction on size/length of towbar mounted carriers/boxes
etc?
We have welding gear and materials so could make one to fit. It
would be to go on a diesel minibus so no issues with engine power,
weight, suspension etc.

Towbar carriers seem the perfect idea. A trailer has to be taken
everywhere or else one has to find a safe place to leave it. A roof
rack would be awkward to load and unload regularly and the places we
go often have height restrictions on the car parks.

Any thoughts/ideas please?

The big problem is the weight overhang. Having the weight off six
bikes plus the rack overhanging is going to have an effect on
handling.

Hmm, you could be right, thanks. I was guessing that if a normal car can
carry four bikes in this way, a loaded minibus would manage six. A
heavy trailer which affects the handling on a car seems to affect our
Peugeot Expert van less, and the Boxer minibus less again. All
subjective though....

--
^-- $
Holly testing a wierd and wonderful sig separator
http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr/

Holly, in France wrote:


That is a good point too. But these towbars are regularly used to pull
trailer loads of up to 1500kg.

They may pull 1500kg or more but the actual load downwards on the towbar
will probably not exceed 50kg which is about 4 bikes worth. Six bike
carriers are not built for a reason and the reason is both the weight on
the towbar and its mounting and the unweighting of the steering at the
front that all that weight cantilevered out the back produces. I would
suggest thinking again and having four or less on the back and two or
more on the roof.

Tony

Tony Raven wrote:
They may pull 1500kg or more but the actual load downwards on the towbar
will probably not exceed 50kg which is about 4 bikes worth. Six bike
carriers are not built for a reason and the reason is both the weight on
the towbar and its mounting and the unweighting of the steering at the
front that all that weight cantilevered out the back produces. I would
suggest thinking again and having four or less on the back and two or
more on the roof.

Or using a trailer. You can apparently get a trailer which has mountings
for bikes on its roof, or you could use use a large box trailer. Perhaps
you could buy a basic trailer frame and build a steel / glass fibre box
to take the bikes (You did mention a passing interest in homebuilding!)

Jon

Jon Senior wrote:
Moray Cuthill wrote:
The big problem is the weight overhang. Having the weight off six
bikes plus the rack overhanging is going to have an effect on
handling.

And may pose a problem for the towbar itself. It may not be designed
to take that sort of loading.

That is a good point too. But these towbars are regularly used to pull
trailer loads of up to 1500kg. Trailer is double axle so carries alot of
the weight itself, but it still noticeably lowers the suspension on the
vehicle when fully loaded. We also tow a heavy road compressor with a
single axle. My maths/physics isn't good enough to do any sort of
meaningful calculation but I would have thought, again subjectively,
that six bikes even at a metre or so out from the towbar wouldn't
produce anything like the load of the trailer/compressor.

-- .
Holly
Holiday home in Dordogne
http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr