Scooters on hitch mount hauler or ?

MissEllie · 04-11-2005, 07:00 AM

My husband, ChazFaz, and I are thinking about motorscooters as an alternative to towing our Jeep Liberty on some of our adventures. I have seen some information about hitch mounted racks on this site as well as on the web. This forum generates a lot of useful 1st hand user information. Does any one haul or has considered hauling Vespa type motorscooters on their motorhome? and if so what do you haul them on? We drive a 2005 Adventurer 37B.

MissEllie · 04-11-2005, 07:00 AM

My husband, ChazFaz, and I are thinking about motorscooters as an alternative to towing our Jeep Liberty on some of our adventures. I have seen some information about hitch mounted racks on this site as well as on the web. This forum generates a lot of useful 1st hand user information. Does any one haul or has considered hauling Vespa type motorscooters on their motorhome? and if so what do you haul them on? We drive a 2005 Adventurer 37B.

Lorna · 04-12-2005, 05:06 AM

I hauled a Vespa type (Mozquito) on my hitchhaul attached to the back of my Jeep (Grand Cherokee). We made a wooden "U" channel wide enough to fit the tires and low enough to clear the drive chain on the rear wheel (2x lumber that was bolted to the hitchhaul). We then strapped it down with bungee cords and those fabric cargo (ratchet) straps. I also included a steel cable & lock so that the scooter wouldn't "walk off" while we were inside eating. The cable was tight enough that if we lost the scooter due to the straps/cords failing then it wouldn't damage someone behind us. Two bungee cords wrapped up to the cargo rack onto of the Jeep. We hauled the scooter from the Chattanooga TN area up to Virginia Beach VA and back. It rode great. The hardest thing was getting it off the hitchhaul and loading it up. We rolled it up a piece of 2x the same width as the center of the "U" channel. BTW, we used wood because it was what we had and time was very short. You might be able to use aluminum. A standard motorcycle hauler should work. We really needed an upright piece to strap the handle bars to or the seat to (somehow). We will probably rig up a lightweight metal setup (built into my hitchhaul) to drag the scooter around on when we finish our bus and full-time. The scooter is used by our girls and once they get a car, they probably won't look at the scooter again (already they prefer the Jeep). The hitchhaul slides into a "Reese" style reciever hitch and it easily clears any drive that I have pulled into (I usually leave my hitchhaul attached to the Jeep even when just driving around.

The only drawback that I have found to leaving my hitchhaul attached to the Jeep 24/7 ius that folks seem to not be able to see it. I have been "bumped" at stop light several times (once by a cop and he dented the hitchhaul so I know he felt it). I never stop for that. I did repaint the hitch haul bright red and put reflectors on it. But I still get bumped and at night it's still hard to see, so I will put running lights on it too (we have a trailer light plug too so it's no big deal). But like I told my husband when he commented on it... It keeps those idiots from tailgating me once they realize the hitchhaul is there.

MissEllie · 04-12-2005, 06:54 AM

Hi Lorna,
Thanks for all of the useful information. Your experiences with haulhitch attached 24/7 were especially appreciated. Love your Apache. We had one just like it, hard sides and all, in the early 80's. Now we love our Winnebago Adventurer. Thanks again . . .

PDB · 04-13-2005, 03:50 PM

I carry my 375lb scooter on a tilting carrier plugged into my coach receiver. The carrier has a second receiver where I have my Blue Ox hitch for towing my Jeep. Works great.
BTW, I bought some reflective tape, red & white diagonal stripes and taped all around my carrier. Really shows up in the dark; goes completely left to right on the back plus the sides of the carrier as well.

MissEllie · 04-13-2005, 06:56 PM

Thanks PDB,
It seems the carrier needs to be highly visible. Good information, thanks again.

Retired and Happy · 04-14-2005, 07:03 AM

I don't know about the tire width, but how about a metal wall stud for a wheel track? I know they come in a "2x4" size and probably in a "2x6" size. It might also be fairly easy to cut the sides and bend a vertical section for your handlebar tie-off. Might need some side support...just thinking...

MissEllie · 04-14-2005, 09:07 AM

Hi Ken,
WOW! there seems to be a lot of critical thinking to be done before we decide on the hauler. Thanks