Dirtbike carrier on bumper or frame?

[geewizard]

Anyone put a dirtbike carrier on the bumper or used the frame for such?


I have a 170 lb trials motorcycle I'd like to carry on the rear of my 1708FB and I'm looking for suggestions.

[creativepart]

You have a whole passel of issues with this and a short Trailer. First, the bumper can’t hold that much weight. You would need to have a full hitch receiver welded on to the frame of the trailer. Next, you need to worry about the weight taking too much weight off of the tongue at your tow vehicle. This kind of imbalance can totally ruin your towability and cause dangerous sway at speed.

Lastly, understand that the up and down movement at the very back of a towed trailer is much more pronounced than you might expect. So any carrier would have to be made specifically for this purpose not just for use behind a car or truck.

What I’m saying is do lots of research and be aware of the issues.

[Marine359]

I would definitely advise against putting that much weight on the rear, even if using a frame hitch receiver. Of course bumper mounting would be tantamount to negligent homicide, as that much on the bumper would cause it to fail and kill somebody. Plus, as Creative noted, there’s the inertial moment that will exacerbate the loading n the mounting structure, and on the trailer frame.

Micro Minnie’s are small trailers with low GVWR. Consequent,y, they are very sensitive to weight distribution. The 1708FB has a GVWR of 5,000#, and it’s short frame length compared to other Micro Minnie’s, which means it will be even more sensitive to weight distribution. I can vouch that anything less than 600# tongue weight makes for a very uncomfortable tow experience with a MM, even with a WDH. To offset 178lbs at the rear, you’d have to add at least that much to the tongue in order to have a safe and comfortable tow. If you mount the bike on the A-frame you might be able to carry that extra weight, but you’ll have to conscious of not exceeding GVWR and max tongue weight, and Tow vehicle Rear GAWR. If you have a pickup with high payload the safest place for the bike is in the truck bed.

[Morich]

Funny timing! I just posted about this and then came across your post!
Seems to relate?

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/12/an...tune-of-17000/

[Gunny Rio]

Happy New Year everyone!

I have a 1708FB (2022) with a frame mounted 2-in receiver hitch. I thought it was standard (required by DOT) to have the class and max weights stamped on all hitches. However, I learned after pestering the hell out of the dealer I purchased from that this isn't considered or recommended as a "hitch", rather a "receptacle" for a lightweight bike rack. He did not commit to a max weight either.

I did some basic cantilever stress analysis and made a very small flat cargo tray for my Generac 3300i (60-lbs) and a 2.5 gallon gas jug (additional 15 lbs). We towed it this past week with the generator & petro stowed in the tray and the tray plugged into the 2-in receiver.

I could tell the driving difference. I did not think that 75-lbs would make any noticeable difference. - But it pulled a little odd. For reference I did not have any H2O in the fresh tank and the Grey & Black tanks were also empty - everything is winterized.

I have a 2012 heavily modified Tocoma I pull with and never exceed 65-mph. With the tanks empty and the generator back there, I could tell there was allot more low frequency bounce and sway even on a smooth highway. I wasn't confident this was the best setup for the generator. I didn't know if I was perhaps overloading the hitch, frame, or something else. For me it just didn't feel right. I suppose I could re-weigh the mass distribution to understand the ultimate effects, but that wont tell me if I'm setting up for a fatigue failure in huck bolts, frame, or hitch.

I'm seriously considering permanent removal of the frame mounted "receptacle" just to keep me from thinking it might handle differently with water in the tank or if I tweaked it somehow. On the way home I put the generator in the truck and pulled just fine (like it was supposed to).

[Marine359]

First, go to a CAT scale with empty bed and get weights with no WDH. Then weigh truck with no trailer. Once you calculate tongue weight, you can begin to redistribute weight in the trailer.

[creativepart]

You'll do better with the genset and gas can in the bed of the truck. You could also get an A-Frame mount and put these above your propane tanks.

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Cargo-Ca...on/CC-255.html

[Morich]

How did it change the hitch weight? I can tell you it gets scary if you happen to change the wieght too much!
Being a scoutmaster teachs lots of things and one is that you have to really be awake. I pulled a small single axle trailer to camp and when loading the boys tend to be a bit slow. It also often means the lightest things go in first and the heavy stuff last!

I did not think and pulled the trailer 15 miles of two lane with no obvious problems but as I came down the entrance ramp to interstate, it went wild!
The sway got so bad that I could look back and see the TOP of the trailer before I got it down and stopped! What worked at 30-40 did not work at 55!

Do not trust anything that "feels funny".

[creativepart]

And here is proof positive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Dgxe584Ss

[RocknRoll]

My solution was to mount the rack on the FRONT of my old truck and worked very well. Unfortunately, I recently purchased a new truck and unable to install a receiver because of the front air dam.

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...ml#post3915510

Receiver (F-150)
https://www.amazon.com/CURT-31038-Fr...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Bike Rack
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Marine359]

Another idea which preserves bed space is using crossbars above the bed. We use them integrated into our tonneau to carry our bikes. The bars have a weight capacity of 220 lbs. only downside is the bikes get wet when it rains, so you have to dry them and spray with anti-rust.