Lngbeard
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I am trying to figure out how to tow my small car and take my dual sport MC along too. Motorhome is 27' Chateau sport. Has anyone tried using a Superhitch (has two recievers one over, one under). Thinking to tow the car (1994 escort)using stowmaster5000 towbar with drawbar/ball mount in lower reciever. For the MC using top reciever to mount a one rail MC carrier. Both the car and MC are lightweight. Might add suspension airbags on motorhome. Feasable? Thanks
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hotbyte
Barnesville GA
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You need to determine at least two weights and compare to your specs. Adding airbags can keep you level but doesn't increase weight capacities.
The tongue weight such a setup will have. The MC carrier will add lots of tongue weight. Towing a car 4 down will not.
The total weight of the MC, carrier, car, etc.
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Lngbeard
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Thanks for the reply. I am thinking added tongue weight would be at most 300# (Bike and carrier) and would be close to back of MH, not extended out. Is that a lot of Tongue weight for my MH?
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Lngbeard
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NewsW wrote:Got to have your chassis specs to say for sure.
Is there a problem putting the bike up front?
I would check both options and see which one is better.
Now that seems like a good idea. How would the MC carrier work up front? A front mounted hitch?
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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Your hitch weight limit is likely about 300#. I can't imagine your bike, its carrier and the hitch will be that light. Consider having a receiver mounted to the front.
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NewsW
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Got to have your chassis specs to say for sure.
Is there a problem putting the bike up front?
I would check both options and see which one is better.
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CloudDriver
New Jersey Shore
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Hanging a heavy load off the rear hitch of a MH could result in an overload of the rear axle. The long overhang between the rear wheels and the center of gravity of the new load causes some of the weight that was previously carried by the front wheels to be transferred to the rear wheels. Think of as a "see-saw effect". If your rear axle is already near it's load limit, the additional weight could put you over.
Someone in an earlier thread linked to a blog post about installing a front hitch on the E-450 chassis.
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Tom/Barb
Oak Harbor
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Lngbeard wrote:I am trying to figure out how to tow my small car and take my dual sport MC along too. Motorhome is 27' Chateau sport. Has anyone tried using a Superhitch (has two recievers one over, one under). Thinking to tow the car (1994 escort)using stowmaster5000 towbar with drawbar/ball mount in lower reciever. For the MC using top reciever to mount a one rail MC carrier. Both the car and MC are lightweight. Might add suspension airbags on motorhome. Feasable? Thanks
Measure from the center of the rear axel, to the intended position of the M/C, call that number the "Arm" (in inches), and then multiply that by the weight of the M/C, (call that number the Moment) divide that by 12, (equal to 1 foot) that will give you the total torque applied to the frame (foot pounds) That's the weight the rear axel thinks it is carrying. Think tire side wall capacity.
be careful how much weight you add to the overhang of the coach. That will place a strain on the frame that it was not designed for.
And remember that any weight you add to the rear the equil amount is removed from the front axel, it is a balancing act. like a teeter-totter. So it's not simply adding 300# to the rear axel you might be adding 600 pounds to the rear axel.
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Kennedycamper
Algoa, Texas
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First if you haven't already go and get your RV weighed on a good scale. That, and the gross axel weight ratings will tell you how much weight capacity you have left on the front & back. I don't know what type of dual sport MC you have but few bikes are as light as 300 LBS.
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Lngbeard
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Thanks all for the reply s. Bike only weighs 250#. I can see though if measured from axle back to MC the moment arm is getting pretty long. I like the idea of a front mount but my MH is E350 so that weight up front could be a issue there too?
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