towing

[jaders]

That last hitch you made looks extremely professional altho I sort of like the one that wraps around the spare tire too…😜

I just tonight thought it would be a good idea to take the rack up with the van but not so sure I could or would take the bike as well. We’ll see. I’m sure I can drive back up if needed tho if it’s sitting wrong. I’ll definitely post about it and look forward to your feedback. It’s great to know you have so much experience with these things. Especially towing a trailer with that much weight. The bike I have weighs in at 55lbs and the rack can’t be that much I don’t think. I was figuring it’s about 100 lbs bike and rack altogether.

I was also wondering what would you say the fabricated hitch weighs about?

[timsrv]

Hitch weight depends on several variables, but if I had to guess, I'm thinking in the range of 25 lbs??? If all you're taking is the bike and rack, then no, I seriously doubt you'd have any weight issues. I was envisioning the back of your van crammed with other stuff like back packs, camping gear, coolers, firewood, etc. Tim

[jaders]

Well I definitely do have some stuff but I'm guessing my cooler is the biggest weight and that still isn't much. I sleep right in the van so no need for a lot of camping gear. I also paint rocks and so gather them on my trips too. I was at this wonderful river just south of glacier National park a couple years ago and found so many rocks I was worrying about the added weight even then. I'm a clueless old lady when it comes to understanding engineering and all the stuff that goes along with these things. I just want to enjoy the outdoors with as little expense and hassle as possible. My van is sure my treasure...