Towbar bend by Bike carrier

[coppi]

Swop the alu frame for carbon - should get the weight under 50 kg's oh and you do not need 100mm I-beams for bike rack frame

The weight difference will only be between 1-2 kg, really...............

[stefmeister]

Now that's cool. Was wondering how they get it up there. Googled the image, Wow those racks are intricate. Well some of them just have a ramp but some of the tilting ones are an engineering masterpiece. So that bike weights about 200kilos? The rack possibly 50kilos? That's a lot of downward weight so far behind the rear axle. I wonder if its advisable to improve the rear suspension? Yes a caravan weights a lot more but its forces are in a different direction. The downward weight from a caravan, if packed correctly should be very little.

My immediate thought as well. Even on my hatchback with one bicycle at the back affects the steering/cornering in a bad way.

[Allrounder]

Could be but then again the heading is a statement and not a question.

True

[AdamA]

Our tow bar happily pulls 1.8 tons of horse box, but has a vertical Mass limit of 75KG, same as our last one. So presumably if it were overloaded vertically it would bend or break

 

^^^ What He Said

[mazambaan]

All interesting. I have an SA made motorcycle hitch rack and even put a 160kg odd KTM 640 Adv on there for a short trip (around 30km). Not clever sure but needs must. It all held up fine but it was on a Land Rover Discovery not a VW Polo. I would not like to haul long distances on rough roads.

[LazyTrailRider]

All interesting. I have an SA made motorcycle hitch rack and even put a 160kg odd KTM 640 Adv on there for a short trip (around 30km). Not clever sure but needs must. It all held up fine but it was on a Land Rover Discovery not a VW Polo. I would not like to haul long distances on rough roads.

 

The vehicle type is a fairly important consideration. The towbar on my X3 was rock solid, whereas the one on our Polo flexes a fair bit with the bikes loaded (and even without).

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I dont see how if you can do stuff like this

 

http://o.b5z.net/i/u/10136701/i/028.JPG

 

Absolutely would never trust this setup, ever!!! It is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion. I have seen some of these locally being used, they are also downright dangerous, obscuring all of the rear lights with no added lights.

 

Like the others have said on a horizontal plain the towbar can really handle a moerse load but I have also seen the 75kg vertical load limit somewhere before. Use it, don't use it.......

 

 

[Chris NewbyFraser]

Having a friend who worked at Bosal (while I worked at Toyota) I was privy to some of the discussions between car manufacturers and towbar makers. The biggest danger with over-loaded towbars is the damage the towbar causes to the underlying floor pan of the car, to which the bar is bolted. I have seen numerous cars which have mounting areas buckled by the forces that multiply when a car travels over a bump or dip in the road and is carrying max or more load on the bike rack. If the towbar bends and there is no damage to the car, consider yourself lucky. Proper modern towbars are designed to bend when impacted by a rear end collision - to reduce force transference and damage to the car. In summary, if the towbar manufacturers plate gives a max weight rating - never exceed it - ever - because one day, on one bump, you are going to screw up your car. And be very very very careful which towbar you buy. Always ask your car dealer where you can get an approved towbar. I always ask Bosal if they have an approved bar for my cars and then fit that only but they are not the only manufacturer approved bar maker.

[seven]

Have to agree with FF...

 

The towbars are typically rated for vertical load. The once I've seen has been 60kg, 75kg, 90kg... I've never seen higher than 90kg's and that was a specifically upgraded ubit for a big 4x4.

 

I've seen a 4bike thule bend a towbar after some corrugated dirt roads. Often the max load capacity of the rack is above the vertical max load of the towbar...

[BSG]

Took this picture today in our caravan park, will do closer inspection tomorrow regarding the build and fitting methods. I don't think this is a normal towbar/loadbar, must be a proper custom job. But this motorhome comes to our park at least once a month.

 

Hou die rubber op die grond!

[Rockjock]

I have a 16mm extension plate to which my carrier is attached to lower the ball. I have had that plate bend from loading too heavy bikes and the leverage but not the ball itself

[mazambaan]

I guess SA vehicles and towbars are inferior to the US behemoths and 50mm receiver type hitch. Google motorcycle hitch racks. But if a bicycle rack bends your towbar it's poorly made IMHO.

[BSG]

Some more and he made the carrier himself.[emoji33] pics

 

Hou die rubber op die grond!

[Heel Drop]

I would like to know if somebody ever experienced that the towbar broke or bended by attaching a bike carrier to the ball of the towbar.?

WAS IT A FATBIKE?

[PhilipV]

I checked a mates towards in his Polo today. Max vertical weight on the towbar is 75kg. Won't take much to get to that if you have a big rack, three mountain bikes and a dip in the road.

[BenReaper]

Some more and he made the carrier himself.[emoji33] pics

 

Hou die rubber op die grond!

That looks like propper SA jobbie where over engineering is underrated! [emoji123]

 

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