I share several of the concerns and have some new ones. Way too much mass cantilevered way too far off the van. Probable issues: 1) Chassis damage to van from excess bending moment and/or excess down force (both have to be considered separately). 2) Carrier will break where your hand was at the 2:00 point -- where the bigger rhs welds to the top of the 2" receiver tube. There's a huge stress concentration here. (Get some dye penetrant spray and crack test here every trip if you use this.) 3) the cantilevered mass may (i) overload your rear axle and/or tyres (ii) decrease the load on your front tyres enough to impair control of the van at highway speeds. (This last point will be made worse again by your proposed water tank location behind the rear axle. This is a bad idea in isolation (heavy loads like water tanks should be in between the axles), but combined with the cantilevered mass of the bike carrier, it may be catastrophic in its destabilising effects.) 4) when it breaks and drops your motorcycles and the carrier onto the road behind you, best case is it is on a quiet trail. If you have other motorists behind you, at speed on the highway, you could kill other people or be responsible for really bad injuries. 5) when this happens you will find your insurance doesn't cover massive overloads nor diy attachments to tow hitches. Neither will the how hitch or the van manufacturer be interested. You could lose your house paying for medical costs for the rest of somebody's life that your diy device crippled when it broke off in front of them. Hence i strenuously urge you to reconsider. Take your carrier and GET AN ENGINEER INVOLVED to help you redesign it into an off road trailer. Use a treg hitch or similar. Take the trailer and bikes to a base camp and explore from there. The reason nobody made commercially what you wanted is that what you wanted cannot be done safely, and certainly not as a diy project. If it is not safe are you SURE it is something you want to do? I mean no disrespect in any of this and your fabrication looks great in workmanship. But this is a DEFINITE case where you must have a professional engineer do the design. The loads involved in what you are doing are very large and (as a professional engineer and diy fabricator myself) I would not consider the whole concept feasible. No way would i gamble my house, my life, my family's lives, and the lives of the family behind me on the highway on such a structure. This is not a bicycle carrier here. Not to mention that the inevitable "accident" will ruin your holiday. Please reconsider. This is why offroad motorcycle trailers exist.
This is totally the best reply ever and should be at the top of the list. But wait, it's logical, well spoken and has FACTS, so how could that ever happen!
THIS a thousand times this. Especially the part about the weight distribution of your water tanks and this combined. Its just dodgey. It might be fine, but it could also be "fine" for a few trips then cause some serious damage. Please take the advice here and in other comments and improve the design.
Engineers go to school for 4 years minimum to do this for a living (calculating mass load\ transfer, both static and dynamic etc just to name a few), and it takes a whole team of engineers to get a rack right. And it’ll involve multiple prototypes. Granted, if you just want a one-off and don’t have to produce it cost effectively at scale, it’s a much simpler problem. Leave this to the professionals man.
Not sure what the tongue weight capacity is on your hitch, but that mount, two bikes, two full gas cans, two ramps (presumably made from that same heavy stock) and a junk box, you are getting into some serious weight. Now add in "off road" beating.... This is a little scary. I would agree the double receiver would make much more sense and am sure it could be easily fabricated based on the work you have done so far. Honestly I think you are needing a trailer more than a hitch hauler.
The missing word is ENGINEERING, calculate the weight capacity. Does look heavy duty however. But wait, now he's putting gas cans on there? You are right, needs a trailer the way things are adding up. It's going to change the handling of the vehicle, tires overloaded perhaps? Also, no mention of legal requirements?
I just googled the max tonque weight for Mercedes Sprinter, it's 500lbs. 2 dirt bikes + carrier are going to be at least 600lbs even without factoring in the lever effect of the extension.
You're not gonna break your carrier, you're going to break that hitch. It's absolutely not the same as its equivalent tongue weight. That thing is a big lever.
I didn’t like the design of available carriers either, hated the torque applied to the tube going into receiver hitch. I added two receivers to the frame rails of my truck giving me a total of three mounting points, to slide my carrier into. Added stability, strength and peace of mind is awesome,
Check out these guys in Michigan. www.shortironfab.com/ I saw them on a different snow plowing channel and they make a Pull-Plow for heavy snow plowing. They also fab receiver hitches with 2 and 3 female 2 inch receivers for mounting the heavy snow plows to the rear of a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. This should quickly eliminate the "rocking and swaying" of the bikes within the receiver you have. Fortunately, you haven't painted yet so just some small updates hopefully. Good luck! ruclips.net/video/BxmPQN-srfk/видео.html
Cody, I love the boxed in ends. When I’m doing a quick and dirty project on the mowers etc and don’t have time for the extra welding/grinding, I just spray foam the insides of all the round/square tube to disallow the building of nests inside them.
Given the tongue weight you’ll be adding take a look at how the guys with large truck campers extend their hitch rearward. You’ll likely find a lot of helpful tips to not only compensate for the weight on the hitch but stabilize it as well
I built my adventure bus about a year ago and this series has shown me a better way to do things I’m going to do some renovations to my bus so thanks for the videos they have been a great help.
Schnot it’s actually probably quite a bit more than a trailer. With those bikes a couple feet out from the hitch that’s a ton of tongue weight on the hitch
Using some quick math assume 250lb bike at 3 ft from bumper and a second 250lb bike at 1.5 feet you end up with 1125lb-ft of STATIC torque. Now take the max trailer weight for a transit van like his of ~7000lb at a properly loaded 15% tongue load on an 8" ball hitch you end up at just under 700lb-ft Static. Not taking into account dynamic loads and rotational torques not experienced with ball towing this will be hell on the trailer hitch.
I agree. The van’s hitch will need some reinforcement with this long of a setup and two bikes. Something will bend or crack in the long run and it’s not going to be the massive carrier. Most basket carriers have max ratings of 500 lbs for a reason. Liability.
physics is not about a weight at a point. It is about a weight at a distance from the point. Once Dynamic loads are introduced this thing could very well damage the Van itself.
Cody not to be that guy but what's the tongue weight capacity on your van you're putting two bikes and that carrier you might have to upgrade two two more support one on either side to distribute the load you might also want to think about putting two heavy duty casters on the outermost point like a motor coach I was a fabricator made a couple of these for a quad just a suggestion I hope it doesn't need it well constructed though
The van most likely has a class 3 hitch good for 1000 lbs hitch weight and 10000 lbs towing, the 2" sq tubing will slowly bend over time, been there done this.
Cabelas used to sell a bracket that slips over the insert and has a bolt to tighten against the bottom of the hitch,it stopped the rattle of an empty trailer being towed. Another option to sake the play out of the hitch is to run a weld bead down each corner of the insert ,then grind to fit snug. Hope this helps.
hey just want to give you a big thank you on the lagun table leg. we've been looking everywhere for a table for are 20' bayliner boat. founded a place here in the U.S. it will be here by the weekend. can't wait to put it in. keep up the good work.
OK OK but with a trailer you could carry the bikes have room for the fresh and gray water tanks. A place for a shower and toilet. And a sleeping area for a teenager. Plus more.
I would agree, there are plenty of over-lander trailers to take inspiration on. If nothing else adding a pair of additional supports off the frame for the bike carrier would give you long term piece of mind. and with how it was designed wouldn't be much work assuming the van has frame rails to the rear bumper.
I'd put some lights on it, and it's best to put the gas tanks as close to the van and as low as possible for good weight distribution. If you have to much weight in the back it will give you problems with traction in the front, especially in high speed corners and on icy roads. Also a roof rack with some work lights front and back and a ladder on the back would be nice.
You are truly blessed with an amazing life and family and the thing that I love about that the most is you recognise that and know just how blessed you are and that makes me wish only good things for you all. It’s the people that don’t realise what they have that really get me.
I'd also recommend a locking, threaded hitch pin. My Thule bike rack came with one and it not only secures your stuff, but it eliminates the wobble you were talking about.
Cody my 2 cents. Your carrier is plenty strong. I would worry about the receiver hitch part on the van. I would extend that more and find a way to give that more cantilever support for all the weight. Remember the weakest part of your build will most likely be the part you didn't build. If you extend the receiver on the van and add another location for another pin you shouldn't have any worries the second pin location would take care of the movement. Ever want to move into production let me know? People are always looking for quality. Great video. -JP
Great piece of kit. Quick thought for you, you could cut some large holes in the Chanels for the bikes, you wouldn’t lose much strength, but it would cut the weight and have the added benefit that it would give water/mud somewhere to drain from. Serious adventures await!
Can you access the back van doors while the bikes are loaded? While I like this carrier, it seems like a small single axel off-road trailer might have been a better solution. Could have even put a fold out tent above the bikes for the kids.
Couple things, Cody. 1: get that hitch reinforced according your Vans site that hitch only handles 750LBS torque with a pull capacity of 10,000. With bikes at Around 250 pounds three feet out you're pushing a static load of 1150LBS then include bumps, ect it will break. 2: GET a hitch rattle bracket to keep that sucker from making loads of noise and reducing stress on your van frame. 3: they sell mounts to your rack neck or fab up something for tail lights and turning signals! That could be a good 300 ticket without them.
Looks good. My wife always said that any thing I build you could park an aircraft carrier on. Looks like that goes for you too!! Thank you for sharing.
I think finding spots to weld 2 more receivers would be the a great idea because you can also use those camping and build yourself some seats you can put on the back for some outside seating
On my bicycle rack, they use a threaded pin, and the attachment it self has a threaded piece welded, or slid in the center of the 2" stock the goes into the receiver. Works really well, and I like it more than the pinch mount systems out there.
Why be bound by convention? Create your own three point hitch, the center would be the normal trailer hitch but the other two would be for your carrier only. I hope the whole assembly is attached to the frame and not the bumper?
Cody nice build, I do have a some suggestions that I would ad if I were building something similar. I would definitely ad some fish plates to where the 2x2 box meets the 2x4 box and to the side of where you bent the 1/8" material up for the bike ramp. It would ad a lot to the structure and wouldn't make it any heavier really.
For the movement on the trailer hitch why not just 2 ratchet straps to hook to parts of the van frame? You can add some tie down points to the receiver portion on the frame you built half way back on the sides to some location on the van. Hope this helps
I built a 35" extended hitch for use when I had my 10' camper on. I pulled a 18' car trailer with it. I used 2" key stock for the extension. I slid the key stock all the way in until it just touched the spare tire. I took some measurements and welded in another 2" piece of steel tubing that the key stock would slide into.(ruffly 12" ahead of the receiver) This takes away some of the strain of down force/bouncing on the stock receiver. I also bought some light chain and turnbuckles for the diagonal forces that would be encountered. I just hooked them into the ends of each side of the stock receiver and the end of the stinger. It's not a "Super Hitch" but it's good enough for who it's for!(:>) Have some way of tying the wheels of the bikes to the rails they set in.(rope, rubber snubbers, rubber rope, pins) Good looking job on it so far, Cody!!!(:>) By the way, I found a REAL bike for ya!!!!(;>) ruclips.net/video/EvL6_CsH90A/видео.html
Might want to add D rings on the back of the rails for a small rear tie down. My dad has a home built bike trailer and we had a case where the rear tire hopped out of the rail once. Look in the bolt bin for small U bolts with no plates. Weld on 4. small strap through the wheel. This looks great! My dad's trailer has one issue. It was built in the 60's with Nash Spindles. Try and go to Advance and look for a wheel bearing! Rebuilding soon with VW Golf spindles I have and setting aside a set of bearings for the next guy.
ok nice build just a bigger tip. Build for the Wheels more of a pocket so 30% of the wheel rolls into the pocket that stabilize your bike right away. Than on each side between both bike rails put under it a 2*4 tube between the 2 rails and cap them off that will prevent any twisting and bending and only add 4lbs per side to the total but also can be used to put jacks under it. In between both rails put down an expanded metal sheet. Also when coating use black powder coating and use a propane heater lamp to bake it on. Works very well and very cheap. Also buy a "HITCH CLAMP" that's what locks with your Hitch itself tight in place. So your Hitch receiver won't wiggle anymore. And run also 2 tail lights to the end with a 4 pin or 7 pin connector for safety. And screw on 2 Ammo boxes in the center at the end so you can store your straps and all which are secured and lockable :-)
Cody I like this carrier made with steel! I think it will last forever and the way you have designed it for your bikes plus the extra stuff that allows more things on the outside of your van! Thank you for sharing this build with us all! 👍👍👍👍👍❤️
Ive been camping with our group for almost 20years. I would highly recommend using a fiberglass backed cabinet or just straight fiberglass around the heater components. All the R.Vs and motorhomes in our group have that feature, some are even metal. Just to futher protect you and your family should something happen. Other then that great job!
I used an old trailer hitch from another vehicle (upside down) and put a receiver in to connect it. Very strong and cheap. I also used a double hitch to raise it. Works great.
I definitely would have used a double receiver set up. My neighbor has been hauling his full dressed Harley on one for years which he built right after the single receiver dropped his old bike on the highway at 55 mph in front of a semi. The ensuing mayhem that was caused was a very bad day, month, year for all involved. Your rack looks great but I would fab up a double for sure.
If you want to cap the front of the 2x2 that goes into your reciever you could use a can of spray foam. And to cut down on weight, on the c channel where the bikes sit, you could torch or cut out with a grinder gaps into it or just drill holes
i would get roto packs. The canisters can integrate together and they have different mounting systems. Im sure youll find something there that could work for you if you were to go that route.
Nice. Wobble problem, put some solid detachable pipes attaching to the bumper and angled up to the carrier, should help alot with that. As for the storage in the middle of the bikes, a basket system does sound great, with some kind of full box closer to the front for locking things up. Go with more of a pin/lock arm locking system for the tires though. Trailer lights. and just for the fun of it, put a flagpole
DANGER WILL ROBINSON!. You need to be careful how much weight you put on the back of that van. Those commercial carriers are light for a reason, and it isn't just cost. Weight that is cantilevered behind the back of the vehicle should be VERY LIMITED because it can destabilize the vehicle. It's not just about having strong springs in the back, you're reducing the weight on the front wheels! What's the maximum tounge weight for that van? Fully loaded, that thing is what.... 800 pounds?
What I did was locate a sneaker boom from a tow truck (the lower portion that extends) it cost me 2800 and it mounted to my frame underneath. The nice thing is when put away (store mode) you cannot tell it's there and serves as really nice crash bar. The other thing it serves well as is I can tow cars and use it to lift heavy objects and has saved my bacon a few times. It has a self contained hydraulic/electric operating system that allows it to lay flat, swivel, and lift up to 30" off the ground. Yes I had to beef up the rear suspension and installed airbags to help but other than that, one of the best things I own for its use. Good luck
Looks good, nice job. Double hitch, lights. I'd have made the carrier in two pieces that interlock. It would have made it easier to handle and you could carry one or two bikes as needed.
Looks good! A couple things: I'd fab a basket with 3 sections, fuel on the outside and a lid with locks (just metal sheet that you can fix a hinge lock). Also, you may want to mount trailer lights to the back since you may be obscuring the view with the bikes.
Looks awesome Cody !! On your 2x2 tube that slides into the receiver you can put tack welds on then grind them down some to give the receiver a tight fit so it won’t be sloppy in the hitch.
I have an idea if you have problems with this single hitch connection in the future. Add two square hitch tubes by welding, spread out to the left and the right of the current hitch tube on the van. Then 2 support bars coming out to support the bikes. If this makes any sense. Just an idea if you find you need more support. Oh, watched the rest of the video where you mention it. Shouldn't have jumped the gun.
How high are the bikes off the ground when loaded? My dad built something similar for a trailer when I was younger, and rather than have a separate ramp, he made one of the angled up portions hinged, with a removable gusset, so it can fold down and be a ramp, and then fold up, connect gusset with a pin and split pin, and be the second upright portion. He had an old XT on there that weighed a ton compared to your bike, and it worked a treat
Looks nice and skookum! Well done. You should drill some weep holes in them closed tubes, just a 1/16" would be fine, but trust me, no matter how good your end caps are, water WILL find it's way into those tubes, so a weep hole in each closed tube is a good idea, IMHO. Cheers!
For my heavy toolbox basket, I drilled a hole in the receiver next to the pin hole, welded a large nut over the hole, and use a bolt through it to keep constant pressure on the inside of receiver. I also use an anti-rattle bracket over the receiver. I'm curious to see what you come up with.
For the stand maybe you could try building a tri-pod or quad-pod on wheels with an single adjustable leg. Give it a nice wide stance to keep it stable, maybe even make it collapsible/held together with cotter pins so you can take it with you.
You should consider cutting holes in the U tube to save weight :) I'd recommend circular holes or triangular with heavily rounded edges for maximum structural rigidity. If you place them strategically they won't compromise the strength at all. Hope this helps!
Could a custom connection at the top of each door hinge be made so a rope could be fastened to the back of the carrier on each side? Seems like it would help with the rocking and enormous stress on the receiver.
You should ad a gusset from the 2" box receiver peice to the 4" rectangular main support. There is a lot of torque being applied to those welds holding those two peices on Your material maybe thick but doesn't mean your welds fully penetrated.
Something I have thought about to take up the slop is to drill a hole in the bottom of the hitch and wield a nut over the hole that way you can put a bolt in the nut to add some pressure to the receiver and keep it from moving.
Looks on the heavy side to me. For keeping bees out of the hitch end, I suggest, expandable foam sprayed in the tube past the hitch bolt hole, then easily drill through the foam for the bolt to go through.
I’m thinking beyond just the bike carrier. First look into putting two more receivers, may involve a custom bumper. Second I would build a flat catch all for when your going without the bikes. Some added space is always appreciated for a cooler or a tote of gear or place to put wet or muddy items after an adventure. Keep the catch all platform low enough to be able to open doors place a piece of faux grass and bam you have a back door patio.
Custom bumper? wow, if you think trailer hitches attach to bumper, you're way behind. Please read all the informed comments, better off without any bumper the way he is building this piece of schitt
That thing will destroy the receiver on tha van.. The amount of static torque on this application is too much for a single receiver.. At least double the anchor points..
Does that Van have a provision for a second tank? You could rig up a pump to a second gas tank under your car and then you don't have as much weight on your trailer hitch. That's a ton of torque on that hitch, I wonder if you could also rig up support from a roof rack system to help with the load and stabilize the carrier.
Super strong build . You may wish to check out a side mount to compliment the main hitch . They really assist from the bikes and mount twisting . Doing a quick search I can't find a picture of a carrier with one . Sort of like a mini receiver hitch off to one side . And don't forget some lights also .
It looks like you will have a lot of weight just on the one mounting point. Is there anyway you can install a 2nd on the back of the van? This would also make it more stable. To reduce the weight of the tracks and ramps you could drill holes in them to make them lighter while still keeping the structure. As for painting would you consider galavanising it as it would be better esp with wet, dirty bikes?
I'm thinking you will need to do some serious upgrades to your hitch, eq 2 more attach points to support all the weigh and will also eliminate the rock and roll situation. You will thank me when, not if, you hit some major pothole or a bump in the road. Peace of mind, priceless!!!
Great video Cody! How did/do you "box off" the ends of your material? I don't weld, want to learn how, and think it would be very interesting to see how you do that. Blessings!
Holy heavy duty Batman! That must weigh a ton! My only comment would be that I hope you set that hitch pin hole as far back as you could so that you were taking advantage of the full length of your receiver to help sturdy it up and add as much mechanical advantage to system to over come the moment that you are creating around hitch. One way I have seen to try and help take some of the slop out of the system is to weld tabs to the outside edges of the receiver hitch on the truck and then attach chains to the outside corners of the carrier with turnbuckles so that you can snug everything up to the hitch pin. This works good with the older style of receiver that was more square as opposed to the newer tube style hitches.
Mr Cody , if you every want to upgrade the bike carrier let me tell you what I seen years ago. It starts with your HITCH. Install two receiver tubes under each conners of your hitch. Then install your fabed rails to the proper size tubing to fit receiver. Looks like this # . You will have NO wobble and it will spread the load to both receiver tubes :)
As miniscule as it may seem, it may not hurt to either weld a small quarter bead or something as a marker on the hitch portion. So when you guys are installing it, you never have to align the hole for the pin. Just install to the line and it is on the money 100% of the time. I use a bed extender for my kayak/boat and marked mine. I never have to guess or fiddle with it. Install up to scribed line and insert pin. Miniscule, but just one less annoyance when loading to go!
Cody, how about adding D ring receivers on to the rear bumper so they line up with the carrier frame. You could then put pins through to deal with the vibration and torque issues. When the carrier isn’t on you could mount D rings for holding safety chains for trailers. Take a look at Chucke2009s channel. He uses them on lots of his projects.
Cody, take it for, i dont know the exact word for it, yellowchromating? Instead of painting it. I build a ramp for my snowmobile and it never rusted and the finish was great! Also, if you have a place nearby it can be an interresting video to show how its done. Also, in my case cheaper than bying paint. Greetings from a warm Sweden!
One thought, Forged eye lifts are very strong and will accept a wide array of strap ends. They can be added about anywhere just by drilling a hole, and bolting it on.. also can be welded on.
Hi mate/sir, I would strap some extra (big ratched) straps to both sides underneath the van. For example the towing hook on the back of the van and another on the other side.. Maybe weld two towing hooks underneeth as far possible to the sides of the van. That will help al lot if you go over a bump/rogue terrain ect. Looking good, keep up de good work/video's!! Salut,Cheers Geerts from holland
Have you considered how all that weight behind the rear wheels will do to your steering of the van? Between the carrier and the two bikes that will be up around 1000 pounds. Good luck with it. I hope it works out to be no problem for you.
About the reciever, I dont know how much the car handles from the torque in the one joint reciever. Mayby a bit theorethical, but putting a swivel joint with one or two torque damper pistons on the reciever, could maybe make those potholes in the road less dangerous.spring supported
One think I like to do when I build hitch attachments like this is weld a 3/4” grade8 nut on the inside of the receiver tube on one side then use a grade 5bolt and lock washer to hold everything snug pulling the tube to one side in your receiver locking it in
More welding on receiver and boxed in portion or bolts with lock nuts. It really depends on your choice. It just doesn’t seem to have enough strength for the weight. Especially the extra force when you hit those holes on the dirt roads.
Depending upon your state highway laws. You will need lighting if it’s going to cover your truck lights. Some states require lighting regardless. Georgia only requires lighting for trailers or any attachments if vehicle lighting is covered.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I share several of the concerns and have some new ones. Way too much mass cantilevered way too far off the van. Probable issues:
1) Chassis damage to van from excess bending moment and/or excess down force (both have to be considered separately).
2) Carrier will break where your hand was at the 2:00 point -- where the bigger rhs welds to the top of the 2" receiver tube. There's a huge stress concentration here.
(Get some dye penetrant spray and crack test here every trip if you use this.)
3) the cantilevered mass may
(i) overload your rear axle and/or tyres
(ii) decrease the load on your front tyres enough to impair control of the van at highway speeds.
(This last point will be made worse again by your proposed water tank location behind the rear axle. This is a bad idea in isolation (heavy loads like water tanks should be in between the axles), but combined with the cantilevered mass of the bike carrier, it may be catastrophic in its destabilising effects.)
4) when it breaks and drops your motorcycles and the carrier onto the road behind you, best case is it is on a quiet trail. If you have other motorists behind you, at speed on the highway, you could kill other people or be responsible for really bad injuries.
5) when this happens you will find your insurance doesn't cover massive overloads nor diy attachments to tow hitches. Neither will the how hitch or the van manufacturer be interested. You could lose your house paying for medical costs for the rest of somebody's life that your diy device crippled when it broke off in front of them.
Hence i strenuously urge you to reconsider. Take your carrier and GET AN ENGINEER INVOLVED to help you redesign it into an off road trailer. Use a treg hitch or similar. Take the trailer and bikes to a base camp and explore from there. The reason nobody made commercially what you wanted is that what you wanted cannot be done safely, and certainly not as a diy project. If it is not safe are you SURE it is something you want to do?
I mean no disrespect in any of this and your fabrication looks great in workmanship. But this is a DEFINITE case where you must have a professional engineer do the design. The loads involved in what you are doing are very large and (as a professional engineer and diy fabricator myself) I would not consider the whole concept feasible. No way would i gamble my house, my life, my family's lives, and the lives of the family behind me on the highway on such a structure. This is not a bicycle carrier here.
Not to mention that the inevitable "accident" will ruin your holiday.
Please reconsider. This is why offroad motorcycle trailers exist.
This is totally the best reply ever and should be at the top of the list. But wait, it's logical, well spoken and has FACTS, so how could that ever happen!
THIS a thousand times this. Especially the part about the weight distribution of your water tanks and this combined.
Its just dodgey. It might be fine, but it could also be "fine" for a few trips then cause some serious damage. Please take the advice here and in other comments and improve the design.
Engineers go to school for 4 years minimum to do this for a living (calculating mass load\ transfer, both static and dynamic etc just to name a few), and it takes a whole team of engineers to get a rack right. And it’ll involve multiple prototypes. Granted, if you just want a one-off and don’t have to produce it cost effectively at scale, it’s a much simpler problem. Leave this to the professionals man.
Not sure what the tongue weight capacity is on your hitch, but that mount, two bikes, two full gas cans, two ramps (presumably made from that same heavy stock) and a junk box, you are getting into some serious weight. Now add in "off road" beating.... This is a little scary. I would agree the double receiver would make much more sense and am sure it could be easily fabricated based on the work you have done so far. Honestly I think you are needing a trailer more than a hitch hauler.
The missing word is ENGINEERING, calculate the weight capacity. Does look heavy duty however. But wait, now he's putting gas cans on there? You are right, needs a trailer the way things are adding up. It's going to change the handling of the vehicle, tires overloaded perhaps? Also, no mention of legal requirements?
see some of the links posted below for that information, very interesting for sure!
I just googled the max tonque weight for Mercedes Sprinter, it's 500lbs. 2 dirt bikes + carrier are going to be at least 600lbs even without factoring in the lever effect of the extension.
You're not gonna break your carrier, you're going to break that hitch. It's absolutely not the same as its equivalent tongue weight. That thing is a big lever.
I didn’t like the design of available carriers either, hated the torque applied to the tube going into receiver hitch. I added two receivers to the frame rails of my truck giving me a total of three mounting points, to slide my carrier into. Added stability, strength and peace of mind is awesome,
Check out these guys in Michigan.
www.shortironfab.com/
I saw them on a different snow plowing channel and they make a Pull-Plow for heavy snow plowing.
They also fab receiver hitches with 2 and 3 female 2 inch receivers for mounting the heavy snow plows to the rear of a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.
This should quickly eliminate the "rocking and swaying" of the bikes within the receiver you have.
Fortunately, you haven't painted yet so just some small updates hopefully.
Good luck!
ruclips.net/video/BxmPQN-srfk/видео.html
Cody, I love the boxed in ends. When I’m doing a quick and dirty project on the mowers etc and don’t have time for the extra welding/grinding, I just spray foam the insides of all the round/square tube to disallow the building of nests inside them.
Given the tongue weight you’ll be adding take a look at how the guys with large truck campers extend their hitch rearward. You’ll likely find a lot of helpful tips to not only compensate for the weight on the hitch but stabilize it as well
I built my adventure bus about a year ago and this series has shown me a better way to do things I’m going to do some renovations to my bus so thanks for the videos they have been a great help.
man, the torque on that trailer hitch must be insane
Schnot it’s actually probably quite a bit more than a trailer. With those bikes a couple feet out from the hitch that’s a ton of tongue weight on the hitch
I have ruined a trailer hitch with a bike carrier like this. I needed to gusset the car's frame at the hitch attachment points
Using some quick math assume 250lb bike at 3 ft from bumper and a second 250lb bike at 1.5 feet you end up with 1125lb-ft of STATIC torque. Now take the max trailer weight for a transit van like his of ~7000lb at a properly loaded 15% tongue load on an 8" ball hitch you end up at just under 700lb-ft Static. Not taking into account dynamic loads and rotational torques not experienced with ball towing this will be hell on the trailer hitch.
I agree. The van’s hitch will need some reinforcement with this long of a setup and two bikes. Something will bend or crack in the long run and it’s not going to be the massive carrier. Most basket carriers have max ratings of 500 lbs for a reason. Liability.
physics is not about a weight at a point. It is about a weight at a distance from the point. Once Dynamic loads are introduced this thing could very well damage the Van itself.
Cody not to be that guy but what's the tongue weight capacity on your van you're putting two bikes and that carrier you might have to upgrade two two more support one on either side to distribute the load you might also want to think about putting two heavy duty casters on the outermost point like a motor coach I was a fabricator made a couple of these for a quad just a suggestion I hope it doesn't need it well constructed though
The van most likely has a class 3 hitch good for 1000 lbs hitch weight and 10000 lbs towing, the 2" sq tubing will slowly bend over time, been there done this.
Hell, I went with a class 3 hitch for a 4 - bike Mountain bike rack.
Class 5 will be more then enough. Class 3 isn't good enough
You are going to need to put trailer lights on it. For brake lights, tail lights and turn signals. The bikes will block the ones on the van.
Thomas Desmond same thing with the license plate
Also the license plate. Another thought on the receiver pin weld a piece of pipe in the hole to close it off and strengthen it.
Dwight Pierce, I had the same thought. Then he could also box in the last opening on the forward end.
Hey yeah i know about this I got a 300 hundred dollar ticket because of my license plate and lights
Cabelas used to sell a bracket that slips over the insert and has a bolt to tighten against the bottom of the hitch,it stopped the rattle of an empty trailer being towed. Another option to sake the play out of the hitch is to run a weld bead down each corner of the insert ,then grind to fit snug. Hope this helps.
hey just want to give you a big thank you on the lagun table leg. we've been looking everywhere for a table for are 20' bayliner boat. founded a place here in the U.S. it will be here by the weekend. can't wait to put it in. keep up the good work.
I'm thinking a small box trailer might have been the better way to go.
Don't want a trailer,
OK OK but with a trailer you could carry the bikes have room for the fresh and gray water tanks. A place for a shower and toilet. And a sleeping area for a teenager. Plus more.
I would agree, there are plenty of over-lander trailers to take inspiration on. If nothing else adding a pair of additional supports off the frame for the bike carrier would give you long term piece of mind. and with how it was designed wouldn't be much work assuming the van has frame rails to the rear bumper.
I'd put some lights on it, and it's best to put the gas tanks as close to the van and as low as possible for good weight distribution. If you have to much weight in the back it will give you problems with traction in the front, especially in high speed corners and on icy roads. Also a roof rack with some work lights front and back and a ladder on the back would be nice.
What’s the hitch receiver tongue weight rating?
You are truly blessed with an amazing life and family and the thing that I love about that the most is you recognise that and know just how blessed you are and that makes me wish only good things for you all.
It’s the people that don’t realise what they have that really get me.
I'd also recommend a locking, threaded hitch pin. My Thule bike rack came with one and it not only secures your stuff, but it eliminates the wobble you were talking about.
Cody my 2 cents. Your carrier is plenty strong. I would worry about the receiver hitch part on the van. I would extend that more and find a way to give that more cantilever support for all the weight. Remember the weakest part of your build will most likely be the part you didn't build. If you extend the receiver on the van and add another location for another pin you shouldn't have any worries the second pin location would take care of the movement. Ever want to move into production let me know? People are always looking for quality. Great video. -JP
Great piece of kit. Quick thought for you, you could cut some large holes in the Chanels for the bikes, you wouldn’t lose much strength, but it would cut the weight and have the added benefit that it would give water/mud somewhere to drain from. Serious adventures await!
Can you access the back van doors while the bikes are loaded? While I like this carrier, it seems like a small single axel off-road trailer might have been a better solution. Could have even put a fold out tent above the bikes for the kids.
Couple things, Cody.
1: get that hitch reinforced according your Vans site that hitch only handles 750LBS torque with a pull capacity of 10,000. With bikes at Around 250 pounds three feet out you're pushing a static load of 1150LBS then include bumps, ect it will break.
2: GET a hitch rattle bracket to keep that sucker from making loads of noise and reducing stress on your van frame.
3: they sell mounts to your rack neck or fab up something for tail lights and turning signals! That could be a good 300 ticket without them.
Looks good. My wife always said that any thing I build you could park an aircraft carrier on. Looks like that goes for you too!! Thank you for sharing.
I think finding spots to weld 2 more receivers would be the a great idea because you can also use those camping and build yourself some seats you can put on the back for some outside seating
On my bicycle rack, they use a threaded pin, and the attachment it self has a threaded piece welded, or slid in the center of the 2" stock the goes into the receiver. Works really well, and I like it more than the pinch mount systems out there.
Why be bound by convention? Create your own three point hitch, the center would be the normal trailer hitch but the other two would be for your carrier only. I hope the whole assembly is attached to the frame and not the bumper?
Cody nice build, I do have a some suggestions that I would ad if I were building something similar. I would definitely ad some fish plates to where the 2x2 box meets the 2x4 box and to the side of where you bent the 1/8" material up for the bike ramp. It would ad a lot to the structure and wouldn't make it any heavier really.
Is that a new fire fighting pump/sprayer I see in the back ground from about 3:04
For the movement on the trailer hitch why not just 2 ratchet straps to hook to parts of the van frame? You can add some tie down points to the receiver portion on the frame you built half way back on the sides to some location on the van. Hope this helps
I built a 35" extended hitch for use when I had my 10' camper on. I pulled a 18' car trailer with it. I used 2" key stock for the extension. I slid the key stock all the way in until it just touched the spare tire. I took some measurements and welded in another 2" piece of steel tubing that the key stock would slide into.(ruffly 12" ahead of the receiver) This takes away some of the strain of down force/bouncing on the stock receiver.
I also bought some light chain and turnbuckles for the diagonal forces that would be encountered. I just hooked them into the ends of each side of the stock receiver and the end of the stinger. It's not a "Super Hitch" but it's good enough for who it's for!(:>)
Have some way of tying the wheels of the bikes to the rails they set in.(rope, rubber snubbers, rubber rope, pins) Good looking job on it so far, Cody!!!(:>) By the way, I found a REAL bike for ya!!!!(;>) ruclips.net/video/EvL6_CsH90A/видео.html
Would using Rotopax containers for the gas be a better option? They have all sorts of locking mounts to keep your containers safe.
Might want to add D rings on the back of the rails for a small rear tie down. My dad has a home built bike trailer and we had a case where the rear tire hopped out of the rail once. Look in the bolt bin for small U bolts with no plates. Weld on 4. small strap through the wheel.
This looks great! My dad's trailer has one issue. It was built in the 60's with Nash Spindles. Try and go to Advance and look for a wheel bearing! Rebuilding soon with VW Golf spindles I have and setting aside a set of bearings for the next guy.
ok nice build just a bigger tip. Build for the Wheels more of a pocket so 30% of the wheel rolls into the pocket that stabilize your bike right away. Than on each side between both bike rails put under it a 2*4 tube between the 2 rails and cap them off that will prevent any twisting and bending and only add 4lbs per side to the total but also can be used to put jacks under it. In between both rails put down an expanded metal sheet. Also when coating use black powder coating and use a propane heater lamp to bake it on. Works very well and very cheap. Also buy a "HITCH CLAMP" that's what locks with your Hitch itself tight in place. So your Hitch receiver won't wiggle anymore. And run also 2 tail lights to the end with a 4 pin or 7 pin connector for safety. And screw on 2 Ammo boxes in the center at the end so you can store your straps and all which are secured and lockable :-)
great work on the fabrication, keeping the flat bar straight with all that welding takes allot of good preperation and patience.
Really enjoying the van build. Keep it coming.
Cody I like this carrier made with steel! I think it will last forever and the way you have designed it for your bikes plus the extra stuff that allows more things on the outside of your van! Thank you for sharing this build with us all! 👍👍👍👍👍❤️
The van is turning out great!
Ive been camping with our group for almost 20years. I would highly recommend using a fiberglass backed cabinet or just straight fiberglass around the heater components. All the R.Vs and motorhomes in our group have that feature, some are even metal. Just to futher protect you and your family should something happen. Other then that great job!
I used an old trailer hitch from another vehicle (upside down) and put a receiver in to connect it. Very strong and cheap. I also used a double hitch to raise it. Works great.
I definitely would have used a double receiver set up. My neighbor has been hauling his full dressed Harley on one for years which he built right after the single receiver dropped his old bike on the highway at 55 mph in front of a semi. The ensuing mayhem that was caused was a very bad day, month, year for all involved. Your rack looks great but I would fab up a double for sure.
If you want to cap the front of the 2x2 that goes into your reciever you could use a can of spray foam. And to cut down on weight, on the c channel where the bikes sit, you could torch or cut out with a grinder gaps into it or just drill holes
Nice porosity in the weld holding the 2 inch square tubing to the frame
i would get roto packs. The canisters can integrate together and they have different mounting systems. Im sure youll find something there that could work for you if you were to go that route.
Nice. Wobble problem, put some solid detachable pipes attaching to the bumper and angled up to the carrier, should help alot with that. As for the storage in the middle of the bikes, a basket system does sound great, with some kind of full box closer to the front for locking things up. Go with more of a pin/lock arm locking system for the tires though. Trailer lights. and just for the fun of it, put a flagpole
DANGER WILL ROBINSON!. You need to be careful how much weight you put on the back of that van. Those commercial carriers are light for a reason, and it isn't just cost. Weight that is cantilevered behind the back of the vehicle should be VERY LIMITED because it can destabilize the vehicle. It's not just about having strong springs in the back, you're reducing the weight on the front wheels! What's the maximum tounge weight for that van? Fully loaded, that thing is what.... 800 pounds?
Might I suggest an alternative? Up in Olympia, there is a company making some wonderful aluminum cargo trailers. (Aluma.com). Look into one of those.
See saw down the road
What I did was locate a sneaker boom from a tow truck (the lower portion that extends) it cost me 2800 and it mounted to my frame underneath. The nice thing is when put away (store mode) you cannot tell it's there and serves as really nice crash bar. The other thing it serves well as is I can tow cars and use it to lift heavy objects and has saved my bacon a few times. It has a self contained hydraulic/electric operating system that allows it to lay flat, swivel, and lift up to 30" off the ground. Yes I had to beef up the rear suspension and installed airbags to help but other than that, one of the best things I own for its use. Good luck
Looks good, nice job.
Double hitch, lights.
I'd have made the carrier in two pieces that interlock. It would have made it easier to handle and you could carry one or two bikes as needed.
Where the 2x2 hitch mounts to the carrier @1:32 I would weld on a diamond shaped piece of steel.
Hitch tongue weight rating ??
I used turn buckles on both sides of the bike rack that go to chain links welded to the hitch bumper thing to prevent it from shaking around.
Looks great! Check out the canyon dancer system if you haven't already. Awesome way to tie down the front end of a bike
Looks good! A couple things: I'd fab a basket with 3 sections, fuel on the outside and a lid with locks (just metal sheet that you can fix a hinge lock). Also, you may want to mount trailer lights to the back since you may be obscuring the view with the bikes.
Looks awesome Cody !! On your 2x2 tube that slides into the receiver you can put tack welds on then grind them down some to give the receiver a tight fit so it won’t be sloppy in the hitch.
I like what you made, before I got my pickup to carry my bike around I made my own carrier for the same reasons you did. Nice work!
Buy a plastic hula hoop and hang a curtain from it then just prop it up on the roof and open door when you shower 😊
And an industrial rubber mat to stand on.
Kevin Hornbuckle perfect!
I have an idea if you have problems with this single hitch connection in the future.
Add two square hitch tubes by welding, spread out to the left and the right of the current hitch tube on the van. Then 2 support bars coming out to support the bikes. If this makes any sense.
Just an idea if you find you need more support.
Oh, watched the rest of the video where you mention it. Shouldn't have jumped the gun.
dpeagles i thought about that instantly.
yep 2 receivers is the only way to go with this idea better yet just tow a trailer with the bikes seriously less trouble
yes!
How high are the bikes off the ground when loaded? My dad built something similar for a trailer when I was younger, and rather than have a separate ramp, he made one of the angled up portions hinged, with a removable gusset, so it can fold down and be a ramp, and then fold up, connect gusset with a pin and split pin, and be the second upright portion. He had an old XT on there that weighed a ton compared to your bike, and it worked a treat
Very nicely designed, built and welded.
Looks nice and skookum!
Well done.
You should drill some weep holes in them closed tubes, just a 1/16" would be fine, but trust me, no matter how good your end caps are, water WILL find it's way into those tubes, so a weep hole in each closed tube is a good idea, IMHO.
Cheers!
The Tokyo Craftsman SKOOKUM!!! when the way ppl describe my work is over engineered and zombie apocalypse spec it gives me the FIZZ 👍😀
I agree I also made a comment right after I watched that some drain holes would be a great addition
I would of installed a 2 inch receiver hitch on the front of the van and have a single bike carrier on the rear and one on the front.
I have one on my 2017 Toyota Tundra 4x4 and put a 300 pound Yamaha TW-200 and a 100 pound carrier on the front when I tow my pop up tent trailer.
For my heavy toolbox basket, I drilled a hole in the receiver next to the pin hole, welded a large nut over the hole, and use a bolt through it to keep constant pressure on the inside of receiver. I also use an anti-rattle bracket over the receiver.
I'm curious to see what you come up with.
For the stand maybe you could try building a tri-pod or quad-pod on wheels with an single adjustable leg. Give it a nice wide stance to keep it stable, maybe even make it collapsible/held together with cotter pins so you can take it with you.
You said it already, make a second mount point to relieve the single point stresses.
Great video, curious to see if there is a follow up video for this?
Thanks
You should consider cutting holes in the U tube to save weight :) I'd recommend circular holes or triangular with heavily rounded edges for maximum structural rigidity. If you place them strategically they won't compromise the strength at all. Hope this helps!
Could a custom connection at the top of each door hinge be made so a rope could be fastened to the back of the carrier on each side? Seems like it would help with the rocking and enormous stress on the receiver.
You should ad a gusset from the 2" box receiver peice to the 4" rectangular main support. There is a lot of torque being applied to those welds holding those two peices on Your material maybe thick but doesn't mean your welds fully penetrated.
Something I have thought about to take up the slop is to drill a hole in the bottom of the hitch and wield a nut over the hole that way you can put a bolt in the nut to add some pressure to the receiver and keep it from moving.
Looks on the heavy side to me. For keeping bees out of the hitch end, I suggest, expandable foam sprayed in the tube past the hitch bolt hole, then easily drill through the foam for the bolt to go through.
You can get that width and gauge channel, did your supplier not have anything on hand?
I’m thinking beyond just the bike carrier. First look into putting two more receivers, may involve a custom bumper. Second I would build a flat catch all for when your going without the bikes. Some added space is always appreciated for a cooler or a tote of gear or place to put wet or muddy items after an adventure. Keep the catch all platform low enough to be able to open doors place a piece of faux grass and bam you have a back door patio.
Custom bumper? wow, if you think trailer hitches attach to bumper, you're way behind. Please read all the informed comments, better off without any bumper the way he is building this piece of schitt
Harley04 take it easy turbo......I understand how bumpers/receivers work.
That thing will destroy the receiver on tha van.. The amount of static torque on this application is too much for a single receiver.. At least double the anchor points..
Does that Van have a provision for a second tank? You could rig up a pump to a second gas tank under your car and then you don't have as much weight on your trailer hitch. That's a ton of torque on that hitch, I wonder if you could also rig up support from a roof rack system to help with the load and stabilize the carrier.
great build! an idea for a durable paint, maybe try some bedliner like the raptor spray on stuff
Super strong build . You may wish to check out a side mount to compliment the main hitch . They really assist from the bikes and mount twisting . Doing a quick search I can't find a picture of a carrier with one . Sort of like a mini receiver hitch off to one side . And don't forget some lights also .
It looks like you will have a lot of weight just on the one mounting point. Is there anyway you can install a 2nd on the back of the van? This would also make it more stable. To reduce the weight of the tracks and ramps you could drill holes in them to make them lighter while still keeping the structure. As for painting would you consider galavanising it as it would be better esp with wet, dirty bikes?
I'm thinking you will need to do some serious upgrades to your hitch, eq 2 more attach points to support all the weigh and will also eliminate the rock and roll situation. You will thank me when, not if, you hit some major pothole or a bump in the road. Peace of mind, priceless!!!
Very Nice Video - Thank you for sharing!
Great video Cody!
How did/do you "box off" the ends of your material? I don't weld, want to learn how, and think it would be very interesting to see how you do that.
Blessings!
Have you considered cutting holes in certain spots to lighten the rig?
Holy heavy duty Batman! That must weigh a ton! My only comment would be that I hope you set that hitch pin hole as far back as you could so that you were taking advantage of the full length of your receiver to help sturdy it up and add as much mechanical advantage to system to over come the moment that you are creating around hitch.
One way I have seen to try and help take some of the slop out of the system is to weld tabs to the outside edges of the receiver hitch on the truck and then attach chains to the outside corners of the carrier with turnbuckles so that you can snug everything up to the hitch pin. This works good with the older style of receiver that was more square as opposed to the newer tube style hitches.
Mr Cody , if you every want to upgrade the bike carrier let me tell you what I seen years ago. It starts with your HITCH. Install two receiver tubes under each conners of your hitch. Then install your fabed rails to the proper size tubing to fit receiver. Looks like this # . You will have NO wobble and it will spread the load to both receiver tubes :)
As miniscule as it may seem, it may not hurt to either weld a small quarter bead or something as a marker on the hitch portion. So when you guys are installing it, you never have to align the hole for the pin. Just install to the line and it is on the money 100% of the time. I use a bed extender for my kayak/boat and marked mine. I never have to guess or fiddle with it. Install up to scribed line and insert pin. Miniscule, but just one less annoyance when loading to go!
Cody, how about adding D ring receivers on to the rear bumper so they line up with the carrier frame. You could then put pins through to deal with the vibration and torque issues. When the carrier isn’t on you could mount D rings for holding safety chains for trailers. Take a look at Chucke2009s channel. He uses them on lots of his projects.
Cody, take it for, i dont know the exact word for it, yellowchromating? Instead of painting it.
I build a ramp for my snowmobile and it never rusted and the finish was great!
Also, if you have a place nearby it can be an interresting video to show how its done. Also, in my case cheaper than bying paint.
Greetings from a warm Sweden!
One thought, Forged eye lifts are very strong and will accept a wide array of strap ends. They can be added about anywhere just by drilling a hole, and bolting it on.. also can be welded on.
Just curious if you considered c channel for the wheel rails.
what about running some straps up to the top of the van from the carrier to help carry the load and limit the torquing?
you sir sure did a fine job. very nice
Hi Wranglerstar, once you've finished your going to have one awesome adventure van!!! Cheers
Hi mate/sir,
I would strap some extra (big ratched) straps to both sides underneath the van. For example the towing hook on the back of the van and another on the other side.. Maybe weld two towing hooks underneeth as far possible to the sides of the van. That will help al lot if you go over a bump/rogue terrain ect.
Looking good, keep up de good work/video's!!
Salut,Cheers
Geerts from holland
That looks really well-built. Good job.
Have you considered how all that weight behind the rear wheels will do to your steering of the van? Between the carrier and the two bikes that will be up around 1000 pounds. Good luck with it. I hope it works out to be no problem for you.
Can you mount some bracket to the bumper for stablizers?
Great design. Quality as usual
An Oxford hitch stabilizer might help the sloppy hitch. What weight is you receiver hitch rated for?
About the reciever, I dont know how much the car handles from the torque in the one joint reciever. Mayby a bit theorethical, but putting a swivel joint with one or two torque damper pistons on the reciever, could maybe make those potholes in the road less dangerous.spring supported
One think I like to do when I build hitch attachments like this is weld a 3/4” grade8 nut on the inside of the receiver tube on one side then use a grade 5bolt and lock washer to hold everything snug pulling the tube to one side in your receiver locking it in
This takes place of the sloppy hitch pins
Curious as to why you didn’t go with a C-channel for the tracks?
Good stuff Cody! Got a question. Hows the ram pump doing? Still going strong?
three hitches and yur gold.... great job someone had a good odea one on front and one on back
More welding on receiver and boxed in portion or bolts with lock nuts. It really depends on your choice. It just doesn’t seem to have enough strength for the weight. Especially the extra force when you hit those holes on the dirt roads.
Depending upon your state highway laws. You will need lighting if it’s going to cover your truck lights. Some states require lighting regardless. Georgia only requires lighting for trailers or any attachments if vehicle lighting is covered.