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Hitch Carry

lwrydr

lwrydr

New member
Has anyone aquired a contraption that hooks to the hitch to carry stuff? I found one and after a few mods I think it will work real well.
 
I used one on a trip through your great state and into Canada. On my return the US Customs Agent voiced his displeasure with the fact that my license plate was not visible. I also used it on a trip from Las Vegas to Florida and back and I will say that my Spyder handles better with my trailer behind it then it did with a big box on the hitch.
 
you mean like this?
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Many do...!!

we have sponsors making them and prototypes as well. I would think it is a bit awkward putting weight out there like that but it seems to work for many...:dontknow:
 
I think the balance is critical on a carrier. Too far back and loaded too heavily will put too much stress on the area where the ball attaches. The design that we will finally settle on will move the contents forward. I am not seeing eye to eye with the metal guy that is wanting to build them with me and I may have to go it alone. I will make a provision for a license plate holder, including a lighting system. If it works the way I plan, the wiring will be pre-run in the tubing before being bent. Then, attaching lights and giving the unit a clean, uncluttered look will make it very attractive.
I think your design looks good and I am glad it works for you!
 
I used to have a "hitch/haul" on a previous GL. It was great for a medium size cooler. As with anything you are dragging along, the lighter it is, the better you'll like it. The aluminum framed carrier shown in earlier reply looks pretty sweet !
 
Anything you put back there will not have the smoothness of the Spyder's suspension and will bounce up and down with the back wheel. This motion will actually be amplified because as the wheel moves up and down over a 2" bump, the hitch ball is out on an arm at the opposite end of the hinge point so the ball may move up and down 4". Then your carry attachment is even further back and the rear end of it may move 6" as the Spyder goes over this 2" bump. My numbers are for illustration only and may not actually be accurate but should be relative. A well secured box with just clothing or such may be OK.

I was reminded of this when I pulled my cargo trailer for the first time. It had simple hooks for the chains and within the first 1/2 mile from home on the city streets I had a motorists signal to me I had a trailer problem. I stopped and both chains had jumped out of the Spyder's hitch and were dragging the ground.

I replaced the open hooks with hardware store type carbineers that you can screw tight and even using a wrench they would rattle loose and come off. I finally used some snap-on hooks and they have stayed on.

That ball on the hitch sees every ripple and pothole in the road - amplified. The relatively long tongue of the trailer smooths out most of the hitch movement and makes it more of a slight rocking motion back in the cargo/camper area.

Charles
 
WA5VHU said:
Anything you put back there will not have the smoothness of the Spyder's suspension and will bounce up and down with the back wheel. This motion will actually be amplified because as the wheel moves up and down over a 2" bump, the hitch ball is out on an arm at the opposite end of the hinge point so the ball may move up and down 4". Then your carry attachment is even further back and the rear end of it may move 6" as the Spyder goes over this 2" bump. My numbers are for illustration only and may not actually be accurate but should be relative. A well secured box with just clothing or such may be OK.

I was reminded of this when I pulled my cargo trailer for the first time. It had simple hooks for the chains and within the first 1/2 mile from home on the city streets I had a motorists signal to me I had a trailer problem. I stopped and both chains had jumped out of the Spyder's hitch and were dragging the ground.

I replaced the open hooks with hardware store type carbineers that you can screw tight and even using a wrench they would rattle loose and come off. I finally used some snap-on hooks and they have stayed on.

That ball on the hitch sees every ripple and pothole in the road - amplified. The relatively long tongue of the trailer smooths out most of the hitch movement and makes it more of a slight rocking motion back in the cargo/camper area.

Charles
Click to expand...

Good point Charles, I almost forgot about that side effect. I had some granola bars that were turned into cereal from all the banging around.
 
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Very true that there is no suspension working off of the trailer hitch. I have a funny story about our initial testing. We rode a 400 mile trip when I first fabricated the rack shown. We carried some water and a container of heavy whipping cream (for my coffee) in a cooler. When we got to our destination, I got the cream out and found it had nicely chunked up and was closely resembling the beginnings of butter! Pictured here riding the Dragon last year, we really liked having the extender. All we used on it was clothing due to the lack of suspension. This freed up so much space in the frunk, top, and both side cases we were able to carry a laptop, Kindles, and several other sensitive components that for us we consider comfort when on the road. Plenty of room for a 3 day weekend.
I am planning a suspension unit that will be able to have the stiffness adjusted based upon what will be carried and it's weight.
 

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Looks like a great deal of unsprung weight overhanging way past the contact with the road surface. I'm thinking it could be rather detrimental to the handling of the vehicle. Not to mention putting undue stress on the swing-arm bushings. I am a firm believer in having as little unsprung weight as possible and sprung weight as low and as balanced as possible.

So, there ye have it.
 
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I went to a lot to trouble fashioning a sturdy (at least I thought it was) box to my hitch for the trip to Springfield last spring.
It did not work out at all. The intense vibration caused the box to crack by the time I got there, and soon it was virtually falling apart. I did not dare put anything of value. A few cloth items.

If I use it again, I'll find a suitable soft bag that won't be affected by vibration.
 
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