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Can you carry a small moped or electric bike on the tow hook,

Dell

Dell

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170
Location
Gibraltar
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204 4 motion
Hi there, Does anyone help. Can you carry a small moped or electric bike on the tow hook, I have seen many on the net but because of the type of swan neck they seem to be cutting the option. The flange bolt type is usually better.
 
Hi there, Does anyone help. Can you carry a small moped or electric bike on the tow hook, I have seen many on the net but because of the type of swan neck they seem to be cutting the option. The flange bolt type is usually better.
Bicycles upto a combined weight of about 45-50 Kgms + the weight of the Towbar rack, no problem. The Westfalia detachable tow ball can support 60kgm in supported weight, no problem.
I carry 2 e-bikes with removable batteries without any problem.

Most towbars have a nose-weight which relates to trailer/caravans being towed, and an unsupported weight, eg Towbar bike rack, . In the case of the Westfalia VW rack it is 100kgm - 60kgm, respectively.

NB: a fixed flange type tow ball MAY not have higher weight allowances, so check.

Mopeds - it really depends on the weight of moped and rack.
 
Might be useful
 
Hi there, Does anyone help. Can you carry a small moped or electric bike on the tow hook, I have seen many on the net but because of the type of swan neck they seem to be cutting the option. The flange bolt type is usually better.
Lots of people carry electric bikes .. me included. You just need to make sure you have a suitable bike rack, especially if your electric bike is heavy. You also need to make sure that the boot lid will still open with the bike rack in position.
I have bought the Atera Genio Pro https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/r...ikes_no_022780/Qx@w,6M42VAwp3@Rb{~cC4ure_QXhD
which is designed especially for carrying heavy bikes.
The boot will still open with this bike rack installed.
There may well be other suitable bike carriers and there are lots of threads to explore on the forum, where you might get some other suggestions.
I am sure someone will come back re scooters, motorbikes etc.
Good luck.
 
Bicycles upto a combined weight of about 45-50 Kgms + the weight of the Towbar rack, no problem. The Westfalia detachable tow ball can support 60kgm in supported weight, no problem.
I carry 2 e-bikes with removable batteries without any problem.

Most towbars have a nose-weight which relates to trailer/caravans being towed, and an unsupported weight, eg Towbar bike rack, . In the case of the Westfalia VW rack it is 100kgm - 60kgm, respectively.

NB: a fixed flange type tow ball MAY not have higher weight allowances, so check.

Mopeds - it really depends on the weight of moped and rack.
Thanks for the info, yes the tow ball nose weight is 100kgs and the bike is short of 125Kg, I guess I’d have to look and see what is there in the market that goes under 100kgs.
 
Thanks for the info, yes the tow ball nose weight is 100kgs and the bike is short of 125Kg, I guess I’d have to look and see what is there in the market that goes under 100kgs.
What about a collapsible trailer that you can fit in the boot?
 
What about a collapsible trailer that you can fit in the boot?
Yes this would be a good solution but I wanted to avoid extra tolls on European motorways.
 
because of the type of swan neck they seem to be cutting the option. The flange bolt type is usually better.
You can buy a flange bolt adapter to fix to a swan neck tow hook. About £60 from the usual internet sites.
 
You can buy a flange bolt adapter to fix to a swan neck tow hook. About £60 from the usual internet sites.
Hi yes thanks I have looked at that and it seems i am back on weight restriction as I can bolt a Dave Cooper bike rack onto the flange but might be over doing I get it on the extra 20 kilos. The 125cc bike is 120Kgs approx and nose weight is 100kgs.
I am trying to find an electric moped as these might weigh less.
 
Lots of people carry electric bikes .. me included. You just need to make sure you have a suitable bike rack, especially if your electric bike is heavy. You also need to make sure that the boot lid will still open with the bike rack in position.
I have bought the Atera Genio Pro https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/atera_genio_pro_folding_bike_carrier_2_bikes_no_022780/Qx@w,6M42VAwp3@Rb{~cC4ure_QXhD
which is designed especially for carrying heavy bikes.
The boot will still open with this bike rack installed.
There may well be other suitable bike carriers and there are lots of threads to explore on the forum, where you might get some other suggestions.
I am sure someone will come back re scooters, motorbikes etc.
Good luck.
Yes it is a good idea but these are designed to carry electric push bikes and I would like to get an electric moped as a125cc would probably be too much on the ball.
 
Copy of an earlier post.
As the trailer is rigidly fixed (laterally), some countries regard this as being integral with the towing vehicle.


I have a motorbike weighing 105kg and I have both a tow bar mounted carrier and a "castor wheel " carrier, both used with my previous motor home. If you do the maths using the principle of levers round the fulcrum of the rear wheels of your van with a normal load in place, you will be able to determine if the load is within acceptable limits. With my previous motor home, depending on load carried, sometimes it was and sometimes it was not. I bought the tow bar mounted rack first, then found (by being put on a weighbridge) that I was overloading the rear wheels when in full long term holiday trim. I think it unlikely that the tow bar mounted rack will work with the Cali. In any case, do you want to open the tailgate? In my view a trailer would be a better bet, but it does have some disadvantages, especially if your reversing skills are limited.
The attached pic is of my "swivel wheel" trailer which is a Hydra Trail Easy Lifter.
PA110002.JPG
 
Yes this would be a good solution but I wanted to avoid extra tolls on European motorways.
I think it may be possible to find a trailer hitch for up to 140kg. Then you need a moped carrier platform that doesn't weight more than 15kg, which is unlikely. Even if you find it , you'll be almost certainly overweight on the rear axle, unless you have upgraded suspensions and wheels and re-registered with higher rear axle lmax load. The only other solution to carry a 125kg moped is to have a platform attached to the chassis. Doable, but expensive and non reversible.

It would be way cheaper to pay a little more on the motorway for a trailer.
 
Might be useful
Hi there, thanks I have looked and contacted Dave Cooper on the motorcycles racks they do ones for flange type tow bars and I can get a ball conversion to flange the only thing now is trying to get a lightweight bike to go on as the 125cc I have is over the top by 20kgs.
 
Copy of an earlier post.
As the trailer is rigidly fixed (laterally), some countries regard this as being integral with the towing vehicle.


I have a motorbike weighing 105kg and I have both a tow bar mounted carrier and a "castor wheel " carrier, both used with my previous motor home. If you do the maths using the principle of levers round the fulcrum of the rear wheels of your van with a normal load in place, you will be able to determine if the load is within acceptable limits. With my previous motor home, depending on load carried, sometimes it was and sometimes it was not. I bought the tow bar mounted rack first, then found (by being put on a weighbridge) that I was overloading the rear wheels when in full long term holiday trim. I think it unlikely that the tow bar mounted rack will work with the Cali. In any case, do you want to open the tailgate? In my view a trailer would be a better bet, but it does have some disadvantages, especially if your reversing skills are limited.
The attached pic is of my "swivel wheel" trailer which is a Hydra Trail Easy Lifter.
PA110002.JPG
will still need to pay extra on motorways
 
I think it may be possible to find a trailer hitch for up to 140kg. Then you need a moped carrier platform that doesn't weight more than 15kg, which is unlikely. Even if you find it , you'll be almost certainly overweight on the rear axle, unless you have upgraded suspensions and wheels and re-registered with higher rear axle lmax load. The only other solution to carry a 125kg moped is to have a platform attached to the chassis. Doable, but expensive and non reversible.

It would be way cheaper to pay a little more on the motorway for a trailer.
Thanks, it seems the only way.
 
Lots of people carry electric bikes .. me included. You just need to make sure you have a suitable bike rack, especially if your electric bike is heavy. You also need to make sure that the boot lid will still open with the bike rack in position.
I have bought the Atera Genio Pro https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/atera_genio_pro_folding_bike_carrier_2_bikes_no_022780/Qx@w,6M42VAwp3@Rb{~cC4ure_QXhD
which is designed especially for carrying heavy bikes.
The boot will still open with this bike rack installed.
There may well be other suitable bike carriers and there are lots of threads to explore on the forum, where you might get some other suggestions.
I am sure someone will come back re scooters, motorbikes etc.
Good luck.
We have a Westfalia removable tow bar fitted to a California T6. Two electric bikes have a total weight without batteries of 43 kg and the Atera Genio Pro weighs in at either 19.6 kg or 21.4 kg depending on where you look for the information (the booklet says 21.4 website 19.6) This makes a total max of 64.4 kg. Is this too near the load carrying capacity of the tow bar? I have looked in the van booklet but not clear whether it is 60 kg or higher - I assume 60 kg
 
Bicycles upto a combined weight of about 45-50 Kgms + the weight of the Towbar rack, no problem. The Westfalia detachable tow ball can support 60kgm in supported weight, no problem.
I carry 2 e-bikes with removable batteries without any problem.

Most towbars have a nose-weight which relates to trailer/caravans being towed, and an unsupported weight, eg Towbar bike rack, . In the case of the Westfalia VW rack it is 100kgm - 60kgm, respectively.

NB: a fixed flange type tow ball MAY not have higher weight allowances, so check.

Mopeds - it really depends on the weight of moped and rack.
We have a Westfalia removable tow bar fitted to a California T6. Two electric bikes have a total weight without batteries of 43 kg and the Atera Genio Pro weighs in at either 19.6 kg or 21.4 kg depending on where you look for the information (the booklet says 21.4 website 19.6) This makes a total max of 64.4 kg. Is this too near the load carrying capacity of the tow bar? I have looked in the van booklet but not clear whether it is 60 kg or higher - I assume 60 kg
 
Weights quoted above are static weights. Hit the big bomb hole on the motor way at 70mph and you’ll see much higher spike loads when the bike rack g’s out.
 
Weights quoted above are static weights. Hit the big bomb hole on the motor way at 70mph and you’ll see much higher spike loads when the bike rack g’s out.
Correct, and I would have thought such dynamic loading was taken into account, but you have to start somewhere. If VW, Westfalia and the Bike Rack manufacturer only give Static Loading figures then I would expect a % lee way built in for dynamic real world figures.
 
We have a Westfalia removable tow bar fitted to a California T6. Two electric bikes have a total weight without batteries of 43 kg and the Atera Genio Pro weighs in at either 19.6 kg or 21.4 kg depending on where you look for the information (the booklet says 21.4 website 19.6) This makes a total max of 64.4 kg. Is this too near the load carrying capacity of the tow bar? I have looked in the van booklet but not clear whether it is 60 kg or higher - I assume 60 kg
I’ve just looked into this in more detail. I don’t know where I got the 60kgm nose weight from.
VW only states a maximum vertical load weight on the factory fitted Westfalia detachable tow bar of 100 Kgm.

Extract from 2014 Handbook

418958BA-909D-4DA5-ACFE-FA3C12DAC235.jpeg
I can find nothing in the vehicle registration documents or on the Towbar itself to counter this 100kgm Drawbar Load limit.

However the Altera Genie Pro Bicycle Rack has a weight limit of 60kgm total and 30 Kgm/bicycle.

Therefore using maximum bicycle weights 60 Kgm + Bike Rack weight of 19.6kgm
making 79.6kgm is well within the factory fit towbar Drawbar Load rating.
 
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