Anne Daynes
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Ok but how many vans could take a motorcycle rack and tow a boat ???? none that I can think of
motor scooter rack
- Thread starter barrybd
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steco1958
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There are lots of people that have a Motorhome, motorbike/scooter, and tow a boat. have a look next time your anywhere near the coast.
I trail mine to Spain with that setup each year also, and no its not overloaded
barrybd
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steco1958
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Barry, what is your email address I will send you that excel file, it tells you all you need to know.
Steve
Teutone
Guest
I also have a scooter 130kg heavy. Couldn't find a scooter rack which suited my needs, so I made one myself. (can fold it up to save space when parking)
Don't underestimate the loading on the rear axle! The first thing I had to replace where the cheap china tyres the PO had fitted to the MH. 50miles out of the Eurotunnel, one tyre decided to be the shape of a 50 pence piece. Bought 4 new Conti Vanco tyres and they hold up fine. They don't even get very warm.
Make sure your tyre pressure is ALWAYS spot on!
I can only second what others said, buy a decent scooter with enough power! We have a Piaggo Carnaby 125 which has large wheels (I just don't like the ride of the others) and was very happy with it managing the traffic in the south of France with the both of us riding it and some shopping.
Watch out for scooters without a platform where your legs are. Some newer models have the frame going through the middle and with this you loose a very versatile loading space! There is a lot you can carry stored between your legs, even a plastic water canister of 20 liters for topping up the MH.
Don't underestimate the loading on the rear axle! The first thing I had to replace where the cheap china tyres the PO had fitted to the MH. 50miles out of the Eurotunnel, one tyre decided to be the shape of a 50 pence piece. Bought 4 new Conti Vanco tyres and they hold up fine. They don't even get very warm.
Make sure your tyre pressure is ALWAYS spot on!
I can only second what others said, buy a decent scooter with enough power! We have a Piaggo Carnaby 125 which has large wheels (I just don't like the ride of the others) and was very happy with it managing the traffic in the south of France with the both of us riding it and some shopping.
Watch out for scooters without a platform where your legs are. Some newer models have the frame going through the middle and with this you loose a very versatile loading space! There is a lot you can carry stored between your legs, even a plastic water canister of 20 liters for topping up the MH.
barrybd
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shepherdbarrybd@aol.com thank you
barrybd
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thanks
donkey too
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anyone know where I can get one of the castor units like they use on that thing????
steco1958
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Anne Daynes
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A lot of Scooter racks bolt on to towing brackets and a lot of the brackets have a manufacturers weight limit of 95 to 110 kg and for them that is for the rack and the Scooter so some care needed to what you are putting where and how , as I understand it , and the caster type is a way of still taking a bike or scooter for any one that is up on their axle weights as a lot of MH's are
Teutone
Guest
In terms of weight on the rear axle, that rack with the swivel wheels as shown is for sure a good device if you load a heavy scooter/bike. I just wonder if it's classed as a trailer and some people will get in trouble without the correct driving license? And how does it perform when you reverse?
I have fitted some additional braces from the rack to the chassis of the Van to allow for the extra "nose-weight". I can see the scooter while driving with the rear view camera and it's sitting solid as a rock, even on some badly cobble stone roads in the south of france. I am really pleased with my handywork, reading and hearing from others what trouble they had with bought racks. A Gentleman approached me when we parked at the seaside and asked where the rack was from. He told how much trouble he had with a rack he bought (scooter falling off with the rack in Italy).
Anne Daynes
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I suppose it will be down to interpretation , but as I understand it it is classed as a supported Rack and the ferry people did not class it as a trailer on the IOM Steam Packet according to the chap I was talking to that had one it just came under his length allowance , as for reversing no problem just reverse as if it was not there the casters just turn to the direction required , with vans that have a long overhang and have a problem with nose weight it is a way of still carrying the scooter or even larger bikes at a cost admittedly , but must say it did look very well made
barryd
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If your Autotrail is on a 3500KG chassis then your probably going to have between 400-500KG payload. You would have to check to see what payload you have available and the only trustworthy way to do this is to get to a weighbridge and weigh the whole van and then each axle. I did this with our Kontiki back in 2008 and it has nearly 700KG payload and we only just managed to fit a rack and a 95KG scooter within the limits. Our rack was fitted by Armitage Trailers in Ferry bridge and its superb. The rack will take up to 200KG but the available payload is what limits us to around 100KG max.
The rack is fitted to the Alko Chassis and is as solid as a rock.
Motorbike, Scooter and Motorcycle Racks - Armitage Trailers - Yorkshire, UK
The problem is the overhang. The longer the overhang the more weight it adds to the back so a 100KG scooter and a 30KG rack might well add well over 200KG of weight to the back axle which by the time you have you, your passengers and all your stuff in you may or may not have that much available on the rear axle. Especially on a 3500KG van (If thats what it is)
a 130KG bike is heavy for a motorhome. Honda Vision 110cc is 103KG and if you can find one a Peugeot Speedfight 2 100cc which is what we have is just 95KG.
There is a good article and calculator here
Safe loading and payloads | Practical Motorhome
The rack is fitted to the Alko Chassis and is as solid as a rock.
Motorbike, Scooter and Motorcycle Racks - Armitage Trailers - Yorkshire, UK
The problem is the overhang. The longer the overhang the more weight it adds to the back so a 100KG scooter and a 30KG rack might well add well over 200KG of weight to the back axle which by the time you have you, your passengers and all your stuff in you may or may not have that much available on the rear axle. Especially on a 3500KG van (If thats what it is)
a 130KG bike is heavy for a motorhome. Honda Vision 110cc is 103KG and if you can find one a Peugeot Speedfight 2 100cc which is what we have is just 95KG.
There is a good article and calculator here
Safe loading and payloads | Practical Motorhome
Teutone
Guest
I agree, a scooter over 100kg is just not good for Motorhome rack. I didn't realise how heavy our scooter really is before we bought it. Longterm I want to sell it and get a smaller one.
I haven't been on a weigh bridge and I don't know if I really want to go :juggle:. Driving wise, I can hardly feel the the difference with the scooter on or off.
Anne Daynes
Guest
I was talking to a chap in the IOM last year and he had a scooter on a rack on his MH and said if his water tanks were full he was over on his axle weights he had had his over a weigh bridge to check , , I had my old van over the bridge and was fine with us in full water bike on the rack were 860kg under our gross and axles were very close to 50/50 so all was well , I only checked because I had been warned that they had been pulling vans over on the way to the Ferry at Heysham and had no idea how mine was , will have to see how we go with the new van as it is longer with more overhang