aaronchuck
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Trailer: 1964 Thunderbolt
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Post by aaronchuck on May 27, 2017 10:20:42 GMT -8
Hello vintage trailer friends. I have a 1964 Thunderbolt. Loaded weight of 2k-2.3k. Towing with a Nissan Xterra. 5k tow rating (probably not useful info with regard to the question here). I dont know what the tongue weight is yet, so this may be a premature question that cant be answered till after I know that, but I'll ask anyway as there may be things I need to understand before I move forward.
Im getting on the road for a year and have thought plenty about a solution for my two bicycles. I have a hitch mount rack. The only practical solution is mounting it to the rear bumper and carrying the two bikes that way. However, the rear bumper the on my trailer is flimsy and simply won't work. I thought I would remove it and have a more robust bumper bolted to the frame. If I do this, it will add roughly 125-145 lbs. to the rear. This includes the weight of the bumper, rack and two bikes. didn't include the weight of the spare, which is already attached to the flimsy bumper.
Ill have two batteries up front I'll be adding, plus, if I decide to travel with my 12 gal water tank full, which is also up front, this would balance things out pretty well if I understand all the things correctly. I cant ever assume I understand all the things about any of the things, most times.
What are your thoughts? Am I missing anything? Are there other things I need to consider?
Thank you in advance. -Aaron
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 27, 2017 12:29:02 GMT -8
Good question. It comes up from time to time without a clear answer. The bumper on our camper is more or less for show. No way it can support two bikes and a rack.
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Post by bigbill on May 27, 2017 12:56:34 GMT -8
The only way to get a correct answer is to weigh the trailer then weigh for hitch weight then add comparable weight to trailer in the areas where you are going to change things and reweigh. This will give you factual information that you can us to determine exact effect of proposed changes. I would maintain a 10% hitch weight without the water as a minimum (I usually go for 11 or 12%). The reason I say without the water is water is a variable weight that you can forget where it is and 12 gallon of water in a tank shouldn't cause a hitch overload if you have allowed a reasonable safety overload when selecting your hitch set up. A 2K to 2.3K trailer with a 5K tow rating should be fine, at point you are maintaining a 50% safety margin. Use bricks or cement blocks for temporary weight at scales.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on May 27, 2017 14:10:11 GMT -8
Consider moving the spare to the roof of the car. This will subtract some of that negative tongue weight. You may be able to get the replacement bumper made form 4" square tube aluminum, which would be strong without adding quite as much weight. Or possibly, if you know a good welder, remove the bumper and have a hitch custom built attached to the trailer frame underneath, allowing for the receiver of the bike rack. Subtract the bumper weight and add the hitch, subtract the spare and add the bikes, it may work out pretty close to even. In your case where you are planning an extended trip, I think taking the time to get actual figures for the weights are going to help you the most in the long run. Load it up and put it on the nearest truck scales. There are methods for weighing your tongue weight as well, unhooked form your tow vehicle. Pack as light as you can. Remember, the Xterra may be rated for 5K, but you are still relying on the 6-cylinder motor to last through pulling in any kind of unforeseen conditions.
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