Seen lots of them. Have to be careful with weights etc and of the distance the bikes stick out because they can catch the caravan so am i am told . I have seen more bikes mounted on the car roof whilst towing
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If it is a towbar mounted bike rack then weight of bikes & rack + weight of caravan hitch must not exceed overall towbar download limit(ie noseweight limit)for car. Usually on a 2wd drive car with 70-80kg download limit this is not possible but is ok on a 4x4 with much higher limit, ie 140kg.
If you use a tailgate rack then you may well overload rear axle on 2wd car but a heavier 4x4 should be ok.
So to answer your question, with 2wd car probably not, with a 4x4 with high noseweight limit then probably ok.
If you do carry bikes you must also ensure there is enough clearance when you turn so as not to hit caravan.
i have a 4x4 a have used a bike rack on the back of the car when towing for years.no problems.bear in mind each bike can weigh up to 20 kgs and your max rear axle weight needs to be taken into account.i always carried two and one inside the van over the axle.
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Quote: Originally posted by Jimmypitch on 23/11/2013
Hi there
Does anyone know if it's ok to tow a caravan with a bike rack as well on the back of the car?
As previously said you must be careful not to exceed your vehicles nose weight limit or rear axle load .
If your car only has a 75kg nose weight limit you probably wont be able to carry any bikes and have the van hitched up without exceeding the limit
Hi , I have a tow bar plate fix bike carrier ,and a freedom caravan ,They both go okay together ,i have lots clearance on full lock ,{ thats whats required for it to be safe } to use together ,
I have had few people ask ,on my camping trips as you ,and some motor bike boys giving me strange look about ,
I would like to know to if any laws on bike carriers ,is seems quite open to many questions,as there are many types , I have had several trips now with no problems with car bike caravan ,and now thinking on putting my kayak on my roof rack , vancoaster,
No laws on bike carriers except car numberplate & lights must not be obscured if not towing, ie if using towbar flange mounted carrier without caravan a lightboard will probably be needed. Spain & Italy require red/white warning board as well but not UK.
Obviously bikes must be securely fixed, you could get nicked if they fall off, which might happen with cheapo strap on rack. Otherwise its just about getting weights correct to avoid overloading car rear axle or exceeding car towbar weight limit.
Quote: Originally posted by Jack+Jon on 23/11/2013
If it is a towbar mounted bike rack then weight of bikes & rack + weight of caravan hitch must not exceed overall towbar download limit(ie noseweight limit)for car. Usually on a 2wd drive car with 70-80kg download limit this is not possible but is ok on a 4x4 with much higher limit, ie 140kg.
If you use a tailgate rack then you may well overload rear axle on 2wd car but a heavier 4x4 should be ok.
So to answer your question, with 2wd car probably not, with a 4x4 with high noseweight limit then probably ok.
If you do carry bikes you must also ensure there is enough clearance when you turn so as not to hit caravan.
Post last edited on 23/11/2013 21:40:54
The hinges on a tailgate can be strained/become misaligned when using a bike rack + bikes on the tailgate as they are designed to take the weight of the tail gate (and spare wheel if tailgate mounted). They are not designed to take the extra weight of a rack + bike(s)
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 26/11/2013
Quote: Originally posted by vancoaster on 26/11/2013,{ thats whats required for it to be safe } to use together ,
NO.. The required and legal bit is the maximum noseweight and rear axle loadings.
A caravan and a bike carrier is likely to exceed the max noseweight on a standard car with a 75kg limit.
What noseweight does the caravan run at?
Then add the weight of the carrier and the bikes. Unless its a small trailer it probably exceeds 75kg.
If you have a vehicle with a 100 - 150kg noseweight limit them its probably OK.
Freedom caravan are very light (laden weight under 750kg?)and noseweight I would be amazed if over 50kg and probably could run lower in the 4-7% range, so providing you have at least 75kg this could work on a "regular" car
We have towed with bikes mounted on a Witter tow bar cycle carrier for many years without any trouble whatsoever (Portugal and back and Costa Azahar and back).The advantage of this type of carrier is that it is probably the easiest to load when travelling out for the day solo with the bikes. On previous caravans I have managed to get the nose weight of the van down to accomodate the extra load. The current van seems to have a heavier nose weight.I am thinking about borrowing a tailgate rack for a forthcoming trip to Spain. Having just had my car serviced my garage assure me that the tow bar is so secure that it would wrench the back of the car off in an event.(Tongue on cheek I think). I always travel with lightweight goods in the boot so can't fathom out if a tailgate one would be any advantage over the towbar one.
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Topic: Towing bikes and caravans
