Rear 5er platform - Diesel Forum

Whiskyb · 08-22-2007, 11:13 AM

I have a mid nineties 30' Damon fifth wheel rv. I also have a 95 Harley Ultra. Here in Ontario third trailer towing is legal but I cannot make it to southern soil this way. My frame on the trailer is two 2x6 steel tubes sandwiched together per side, not sure what wall thickness but I would assume around .125. I made a hitch with 1/4 inch plate bolted with three 1/2" bolts per side coming down and a piece of 2x2x3/16 square cut into those plates running across. It is pretty much the same design as on my 01 F350 4x4 diesel dually that I am pulling this with. Instead of just one center receiver I also added two on the outsides that I made a platform for. It is made from 2x2x3/16 square tube. I have seen really weak looking ones that are thin walled and only one mounting point. I was trying to do something that would support my 750lb bike. I realize that without pictures this is difficult but would you strap a bike on this. I have had several hundred pounds on it and was probaly going to just work up in weight but short hauls don't replicate a trip from here to Florida. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Whiskyb
2001 F350 4x4 PSD Dually
300k and counting

SmokeyWren · 08-22-2007, 02:59 PM

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I realize that without pictures this is difficult but would you strap a bike on this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but with caveats.

You have two problems to consider. One is you're adding 750 pounds plus the weight of the carrier way back behind the trailer axles. The other is the bike has a suspension designed to allow the bike to bounce around if not tightly secured.

You want to load the bike as close to the back of the trailer as possible without skinning the paint on the bike. So if you have a spare tire on the back of the trailer, take it off and store it in the bed of the pickup or inside the trailer for this trip. Plus that spare is heavy, so you need to move it to in front of the trailer axles.

Remove everything that weighs more than an ounce or so from the saddle bags and storage compartments on the bike.

Drain the gas tank on the bike so that not more than about a pint of gas is left in there for the trip.

Strap the bike down really tight to the carrier. You don't want it bouncing around back there.

Have someone else drive the rig with the Hawg mounted, and you follow in another vehicle to see how it looks when bouncing over bumps and railroad crossings and rough roads, etc. Tighten the tie-down straps or chains until you're happy that the bike is not going to bounce along all the way to Florida. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Inside the trailer, move heavy stuff from the back to the front of the trailer. If the fresh water tank is behind the trailer axles, drain it before you hit the road. If that tank is in front of the trailer axles, fill it before you hit the road.

After you have the rig loaded and wet and ready for the road, weigh it at a CAT scale. If you don't have at least 13 percent hitch weight, transfer more weight from behind the trailer axles to in front of those axles. If your trailer tires or trailer axles are even close to the max weight allowed (combined GAWR), then get rid of some weight inside the trailer.

At every truckstop, inspect the trailer hitch receivers that holds on the carrier, as well as at the carrier itself. Look for tell-tale signs of metal fatigue, cracking, welds coming undone, etc.

Be certain the trailer tires are inflated to the max PSI on the sidewall of the tire.

88beast · 08-22-2007, 04:46 PM

i agree that is true and id add if youre going long distances weld gussets to the frame of your carrier to give it strentgh

Whiskyb · 08-23-2007, 01:27 PM

Thanks Guy's

I was a certified welder at one point so I am confident in the welds, I am sure the materials I used should stand up to the job and am going to proceed although with caution. I have decided on a rear view camera set-up so I can keep an eye on things back their. I have seen a few of those single wheel and dual wheel platforms that attach in two points so as to allow the trailer to back up without jack knifing. One site says they are considered a dual tow and the other says not, so I think in the interest of avoiding any unwanted tickets travelling south I will work at this and make it work.

Once I get the bike on I will report back with my findings

whiskyb

88beast · 08-23-2007, 04:46 PM

i was not douting your welds i was saying on the side of the tubing buckling from a combination of tie downs and small vibrations gradualy weakening the metal

Whiskyb · 08-23-2007, 06:30 PM

Oh sorry, I was not implying you were saying anything. I merely said it a a way of providing enough information to get informed opinions. The carrier is gusseted. Looking at the hitch part I may end up putting in a truss like system to carry some weight further forward on the frame. Much like load bars on a bumper pull trailer. As always with these projects they are just a work in progress and all opinions are very welcome.

Thanks again,

Whiskyb

88beast · 08-23-2007, 06:31 PM

well sounds like they may be a good idea too a truss would help i like the idea alot maybe you should mass produce them and ship them