Heavy Duty Receiver Hitch

[emam]

We had General RV in Wixom MI install a heavy duty receiver hitch on the rear of the trailer so we can mount a custom made bike hauler that I had custom made to hold our motorcycle.

We plan on towing around a Suzuki 400DRZ SM, which is a very light dual sport bike that will help us get around without having to unhook from our Tow Vehicle. If we just need to run into town for a small item and are set up in camp already, no need in unhooking from the TV. The stock bumper on the back of the trailer is only rated for 100lbs. and isn’t safe for supporting anything but a spare tire (According to the guys @ Sunline). By making a custom hitch out of 2” square stock metal, the rear hitch can now support up to 500lbs. of material incase we want to add a generator on at a later date.

I'm trying to figure out how to upload some pictures so I can show you all what it looks like.

[JohnB]

Eman

Congrats on your new T2499. A really great unit.

To pass along a friendly heads up, something to think about on adding your motor bike on the back. It will reduce the tongue weight of the trailer, which may or may not be a problem for you.

The T2499 is made to have a very good tongue weight when loaded. In my case I had a 1,200# tongue (18.5% of GVW) with no fresh water and 1,400# (20.5% of GVW) with fresh water after I loaded the camper. Until I did a major rebalancing act, I could not haul fresh water. I am now down to 14.5% tongue and no fresh water and 16.5% with fresh water and just under 1,200# tongue with water.

I can attest this high tongue creates a stable towing TT providing one has a truck that can hold it up.

I have done a lot of weight and balance calculations on my 2004, T2499. Here are some numbers that might help you with yours.

If your bike and carrying frame load on the back of the camper is 11” to the center of that load off the rear wall, or 98.25” behind the rear axle, each 1# of weight added at that distance subtracts 0.449# from the tongue. Your bike setup should be in that 11” to center of load area, so just take it’s weight and the holding frame and multiple by 0.449 and that is the reduced tongue load you will see.

And at this same distance of 98.25” behind the rear axle, each 1# you add, adds 1.448# to the TT rear axle tires. So if you want to know how much you are loading up the rear tires, take your weight multiple by 1.448 and that is the load added on the TT rear tires.

The heads up is, just check your tongue weights and your rear axle tire ratings that you do not accidentally unbalance the trailer tongue too much. The T2499 is a good heavy front end unit and pending the rest of your loading may or may not be a problem.

After I balanced mine out, I did have to readjust the WD hitch and my DC due the reduced tongue weight.

Not trying to ring the alarm as you may be OK, but again just a friendly camper passing on some of what I ran across on my unit, and hoping it may help you.

Hope this helps.

John

[emam]

Thanks for the helpful tips.

I was a little worried about the back end being a little too heavy until we had the solar system installed. With 4 6 Volt batteries up front on the tounge, I've added the exact weight of the bike and the hitch mount that is on the back which balances it out perfectly. You would have almost thought I planned it that way (I didnt, but dont tell the wife...LOL)

One question, how do you measure the tounge weights so accurately?