Carrying bikes while towing a trailer/caravan

[horizon]

This one of those rather stupid questions where the obvious answer is just out of reach - but here goes:

We currently use a tow ball carrier for bikes - it works fine. We also want to occasionally tow the trailer tent. I had in mind a bike carrier (2 bikes) that fits between the tow bar and the ball allowing towing as well. But it didn't come up in an obvious way on Google. Have I got this wrong?

[GarethF]

If not on the roof, the best alternative I've seen was a rack mounted to the top of the trailer tent. Can't give specifics I'm afraid because it was just driving past, but it struck me as a pretty efficient way of doing it, maintaining some of the aerodynamic advantage of putting the bikes down in the turbulent air behind the car, and a much easier height for loading. I'd have thought you could adapt an existing carrier to fit the top of the trailer, or build something fairly robust with plywood if you don't know a welder who could put something together.

[cycleruk]

You can get (or could) a carrier that is mounted on a plate which is fitted between hitch and the towbar.
https://www.towsure.com/clipper-2-bike- ... ar-mounted

I have seen bikes laid on their side on top of a trailer tent.

[horizon]

You can get (or could) a carrier that is mounted on a plate which is fitted between hitch and the towbar.
https://www.towsure.com/clipper-2-bike- ... ar-mounted

This is exactly what I was looking for . I don't quite understand why the expensive ones don't have this feature (unless they do??). Maybe it is because the bikes on this one are hung not standing on a rack.

I have seen bikes laid on their side on top of a trailer tent

To GarethF as well:
Probably ours! However it doesn't work very well - they don't lie well on he plastic transit cover.

GarethF wrote
If not on the roof, the best alternative I've seen was a rack mounted to the top of the trailer tent.

Yes you can get these racks but it makes opening the tent a bit more complicated and they are hard to come by. If I had such a rack I would use it but I reckon that the tow ball rack is much easier. There is an issue over nose weight but I think for two bikes (30 kg max combined) it should be fine.

A big thank you to both for your speedy replies (and instant solution!)

[thirdcrank]

Another range of similar carriers from Witter

https://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/access ... -and-carry

(No experience of this company other than their website being very informative including vids of the stuff in use. I was exploring towball mounted carriers sometime ago and decided Witter looked good but then abandoned the idea altogether.)

[horizon]

Thanks thirdcrank. Yes, and I would prefer actually to buy a Witter. It's not 100% straightforward but it all looks good. There was more info here:

https://www.maxxraxx.co.uk/support/buye ... /tow-carry

I've got some homework to do on turning clearance and noseweight but it is certainly a lot more promising than some of the comments i read on various forums - I do wonder if caravan owners actually ride bicycles.

[francovendee]

I bought a Pendleton bike rack that fitted behind the tow ball. The aim was to tow the trailer and take our bikes. The rack was very strong and I've still got it, however the space between the trailer and the bikes didn't leave enough of a gap to be able to do both. I ended up borrowing a roof bike carrier for the car to get away.
A friend ,who had a trailer tent, made a rack to fit on top of the trailer. It worked well and he carried 5 bikes.

Hope you manage better than I did.

[georgew]

You can get (or could) a carrier that is mounted on a plate which is fitted between hitch and the towbar.
https://www.towsure.com/clipper-2-bike- ... ar-mounted

I have seen bikes laid on their side on top of a trailer tent.

I owned one of these carriers for years and it carried my bike while towing a caravan. I thought it much more secure than the type which is tow-bar mounted.

[Bowedw]

https://www.leisureoutlet.com/caravan-c ... ers/fiamma.
This may provide you with what you want, I did see a home made one on a caravan but not had the courage to try one myself.
You have to remove the cover to the A frame but it's no good if you have a van with a box there and it also restricts access into the under window box that is more common these days.
For some reason I cannot find it now? but its there on their site somewhere.Fiamma Carry-Bike XL A Caravan Bicycle Carrier
There are also others on the site.

[rmurphy195]

I used the witter towbar mounted carrier for many years - but NEVER whie towing the caravan at the same time.

First of all - don't forget the downforce on the towball i.e. the noseweight. If you have the rack attached, and the rack weighs, say, 10 kg and you add 2 bikes each weighing 10kg that's 30kg. If your car's noseweight limit is 50kg that leaves 20kg for the caravan! This would make for VERY unstable towing.Try an experiment. Attach you caravan to your car, turn in a tight circle. Stop get out and have a look at what's happening behind. You'll see that if your bikes were on the backof the car, they'd get squashed by the caravan! Damage to the bikes, the caravan and the car.

[horizon]

I used the witter towbar mounted carrier for many years - but NEVER whie towing the caravan at the same time.

First of all - don't forget the downforce on the towball i.e. the noseweight. If you have the rack attached, and the rack weighs, say, 10 kg and you add 2 bikes each weighing 10kg that's 30kg. If your car's noseweight limit is 50kg that leaves 20kg for the caravan! This would make for VERY unstable towing.Try an experiment. Attach you caravan to your car, turn in a tight circle. Stop get out and have a look at what's happening behind. You'll see that if your bikes were on the backof the car, they'd get squashed by the caravan! Damage to the bikes, the caravan and the car.

AIUI the carrier is intended for such use i.e. usage at the same time. I know there is an issue with both turning circle and noseweight but not, AIUI, to make the set up a non-starter. I will investigate further.

[The utility cyclist]

never had a 'van but why wouldn't you simply keep them secured inside the caravan itself?

[horizon]

never had a 'van but why wouldn't you simply keep them secured inside the caravan itself?

It isn't a caravan, it's a trailer tent (although it is possible to get a carrier for that). Getting bikes in and out of a caravan is quite a hassle although I think for some people it works OK. The tow bar carrier that I do have works a treat so I am quite keen to use one with the trailer.

[pete75]

Would it be possible to put a tow ball on the back of the trailer tent chassis and mount your carrier on that? As long as it didn't reduce the trailer nose weight drastically it wouldn't be a problem - just three feet or so extra length to be aware of.

[The utility cyclist]

never had a 'van but why wouldn't you simply keep them secured inside the caravan itself?

It isn't a caravan, it's a trailer tent (although it is possible to get a carrier for that). Getting bikes in and out of a caravan is quite a hassle although I think for some people it works OK. The tow bar carrier that I do have works a treat so I am quite keen to use one with the trailer.

Aye but the title said caravan as well, surely for the amount of hassle putting bikes onto a mount/rack externally when taking a caravan, it'd quicker and simpler, not to mention no additional expense to keep them inside? Also out of sight, out of mind too if away from your vehicle either at a service station or anywhere including where you are staying.
I've had big estate cars not long since after passing my test though currently going car free, I never understood why people would put bikes on the outside if they had space on the inside.