Rear Hitch question

[steelpony5555]

I see that many of you carry your generators on those rear carriers that mount to the hitch receiver. Are you beefing up the hitch or mounts or is the hitch strong enuf to handle the bouncing on the rear? I plan on putting my Champion generator back there but I know the forces are strong there with the bounce. Thanks

[The Oldguard]

steelpony5555
I’ve had a few requests about the basket on the back of the “Montana”. I went to a hitch shop and had a hitch with a 2 inch receiver installed that was bolted onto the frame, and had the receiver off-set to allow basket to be mounted to the right of ladder.

After the first trip fighting with the basket bouncing all over the place we went back to shop and had them weld on two inch and ¼ receivers with ¾ inch tubes to act as outriggers, and now there is no longer any bouncing of the bikes or basket that I’m aware of.

Anyone that wants to do something like this I’d just have two 2 inch receivers, or two inch and ¼ receivers mounted on the hitch assembly up front and mount the basket that way. There is just no hitch or basket/bike rack made that will not bounce, and add some twisting to the frame if you only have one receiver even the one that “Keystone” puts on some models, plus the damage that gets done to the bikes from rubbing together as they, and the rack bounce down the road.

It does seem a little stupid that “Keystone” adds a bike rack on some models that bounces all over the place, and in my opinion does add some twisting to the frame, and then says if you put a hitch on any other models it will void your warranty if you put on a hitch that will carry anymore than two hundred pounds. I think if you add the second receivers you then have less stress on your units frame and the basket/rack no matter if you have twenty pounds or two hundred pounds. (This is just my own humble opinion).

My Rack

[steelpony5555]

Thanks for the info, I was wondering if the reciever on the rear of the Montana was actually sturdy enough to stand up to the bouncing of even just a small generator. I'll look into beefing it up with the double reciever.

[snfexpress]

We made our own...

[TLightning]

The hitch is not the problem, it's the weak frame. I'd check with Keystone prior to carrying anything heavier than a few bikes.

[Art-n-Marge]

The answer is that the factory receiver is only intended for light weight bikes and the rack to go with it and I'm not sure I'd put more than 2 bikes anyway. Fortunately, my Monty did NOT come with a hitch and I haven't gotten myself in trouble.

However, there are many success stores of shoring up a receiver AND the frame all across the Monty's undercarriage and use substantial extra hardware to create a very heavy duty rear receiver. There are many pictures and testimonials in this MOC forum of great success in this area to carry bikes, generators, extra fuel, cargo and even some have gone so far as to tow something else (double tow). Of course, now I'm getting crazy describing what people have done, but this definitely requires some knowledge or a professional contact (not a professional who is so hungry they'll put anything together, but a professional who knows what they're doing so it's done right!).

SNFexpress shows an example of theirs and note that their rack supports go all the way to the right edge of the trailer's frame. Many others have done the similar or the same.

[oldelmer1]

William,
When you had the extra receiver tubs added, are they just welded on, or did they drill holes in the hitch and insert the tubs first, then weld them in?

Michael & Kat,
How are your added receiver tubes connected on?

Thanks......

[The Oldguard]

quote:Originally posted by oldelmer1

William,
When you had the extra receiver tubs added, are they just welded on, or did they drill holes in the hitch and insert the tubs first, then weld them in?

Michael & Kat,
How are your added receiver tubes connected on?

Thanks......

Tom, they were welded on and the square tubes formed to the bottom of the basket

[snfexpress]

We bolted ours on to each of the I-beams. We have 3 points of connection: left frame, center hitch (OEM) and right frame. The total weight of our carrier is 72 pounds. With our generators, we are still under Lippert's recommended weight limit of 200 pounds.

Each of the outrigger receivers are welded to a plate that is bolted to the I-beam. Because of these extra contact points we could probably carry much more weight. What we do find is that there is no vertical movement while rolling down the road.

[Ozz]

I just checked mine yesterday, I have a very heavy load on mine,(2 Honda Gen's, heavy duty rack and bike carrier with 2 bikes) all is well, I checked the frame where I bolted the hitch on and it is not cracked. I have around 4,000 miles on this carrier. The only thing I would do if I did it again, is to make the 2 outriggers and the main center support with a upward 'kick' in the supports. All connections have some slop in them, the square tube to the frame brackets and the receiver tubes. With a few degrees upward 'kick', the rack would be level. Mine pitches down a little.
Do this job heavy duty, don't skimp, there is tremendous lever type forces in play when going down the road.

Here is what I have on mine:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...tchBeforeReMod
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue13/NewHitchForMonte
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...arrierBikeRack
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...lOnRearCarrier
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...ierAndBikeRack
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...ierAndBikeRack
https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...untedOnMontana

[Gorgeguy]

I carry a 200cc motorcycle on the back of my 2955. I don't have the pictures with me on this computer but will try to post them with in 3 or 4 days. I had a piece of about 1/2" x 5" steel plate welded vertically to the bottom center of the two I beams on the frame. These extended out past the rear of the trailer. I them welded a 4" square tube 3/16 to 1/4 inch thick inbetween the two pieces sticking out the back. Then I welded two receiver hitches onto the square tube. I already had a motorcycle mount with the two receiver stingers on and just matched the receiver hitches up to that. I am a month and a half into my first trip (Oregon to Yuma to San Diego to Palm Springs) with it and no problems so far.