Bike Carrier and Trailer?

[scimmiamagia!]

Does anyone tow a trailer, e.g. for a boat like a Topper or Laser/ILCA, and carry bikes?

How do you do it?

Have seen cunning solutions like bolting a tow hook to the frame of the trailer just in front of the spare wheel and attching a thule or atera bike carrier there.

Do you carry the bikes on top of the trailer or do you use the standard VW bike rack for the California. Concerned there won't be a lot of room when turning if the bikes are on the back of the van, or in front of the trailer.

 

[sticky1]

Does anyone tow a trailer, e.g. for a boat like a Topper or Laser/ILCA, and carry bikes?

How do you do it?

Have seen cunning solutions like bolting a tow hook to the frame of the trailer just in front of the spare wheel and attching a thule or atera bike carrier there.

Do you carry the bikes on top of the trailer or do you use the standard VW bike rack for the California. Concerned there won't be a lot of room when turning if the bikes are on the back of the van, or in front of the trailer.

My advice / experience is to look at the suspension first. Bikes on the back of a van get to enjoy the vehicle suspension.
Trailers can be a completely different set up, I have a twin wheel trailer I use behind a Defender and wouldn’t dream of putting bikes in that as it crashes along the road unless loaded.

 

[scimmiamagia!]

My advice / experience is to look at the suspension first. Bikes on the back of a van get to enjoy the vehicle suspension.
Trailers can be a completely different set up, I have a twin wheel trailer I use defined a Defender and wouldn’t dream of putting bikes in that as it crashes along the road unless loaded.

Thanks. Good point.

 

[lohr500]

It might be a complex solution, but I wonder if a double stacker Laser or Topper trailer might be a solution. And then attach some cross bars on the upper deck with thule roof rack type carriers bolted to the cross bars.

If you could find a decent double stacker trailer cheaply enough, then piecing the rest together shouldn't be too expensive. There are usually loads of 2nd hand Thule roof rack carriers for sale on ebay or Facebook marketplace for not a lot of money.

I towed our double axle camping trailer for many miles with three bikes mounted on the frame above the closing shell lid without any damage to the bikes.

Even with a stacking trailer, a Laser and two or three bikes, you should still be under the 750Kg limit for an unbraked trailer.