Tow hitch wanted

[knockdolian]

Hi all, new to the forum so if this is in the wrong place be nice !!!
Having just committed to buying a 32 coupe trike I want to fit a tow hitch. Could anyone please supply a drawing or photos of how a tow hitch is ideally fitted to a trike and drawings/photos of the tow hitch so I can make one.
Cheers

[CanuckHoss]

As good as place as any to ask.

The yellow 32 Coupe trike I sold Nancy has a tow receptacle on it...hopefully they can take a few pics from underneath and post here...

[knockdolian]

As good as place as any to ask.

The yellow 32 Coupe trike I sold Nancy has a tow receptacle on it...hopefully they can take a few pics from underneath and post here...

Thanks again for all your help. Only sorry we couldn't have done business together. Lets hope I don't come to regret it !!

[knockdolian]

Hi all, well the trike arrived today so am now a fully fledged V8 owner. A very long time dreaming.
Im keen to fit a tow hitch so if anyone can advise on the best way to fit one it would be greatly appreciated. Also I would like to know if there is any way to fit a fuel gauge without cutting the tank.
Thanks

[knockdolian]

Tow hitch photos and Info Pleeeeeeeez anyone otherwise Ill just make my own, mess it all up and it will be your fault !!!

[CanuckHoss]

Tow hitch photos and Info Pleeeeeeeez anyone otherwise Ill just make my own, mess it all up and it will be your fault !!!

Damn One of my friends fabricated one for another customer who bought my 2006 Green Willys trike. If I was not bedridden I would be over at the owners house in no time and get you some pictures

There is decent frame under the body to TIG weld a receiver to . It does not have to be that strong or complicated unless you are towing 1,000 lbs or something. If it is a regular motorcycle cargo trailer the tongue weight should not be more than 50 lbs and a loaded trailer about 300 lbs. most hitches for motorcycles are not made of a lot of metal as you are only pulling a small weight

[knockdolian]

Again, thanks for taking the time given your circumstances at the moment. I was beginning to think that no one towed anything. Im actually considering towing a small caravan maybe 600kg. I need to check the UK regs and see what the rules are but as long as it has brakes I think you can tow the same weight as the tractor. With that in mind I was considering bringing the hitch from the old swing arm mounts where the sub frame is secured rather than just coming from the rear sub frame itself. What do people in the US tow anything really big ??

[Ronald]

600 Kgs is about 1,320 lbs, I don't know much about it, but I think the frame on the trike was not designed to tow that much weight, there will have to be some reinforcement done for sure, that is a lot of weight to tow for the trike, also, if you have air suspension, have to check load capacity for it, the weight of the driver, passenger plus the tow may exceed the limit and create problems

[CanuckHoss]

It does not take a lot of strength to just pull that kind of weight. You are wanting to tow about the weight of the trike itself. The big concern for me would be what I call tongue weight or how much of the trailer weight is on the hitch of the trike. That is where the stress would be. Some of the camping trailers that guys pull with their touring bikes weigh 500 lbs or more loaded and just take a look at the small amount of iron that is in the hitch and what it is attached to on the bike. The sub frames under the Boss Hoss trike bodies are much beefier than any of those. You definitely need a brake system on the trailer as you mentioned otherwise your stopping distances would increase quite a bit. I will ask my friend with the Green Wilkys to see if he can get a few good pictures of his install. Might take a few weeks as he is up North in the Oil Patch , if there is such a think anymore.

[knockdolian]

Thanks again. its called nose weight here but I know exactly what you mean. As you say, given the weight and size of some trailers that Goldwing and HD's tow a hitch for a large trailer doesn't have to be huge 1" of weld should be capable of supporting 1 ton !! Not much of a rush for photos. Weather is shocking at the moment so wont be camping just yet !!
Another question while im at it. There is a BH bike for sale here in UK on ebay. It has a radiator grill on it. Ive asked the chap where it came from and he said it was on there when he bought it. Anyone know where I can get one ?

[tjy]

i'v been sick in bed for 3 days and nights, I will send my older son out to snap some photos Tomorrow then send to someone else to post.

[CanuckHoss]

This is what my customer had done on his 2006 Willys trike.

Send me you email address and I will send a video he also took which helps a lot in the explanation.

Thank you

[knockdolian]

Thanks for the photos of the tow hitch. Ive now made and fitted mine. Not the engineering masterpiece that some on here have put together but Im happy with it. I got my 20 stone mate to jump up and down on it with no issues

[Iron Maiden]

NICE!!!! Looks really good!

[CanuckHoss]

You could pull a house with that hitch..overkill for sure but that is better than too light weight..good job...

[GordonBH]

Very sturdy and looks right in there, well done. I could use your 20 st mate to push my bike up my drive! LOL

[knockdolian]

Ha, he didn't do a lot of pushing. Doesn't do a lot of anything really. Guess that's how he got to 20 stone. Cost me a bacon roll just to get him to stand on the tow ball !!

[knockdolian]

You could pull a house with that hitch..overkill for sure but that is better than too light weight..good job...

The over engineering is due to what steel was about at work other than what I will tow. Although heavy duty it didn't adery affect the power of the trike when fitted !!

[GordonBH]

Looking good, any chance of you taking it to Pullman City this year? I'll be crossing the channel mid June.

[knockdolian]

Looking good, any chance of you taking it to Pullman City this year? I'll be crossing the channel mid June.

Unfortunately not mate. We go to Isle of Mann every year for the TT. that has to be booked a year in advance. Have you been to the BH rally before? I will look at it for 17. It woul make a change. If Guy Martin isn't racing this year wife won't be so keen to go. She's so shallow !!

[GordonBH]

Ah well, it will be my first time. I expect it'll be a hoot so may return in '17.

Funny that about Guy Martin and women... I don't get it, nice guy but let me see...younger, fitter, great mechanical skills,great self-confidence, I'm told handsome - what's to like eh? Don't get women sometimes.

[knockdolian]

Well, Ive got my tow hitch and have bought a trailer tent with a GVW 500kg but a curb weight of 250kg. it has brakes. Seems in the UK their are no rules for laid down for what a trike can tow. I cant see any issues with what Ive just bought. I downloaded a BH manual and it doesn't recommend towing with bikes or trikes but on the BH web site they list tow hitches ??? Is there a number for max tow. Bring on the summer