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Subject:Re: Trailers
From:David Beierl
Date:Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:02:44 -0400

At 11:00 AM 3/22/2009, Larry Himli wrote:
>instead of a trailer I want to use a trailer hitch carrier....the scooter's
>wet weight is 250 pounds.  Comments?

If your carrier weighs 50 lb, then you will have exceeded the vehicle
tongue weight rating of 165 lb by 80% -- actually much more because
of the leverage involved when you're bouncing down the road.

Now if you rigged a couple of hard points up by the roof -- upper
edge of the hatch, at the hinge points, maybe? -- and ran
weight-bearing stays down to the outer corners of the carrier I bet
you could stay within ratings just fine.  But each stay and hard
point would have to be able to bear maybe a third of the load plus
bouncing.  The conservative way would be to use a trailer, so the
trailer suspension takes the bouncing.

  --
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"