Looking for some insight/knowledge

Mark W

Mark W

Well-known member
I am working on a new project and can't figure something out. It shouldn't be that hard but I think I am at that brainlock point that usually occurs at some point in a project.

I need to create an adaptor I think. What I want to be able to do is to attach a solid bar/tube to a verticle locking pin slot. These bars then have to be able to pivot up and down (primary need) and pivot left to right (secondary needed).

Here's an illustration. I have a receiver hitch on the back of my vehicle. Into this receiver hitch goes the square bar that holds the attachment point for the ball hitch. That ball hitch has a male portion that goes through the hole on the ball mount. I know, horrible descritpion. Let's try a picture.

View attachment hitch1.jpg

What I need to be able to do is to connect something that uses the hole in the hitch mount in the picture (part you attach the ball to) that once attached can pivot vertically. If it can swivel left to right at the same time, this is a bonus.

I hasve tried to just use the holes on the receiver that are used to attach the hitch mount but anytime you need to pivot verticaly, the chain attachment loops get in the way.

Sure appreciate any suggestions. Cheap is a requirement and toughness is a must. This could be used to tow 150 lbs at up to 20 mph over rough terrrain.

Mark W
 
Mark,

Check out the Weston universal one-man canoe and kayak loader.

Might give you enough of an adaptor to get what you're looking for.

Ron
 
I have the Fulton Canoe Loader which is very similar. I don't think this is what I'm looking to do. I am trying to tow something behind my vehicle using either the receiver on the Jeep or by attachin some sort of adaptor to the receiver that I can then attach the pivot points. What attaches to the receiver needs to be able to pivot 45 degrees up and down. It make something that attches to the receiver that can pivot 45 degrees up but not one that will also pivot 45 degrees down (it hits the chain attachment loops).

Another example would be how things are attched to the rear of an ATV. It is a pin type hitch that will pivot left and right but does not pivot up and down. How would you make something that attches to an ATV that can alos pivot up and down?

I know, clear as mud. Thanks for the suggestion.

How was the hunting this year Ron?

Mark W
 
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Mark,

How about using a pintle hook? The towed vehical/trailer/ whatever has a mating ring which together with the pintle hook will give you the range of motion you require. That is if I understand your needs correctly, I'm not real clear as to just where you wish to have the pivot point.
 
If I'm understanding you correctly, you're looking for a hitch that will havefor vertical travel then a standard ball hitch.How about the style hitch used on heavier trailers, like for a backhoe. The tongue on the trailer has a ring and the hitch has a jaw that drop down t lock through the ring. Basically a horiz ring and a vert ring.
 
Was wondering what a pintle hook was? Never new there was a name for it. I learn something new every day. Thanks.
 
Mark,

How about using a pintle hook? The towed vehical/trailer/ whatever has a mating ring which together with the pintle hook will give you the range of motion you require. That is if I understand your needs correctly, I'm not real clear as to just where you wish to have the pivot point.
Click to expand...


X2, I've seen high articulation jeep trailers for rough terrain and all use a Pintle hitch for connecting to the tow vehicle.
 
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Yeah - horrible job of explaining what I am trying to do.

Here is a picture that is close. This homemade device is used to tow an ice shanty behind a snowmobile. It uses a pintle type set up to connect to the snowmobile. This works for this partuicular application as the snowmobile and the ice shanty are close to being in the same plane. If the snowmobile was 2 feet or more higher than the attachment point on the ice shanty, I don't think (but I don't know either for sure) if this would still work. I would think that the stresses put onto the pintle atttachment would be excessive.

View attachment towbar.jpg

I suppose I could modify the picture above by rotating the uchannel where the conduit is attached 90 degrees. I could then attach the bars/conduit by either squishing round tubing flat and drilling a hole, or attaching bimini fittings to the ends of round tubing and attaching, or by using square tubing and drilling horizontal holes and attaching.

Hope this clarifies a little bit. Advice is most welcome.

Mark W
 
Mark,

Real quick crude drawing. This is similar to what is used on a bicycle for towing a trailer or tag along bike. The coupler section in the middle is cut from a piece of square tubing. I can't seem to put the picture inline from here at work, (too much stuff blocked.) I'm not sure the attachment will come up either, if not I'll try to post when I get home tonight.

View attachment coupler.jpg
 
Mark,

A couple of years ago I wanted a single wheeled trailer to pull behind my Rokon 2WD bike. There is a commercial model available but I wasn't going to give the $1000+ for it and decided to make my own. Below is what I came up with. The heart of the system is a Universal joint that came from a used PTO system for a tractor - you can find new ones at the farm store like Farm & Fleet. A buddy is a welder and helped me out by putting the whole thing together. It works great except that I need to mount the hitch on the rear axle instead of the rack as it became way to unstable with 2-300 lbs. on the trailer. Anyway, on to the pics:

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029.jpg


030-1.jpg


036.jpg


033.jpg

 
Dave M - your coupler is similar to what I was thinking with the pictire I posted if I were to rotate it 90 degrees.

Dave D- Thank for the patent link. I will be towing probably close to 125 - 150 pounds over non paved terrain and terrain with no trails. Most likely on snow or ice.

Pete - holy crap - I think you could tow a tank with that thing. I do like the idea of utilizing a U-joint to do both right to left and up and down movements. How did this work for you?

Mark W
 
Pete - holy crap - I think you could tow a tank with that thing.
Click to expand...


Mark,

I was thinking along the same lines,,,,,,,,,,,,, looked like it belonged on the back of a tank. Maybe he tows Otto in the trailer. :>) :>)
 
Mark,

Admitedly it's overbuilt but I did want it to be able to haul at least 300 lbs (a boned out elk) and it will surely do that. The problem I alluded to is that I mounted the hitch up too high and onto the frame over the rear wheel. This became extremely unstable with a load in the trailer. I should have mounted the hitch with load weight bearing on the rear axle instead - that's the way the commercial trailers are done and they work good. I still need to do that but have no doubt that it will take care of the unstability.

As far as the U-joint, it works great - better than I could have imagined. It has a full range of motion in both the vertical and horizontal planes. The one thing that needs to be taken into consideration in my one wheeled trailer application is the slop of the tolerance stack-up with the fit of the receiver into the hitch, the U-joint and the trailer wheel/axle. You can see one solution in the silver piece with the three bolts on it mounted on the receiver. This is a commercial piece used for stabilizing bike carriers and works great.
 
Mark,

...... The one thing that needs to be taken into consideration in my one wheeled trailer application is the slop of the tolerance stack-up with the fit of the receiver into the hitch, the U-joint and the trailer wheel/axle. You can see one solution in the silver piece with the three bolts on it mounted on the receiver. This is a commercial piece used for stabilizing bike carriers and works great.
Click to expand...


Not quite following this part Pete which is probably understandable reading my first attempt at what it is I'm trying to do. Would making the trailer tow bar longer softened to slope angle. I think I undersatnd what you are saying but not quite certain.

Mark
 
No it's not the slope of the tow bar, it's the side to side slop of the mismatch of the components. In any two or four wheeled application it wouldn't be an issue at all, only in a single wheeled application such as mine. I don't understand what you are trying to pull or what you are pulling it with so can't address your issues directly.
 
I played around with the design for a single wheeled trailer to pull behind my motorcycle. I eventually opted to go easy, and got a free CL trailer from and a free 20 cu ft Sears cartop box and made the trailer fit the box. Can pull it with the wife's convertabile too that way. The single wheeled trailer would have been more bike specific. When thinking about the trailer mount on the bike, I did a bit of research, and can't for the life of me see why a mount is not built that bolts directly to the swing arm. Mine instead mounts to the fender struts, and drops down to the back of the fender which does lower the CG/where the forces are but it is sprung weight. Trailer pulls fine, but mounting it on the swing arm would be un-sprung weight and not influence the bikes stubility until it was great enough to "steer" the rear wheel. Certainly as sprung weight it has the same affect on the rear?
 
Pete, that is one cool idea for a hitch set up.

Having played with BOB bike trailers with a single wheel it becomes apparent that you need to control the twist a load induces to the system. They resolve that in the BOB by not allowing for twisting with their mount system. It swings side to side but very little up and down except for the ones with a shock system.

For ATV trailers up here they use a pipe sleeve that will allow a two wheel trailer to rotate over uneven terrain. The use of a standard ball hitch allows for some up and down movement. I don't have any photos to share.

After looking at your system Pete, I am wondering if the next design/build could be more like the Extra Wheel bike trailer. You have have to use panniers on each side of a motor cross wheel. The center of gravity would still be an issue.

http://www.extrawheel.com/en/3/voyager_trailer/
 
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