Towball mounted bike rack

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I want to put a towbar on my car. I'm only planning on using it to tow a small 6X4 trailer occasionally and to mount a bike rack. A fixed towbar as opposed to a hitch towbar is significantly cheaper. And having the towball there all the time doesn't bother me either. But does anyone use a towball mounted bike rack as opposed to a hitch mounted rack here? Are you happy with it. My concern is it twisting if you have 3 bikes on it if it's a towball mount system opposed to one that slides into a hitch?
I've used "opposed" a lot sorry.
This sort of rack is what I'm looking at....
https://www.torpedo7.com.au/product...do7-quattro-towball-mount-4-bike-channel-rack
 

moorey

call me Mia
Link not work, but think that’s the rack my wife bought without my input.
Never. Ever. Again.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Don't leave me hanging. If it's this one, what was wrong with it?
T7CATN9QTXX_zoom.jpg
 

scblack

Leucocholic
Just buy a Gripsport rack and you'll never need to buy another bike rack again. That means a tongue mounted rack - not ball mounted.

If you're looking to carry four bikes, I would only go for hitch mount. The leverage of a four bike rack stretches WAY back and bounces heavily.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
The reality is I only carry 2 bikes but need the flexibility of being able to carry my daughters bike once in a while too. I'll look at gripsport though. Might be out of my budget though.
 

moorey

call me Mia
Don't leave me hanging. If it's this one, what was wrong with it?
View attachment 343133
Thankfully, not quite. Ours had the 4 arms coming from centre post. Impossible to fit 4 similar sized bikes on.
Can’t comment on that exact one, but we wasted money on it, it was heavy, it moved around on the ball a bit, and generally felt flimsy.
Grip tilty 2+2 for 4 bike, serious work, and a Yakima stickup for 2 bike days and wife on duty.
2” Hitch mounted on both. It’s a far better method if you can swing it.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I was looking at the Yakima. Might go a 2 bike rack and just throw the 3rd on the roof when it's coming along and use the money saved for the hitch mount then. Cheers peeps!
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
The reality is I only carry 2 bikes but need the flexibility of being able to carry my daughters bike once in a while too. I'll look at gripsport though. Might be out of my budget though.
I've used that exact model of T7 four bike rack for the past three years. I have occasionally carried four big bloke sized mountain bikes on it but only with some creative seat post lowering, strapping and padding. For two adult bikes and one or two kid sized bikes it's more than up to the task. If you were transporting four adult sized bikes regularly across rough terrain or long distances then I'd say look elsewhere, but for your purposes it's more than adequate.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I've used that exact model of T7 four bike rack for the past three years. I have occasionally carried four big bloke sized mountain bikes on it but only with some creative seat post lowering, strapping and padding. For two adult bikes and one or two kid sized bikes it's more than up to the task. If you were transporting four adult sized bikes regularly across rough terrain or long distances then I'd say look elsewhere, but for your purposes it's more than adequate.
You're a legend. Exactly what I needed to know. The price is rather sweet too...
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
You're a legend. Exactly what I needed to know. The price is rather sweet too...
Actually looking at your link, they have improved the rack since I bought it. All the straps I have are basic vinyl, alligator clip type rather than ratchet, and they've improved the rubber padding around the post mounted straps.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Not as much as some. Budget, not fantasy dictates a lot of my choices...
 

moorey

call me Mia
You're a legend. Exactly what I needed to know. The price is rather sweet too...
Ball mounted still a shite idea with 60-90kg dangling off it unsupported.
Yakima holdup 2+2 is a good option for when you want the extra bike/s on occasions.
Talk to @Grip though. Buy once, buy right. He has a rack for literally any requirement.
 

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I've had one of the T7 racks for a few years now too. Pretty easy to use, easy to install/remove. Overall decent value for money. I used it on our camper trailer mostly, with a cradle under the rear to reduce the load on the ball mount (on a post to get up over the spare tyre). On the car was fine, but it is supposed to use a plate under the ball to stop it swinging around. Had to remove the plate to hitch the trailer. I didn't use the plate as it was only on the car for short trips, but I would have used it for longer trips.

I've had everything from a 12" glider to a 23kg fat BSO on it. The fat tyres barely fit and required longer straps and the 12" bike wasn't wide enough to use both cradles. did require a bit of planning to fit 4 bikes on it.

I'm thinking of upgrading to an ISI, mainly due to the increased departure angle so I can install on the draw bar of the caravan.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I've had one of the T7 racks for a few years now too. Pretty easy to use, easy to install/remove. Overall decent value for money. I used it on our camper trailer mostly, with a cradle under the rear to reduce the load on the ball mount (on a post to get up over the spare tyre). On the car was fine, but it is supposed to use a plate under the ball to stop it swinging around. Had to remove the plate to hitch the trailer. I didn't use the plate as it was only on the car for short trips, but I would have used it for longer trips.

I've had everything from a 12" glider to a 23kg fat BSO on it. The fat tyres barely fit and required longer straps and the 12" bike wasn't wide enough to use both cradles. did require a bit of planning to fit 4 bikes on it.

I'm thinking of upgrading to an ISI, mainly due to the increased departure angle so I can install on the draw bar of the caravan.
The plate is still there. On the instructions it has a allen key head on it so you can remove the plate only and flip it upside down to connect a trailer.
--Ball mounted still a shite idea with 60-90kg dangling off it unsupported. --
True and my main concern. But I'll only be carrying 30kg 99% of the time. I need to buy a trailer too so that dictates my budget a lot unfortunately.
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
The plate is still there. On the instructions it has a allen key head on it so you can remove the plate only and flip it upside down to connect a trailer.
No need to flip upside down, just remove it entirely and you are good to go with a trailer. On my older rack that plate actually mounted to the rack, rather than to the anti-sway plate that mounts under the ball. I have a 6x4 box trailer that I tow regularly and the anti sway plate doesn't interfere with the trailer draw bar.

Ball mounted still a shite idea with 60-90kg dangling off it unsupported.
Like I said, doing it regularly or over rough ground, get something built for the job. For Dman's requirements though this will do just fine.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
No need to flip upside down, just remove it entirely and you are good to go with a trailer. On my older rack that plate actually mounted to the rack, rather than to the anti-sway plate that mounts under the ball. I have a 6x4 box trailer that I tow regularly and the anti sway plate doesn't interfere with the trailer draw bar.



Like I said, doing it regularly or over rough ground, get something built for the job. For Dman's requirements though this will do just fine.
Yep. It's going on a car not a 4X4 so there's not much rough ground involved..
 

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
The plate is still there. On the instructions it has a allen key head on it so you can remove the plate only and flip it upside down to connect a trailer.
--Ball mounted still a shite idea with 60-90kg dangling off it unsupported. --
True and my main concern. But I'll only be carrying 30kg 99% of the time. I need to buy a trailer too so that dictates my budget a lot unfortunately.
It is a little different to mine. The bit that sticks up is on the rack on mine, the plate that mounts under the ball fouled on the drawbar, but may not do so on all trailers if the coupling is long enough.

Yeah, I wouldn't be keen to travel far without supporting the back end if it was full of bikes.
 

moorey

call me Mia
The plate is still there. On the instructions it has a allen key head on it so you can remove the plate only and flip it upside down to connect a trailer.
--Ball mounted still a shite idea with 60-90kg dangling off it unsupported. --
True and my main concern. But I'll only be carrying 30kg 99% of the time. I need to buy a trailer too so that dictates my budget a lot unfortunately.
30kg in the rack alone....so more like 60kg.
 
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