05-10-2022, 07:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-10-2022, 08:10 AM by Reserector.)
I thought it might be nice to take my DRZ along when I have my camper on the back of my pickup. I have a trailer, but I thought it might be better to have a front hitch and a hitch carrier in FRONT of the truck where I can keep an eye on it, NOT have two more tires to worry about, and be more maneuverable at the campground.
I went with a Draw-Tite front hitch, and am totally pleased with it. Great fit, finish and function. Highly recommend.
![[Image: 276e79f49d564a3833ba8d8b36aa6ded.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220510/276e79f49d564a3833ba8d8b36aa6ded.jpg)
![[Image: 25b26a883154e58f167f4331e729a221.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220510/25b26a883154e58f167f4331e729a221.jpg)
For the carrier, I went with a cheap eBay special and got what I paid for.
However, my thought was to get something that I can work with and customize. This one for $106 is just that.
It is largely rectangle tube that you bolt together. As I tightened the bolts, it was crushing the tube, so I just had to pick a point to stop tightening. BTW, I was tightening by hand.
If I continue to go this route, I will most likely align it and weld it so the bolts aren't even needed.
![[Image: 458397a344d06d39429e345b61a3014a.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220510/458397a344d06d39429e345b61a3014a.jpg)
There are several things I didn't like that need addressing:
No wheel stop at the end makes tying down tricky and more critical. Leaving out cross pins will let the tires drop down into the frame, but that may make it too difficult for me to get the bike back out.
The ramp is short, but worse yet, it is narrow, and it will flip off the frame if you roll onto the side of the ramp unintentionally. I need to find a way to secure it, and to widen the entry point. Maybe crop the corners, too.
![[Image: 19efce37821ea1d19d1c6a753e0848c7.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220510/19efce37821ea1d19d1c6a753e0848c7.jpg)
The biggest drawback to mounting on the front this way is that the headlights and turn signals are partially blocked. THAT could be a show-stopper. I may just use the trailer.
![[Image: 3981afad2f0bd3cf42e4e6be8cb18adf.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220510/3981afad2f0bd3cf42e4e6be8cb18adf.jpg)
I went with a Draw-Tite front hitch, and am totally pleased with it. Great fit, finish and function. Highly recommend.
For the carrier, I went with a cheap eBay special and got what I paid for.
However, my thought was to get something that I can work with and customize. This one for $106 is just that. It is largely rectangle tube that you bolt together. As I tightened the bolts, it was crushing the tube, so I just had to pick a point to stop tightening. BTW, I was tightening by hand.
If I continue to go this route, I will most likely align it and weld it so the bolts aren't even needed.
There are several things I didn't like that need addressing:
No wheel stop at the end makes tying down tricky and more critical. Leaving out cross pins will let the tires drop down into the frame, but that may make it too difficult for me to get the bike back out.
The ramp is short, but worse yet, it is narrow, and it will flip off the frame if you roll onto the side of the ramp unintentionally. I need to find a way to secure it, and to widen the entry point. Maybe crop the corners, too.
The biggest drawback to mounting on the front this way is that the headlights and turn signals are partially blocked. THAT could be a show-stopper. I may just use the trailer.