Smart Car on a rear mounted platform?

[Rocco42]

Looking for opinions on carrying an 1800 lb. Smart Car on a sideways mounted rear platform. I have concerns about it effecting the steering as well as other possible issues it might create. The RV is a 2001 Gas Engine, 36' Monaco LaPalma with rear dual wheels on the back axle.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

We carried a Smart Car for several years on the back of our 5er with a IdahoTote.

Idaho Tote Dolly – Tow your atv, motorcycle, golf cart behind your rv.

“Happy Trails”
Chiefneon

[kerryvan]

I considered this at one time. Then realized the car is technically too long to meet the legal lane width. Yes, mirrors are wider but they are 6 ft off the road. Being wide at Jersey barrier height would scare me every construction zone.

There have been many pics of the setup posted.

I abandoned the idea

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by Rocco42

Looking for opinions on carrying an 1800 lb. Smart Car on a sideways mounted rear platform. I have concerns about it effecting the steering as well as other possible issues it might create. The RV is a 2001 Gas Engine, 36' Monaco LaPalma with rear dual wheels on the back axle.

Ummm..IMHO.... You do not have enough coach for trying that me thinks... A "Hell for Stout DP with tag axle for the additional weight is likely needed as your coach has more than a little rear overhang behind the drive axle, which would exacerbate overloading the drive axle/suspension load ratings, and...I doubt that the frame rails on the behind rear axle extention would handle the weight and additional stress..
As the guy in the movie "Jaws" said..."You need a bigger Boat"!

[palehorse89]

I don't believe your Coach has the ability to support such a platform with that weight on it. Maybe a small aluminum trailer to tow to put it on.......or just flat tow it.

[TonyMac]

First, double that weight, and that is the added weight you are putting on the rear axle. Think of a balanced teeter-totter. 1800 pound car + 500 pound platform x 2 = 4,600 pounds added to the rear axel. Can you do that safely? Then, subtract 2300 pounds from the front axel, and you have one out of balance rig. The engineers who build these rigs don't account for anyone moving 2300 pounds to the rear bumper.


How about a 500 pound, single axle aluminum trailer, with 200 pounds of tongue weight instead of 2300 pounds hanging off the bumper?

[chuckftboy]

Not a good idea on a gas chassis, too much weight. Maybe a Harley, It will carry the same amount of people at 1/2 the weight. Might still be a bit too much on your coach though.

[windsorbill]

here is another way to look at it. As a rule of thumb, when pulling any type of trailer, the tongue weight should be about 10%. So if you had a 6000 trailer, you should have about 600 pounds on the hitch. A 10,000 trailer would have about 1000 lbs on the hitch. Using that thinking, having 1800 pounds on the hitch would be the equivalent of a 18000 lbs trailer.

[96 Wideglide]

Put it this way. I do hang a 800lb Harley on a hyd lift, on the back of my 54,600 GCWR tag axle D.P.
I wouldn't even consider hanging an 1800lb car there !!

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Can't answer that one but take a look at the pic below! Keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Merry Christmas!

[Dennis4809]

I carry a 750 lb motorcycle on a Cruserlift. Their website shows the calculation to determine how much weight that would be added to the rear axle. It also indicates that there are very few gas motor homes capable of the added weight. Factoring in the width of a car vs a motorcycle and my guess is that you’ll be adding well over 3,000 lbs to the rear axle and pulling quite a lot off the front. Accident waiting to happen.
https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/...%20Rev%203.pdf

[Damion]

???

[mwallin]

Do your research, I posted a question on doing this with my golf cart. Got nothing but need a tag axle to be safe. Built my own and did the research and designed it with a 4/1 safety margin. I found for every pound on the rear I took one off the front. I was right at 12k on front axle, before the golf cart. I built my own and did some test runs and about 6 trips to a truck scale to check axle weights and 4 corner weights all was within spec.Flat towed a jeep behind platform with a 48" receiver behind platform and everyone hold on but, with a 2200 mile round trip to FL @ 75-80 mph no issues , not one. I have a 40' diesel pusher with a single rear axle. First step is weigh your coach and see how much room you have to start with. feel free to PM me and leave me a number and I will help as much as I can. I think I could of added a extra 800#s and been ok.

[RT 41]

We carry our mini cooper inside our travel supreme ME and tow our race car in a trailer out back -

Happy Holidays,
RT 41