Carrying a 400 Pound Motorcycle at the Back of an RV

Expert Reply:

The use of any extender is going to reduce the tongue weight capacity of the trailer hitch by 50 percent. So if the tongue weight capacity of your hitch is 750 pounds the use of an extender will reduce it to 375 pounds. Also the further the loaded carrier is away from the hitch the more movement it will have which puts considerably more stress on the hitch so I do not recommend the use of an extender for those 2 reasons.

The other option is to use a different carrier; one that is rated for use at the back of an RV/trailer, provides more clearance, and has the capacity to handle your 400 pound motorcycle. Or for motor homes you could put the bike on a small trailer instead which will be the safest and put the least amount of stress on the hitch.

We have just one motorcycle carrier that can be used at the back of an RV or trailer. It is Ultra-Fab carrier # UF48-979033. It is rated for 500 pounds. It measures 19 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the center of the track where the bike sits.

If that is not enough clearance for the bike to clear the ladder then for a small trailer you could use # K2MMT4X6. The bed of this trailer is 72 inches long and 48 inches wide. Diagonally from a front corner to the opposite rear corner it is 86.5 inches. If that is not enough space there is a longer version, # K2MMT5X7, that is 88 inches long and 52 inches wide. And on the diagonal it is 102 inches.

I have included links to videos on the trailer and the motorcycle carrier listed above.