Introducing and questions about bumper cargo carriers

[Buddahue]

Hi there, this is Buddahue. I have a 1979 Boler Trailer that I've had over 20 years and continue to enjoy many summer expeditions. We just recently changed our towing vehicle from a truck to an SUV so we lost some space in storage. I'm wondering if ther is anyone who has added a 2" hitch adapter to the rear bumper in order to put a cargo carrier on the back bumper. When I went to a trailer store they said I should check with the manufacturer on the weight capacity of the rear bumper. Does anybody have any info or know where to get the info. The one thing I noticed is the rear bumper is not very wide so many of the adapters fit 4" bumpers. Any suggestions ?

[mary and bob]

I built a few rear receiver hitches for trailers but they attached to the frame at 4 points, similar to what you buy for a vehicle. Attaching only to the bumper is not good. Look at the one made by Orbital Machine Works for Casitas. Others here will tell you about the hazards of adding weight to the rear of a trailer.

[DeBreez]

We have the OMW hitch on our Casita 17 SD. Don't know about the Boler, but the Casita bumper is not strong enough for any significant weight. A true receiver hitch is the way to go.

Too much weight in the back can induce sway. Our Casita is pretty tongue heavy, but I could feel a difference with a heavy bike rack and two bikes. Planning to shorten the rack so that it rides closer to the Casita.

[cmartin748]

I had one on my scamp 16 and enjoyed the extra space however, the problems it caused weren't worth it. Sway problems and unusual and premature tire wear were among the worst.

[Jim in De Pere]

Originally Posted by Buddahue

Hi there, this is Buddahue. I have a 1979 Boler Trailer that I've had over 20 years and continue to enjoy many summer expeditions. We just recently changed our towing vehicle from a truck to an SUV so we lost some space in storage. I'm wondering if ther is anyone who has added a 2" hitch adapter to the rear bumper in order to put a cargo carrier on the back bumper. When I went to a trailer store they said I should check with the manufacturer on the weight capacity of the rear bumper. Does anybody have any info or know where to get the info. The one thing I noticed is the rear bumper is not very wide so many of the adapters fit 4" bumpers. Any suggestions ?

I spoke with Scamp sometime back on adding a hitch. I was told that the bumper was good for 400 lbs. That said if one looks at the hitch that Scamps makes and sells it looks very robust for a small addition of a carrier. Of course the weight will need adjusting for the proper weight at the hitch.

[Casita Greg]

It isn't so much that the receiver hitch isn't built strong enough. It's more how it will it affect the trailers weight distribution. In particular, whatever the total weight of everything you put on the back will directly affect the tongue weight up front, which should be not less than 10% of the total gross trailer weight, (15% would be better.)

With shorter trailers especially, that have the axle mounted fairly close to the middle of the trailer, this effect will be more pronounced, like a teeter totter. It may adversely affect your ability to keep the trailer from swaying and being too light in the front. That could be dangerous.

[Ian G.]

I would not recommend adding any weight to the rear of a 13' Boler, first the added weight on the back reduces the tongue weight which can cause sway and instability while towing, secondly the frame is made from very thin gauge steel and is not strong enough to carry any weight, it is actually quite common for the spare tire to bend or tear the rear frame member.

[MandDDiversified]

All that being said (weight, ratings, weld or not, receiver, etc) the comment about sway is important. Obviously too much weight rearward can cause sway and handling issues. A simple recommendation is to shift inside weight forward for better weight distribution. The risk now is that the load then exceeds the tongue weight ratings (too much weight in the front). These are good numbers to know and can be easily established and done by a novice through several methods shown on the web. Tongue weight is supposed to be about 1/10th of the hitch capacity and you can know what yours is by checking it.