Tow bar design calculations

[welland99]

Sounds like you're clear that you want to mount to the rear of the folding caravan.

Yes. It's just a matter of HOW?

 

[BTB 500]

If you have a good weight ratio then stability would certainly be less of a concern, particularly with a folder that has a lower CG.

How would your fore/aft channel pieces be attached to the caravan - do the chassis rails go back far enough to bolt them to those?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

How about mounting on the A-frame? There are racks commercially available. Need to check the permissible nose weight though.

 

[welland99]

How about mounting on the A-frame? There are racks commercially available. Need to check the permissible nose weight though.

I may be able to fit one on the A-frame, but there is insufficient room for more. If there was room for more, the nose weight would be too high without adding counterweight at the rear.

 

[welland99]

If you have a good weight ratio then stability would certainly be less of a concern, particularly with a folder that has a lower

That's what I was thinking. I accept that what I want to do will have some detrimental effect on stability, but I think that with good balancing, it should not head problem. There must surely be caravans out there that are heavier and less stable.

 

[welland99]

How would your fore/aft channel pieces be attached to the caravan - do the chassis rails go back far enough to bolt them to those?

Yes, the chassis rails extend all the way to the back. The chassis is U section, with the open side facing upwards. I'm hoping to bolt through the for/aft channel into the bottom of the chassis. I may be able to make a discrete hole through the floor above to get a socket onto the nuts. Otherwise, I'll have to go with a boxbolt.
BoxBolt - Connectors - Simplified Building Concepts

 

[219]

Perhaps also worth looking at constructing your bracket from aluminium rather than steel - it should still be possible to make something plenty strong enough but much lighter .