The Best Bicycle Trailer Hitch Design?

Is this the best bike trailer hitch design? You decide! Diecaster D. breaks down the mechanics of how bicycle trailer hitches work, and takes a look at a few to analyze their benefits and drawbacks. We also look at the differences between top and side mounted hitches. (The term "seatstay-mounted" is repeatedly used, but this refers to any side mounted hitch whether on the chainstay, seatstay, rear dropout, rear rack, or any combination thereof.)
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[@greensnmachines]

Another major advantage of the seatpost mounted hitch is if it is placed ahead of the rear axle of the bike, then there is no risk of the front of the bike lifting up due to weight. This is a common issue with the chainstay mounted hitches because all the force is applied behind the rear axle, causing the bike to wheelie if the load is mostly toward the front of the trailer.

[@snigwithasword1284]

Friend, grinder and paint makes me the welder I ain't! I appreciate how easy your bare parts are to reverse enginerd but they could look sooo much better!!

[@joesarabia-r7b]

Tested my DVI seat post hitch and found ~ 15-30 degrees of roll is necessary to avoid rolling the trailer. reincorporating the spring that came with after market hitch might be the solution.

[@greywolf2809]

I like your first over engineered hitch alot tho

[@portnuefflyer]

I have a Montague e conversion bike, 1000 watts of mid motor power combined with a 14 speed Rohloff hub, I carry in my small plane. I huse a Burley Travoy trailer to haul car gas, about 10 to 13 gallons at a time, in rubber fuel bladders. It's a seat post hitch, real quick and easy to use, but one day I was pulling out of a gas station in Montana across a 2 lane highway, on my way back to the airport a couple miles away. Traffic was clear to my left, also to my right but I could see if I didn't cross RIGHT NOW before the big motorhome got to me, it'd be quite a wait as there was a long line of cars behind him, there was near Yellowstone park. So, I goosed it pretty good, forgetting I was in first gear I guess, more importantly, that i had full load of fuel on the Travoy. That high hitch point, the load, and the 1000 watts of power combined with the very low first gear of the Rohloff got me across the highway well before the big RV got there, but I was doing a wheelie most of the way! Up until then I hadn't really goosed it that hard from a stop with a full load, after that i remember to take it easy on start up. Your chain link design is simple genius, KISS at it's finest. As is the Heim joint idea.

[@jeremybenson5782]

That looks just like what I would be looking for. Even if just a little more rugged. I'd like to see John Deere P10 to P17 poly trailers connected to bikes.

[@Ed.R]

You are definitely going in the right direction with a simpler bike trailer hitch. However on all my trailers I do it the other way around. The bit with the pin through you have on the trailer I have on the bicycle instead. On the trailer I simply use an eye bolt. If the bolt is allowed to turn freely it provides excellent roll movement so the bike can be fall over no problem. Only movement that is restricted is the pitch but if the u shape on the bike is reasonably open and pin long it works fine for all but most extreme scenarios. It can be a little loose and rattle but in my experience this setup works very reliably. Which is why this hitch arrangement is used on military vehicles and farm trailers. I also prefer seat stay mounted as the trailers tow bars can be straight so stronger and easier to make.

[@josielmacedodeoliveira]

Great idea, thanks for share.

[@tvuser9529]

I've never tried a seatpost mounted trailer. Are they bad with heavy loads? I'd expect them to negatively affect handling more. If you have to brake hard during a turn, could the trailer force you to crash? It has so much more leverage when it's that high up.

[@gnostie]

Have you come across a channel that talks about attaching trailers to trikes? My trike is purely utilitarian, and my trailer is a beach wagon, so also free-standing. I need ideas on not too weird options for attaching and detaching the trailer to my trike. Any help is very much appreciated.

[@markmannm2]

Good video! I built Few which all eventually needed to be redone. I always mounted to the two rear frame and eyelets near the axle. I like the idea of a stiff spring to slow the trailer independent pitch however not too much...I think I will try a seat neck design... It is a juggling act when your a diy-er MarkMannM2

[@DivineMisterAdVentures]

I like your chain design - but I'm ready to see another video just on a rear Stays / Triangle mount. That was just a tease. ALSO - though - if you have a welder - it's pretty easy to make a round clamp and you can ditch the angle iron, the hose clamps, and the funky padding. As if you haven't figured this out since the video?

[@puntonone]

Good analysis of & solution to the hitch problem. I've never liked the idea of attaching a hitch to my rear axle so the seat post is an obvious place for it except then it could limit the usefulness of the rear carrier. I have a Benno cargo bike with a very sturdy rear carrier useful for carrying two shopping bags (one on each side) and strapping stuff to the top of. A seat post hitch would interfere with anything strapped to the top of the rack so I'm thinking a trailer hitch on the back of the rear carrier would be a solution. With such a set up I could still use the rear carrier in addition to hauling my dog and/or other things What do you think?

[@ZiggZagg11]

I shared with the facebook Bicycle Trailers Group ❤️

[@marcoslemos6960]

Thx for de vídeo! Natal/RN Brazil

[@Owen-bk5fc]

Would you ever use a rubber spacer between the hitch and the post to decrease scraping and perhaps distribute load slightly better?

[@greensnmachines]

Yes, we used a couple pieces of scrap tire.

[@Owen-bk5fc]

@@greensnmachines genius. I have so many old bike tires and nothing to do with them.

[@AegisPupus]

My hitch uses a single strong spring to provide all the movement required. I find the solution pretty elegant. The seat pole attachment is a bit more dangerous for a heavy load, unwanted wheelies if you have pedal assist and starting off from a full stop and destabilising when breaking hard.

[@annegitchagun4150]

Thank you for the feast of food for thought. My attempting to make my trailer connection to my ebike work despite the frustrating search to find it can be done that mirrors my set up I was on a starvation diet as it would appear. Disaster would have come as a result of the neglected consideration of how angles have much to be figured into this particular area of mechanics! Dumping a bike is a much bigger ordeal then one may realise until it happens! Thank you for the care to share!

[@martinaguero6503]

fuck yeah man XD a fix according my IQ, tools and $.

[@dalemtnbike9381]

Great video on trailer hitches. I have one that mounts to the frame that works for me.

[@Whitebear80]

I made a seat post hitch using an air hose coupling.

[@shoutatthesky]

Just add a swivel link.

[@bobjr7294]

What website is that?

[@sylver369]

That is awful for a bike trailer hitch. A bike trailer needs to be tightly secure to the bike, not loose and floppy like this. I have never had a bike lift up in the front due to weight because of a frame connecting hitch, even with a completely full trailer load of around 200lbs. I've only had that happen from having the rear rack of the bike loaded with too much weight. And guess where the rear rack attaches? Right where you put the post mounted hitch... You actually made it so the weight of the trailer when loaded will guarantee the front end lifts up when you start to ride. Frame mounted, the trailer gets pulled evenly along with the bike, and evenly stops with the bike. The post mounted has the trailer pulling back on the upper rear of the bike, which not only can but will lift the front end, which you claim it prevents. The loose bits make it so when you start there is a jolt when the trailer starts to move, and the trailer ramming the bike when you stop. Literally all of the problems are solved with the frame mounted hitches that come with the trailers.

[@greensnmachines]

Thank you for your input. I was very skeptical of this design at first due to the slop factor of the chain, but after seeing it countless times hauling up to 600 pounds with no problem, I'm convinced it is effective. The only time I've seen the front end lift up was when the driver throttled the e-bike too abruptly from standstill at an awkward angle on an incline, which inevitably caused physics to happen. It isn't perfect, but the simplicity can't be ignored.

[@portnuefflyer]

I've gone as far as to day dream about using 1/2" socket drive U-joints, meant for a socket/ratchet tool, the kind that let you wrench at an angle. A good quality one from Snap On, welded fittings as required on both ends, thats as far I've got!

[@AlanKelly-nm9lx]

I just got a piece of pvc I found drilled a hole in it for the seat post to go through. Put 2 screw eyes on it, one for the hitch to my canoe I carry and one as a safety lanyard. Works great ... Oooo I also do wrap a pieces of Velcro around my back rack to keep it from swinging if it starts to loosen. ... I always get comments every time I take it out!