Tow bar and small motorbike?

Just exploring if it is possible to carry a lightweight motorbike/scooter/moped on the back of a Nuevo? This would give us so much more freedom when exploring so I wondered if any one has achieved this?

Perhaps - that is possibly????

I looked into it to carry a Honda 125 and it was very marginal. It might have been possible with a rear springs and tyres upgrade. If I had done that SVTech would have uprated the rear axle sufficiently, but it would probably have made the steering too light, so I didn't risk it.

If you are very keen, have a look at those little trailers with rotating wheels (on casters) so you can reverse with no problem. Have to dash now, but Mr Google will find them for you. They are quite common in France.

I've also looked into this, and even bought a tidy Honda SCV100 to hang on the back. But realistically, like Dave says, it's very marginal on a Nuevo due to the short wheelbase and long overhang. The scoot weighs 100kg, plus the rack. To my mind this is too much for the stability of the van.
I've seen the small trailers with castor action wheels, way to go I think.
Al.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Looks good, but is classed as a trailer by Euro tunnel etc and greatly increases crossing costs. Also incurs extra fees on toll roads.

We have a rack fitted to the chassis and we carry a 125cc speedfight . No problem at all .

Avoid half the above by not using toll roads. We've toured almost every corner of Europe and so far have avoided all toll roads, even in Switzerland. You really need time on your hands though, which fortunately we have.
To be honest though, the Nuevo, even the new slightly larger models, are short compact vans, and we've never had any problem getting to within walking distance of attractions we want to see. For cities and large towns we park up and use public transport.
Al.

paul long wrote:We have a rack fitted to the chassis and we carry a 125cc speedfight . No problem at all .

Hi Paul, sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but when you say fitted to the chassis what do you mean? Is the rack fitted without the need for a towball? What rack did you have fitted and would you be able to recommend someone to fit it?

But isn't the Ascot based on a Ford Transit chassis?

We are not comparing like with like here, and I was advised by Watling Towbars that they would not fit a scooter carrier on our Nuevo because they didn't think it was safe.

That was good enough for me. Any such trader who would reject a job so honestly gets my attention.

But as ever, you must make up your own mind. 

To add to Dave's point, not only is the Ascot a longer van than the Nuevo, it also has a different layout. While the Nuevo carries all it's heavy bits, washroom, cooker, fridge etc to the rear of the back axle, the Ascot only has lightweight seating/bed. So when it comes to hanging anything on the back, the Nuevo is at a disadvantage straight away.
Al.

Being new I hadn't thought to look at Paul's details, if I had I would have seen he is talking about a completely different vehicle and therefore has no relevance to the nuevo. Thank you Gromit and Bikerawl for your advice.

Check these guys out: http://www.armitagetrailers.com/TagBurstner.htm

I have a mobility scooter platform for my wife which I bought from them, it attaches to the tow bar and folds up flat to the back of the van when not in use.

Great firm to deal with, they can make pretty much anything you need if it's not a stock item :)

Hi Roger

Again it's quite a different prospect with your van, which has a very short rear overhang compared to a Nuevo - which is absolutely the critical factor.

If the rear axle is up to it you could quite safely hang almost anything on the back of yours.

I know  I've a different layout , but you don't need a tow bar rack. It can be made to fit on your chassis. I had mine made & fitted by a specialist in Preston.

We have Nuevo and use a Motolug single or double trailer to transport our bikes around.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Apart from the musical accompaniment () this trailer seems to have a lot going for it. Doubt if it's cheap though, but it could go behind any van and reversing would present no problem.

2580 euro ( inc all taxes), doesn't seem to be sold in UK though.

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Thanks Peter.

I guessed correctly about the price then, although it could be worth it if only for the convenience of being able to reverse easily. Getting the bikes on and off also seemed very slick and well thought out.

If anyone wanted one it should be easy enough to pre-arrange and fetch one while on holiday. There are loads of outlets, and three are quite close to Calais.

Easy lifter is  one that I was considering    http://www.easylifter.co.uk/hydra-trail.htm

aajax42 wrote:Easy lifter is  one that I was considering    http://www.easylifter.co.uk/hydra-trail.htm

Suggest you do a bit of research first.

Some time ago, and on another forum, there was a long and heated debate about whether or not the Easylifter is fully legal. Something about the suspension was the point at issue, but I had no interest in getting one so I didn't pay too much attention.

If it is dubiously legal it would pay to know before parting with cash. You might still buy one, but in full awareness of a possible problem so you could make an informed decision.

It may well have been just two or three nick picking pedants sparring among themselves - but worth mentioning I think.

Thread on ASOF earlier. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Hi Ploughlin, thanks for the reply. I noticed the discussion was set in 2015 and can't imagine the company would still be going if it produced a product that is illegal or faulty. The claims against them would surely put them out of business.

aajax42 wrote:Hi Ploughlin, thanks for the reply. I noticed the discussion was set in 2015 and can't imagine the company would still be going if it produced a product that is illegal or faulty. The claims against them would surely put them out of business.

Read the post from Mr Plodd on the last page of the MHF link. (Yes, he is an ex policeman.)

In a nutshell he says the CPS is unlikely to bring a prosecution in case they lose - which is likely as there is so much contention and interpretation involved.

The previous 38 pages (I read to about half way and lost the will to live!!) detailed an awful lot of snags, faults and operating problems. As Mr Plodd said, nobody will stand up and give an official statement to define what it is and whether it's legal, so anyone buying one should still do so with caution - and be pretty sure what they are buying into before parting with a lot of cash.

aajax42. .. I assume from the year of your Nuevo that you either haven't had your van for long or are awaiting delivery. I would suggest that you try the Nuevo out for a while before taking the route that you are considering. I know that when we had a Nuevo, its size wasn't as restrictive as you might assume. Of course there are certain places you can't park but we used to take the van off site regularly to visit places.
In 2005 we swapped a Clubman for a Hymer 504 (5.99 metres)  so that we could carry a scooter and later a 250cc motorbike in the garage. It was a tight fit but it worked and  there was nothing to tow. We did that for 4 years with just a few soakings and a couple of spills and when I finally asked my wife if she was happy with being on the back of the bike  she said, 'Well, let's put it like this; I'm always happier when we've got to where we're going!' That was  the point at which we sold the van and the bike and returned to an Auto-Sleeper.
I'm sure there are plenty of forum members who love motorcycling and have had very different experiences from me but all I'm saying is there is no harm in trying out the Nuevo thoroughly before assuming that you will be restricted by its size.

Interesting, I will keep researching to find the best option.