Hitch on the 5.0TA

[frank_a]

What do you do if you need a mobility scooter that might weigh 300 or more pounds? Escape has a 2" receiver good they say for 150 pounds. If I can't figure this out, we may end up with a motor home, which I really don't want to do.

Frank

[padlin]

I've seen some folks with 2 or 3 receivers on the back, might be added after purchase.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by padlin

I've seen some folks with 2 or 3 receivers on the back, might be added after purchase.

Thanks Bob. Need to do something. Picking up a 4 wheel scooter Saturday I think and a lift that could be adapted to a hitch thing. Haven't seen the lift, so not sure. I really don't want a motorhome, much prefer a 5.0TA. They're more our kind of camper. I think we'll stick with the plan and if need be, have a pro welder adapt it for me.

Back and sciatic nerve in my right leg make it increasingly hard to walk. Things I always enjoy, like the big Syracuse Nats (hot rod show on the fairgrounds there), just can't even begin to think about anymore. Not fun, but things could always be worse. For instance, I just lost my 74 year old brother to a debilitating illness.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by padlin

I've seen some folks with 2 or 3 receivers on the back, might be added after purchase.

Yeah, but I'm not sure that multiples the mount of weight the frame can handle. I know I wouldn't try to haul 300 or 450 lbs off the rear of the trailer without checking with ETI first.

[padlin]

Wonder what Jim's rear tool box weighs loaded.

[gbaglo]

Maybe put a hitch on the mobility scooter and tow the 5.0 TA.

Getting old sucks.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by padlin

Wonder what Jim's rear tool box weighs loaded.

Fully loaded with bikes, and this is just a guess, it is just north of 300 lbs. Two receivers welded directly to the frame, each one way more solid than the original. By moving the tire under the front of the trailer, I still have a good pin weight. Mind you, my cargo box is only 20" deep, with the front sitting right on the bumper, a cart like Frank suggests would likely be way wider.

[padlin]

A quick search shows 25" x 48", at least the ones that popped up are.

[Brian B-P]

Adding receivers doesn't change the frame strength (although supporting any rack closer to the main frame rails instead of just in the middle of the bumper and crossmembers would be a structural improvement), and strengthening the frame wouldn't change the fact that adding mass at the extreme rear reduces stability (even if "compensating" mass is added up front).

I think most people would put the scooter in the tow vehicle - we carry one in the van, and so if we were currently towing a trailer it would be in the van while we tow the trailer. A scooter could need to fold down to fit under the trailer in the back of the pickup box, but that's an option for some scooters (if you can get the thing up to box floor height).

A pickup with enough rear axle capacity and wheelbase (so not a typical "half ton") could use a scooter lift mounted to the back of the truck, with the fifth-wheel hitch mounted substantially further back than usual to clear the scooter. Not a common approach, and the details for a specific truck would need to be checked.

For the most extreme solution - but also the most functional - you could copy what some people with much bigger trucks do to carry a small car: they carry the car (scooter for you) on the truck right behind the cab, using a custom load deck (instead of the stock pickup box for you). Yeah, not cheap, simple, or easy... but it would work.

Of course everything would be much smaller scale in this case! (pickup instead of big rig, 2' wide by 4' long scooter instead of 5' wide by 8' long car, etc)

[Chotch]

🤔 We saw this setup earlier this year. Looked to be working out well for the guy towing his Scamp. There was plenty of room ahead of trailer to easily fit your scooter and you could probably use ramps to load from the side, a lot lighter than a mechanical lift.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Maybe put a hitch on the mobility scooter and tow the 5.0 TA.

Getting old sucks.

Yah, but it beats the alternative 🤣

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Chotch

🤔 We saw this setup earlier this year. Looked to be working out well for the guy towing his Scamp. There was plenty of room ahead of trailer to easily fit your scooter and you could probably use ramps to load from the side, a lot lighter than a mechanical lift.

Great idea, but we need the crew cab. Long story...

[buellfire]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Great idea, but we need the crew cab. Long story...

Frank,
I see that you list in your Bio looking for a 5.0TA. How about getting a Sprinter van and a Escape 21. If I needed a new tow vehicle today I would look at a Sprinter or Transit Van. You can set them up with seating and have a low entry height for loading a scooter in the rear. I ride dirt bikes, this setup would work great for me. I currently place a carrier in a front receiver hitch to transport a bike. If you have a full size truck a carrier in a front hitch may work.The other benefit to 21 over a 5.0 is no steps. If you already bought a 5.0 try to work a trade with a 21 owner.
Hope this helps.

[frank_a]

The 21 looks interesting, but the bed is really too small (for my wife). She likes the 60 X 80 bed the 5.0 offers, and the separation between bed and dinette.

No trailer yet till we sell this house, and that looks like 2 years in the future.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Great idea, but we need the crew cab. Long story...

You could still do that, and carry the scooter across the truck between the cab and the trailer (with a custom-built deck, not the stock box), if you get a long enough box and/or mount the scooter deck low enough.

Of course, it would be good to find a simpler solution. The scooter could ride on the back of the 5.0TA (not using the stock hitch), but it's not going to be a good idea for stability.

[Donna D.]

None of us know what our future will bring. And I do own a 5.0TA, but I think I'd seriously look into a lighter, folding mobility scooter (just for camping) than hope there are solutions to take a larger, heavier, more expensive scooter. YMMV.

I have a camping bud who has MS. She's got a lighter weight scooter that folds down even smaller than this one. It should fit in the truck between the hitch and tailgate. Perhaps this might be a compromise solution for you too?

[cpaharley2008]

Shame, crew cab, bigger bed, mobility scooter, your options are getting narrower as you age...
I believe tandem towing is allowed with a 5th wheel whereas it is not with a existing pull behind trailer? Something else to throw in the mix, also there are those rear racks that have a wheel attached, perhaps another choice.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

None of us know what our future will bring. And I do own a 5.0TA, but I think I'd seriously look into a lighter, folding mobility scooter (just for camping) than hope there are solutions to take a larger, heavier, more expensive scooter. YMMV.

I have a camping bud who has MS. She's got a lighter weight scooter that folds down even smaller than this one. It should fit in the truck between the hitch and tailgate. Perhaps this might be a compromise solution for you too?

Now that is a neat solution, just think, one day we can have races in Osoyoos.....

[Donna D.]

I own a condo in a 55 and better community. I see a number of mobility scooters on cargo racks at the rear of cars/SUVs. Those THINGS bounce a LOT. Whether due to poor attachments, weak mechanicals or what... I just know I give them a wide berth because I'm afraid one is going to get dumped in the street ahead of me...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I believe tandem towing is allowed with a 5th wheel whereas it is not with a existing pull behind trailer?

That varies by jurisdiction. In many places a second trailer is illegal for any non-commercial vehicle, in some they don't seem to care what crap you drag down the road, and between those extremes many places have specific rules for what trailer combinations are allowed. Yes, a fifth-wheel hitch on the front trailer is a common requirement, but it's not the only one.

Also, the fact that something is not blatantly illegal doesn't mean that it is safe.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Something else to throw in the mix, also there are those rear racks that have a wheel attached, perhaps another choice.

If anyone is looking for a device to destabilize a trailer, a big mass attached to the back on a swivelling wheel (or two) would be a good candidate.