bike carrier

[supcrds]

does this not work? saw this on an older thread, it says fitment for the Spark EV:

http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3720

http://www.amazon.com/CURT-11334-Class-Trailer-Hitch/dp/B00A8XEAZK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1433461353&vehicle=2015-47-23335-430--18-6-5-18502-3461-1-1-3623--1-0&sr=1-1&ymm=2015%3Achevrolet%3Aspark+ev&pebp=1433461361995&perid=1BJ0H4T3V2VNPD9D4X6V

The link you have there shows one review stating that it didn't fit the Spark EV even though Amazon shows it as compatible. sure would be nice if it was that easy to add a hitch bike rack.

 

[siata94]

ah bummer, I didn't even look at the review. I'm also looking for a solution altho not yet in dire needs as my ICE'er needs to be driven several times a week (to haul MTB) to keep the cobwebs away.

 

[dalysea]

If anyone is still interested in a hitch receiver for carrying bikes on the Spark EV, I brought my Spark over to a tow hitch custom fabrication shop. He took a look underneath and found two places at which a hitch receiver could be bolted on. At first he said no way he could fabricate something to hold a bike rack. Apparently, it is easier to make something that will tow rather than hold a bike rack, go figure. Anyway, he looked around some more and found the 2nd place to bolt onto and decided it could be done. For a hefty price though.

I was thinking once he fabricated the hitch receiver itself, duplicating it a welding shop or sending the measurements to Torklift Central to make an ecohitch might be possible. If there is a lot of interest in this, maybe we could figure out a way to do some kind of kickstarter to share the total cost. I'm a nice guy, but creating the first one will cost $860 and that's a bit much.

 

[Dusty]

I've had some experience in efforts like this to make custom motorcycle and sailboat parts. If done correctly, it can be a great way to spread R&D costs around, bringing individual prices down. The most successful efforts got started by gauging serious interest. In one instance, a guy invested in a website and custom molds for casting aluminum, and from my viewpoint less than half of those who said they wanted the parts actually stepped up and bought them. My estimate is he lost a couple thousand dollars.

But let's say there are enough people to make this happen. I'm not sure how Kickstarter would work. Regardless, someone (probably you) would have to approach a fabricator for an estimate for multiple copies of this hitch. I'm thinking at least 10 pieces would be required to get the lowest cost response. For me personally, anything under $500 seems reasonable, but I would want it to be engineered professionally so as not to compromise the structural integrity of my car. It would also have to be shippable to Maryland and come with all necessary installation parts and instructions.

At first he said no way he could fabricate something to hold a bike rack. Apparently, it is easier to make something that will tow rather than hold a bike rack, go figure.

This statement makes me suspect since a Class 1 hitch, the smallest commercially available, should have a tongue weight capacity of 200 lbs which is more than enough for a bike rack. I poked around Torklift's website and it seems they have the necessary expertise, but I'm thinking they might not warrant anything they build that's designed by someone else. This means they'll probably need a Spark EV in their shop for assessment. Perhaps there is a shop in California similar to Torklift?

Anyway, count me in as serious if we can work out the details.

Dusty

 

[dalysea]

Thanks Dusty for the valuable info and your serious interest. I had talked to Torklift on the phone since their website claims they can make a hitch for ANY vehicle. The caveat is that they actually need the vehicle to do it. They are eager to have another model of car on their ecohitch list though. I talked to a Chevy dealer service advisor a mile down the road from Torklift, but he said they have no regular customers who are Spark EV owners who could volunteer their vehicle for R&D.

So I looked for their equivalent in California and that's how I found Eyers. They claim to carry a large liability insurance to cover any damage incurred if the hitch fails and he said that is part of the reason the labor cost is a lot - they take a longer time to make sure it won't fail. Whether you can believe it or not I leave to you, but I wasn't necessarily suspicious of the tongue weight concerns. Even Curt claims that if you install their Class 1 hitch for bike rack purposes then you have to add the support straps or void the warranty. This guy was essentially saying he would warranty it for bike rack purposes without straps if he could secure it properly.

Also, in case anyone was curious, I did order the Curt part before looking under my Spark. I watched the installation video and was all set to install it. When it arrived, I put the Spark on a lift and looked under it, took off the plastic aerodynamic panel, and didn't even bother to unpack the Curt. No way it would fit. They have photos from me and have said they will update their compatibility information.

Hopefully we can get at least a few more interested!

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Dusty]

OK Sean, I think I get it now. Perhaps Eyers is right. There is some torsional leverage with a bike rack you don't find while towing. Since he's seen the attachment points, he should have the best idea how to resist those forces. If it needs a strap, it needs a strap. Did you ask about a volume discount or does he even do limited production runs?

More importantly, is anyone else interested?

 

[Casualsurfer]

I'm interested. My Volt wil actually fit 3 bikes in the back (flat stacked, I use thick towels to separate) with the rear seats down but there's is no way the Spark will do that. Cost is an obvious concern, and ease of install is another.

 

[NORTON]

... There is some torsional leverage with a bike rack you don't find while towing. ...

This is very true, to the point where the Curt hitch instructions say to use their 'safety strap' with a hitch mounted bike rack.

On my Volt I added 1.5 x 1.5" aluminum angle material to the top of my bike rack to allow the safety strap to reach the forward edge of the hatch without the strap dragging and pressing against the paint.
So even with a hitch mounted bike rack, you are still supposed to use those dang rubber coated S-hooks on the edge of the hatch.

I'm not going that route with my Spark EV.
For one thing you expose yourself to a problem with warranty claims when you have a trailer hitch installed on the car, regardless of what you actually did with the hitch.

But then, the hatch mounted strap-on bike rack I have for the Spark when mounted with the bottom legs taking the weight on the bumper, requires the top straps to press down on that plastic spoiler/wing thing at the top of the hatch. I used soft cloth under the strap the few times I carried my CF road bike, but I didn't want to carry my FS mtn bike like that.

My plan is to add an extension on the rack just to route the upper straps high enough to clear the plastic wing. This will be a hose-clamp on affair, maybe made from pvc pipe... still working on ideas.

The CF road bike is gone. I now have a steel CX/gravel, fat/skinny tire, do-everything bike! Plus I want to be able to confidently load two bikes to the strap-on rack.

Is anyone using a strap-on bike rack that they can recommend that does not place the strap weight on the wingy thingy?

 

[dalysea]

I'm still basing my information on one conversation with the guy at Eyers, but my impression was that he was not going to install anything unless he was sure it could hold the weight, he never mentioned any support straps. He mentioned the amount of insurance he has to carry, which implied to me that if there is some damage due to failure, he has to cover it. I'm 99% sure that would only be the case if he does the installation.

He broke down the price for me by the cost of the steel and the labor, which would include fabrication and installation. I have to believe that a big part of that labor is getting the measurements correct to create the hitch itself so that it will bolt on in the right places. That cost shouldn't have to be duplicated in creating multiple hitches. And the cost of installation wouldn't have to be included with those hitches. But there would be shipping cost.

So here is what I think we should aim for:

1) a hitch that is under $500 including shipping
2) include the necessary hardware (bolts, nuts, plates) to install
3) instructions including torque wrench specs
4) installation video
5) the hitch itself should be shot blast / sandblasted, washed, prepped and powder coated.

Curt dips each hitch in a liquid Aquence® coating and finishes in a high-gloss or carbide powder coat. "The co-curing of the A-coat and powder coating provides superior rust, chip and UV protection."

Torklift does sandblasting, eco-friendly wash, pre-dry oven heats part to 320 degrees ("This removes moisture and provides optimal temperature for powder coat to adhere."), does an electro-static powder coating, and then the part enters a high efficiency, gas-fired oven at 420 degrees for 30 minutes to completely cure the powder coat finish.

So I'll ask and see what the price would be for multiples.

 

[Dusty]

Thanks for doing all this Sean. The way I see it, unless you're independently wealthy, you should get a price from Eyers for multiples and they handle the fulfillment. There would be a minimum order they need to justify the discount price, and all those wanting the hitch would submit their order directly to Eyers before actual production is started. If enough people step forward to meet the minimum requirement, it happens. If not, it doesn't happen and you aren't left holding the bag. If he isn't happy with this arrangement, walk away.

The only other way to do this is for you to spring for the minimum and handle the fulfillment. At $500 a pop, that could be a significant investment. In the past, I did the fabrication for one part, but that was a fairly simple bracket out of aluminum I already had the extrusion for. I charged $15 each piece with $5 for shipping, selling 26 pieces altogether. No complaints. This hitch is on a completely different level.

BUT!, before I place my order, I'll want to know the hitch will meet the requirements of the application. Is there any way we can get a schematic, blow-up, or pictures of what he proposes so I can feel confident what he builds will ultimately do what we want? Does he have a website? Or just private message me his number and I can call him. Believe it or not, some people actually say things that aren't true just to get your money! Yeah, I know! Isn't that a b*tch!

Thanks again!
Dusty

 

[dalysea]

Yeah, I talked to him again today. He said it would be half the labor cost to create a multiple. So let's round the numbers off a little and say the metal itself and misc hardware is $200 and labor on first hitch is $650, so 2nd hitch is $325. I have no idea on shipping so i'll guess $100.

So multiples are already $625 plus $325 divided by the number of people who order. Even if many many people went in on this you're still above $625. And he doesn't powder-coat, just black paint. So I called Curt and their engineers in Michigan/Wisconsin would need a vehicle and even then probably wouldn't be too interested since lack of demand.

Sorry guys, I tried...

 

[NORTON]

Yep, and as I said, Curt still requires a 'Safety Strap'. So you are still going to have a rubber S-hook digging into your hatch paint.
Bikes on a tall hitch mounted bike rack have a lot of 'leverage' placed on the hitch receiver, not just weight.

Is anyone happy with their strap-on rack?
I don't think the strap should dig into the paint and plastic wingy-thingy on the hatch, so I plan on making some sort of extender for routing the straps above the paint.

 

[dalysea]

Good news! (sort of)...

I was able to customize a 2" hitch and bolt it under my 2014 Spark EV.
Anyone interested, I can either tell you how to do it or ship an already-modified one to you.

Now the bad news...

First, you'll have to make some minor modifications to the plastic pieces underneath in a couple areas - 1)the plastic between each rear wheel and the undercarriage that presumably is there to keep mud from the wheel from getting on the undercarriage and 2) the plastic covering the battery that connects to the rear bumper (though it won't need to be as modified as mine was if you do a better job with yours - more on that later)

Second, to make sure we don't need support straps and what not to use a bike rack, you'll need to bolt it to the metal inside the back bumper. It requires drilling two holes in that metal large enough to fish a bolt and plate behind. But this metal was so difficult to drill through that I ended up tapping it and putting what is essentially a large metal screw into it for the time being. There were a few reasons that made it difficult, and we'll need to overcome those to do it properly. But I can let you know those details if you're interested.

Third, it took so many days to figure this out that by the time my friend and I were done, we were so happy to have it done that we were not immediately ready to re-do the whole thing properly with the bolts in the rear bumper and the proper amount of clearance between the bottom of the hitch and the ground. So there is an element here of "trust me, yours will turn out better than mine" - after you see the photos, you can decide for yourself. Especially if you're planning to have me modify one for you, since I would expect you to PayPal me in advance, so you'd have to trust me that it can be done better than mine currently is.

Fourth and finally, The hitch can be bolted underneath with as many as 8 bolts to hold it in place or optionally 6 or even 4 bolts. That sounds good at first, but the reason I say you might want to consider bolting it with fewer bolts is because you're essentially bolting it to the same place that one of the large batteries is bolted underneath to the frame. The weight of a bike rack is not going to be felt at these bolt points, it's going to be felt at the bumper bolts, but if for some reason the 2, 4, or 6 bolts you choose to use at these points failed, it's going to potentially take the battery with it.

And it probably goes without mentioning that this hitch would not come with any warranty, would probably void your vehicle's warranty, and, if not done correctly, poses a potentially fatal hazard to anyone driving behind you.

With all that said, I will post some photos and if anyone is still interested, I can post how-to instructions or information if you want to order one.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Nashco]

I'd definitely appreciate some pictures of what you came up with. I totally know what you mean, it's always easy to come up with ideas for improvement after the job is done. It's part of the territory with being the first to try it!

Bryce

 

[dalysea]

Hitch is a Draw-Tite 75038:

Basic L bracket:

Before:

After: (you can already see the problem, it is about 1.5 to 2 inches too low!)

After with bike rack: (clearance hasn't been an issue yet, but I still would like it higher)

Where to bolt:

Side plastic that needs to be cut:

 

[dalysea]

So the three main improvements that need to be made:

1) Cut off existing side metal pieces off hitch and weld two large L brackets to the side bolting areas to raise it to exact desired height and angle.
2) Use two L brackets to attach hitch to back metal behind bumper, but weld the L brackets to the hitch instead of bolting (paint them black).
3) Use two bolts from behind bumper metal to attach hitch to bumper via L brackets instead of the single L bracket with metal screw bolt thing.

Which would give us better clearance, better support, less plastic to cut out of bottom plastic piece, no visible bolts or L brackets (painted black anyway). And bolted at proper angle means no downward force where bike rack is. The only force should be from the weight of the bike rack and bike itself. As it is now, I had to push the hitch upward and bolt it in place, which means there is already downward force on that bolt and L bracket.

 

[NORTON]

I don't know,man ,,,
What are you going to say when, and if, you have to take it in for service of a drive unit issue? Or any service?
The dealer is going to see that and say "WTH?".
Did you RTFM concerning this?

Also, I see an electrical connector just hanging out exposed the muck. Did that used to be covered by the plastic panels you ruined?

Keep in mind these receiver hitches see more than just the weight of the rack and the bikes. There is lots of bending forces at work on that bolt-on affair while you drive with bikes.

One reason I'm skeptical is I bent the Curt hitch mount on my Volt. And this was a factory made hitch kit.
No bike rack was installed. I was backing out of a friends drive and there was a small 1" step up in the asphalt to the road.
BANG
The hitch got bent to a downward angle and the part of the hitch that was connected to the sub-floor metal got bent up almost an inch and it poked an angled hole through the metal.
I saw gravel dust coming out from under the plastic tray that holds the EVSE and tire inflator.

 

[dalysea]

I should start out by saying that I'm not trying to talk anyone into this, I'm not trying to make any money off this, and I'm not posting this to suggest it is a better solution than your idea of routing the bike rack straps so they don't rub the paint. I think you have a great idea. But I already invested in two bike racks for my other vehicle that mount on that vehicle's 2 inch receiver. That vehicle is not parked where I live because it's a large camper van, so any time I want to transport a bike anywhere, I have to drive over and get that vehicle and bring it back, load the bikes, then do the whole thing in reverse after I'm done. I did get a folding mountain bike that fit in the back of my Spark, but it's not as easy as the bike rack I have, gets dirt in the back of the car, and it's not my favorite mountain bike tbh.

As far as the dealer saying "WTH" when I go in for service, I'd say definitely everyone should weigh the risks against the benefits before doing this. I would reiterate that I'm fairly certain I voided the warranty on my vehicle by doing this. I would offer up two points, however, to balance what you said. One is that, except for the obvious amateur-looking-bolted-on-one-side L bracket, there isn't anything terribly unusual about this Draw-Tite hitch that a dealer wouldn't be used to seeing with any other after-market hitch install. It's made for trucks and SUVs, so yeah it's on the hefty side, but everything except the receiver part is hidden under the plastic panel, even more so if it were done properly 2 inches higher. So all the dealer will see is the outermost part of the 2 inch receiver metal. I'll post a follow up once I actually bring it in to a dealer and let you know the response. The second point is that if you are really concerned about how the dealer may react if you're bringing it in for anything other than routine service, especially work covered under a warranty, you hopefully would be in a situation where you have the option of unbolting it and removing it before you take the car in. May sound like a pain in the a$$, but just saying it is an option (again, you have to decide if it's worth the hassle).

Regarding ruining the plastic on the sides by the tires... I'l take a look under the car after work and see if there's any way to install this without cutting those pieces. I think the issue was that the bar on the Draw-Tite model 75038 is 38 inches long and the bar on the model 75034 is 34 inches long, when what we needed was one about 36 or 37 inches long, but as far as I know there is no model 75036. With more precision, you could probably cut away less of the plastic to make just enough room for the bar without compromising the muck-deflecting properties of the plastic.

I definitely need to post a photo of it with the bottom plastic guard in place to give you a better idea of what is covered up by that plastic piece. Some of my photos are showing the process and not what it actually looks like covered up, so you might have an impression that the whole area was left exposed, which isn't the case. I'll post a photo.

The electrical wire you mentioned connects to the wheels, and admittedly I did not RTFM, I assumed they are for regenerative braking. I'll take a look again underneath to see if I did, in fact, expose them to potentially more debris than before. But if you zoom in on my BEFORE photo, you can see that those wires were exposed before I did any modification. They're designed to connect down to the wheel and be exposed like that. But again, if I did anything that made them more exposed, I'll let you all know and see if there is a way around that.

I didn't mention the weight of the rack and bike to imply that there is a 1 to 1 correlation between the weight and the force on the bolts. I agree that there is more force applied at the bolts than just the simple addition of bike rack weight plus bike weight. I mentioned it to say that one absolutely necessary improvement over the way I did it is to make sure that the bending force of the bike and the bike rack are not further compounded by not having the hitch at the proper angle to begin with. Because I installed the hitch with the existing L shaped metal on the sides, it was angled slightly downward. In order to bolt it to the bumper metal, I had to put a jack under it and lift it slightly, then bolt it. So before I put any bike rack or bike on it, it already had a downward force on the bolt, which is not a good idea. Definitely have to fix that.

And finally, just want to be clear that I'm not trying to persuade anyone, just offering a possible solution to a shared problem.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[NORTON]

... The second point is that if you are really concerned about how the dealer may react if you're bringing it in for anything other than routine service, especially work covered under a warranty, you hopefully would be in a situation where you have the option of unbolting it and removing it before you take the car in. ...

Sean,
Yep, this was always my plan with the Volt trailer hitch! I even removed it before selling the car. Only a small rectangle was cut out of that plastic. I sold the hitch kit separately.

I was talking about the colored wires and connector in the "Where to bolt" picture, not the 'Wheel speed sensor wiring'. Those are made to be out in the muck.

 

[dalysea]

Oh great, you'll be glad to know that whole area in the Where to Bolt photo is covered by the large plastic piece that covers the whole center area. I removed it to do the work and reattached it after.