Electric bike carrying

Towbar type approval was introduced in 1998.

I don't think that was for motorhomes, I think they came much later. That aside the separate metal plate fitted in-between the ball and the bar is surely not part of type approval unless it is no longer allowed to bolt ball to bar?

peedee

Spacers breach type approval but I agree with you that 1998 did not bring type approval for MH towbars. In fact, I think it didn’t even apply to ladder chassis 4x4 towbars at that time. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Whilst in Powburn, we compared notes on carrying E-bikes with a couple with a Basecamp (we have a Discovery D4-2).  Now obviously both these vans are designed to carry bikes - on the A frame for ours, internally for the Basecamp.  The BC owners put their towbar cycle rack in the van, strap it down, and then strap the bikes to the rack.  I don't know if this would be possible with a Unicorn though of course. 

One major question to be answered is the payload - 39 kg for the two bikes plus about 16 kg for the towbar rack (heavy beasts themselves) means you would probably have to be very careful not to exceed the MPTLM - accepting I don't know what weight upgrade if any you can get.

When we carried our 2 Ebikes with the caravan it was on a Witter ZS99. it was a plate that you fitted to the towbar. This was in 2018 we bought it and fitted it. We carried the bikes that way no problem.  We had previously carried bikes like that years ago. 

The OP has a caravan, not a Motorhome. He has a swan neck, which precludes the addition of auxiliary figments sandwiched in front of the ball.

The requirement for type approval for motorhomes dates from 2012. Foundation steps commenced in 2010. Type approval precludes;

‘all accessories that move the towbar rearwards from the towbar’

From which I assume they mean the towball mustn’t be moved rearwards. I understand that some towbars are type approved with a spacer between the bar and ball. The spacer can be removed and replaced with an accessory mount which is no thicker than the spacer.

I don’t make the rules and if I break them, I do so knowingly. In fairness to our readers, I think that we need to ensure that any advice which we give is accurate and legally conforment.