Rear Bumper/frame strength

[ependydad]

I haven't ever used a ladder rack. My concern is that the ladder and mounts seem really flimsy for what you're asking it to do. And, the negative results are catastrophic.

IMO, the truck bed, top, or somewhere inside the camper are the best options. A front hitch on the vehicle could be another option (never for my wife!).

[OldCoot]

Still wouldn't hang anything off the bumper or ladder. Somehow, someway, I would put the bikes inside the trailer, out of sight, out of mind and not easily borrowed.

[camper1999]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Still wouldn't hang anything off the bumper or ladder. Somehow, someway, I would put the bikes inside the trailer, out of sight, out of mind and not easily borrowed.

It has been said not to hang anything off of the rear bump because it is not designed to handle the stress and weight, which is totally true. Hanging something off the ladder is also not a good idea unless it is a lite lawn chair. On most trailers if you have a frame mounted bike rack you should have no issues, I had one on my last two trailers and never had an issue. But check with your dealer and mfg if your specific frame can handle it. Even on my Silverback there were horror stories of frame issues due to people having a frame mounted bike hitch which was later found out to be misuse. People were not using it for bikes but to triple tow something weighing a few thousand pounds. People do need to be care with all the products that are available out there like the 2" receiver that bolts to the rear bumper. They sell this stuff, it comes with all these warnings, and over 90% of the time it should not be used. But must consumers think that they wouldn't sell it if it wasn't safe to use

[rockfordroo]

The details of the photos are not important, what IS important is that the manufacturer clearly states, that nothing should be mounted to the stock bumper, as it is not engineered for anything more than they put on it. If you do, this is what could happen.

The details ARE important. Some bumpers are made from 4" box steel. Some are made from thin C-channel with a 4th side added. In most cases, the bumper is clearly over-engineered just to hold a stinky slinky. How much we don't know. We know most of them will hold a spare tire. We know you can probably back into a telephone pole at 1 or 2 mph and probably be OK, but not a 10 mph. Did the poster put a bike rack on, or 500lb generator? Where's the critical point? WE DON'T KNOW. The manufacturer doesn't know what you might do. He is protecting himself from idiots.

How many folks have you seen on this forum who have admitted to overloading their TV's, or have blithely stated "oh, a 1/2 ton can pull that" without knowing the DETAILS of the specific 1/2 ton? I've heard almost NONE of the debate over that issue as I've seen on this bike rack issue.

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

The details ARE important. Some bumpers are made from 4" box steel. Some are made from thin C-channel with a 4th side added. In most cases, the bumper is clearly over-engineered just to hold a stinky slinky. How much we don't know. We know most of them will hold a spare tire. We know you can probably back into a telephone pole at 1 or 2 mph and probably be OK, but not a 10 mph. Did the poster put a bike rack on, or 500lb generator? Where's the critical point? WE DON'T KNOW. The manufacturer doesn't know what you might do. He is protecting himself from idiots.

How many folks have you seen on this forum who have admitted to overloading their TV's, or have blithely stated "oh, a 1/2 ton can pull that" without knowing the DETAILS of the specific 1/2 ton? I've heard almost NONE of the debate over that issue as I've seen on this bike rack issue.

Ok, I give. As someone who has been in the tool & die industry for 33yrs, has an engineering degree, owned my business for 24yrs, and have worked with manufacturers in the aeronautical, automotive, consumer, and industrial fields all over the world, the OP can take my advice or not. If the stock bumper didn't come with something mounted on it, or has a weight rating sticker attached, you shouldn't put anything on it. Though the bumper may withstand the static weight, it may not withstand the dynamic forces involved while traveling. Not everyone is an engineer, if they are in doubt, they should follow the manufacturers warning so as not to cause damage to their trailer. If you feel you have the engineering capabilities and the knowledge to bypass those warnings, feel free to do so. I don't always follow the rules.

[youroo]

This is how much I trust the rear Bumper,a (NPS) decal! Youroo!!

[rockfordroo]

I AM an engineer. 34+ years in the power utility business.

As you should know as an engineer, things are typically over-engineered - but that doesn't mean you can be stupid.

Challenger would have beens fine except for that little detail called "outside temperature."

Engineering MANAGERS seem to forget, but the devil IS in the details.

[Terier]

A lot of feedback was provided. Just like with any post on a forum in the end it's up to the member to determine what information, if any, to use. I have learned a lot from discussions like this one.

[rockfordroo]

I’ve been sitting here thinking I still haven’t gotten my point across and people are just shaking their heads. My point really has nothing to do with putting something on your bumper, but with people who SAY don’t put something on your bumper. So I’m going to try one more time, then I’m done.

STORY: Back in the day, I had an engineering class. The instructor came in with a beach ball, a bunch of paper and cardboard and tape and glue and told us we needed to design and build a support to hold a ball. We could ask him any questions we wanted. A few questions were asked, but we were all eager to get going on our designs. This was going to easy. A lousy beach ball. After we all built our designs it was time to test them. That’s when the instructor brought out his - bowling ball. Not a one of us ever asked him if the beach ball was the ball we were designing for. We ASSUMED. Of course, no one’s design held up.

So the point I’ve been trying to make is: anyone on this forum who simply shows me a picture of bad bumper/frame without telling me the DETAIL is the equivalent of someone saying “Hey, don’t put a ball on a support, it will never hold” without telling me that the ball is a beach ball or a bowling ball, or that the support is paper and cardboard, or wood or steel. Without this detail, it’s a bogus statement; it’s meaningless.

You have to know all the parameters of what you’re dealing with, and not just make blanket statements.

If you’ve beefed up your bumper/frame “appropriately” you’ll most likely be just fine. But you have to know what you’re doing and you have to know the DETAILS.

[OldCoot]

Putting anything on the rear bumper of a "Lite" trailer that wasn't put there by the factory is asking for trouble and possibly causing an accident when it falls off on the highway. I am seriously considering taking the spare tire off mine but the only place I could put it is in the bed of the truck and then I'd have to upgrade to a 1T.

[AquaMan]

rockfordroo - If the "blanket statement" from the manufacturer is "Don't put anything on the bumper", are you advocating that the consumer evaluate the engineering and manufacturing of the bumper themselves and then make the decision as to whether it is capable of handling any additional weight? I don't think you are.

If that certain O-Ring, carried a warning of "Do not use under 56 degrees", would you still use it at 50, 40, or 30 degrees, knowing that it was probably "over-engineered"?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by AquaMan

rockfordroo - If the "blanket statement" from the manufacturer is "Don't put anything on the bumper", are you advocating that the consumer evaluate the engineering and manufacturing of the bumper themselves and then make the decision as to whether it is capable of handling any additional weight? I don't think you are.

If that certain O-Ring, carried a warning of "Do not use under 56 degrees", would you still use it at 50, 40, or 30 degrees, knowing that it was probably "over-engineered"?

Well said AM! Agree 100%. Just do your own engineering and then blame the mfg if it fails.

[Rrickim63]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Well said AM! Agree 100%. Just do your own engineering and then blame the mfg if it fails.

Too funny

2006 roo 23b
99 Silverado xtra cab with 4.8 and tow package

[rockwood06]

I have not read all of the replies on this issue but in 2008 at an RV show in Maryland there was a FR unit there an it was a 8314 model and there was a sticker on the bumper that stated that the bumper would hold up to 150 lbs and this was not to accede 24"out from the bumper, like a bike rack.
Remember, the bike rack weight has to be part of the total load.

[rockfordroo]

AquaMan:

rockfordroo - If the "blanket statement" from the manufacturer is "Don't put anything on the bumper", are you advocating that the consumer evaluate the engineering and manufacturing of the bumper themselves and then make the decision as to whether it is capable of handling any additional weight? I don't think you are.

Absolutely NOT!!! I'm saying that people that simply say "Don't put something on your bumper" and show some pic of a bad bumper WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY DETAILS are being disingenuous. They're showing a pic of a bad bumper, but WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING about what it was designed for, how it was or wasn't modified, or what he may have subjected it to.

Showing me a pic of a broken picnic table and saying "Don't put anything on your picnic table" when, for all I know (because he never told me), he had an elephant sit on it, is disingenuous.

(As an aside, neither my bumper nor my RV paperwork has any "blanket statement" or anything else about putting anything on my bumper.)

As I said previously, it's like someone telling us what TT they plan to buy and asking about TV's, and some poster will say "Oh, a 1/2 ton Pickup can pull that." In most cases, SOME 1/2 ton's may pull it, but probably not all. (Silverado 1500's can range from 4,000lb to 12,000lb towing capacity.) So to just flippantly make these kind of statements (or post these kinds of bumper pics) without details or qualifiers is disingenuous.

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

AquaMan:

Absolutely NOT!!! I'm saying that people that simply say "Don't put something on your bumper" and show some pic of a bad bumper WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY DETAILS are being disingenuous. They're showing a pic of a bad bumper, but WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING about what it was designed for, how it was or wasn't modified, or what he may have subjected it to.

Showing me a pic of a broken picnic table and saying "Don't put anything on your picnic table" when, for all I know (because he never told me), he had an elephant sit on it, is disingenuous.

(As an aside, neither my bumper nor my RV paperwork has any "blanket statement" or anything else about putting anything on my bumper.)

As I said previously, it's like someone telling us what TT they plan to buy and asking about TV's, and some poster will say "Oh, a 1/2 ton Pickup can pull that." In most cases, SOME 1/2 ton's may pull it, but probably not all. (Silverado 1500's can range from 4,000lb to 12,000lb towing capacity.) So to just flippantly make these kind of statements (or post these kinds of bumper pics) without details or qualifiers is disingenuous.

Again, the OP was told by dealer, the manufacturer, and several people on this forum, "DO NOT MOUNT ANYTHING TO BUMPER". It really doesn't matter what it is, when you are told to mount NOTHING. ANYTHING may make it fail.

I'm done with this, do what you want.

[rockfordroo]

I don't think anyone on this forum knows the definition of "ingenuous." It has nothing to do with the bumper, per se.

Sheeesssh!!!

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I don't think anyone on this forum knows the definition of "ingenuous." It has nothing to do with the bumper, per se.

Sheeesssh!!!

Something to do with veracity? Just wonderin, some folks just don't think things out.....guess we're all guilty of that sometimes?

[Ida Ratherbe Camping]

in·gen·u·ous (n-jny-s)
adj.
1. Lacking in cunning, guile, or worldliness; artless.
2. Openly straightforward or frank; candid. See Synonyms at naive.


I personally believe that with modification and forethought, a person can hang a semi truck off the back of your tt. With enough modification.

OP..do what you need to do to use your toys as you see fit. If you are not comfortable with doing so or do not have the knowledge to do so, then hire someone to do it for you.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I don't think anyone on this forum knows the definition of "ingenuous." It has nothing to do with the bumper, per se.

Sheeesssh!!!

Definition of ingenuous: Characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious