Bike rack on rv roof ladder

[cmontet]

Does the bike rack damage rv ladder. If it does what are my alternatives . I use a Kar Kaddy tow dolly.

[mustardbucket107]

Not sure on your rv type/ladder, but our last two 5rs the ladders have been fairly flimsy and i would not trust hanging bikes on it. I use a bumper mount when we want to take the bikes.

Sent from my SM-N910V

[seatosea]

We have a ladder mount bike rack from Camping World and after carrying two bikes on it for a couple of years the has bent from the weight and bouncing on the road. I would not recommend this. Use a bumper mount instead. By the way does anyone know how to breace the ladder or straighten it? Our ladder is on a Forest River super lite and is bent just over a window, therefore no place to brace it.

Seatosea

[ActionJackson]

You can buy a double female receiver that you can hitch a receiver mounted bike rack AND use a receiver for the tow dolly. They have them at CW.

[trdutch]

The ladder mount I had on my old unit worked but it was flimsy and started to bend with weight
It also was damaging the back of the camper no matter how careful I was with mounting
I bought a receiver mounted rack and need the the double for pulling the MC trailer also
Camping World huh?
I know Curt hitch makes them

[shadows4]

I put a front mounted hitch of the truck and put the bikes there. Works well for us as I read to many horror stories about rear mounted bike carrier failures. Easy to load bikes and easy to keep an eye on them going down the road.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by cmontet

Does the bike rack damage rv ladder. If it does what are my alternatives . I use a Kar Kaddy tow dolly.

Only if you don't value the bikes, ladder and camper.

[D_B Travelers]

Be careful about a bumper mounted bike rack also. We have a Rockwood Windjammer and it carries a warning that nothing should be attached to the bumper because it is really just the stinky slinky's home, not a real bumper. Check your documents that came with the RV before you attach anything to it. There are posts on this forum about stopping for fuel and finding your bikes and bumper dragging along behind you. I put a bike rack on my ladder but it has not been used enough to give feedback on bending the ladder; we have low-mileage bikes

[coupevillefish]

Originally Posted by ActionJackson

You can buy a double female receiver that you can hitch a receiver mounted bike rack AND use a receiver for the tow dolly. They have them at CW.

We use a double receiver with a ball and the female on top. However, with the bulk of the Kar Kaddy surge brakes, there is not enough clearance between the two levels on either the double female or the ball/female units on the market. I tried both.

I finally had a local welder cut off the top and put a longer riser on it to get the needed clearance. If I were to do it again, I would have had him fabricate the whole unit from scratch.

[Richard McDougall]

I don't know. I figure the ladder is sturdy enough to take the weight of what? A 250 lb person climbing up it? I have a 25lb aluminum frame mountain bike with a bike rack (that holds 2) from etrailer.com. Secured properly I figure it'll be fine. What kind and how many bikes?


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[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Richard McDougall

I don't know. I figure the ladder is sturdy enough to take the weight of what? A 250 lb person climbing up it? I have a 25lb aluminum frame mountain bike with a bike rack (that holds 2) from etrailer.com. Secured properly I figure it'll be fine. What kind and how many bikes?


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the movement going down the road will kill the ladder not the weight.
And don't kid yourself no mater how tight you strap it there going to move.


TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre

[kentnjudy]

Some years back I had a flimsy bike rack that mounted on the back (can't even remember exactly how or what it looked like now) anyway after putting a handlebar through a back window that one went in the trash. After that I bought the one that mounts on two brackets around the square bumper and the bikes hang from the L shaped uprights. Worked OK with lots of bungee cords and stuff but the bikes do move around a lot and the wheels spin if you don't get a bungee cord thru them. Since we don't ride a lot any more we finally got rid of the real bikes and bought two folding bikes at CW. Just fold them up and throw them in the truck behind the fifth wheel hitch. They are good for riding around the campground or so.

My new Wildcat came with the big steel platform mounted on the back bumper. They call it a bike rack. Right now it is sitting in the back yard. If anyone is interested you can come and get it.

[tande]

Originally Posted by shadows4

I put a front mounted hitch of the truck and put the bikes there. Works well for us as I read to many horror stories about rear mounted bike carrier failures. Easy to load bikes and easy to keep an eye on them going down the road.

+1.....

[RvBill3]

We used a ladder rack with 2 bikes on a TT we had. After 2 years it worked fine with no damage to anything. When we had a bad wreck and rolled over and destroyed the trailer, the bikes survived, still strapped in place on the rack. If you follow the directions and use all the straps to secure it, it will work. Is it the best solution? Maybe not, as others have noted. But it will work.


2012 Forest River Sunseeker 2300 Chevy

[Big Bill]

my bike rack on the ladder didn't work well. 3000 mi later it broke bolts and loosened others, I was told that ladders arnt made to carry weight ???? but are sold every day , im not sure how im going to carry them

[Vince and Charlette]

After a lot of research, I talked with a manufacturer who explained that the back end of TTs and 5ers accelerate in the vertical much more than an auto or motorhome due to the long moment arm (i.e. lever type action). Additionally, TTs and 5ers don't have automobile suspension systems, which gives them a very rough ride making anything attached to the bumper vibrate up and down significantly. After lots of added research, I purchased a Swagman 4 bike rack, which says it can carry 35lb bikes. HOWEVER, at the back of the owners manual it states: "total load is not to exceed 100 pounds"! Isn't that deliberately misleading? Unless you've got the bucks for graphite bike frames, look carefully before you buy.

[texasbuckeye]

We are using the same tow dolly also. Had a hitch installed on our Hyundai Sonata so I could use a bike rack in the receiver. Just need a support strap to the trunk deck (Curt makes it) to stabilize everything. One nice thing about the hitch on the car, we unhook before we get to the camp site, park the tow dolly with the car and then set up the RV. Normally, backing the dolly deep in the RV site, go park the car and then back in the RV. Saves lots of headaches. I do like the front bike rack idea, but still need a front hitch for strength.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by cmontet

Does the bike rack damage rv ladder. If it does what are my alternatives . I use a Kar Kaddy tow dolly.

You have a SS/MH! Tow dolly pulling a Toad,put a Bike Rack on the Toad. Ladder mount Bad,Double receiver with a tow dolly Bad! Youroo!!
,

[ActionJackson]

Originally Posted by youroo

Double receiver with a tow dolly, bad.
,

Why is that?

[TT233S]

Not sure if this would work for anyone but I was looking at these the other day after seeing them in a facebook post by a friend, they use suction cup to a vehicle and hold the bike!!!!!



https://www.seasucker.com/product-category/bike-racks/