Ladder and hitch questions

[Bagger]

I have a couple of questions about my 2018 Freedom Express Ultra Lite 248 RBS. First, can I add a bike rack to my rear bumper without voiding my warranty? Secondly, is a roof ladder available for it and if so, is there certain authorize mounting areas for it?

[tom39]

Originally Posted by Bagger

I have a couple of questions about my 2018 Freedom Express Ultra Lite 248 RBS. First, can I add a bike rack to my rear bumper without voiding my warranty? Secondly, is a roof ladder available for it and if so, is there certain authorize mounting areas for it?

The majority of rv bumpers are not engineered to hold the additional weight of a bike rack and bikes. There are however bumper support brackets available where the manufacturer of the bracket indicate that when used as intended, the brackets will increase the carrying capacity of an RV bumper.
As for voiding warranty, I would recommend consulting with the manufacturer.

Regarding the addition of a ladder. Here is a fairly good thread that may help to answer your question.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url...2&share_type=t

[kfergiez]

As Tom mentioned there are some support brackets that help your bumper from ripping away from the frame when you put a bike rack on... BUT those still don't don't solve the problem of that rear bumper flexing and bouncing your bikes around.

The absolute best way to carry bikes on the back of an RV is to install a receiver hitch that bolts directly to the frame. This is what it's meant for, and you won't worry about ripping your bumper off.

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-and-Camp...urt/13703.html

[stevegotl]

I have a 2017 Freedom Express 246rks and last year while going through a factory tour of the new Freedom Express plant, the supervisor there told us that you could add a bike rack to the rear bumper without voiding the warranty. He said you could have a two bike rack without any problems. Also, a couple years ago I inquired about adding a ladder to the back and I got a copy of the build specifications. They started adding bracing for a ladder I believe in the 2015 run. I haven't added one yet but it is an option.

[Thurman]

When I wanted to add a ladder to the rear of my '14 Coachmen Freedom Express I sent an email to Coachmen asking them IF there was any attachment points. I got a nice reply from them with an attachment which was the build schematic for the back wall. This clearly showed that there were two (2) 1 1/2' x 3" wooden boards place sideways within the wall structure specifically for mounting a ladder. This schematic showed the back wall as if viewed from the inside of the unit. I did some measuring, placed blue tape on the outside wall indicating where the wooden boards were, marked off my mounting holes and drilled away. I did hit wood and had wood shavings coming from the drill. Do use adequate sealant on the wall and around the screws when mounting a new ladder

[JohnD10]

If you weigh over 150 pounds...forget the ladder.

As for the bumper bike rack...call Forest River with your Vin# and ask them to verify if your specific trailer was built with a rear bumper capable of handling any kind of load.

Not all TT's of the same model number may be capable of handling anything more than a spare tire added to the rear bumper.