Safety Strut use

[Sarjent]

Bought these safety struts 18 months ago and never installed them. Anyone using them on a Clipper? Curious if they will allow me to use a bike rack on the rear safely.

I really don't want to put four bikes in the camper any more. I've been lucky not to scratch anything. I also don't want to create a road hazard either.

[rsdata]

I suggest that you read over this current thread...
much info on the Mount N Lock struts

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...er-160136.html

[Sarjent]

I went and read the thread. Thanks for the link. I am still as confused as ever. There are so many varying opinions on that thread and other similar topics. I guess there really is no definitive answer and safety being foremost would dictate that I should find an alternative location.

[kfergiez]

Sarjent,

There are SO many anecdotal stories regarding rear bumpers and safety struts that it's difficult to know what to do. I'll try to cut down to the basics.

1) Your rear bumper is very flimsy and manufacturers recommend NOT attaching anything to it except for the spare tire.

2) Those safety struts do NOT add rigidity or strength to your bumper. They DO add an element of safety for WHEN your bumper fails. These only prevent your bumper from completely falling off. They don't prevent your bumper from cracking and breaking off at the welds.

3) There is another option to add a bike rack to the rear of your rig in the form of a receiver hitch that is bolted directly to the frame. You can find it HERE. This is the only real way to carry things safely on the back of your clipper.

4) Many people will jump all over this and say that "you'll be fine, I've been doing it for years!" But it's only anecdotes.

5) That receiver hitch that I linked above didn't fit on my TT, so I fabricated my own to bolt directly to the frame and it's bombproof.

[Sarjent]

Thanks,

I was looking at a Reese flavor.Reese Adjustable Hitch

[kfergiez]

Yep. That will work too.

I like the Curt because the load is on the vertical piece of steel and not the horizontal.

[spdracr39]

I used the safety struts on my keystone bullet bumper and pulled 900 miles each way with a bolt on curt receiver hitch, 100 lb generator, 30 lb cargo rack, and 6 gallons of gas. No flexing and no problems. A bike rack with a couple of bikes will weigh much less than that. I did relocate my spare tire to a rack under the camper so it removed that weight from the equation.

[kfergiez]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

I used the safety struts on my keystone bullet bumper and pulled 900 miles each way with a bolt on curt receiver hitch, 100 lb generator, 30 lb cargo rack, and 6 gallons of gas. No flexing and no problems. A bike rack with a couple of bikes will weigh much less than that. I did relocate my spare tire to a rack under the camper so it removed that weight from the equation.

This is what I mean by anecdotal.

Your keystone may have a heavier bumper, but the vast majority of RV bumper is made out of 14g steel. It just isn’t made for a lot of loads. Most RVs also have a sticker stating that fact.

[spdracr39]

My real life experience is they worked fine and as advertised in my situation. There is nothing "anecdotal" here YMMV.

[kfergiez]

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1823425

See this thread.

[kfergiez]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

My real life experience is they worked fine and as advertised in my situation. There is nothing "anecdotal" here YMMV.

That is the exact definition of anecdotal. Your personal experience with a situation even though there's not published/repeatable results.

[rsdata]

These only prevent your bumper from completely falling off. They don't prevent your bumper from cracking and breaking off at the welds.

ONLY YOUR opinion... NOT fact...


They DO prevent your bumper from cracking and breaking off at the welds if used with reasonable loads.

This is MY opinion based on several years and many miles of usage.

[pbrackney]

Originally Posted by kfergiez

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1823425

See this thread.

Your referencing an article that is not using the Safety Struts. This article is about using it. You are making statements as though they are fact that your bumpers welds will still break with them and not make the bumper stronger. Where are your facts for that statement? I have yet to hear from anyone having a failure of the bumper once the struts have been out on.