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09-11-2015, 03:43 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 2
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Not happy with Micro Lite
My wife and I bought a new Micro Lite 23FB last year. She broke her ankle in two place this spring so we couldn't use it much after her surgery. I am a cyclist, own one road bike and two mountain bikes. When we bought the trailer the dealer sold me a bolt-on receiver for my bike rack, and they bolted it onto the bumper. On our third trip this year on Labor Day weekend, we pulled into our NFS campsite and found that the welds joining the bumper to the frame were both fractured and on the bike rack side, the absurdly thin tubing wall had torn. I took the single mountain bike and the bike rack off as well as the spare tire. The dealer's reaction? "You should never have had the bike rack on there in the first place." Is that in the useless owner's manual? No. Why did you sell me the bolt-on receiver? "Stop trying to blame us for what you did." Their recommendation is to have some friend of his fabricate a receiver and weld it to the frame, for $650. I told him no thanks. So, we get to pay to have the cheap cheesy bumper repaired. And it was all of one month out of warranty.
The quality of materials used is just absurd. Forest River could double the thickness of the tube only add 20-25 pounds to the total weight. And 15 minutes of searching on the internet revealed multiple options to the $650 receiver by good manufacturers for less than 1/3 that price. Yes, I will have to pay someone to weld it on, but that won't cost anywhere near $450.
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09-11-2015, 03:52 PM
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#2
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Georgia Rally Coordinator
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: GA
Posts: 24,293
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Sorry to hear of your problems. Now for the down side FR does not recommend attaching bike racks to the rear bumper if you do it voids the warranty. Sounds like the dealer took you for a ride and I would take them to task. I would think you would have researched about adding a bike rack to the camper. Later RJD
__________________
2020 Shasta Phoenix SPF 27RKSS (sold)
2018 Dodge Ram 2500 6.4 3:73 gearing. Traded 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0, 4:10
Traded 2015 30WRLIKS V-Lite
Days camped 2019 62
Days camped 2020 49 days camped 2021-74 2022-40 days 2023 5 days
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09-11-2015, 03:57 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Saint Louis
Posts: 1,458
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be aware that welding that rack to the frame voids your frame warranty as well
I would complain to Forest RIver however that the dealer bolted a bike rack to your bumper... they should know better
__________________
2015 Ram 2500 4x4 6.4l with 2015 Sandpiper 25RLS
Wife, myself and 2 furry kids
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09-11-2015, 03:58 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 357
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Sorry you had damage, but everything on your trailer is built like its name "Lite" to keep the weight down.
Unless an RV has a factory cargo platform on the rear there is likely not enough support for a hitch or bike rack. In our unit there is a warning sticker inside one of the kitchen cabinet doors about putting things on the bumper.
The bikes will bounce during towing and that coupled with the lever effect of the rack are too much for the material these trailers use for bumpers and frames. I have a couple of fork mounts in the bed of my truck and that's where we carry the bikes.
__________________
2017 Open Range - Light 297RLS, BX1 Gooseneck
2014 Ram 2500 4x4 CCSB 6.7L 68RFE
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09-11-2015, 04:22 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,553
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there are thousands of posts here and on other RV forums, that warn of putting bikes on the back bumper of ultralight trailers.
it's a WELL known problem that is well documented.
your dealer is at fault for not warning you about it. many FR ultralight trailers have warning stickers on the bumpers, about doing this.
rear bumpers on ultralights, not just FR's, are barely able to hold a spare tire, let alone a bouncing bike rack holding bikes out and away from the trailer.
i too, am an avid cyclist. but i read a lot on RV forums about doing this and realized that it was not something i wanted to do with my ultralight HTT.
plus, my bikes are not cheap and didn't want them where i couldn't see them nor where there was a danger of them breaking off the back of the trailer.
i chose to put a bike rack on the bumper of my truck, so that i could see them while pulling my trailer.
there are many other options for safely transporting bikes while towing a trailer.
thin metal bumper with weak welds are an industry standard, on most ultralight trailers. they're almost just a decorative feature and not something constructed for heavy or safety usage.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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09-11-2015, 04:24 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Foresthill, CA
Posts: 329
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X2
Curt and others make some great hitch adaptors so you can have the bike rack on your TV.
__________________
Pod2Vibe
Magnetic 2019 Isata 5 30FW 4X4 (arrived 2/15/19)
TOAD: 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth
2015 Solera MBS 24R - Hellwig/Sumo Equipped, Sold
(Sold the Vibe TT, as well)
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09-11-2015, 04:39 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NE Florida
Posts: 781
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I would contact Forest River & tell them your story. Definitely a dealer caused issue. We had a 21FBRS & it had a sticker on the bumper warning to NOT attach anything else to the bumper. Bumb deal, maybe dealer will step-up & take blame; hope so any way. Good luck.
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09-11-2015, 05:07 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central, Fl.
Posts: 1,330
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I also read numerous negative posts on TT bumper mounted bike racks when I was considering one. We simply use the bed of the truck for our mid level hybrid bikes. When I take the higher end bikes, they go in the back seat area with folded up seats.
Sorry for your damage and bad experience!
__________________
2018 Forester 3011DS (Purchased 04/26/17)
2010 Flagstaff 26 RLSS (Sold 05/16)
2012 Ford F-150 Ecoboost, Screw, H/D, 3.73
1930 lbs CCC
2014 Jeep Rubicon JK
Going where the weather suits my clothes.
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09-12-2015, 11:33 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 5
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Use Front Rack
I purchased an Arvica bike rack out of Canada. It mount to the front of your trailer where it will support the weight and the bikes mount above the propane tanks. They have 1,2,3 or 4 bike racks in this configuration. I towed over 3000 miles with 2 bikes this summer.
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09-12-2015, 11:37 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 436
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtcyclist
My wife and I bought a new Micro Lite 23FB last year. She broke her ankle in two place this spring so we couldn't use it much after her surgery. I am a cyclist, own one road bike and two mountain bikes. When we bought the trailer the dealer sold me a bolt-on receiver for my bike rack, and they bolted it onto the bumper. On our third trip this year on Labor Day weekend, we pulled into our NFS campsite and found that the welds joining the bumper to the frame were both fractured and on the bike rack side, the absurdly thin tubing wall had torn. I took the single mountain bike and the bike rack off as well as the spare tire. The dealer's reaction? "You should never have had the bike rack on there in the first place." Is that in the useless owner's manual? No. Why did you sell me the bolt-on receiver? "Stop trying to blame us for what you did." Their recommendation is to have some friend of his fabricate a receiver and weld it to the frame, for $650. I told him no thanks. So, we get to pay to have the cheap cheesy bumper repaired. And it was all of one month out of warranty.
The quality of materials used is just absurd. Forest River could double the thickness of the tube only add 20-25 pounds to the total weight. And 15 minutes of searching on the internet revealed multiple options to the $650 receiver by good manufacturers for less than 1/3 that price. Yes, I will have to pay someone to weld it on, but that won't cost anywhere near $450.
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I understand your frustration. Remember this ..... and I'm not defending FR at all.......... most likely government regulations have forced them to keep as much weight off these units as possible. 25 pounds here and 25 pounds there can add up to a lot in any travel trailer, motorhome or 5'er. The RV industry is trying to keep up with the auto industry. The day of 7,000 pound vehicles pulling trailers is coming closer to the end.
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09-12-2015, 11:41 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Western AZ
Posts: 2,404
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If the dealer installed the bike rack (at his suggestion) you have him by the well you know.
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09-12-2015, 11:51 AM
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#12
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Pokateps
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Ohio
Posts: 12
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My 2015 Micro Lite 23FB has a sticker right on the bumper that says "NOTICE Addition of any NON-FACTORY INSTALLED components to bumper assembly is prohibited and may void chassis warranty"
Dealer installed is not factory installed. Sounds like you authorized your dealer to void your warranty. The dealer should have advised you to not do it. I think any recourse should be from the dealer (which ain't gonna happen) I don't think Forest River is going to step up to help.
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09-12-2015, 12:04 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Western AZ
Posts: 2,404
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1st.Evereddi. They do use cheap materials.
2nd. poka. If the dealer talked him into purchasing the bike rack and having them install it the dealer is at fault. If the OP bought it and said install this then he is at fault.
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09-12-2015, 12:13 PM
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#14
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Who Dares, Wins
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Chester County, PA
Posts: 7,063
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I would need to agree, it is not a FR problem. The fact is people want to pull a 42' TT with their Prius.. FR, like all the other makers, fit the market. We loved our Rockwood 2306 when we had it. It fit what we needed, a trailer towable by our Trailblazer.
I will agree they do seem to cut corners where ever they can, all the makers do this. They save $5 by cheaping on the welds on the bumper (IMO not a good thing) and over the course of 100,000 RV saved themselves $500,000. They used the $35 "china bombs" instead of the $100 Maxxis and saved themselves $650,000 on those same 100,000 trailers.. It is again, them fitting the market and, well, making a buck.
If I were you, I am not, I would be at the dealership making them pay for everything, after all they are the ones that said it was OK to ignore the sticker saying nothing on the bumper and fed you a load of BS to sell you most likely an over priced bolt on hitch. The dealer does not care about you, once they made the sale it is all just added to their commission.
__________________
Pat, Jen, Heather & Sapphire, the head mouser.
2015 Chevy HD D-Max
2022 Impression 315MB
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09-12-2015, 12:13 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtcyclist
My wife and I bought a new Micro Lite 23FB last year. She broke her ankle in two place this spring so we couldn't use it much after her surgery. I am a cyclist, own one road bike and two mountain bikes. When we bought the trailer the dealer sold me a bolt-on receiver for my bike rack, and they bolted it onto the bumper. On our third trip this year on Labor Day weekend, we pulled into our NFS campsite and found that the welds joining the bumper to the frame were both fractured and on the bike rack side, the absurdly thin tubing wall had torn. I took the single mountain bike and the bike rack off as well as the spare tire. The dealer's reaction? "You should never have had the bike rack on there in the first place." Is that in the useless owner's manual? No. Why did you sell me the bolt-on receiver? "Stop trying to blame us for what you did." Their recommendation is to have some friend of his fabricate a receiver and weld it to the frame, for $650. I told him no thanks. So, we get to pay to have the cheap cheesy bumper repaired. And it was all of one month out of warranty.
The quality of materials used is just absurd. Forest River could double the thickness of the tube only add 20-25 pounds to the total weight. And 15 minutes of searching on the internet revealed multiple options to the $650 receiver by good manufacturers for less than 1/3 that price. Yes, I will have to pay someone to weld it on, but that won't cost anywhere near $450.
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I see that you have just made your first Post, So all this you should have asked us means nothing, I had 2 FR TT before I ever knew about this forum. I would have taken the dealers advice also, even through he should have known better. But you didn't know. It's really on the dealer, but I could feel your frustration with FR. Yes they use cheap frames for weight and profit. I would go back to the dealer and have him make the repairs. The whole RV world doesn't know about this forum. Yes it has been posted but how would you know. Don't beat yourself up and go back to the dealer on the problem they knew better and now they should repair it. And by the way welcome to the forum and good luck with your dealer.Also sorry to hear about your wife that can't be fun at all on top of all this...
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Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC
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09-12-2015, 12:25 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 247
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The only thing I put on my bumper is stickers. Not too much to lose if they fall off. Bikes go on the front truck receiver where I can see them. Yes, I know some states have laws concerning this so I avoid those states.
2015 Rockwood 2703ws
2013 Ford f-150
54 nights out this year, 30 more to go.
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09-12-2015, 12:33 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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Buy a Torklift dual receiver and put your bikes on the back of your tow vehicle.
Bruce
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2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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09-12-2015, 12:36 PM
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#18
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Who Dares, Wins
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Chester County, PA
Posts: 7,063
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I may be wrong but I think one should check with their WD maker to make sure those double hitches are OK. I think I remember recently reading a discussion about the stress that they put on the WD hitches not intended to be on them. I am sure they are made but I also have not seen to many rated beyond a few thousands lbs (4,000 maybe).
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Pat, Jen, Heather & Sapphire, the head mouser.
2015 Chevy HD D-Max
2022 Impression 315MB
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09-12-2015, 12:41 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doc73
I may be wrong but I think one should check with their WD maker to make sure those double hitches are OK. I think I remember recently reading a discussion about the stress that they put on the WD hitches not intended to be on them. I am sure they are made but I also have not seen to many rated beyond a few thousands lbs (4,000 maybe).
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Here's their lightest duty hitch. They have much heavier duty versions of this:
SuperHitch Hero 15K Receiver rated up to 15 Thousand LBS Towing Capacity | Half Ton Trucks Towing | Torklift International
Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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09-12-2015, 12:49 PM
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#20
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Who Dares, Wins
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Chester County, PA
Posts: 7,063
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad297
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OH, MY BAD! Sorry, I assumed, and we see what that got me... I assumed you were talking about the double receiver shanks they make. I had NO IDEA they made an actual double hitch.
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Pat, Jen, Heather & Sapphire, the head mouser.
2015 Chevy HD D-Max
2022 Impression 315MB
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