Bike carrier on rear bumper of trailer

[Hamblen]

I know there are posts else where pertaining to this topic. I have a puma 31kbh. I am considering installing a bike carrier to the rear bumper of this trailer if possible. I have read about bumpers twisting and bending and tearing things up due to the weight of the bikes. Wanting to know if anyone has installed one, or ideas to strengthen up bumper to support a carrier and the weight of the bikes. I am tired of putting bikes in the back of truck and taking up useful space. Thanks and looking forward to ideas.

[fast murray]

Everyone will say not to but I see some wild stuff here and there. This past weekend I saw a travel trailer with a hitch bolted around the bumper. He had one of those deals to install a bike rack and a cargo carrier stuck in there. He had 3 bikes on the rack and 2 big coolers full of beer and food on the carrier. On the back of the carrier he had one of those adjustable hitches for pulling a BBQ pit. We have a hitch that's welded to the frame and not using the bumper at all. That's what almost every trailer in my area has to pull boats to the river all summer. I'd never use one of the bolt on bumper hitches though.

[TURBS]

I hate to recommend something I myself have had issues with .
I am a member of the bike rack disaster club .

Ron

[ependydad]

Friends of ours had a bolt-on bike rack and it drug their bikes down the road until someone got their attention and made them pull over. I won't do it.

Though, the people who say they do say to weld to the frame and possibly reinforce it. Still would scare me, though.

Bikes will either go on top of the RV roof or inside of the camper, for me.

[Skelshy]

I checked my bumper and it's welded to the frame. It doesn't seem unreasonable.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Skelshy

I checked my bumper and it's welded to the frame. It doesn't seem unreasonable.

They are all welded to the frame, the bumper matl and frame matl will NOT take the dynamic load(bouncing/vibration). The weld will probably hold, the frame or the bumper will NOT!

You are going to have disasterous results and possibly cause someone else to have an accident trying to avoid hitting your bikes & rack when they slide down the highway.

[golfmedik]

Make one that puts the bikes on the tongue of the trailer, up and above the tanks. Several on this forum and the rv.net forum have made them for theirs. A local welding shop could do it as well. With them on the front, you can keep an eye on them while traveling and they are easily loaded/unloaded.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Skelshy

I checked my bumper and it's welded to the frame. It doesn't seem unreasonable.

I am a member of bikes on the back bumper club.
Three holes later in the back of my fiberglass camper and that did it for me.
Over a thousand dollars of repairs later no bikes see the back of my campers.

Good luck .

Ron

[golfmedik]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

I am a member of bikes on the back bumper club.
Three holes later in the back of my fiberglass camper and that did it for me.
Over a thousand dollars of repairs later no bikes see the back of my campers.

Good luck .

Ron

I saw several posts like this so I made this for my 5er. Many variations out there for TTs and 5ers.

[Night Stone]

I have a back pack rack that uses the hitch mount on the back of the travel trailer. I can switch to bike carrier when not using the rack. When they installed it, prior to that they also welded additional support, reinforcement of the hitch. Here is some pictures showing the extra bar that runs parallel to the bumper.





I'll see if I can get a better picture of it today. As I am heading out to the rv storage to check on my TT under the bed thing

[Poppy94]

when i was tandem towing, my average load on the receiver hitch was 2500 lbs. up to 3k max a few times. my custom built receiver hitch for the rear of the old 5th wheel was bolted in so the frame could flex. i didn't want to weld it because of any tensile strength issues or lack of stress relieving activities, or breaking any welds. i did this for about two years. i now have a TH which i am thankful to the Good Lord for that blessing. but tandem towing never bothered me. got a lot of peculiar looks though. the whole rig measure 62'8" long. yeah, big train a coming!
so i think if you went with something on the rear, you'd be ok. just check clearances. i do like the nose carrier for 5th wheels though, that looked cool. i'll just put my bikes in the TH now.

[Night Stone]

ok, got some more pictures of it, a little more clairity on how the dealer reinforced my receiver on the bumper

[Hamblen]

Thanks to everyone and their ideas. This is helping me try to figure out what would work the best for my trailer. Still open to more ideas. Thanks again everyone, thats why I love this site.

[MtnGuy]

The alternatives to a trailer bumper rack:

Fabricate a rack over the propane tanks.

A Swagman to fit around your WDH shank. http://www.swagman.net/products/towi.../original-3-4/

Fabricate a rack to fit above the truck bed. (That was my route)

Racks on the truck cab.

A front mounted reciever with a bike rack.

[fodf350]

Originally Posted by Hamblen

I know there are posts else where pertaining to this topic. I have a puma 31kbh. I am considering installing a bike carrier to the rear bumper of this trailer if possible. I have read about bumpers twisting and bending and tearing things up due to the weight of the bikes. Wanting to know if anyone has installed one, or ideas to strengthen up bumper to support a carrier and the weight of the bikes. I am tired of putting bikes in the back of truck and taking up useful space. Thanks and looking forward to ideas.

I have a 2013 291 BHTS Sabre. A welding shop cut the tubing off my existing factory bumper (Thin 2x4 junk). He then added a 3/16" thick 2x4, added some length (to allow jacks repositioned in front of receiver)and welded all around to the frame ( you still weld the factory bumper back). We then added a factory receiver cross piece and welded that in between. Looks awesome and strong as hell. I pull a 18' Four winns runabout and have zero issues. Total price around 1K with labour. I also bought a dual receiver from a local store which pulls boat, and carries bike rack above. I have heard horror stories and "don't do that", but I am very confident in frame and welds. I add hitches to all my trailers.