04 Salem 23LE Bumper
So, we're returning home from a great weekend in Ocean City, MD and someone forcefully grabs my attention in the lane next to me as we're trucking up DE Rt. 1 and yells that my bumber is ABOUT TO FALL OFF!
Yikes... I thanked him and pulled over immediately to see what's falling off.
I walked to the back of the trailer and saw our bicycles' wheels were bent from contacting the road, and the bumper curled down and hanging by what was left of the weld that held it on the frame.
I have a typical 4" welded steel tube bumper that houses the drain tube and holds the spare tire mount and a two bicycle rack that mounts around the spare tire. I'm guessing this was too much for the bumper and it gave out. The bike rack worked nicely... it held them tight. I'd recommend this to anyone (made by Swagman) but look at what kind of condition your bumper is in and if it can hold the weight of a spare and two bicycles. Visually, my bumper was fine before we started this trip.
This could have been far worse than it was, and I'm very grateful someone told me about this before something tragic happened. The lesson is learned.
I have to find a new bumper and better way to carry our bikes once I get new wheels for them!
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