bike hitch for my ultralight. is it advisable?

[ashamutt]

Well, I really wish we could.

The lift is a little over 5' tall and is 42"x30" rectangle.
Too big for the front of the truck.

We will keep searching for a reputable welder to reinforce the frame and then attach a frame mounted hitch.
At this point I really do not care about the ohlala 1 year warranty. lol


I might use the bike rack on the front idea for our bikes.
That would be a lot easier than putting them in the camper.

[pondlady]

Those ramps from Discount ramps extend to 10' long and weigh 30 pounds each. I use them to get my scooter into the back of my TV. It's hard to do. Oh, and you have to slide them together. It takes two people to make it a bit easier. I have indeed done it alone, but it's tough! I want to put a folding lift in the back of my truck. That will happen as soon as I can find someone to do the welding.

[ashamutt]

Hey all....I thought I would update.

The Dutchmen purchase fell through.
Our RV inspector found lots of "unseen" water damage as well as a BROKEN frame in the rear!
The service techs tried to cover it up with a simple screw and lots of caulking!
(the caulking was still WET too! lol)

Anyway, we got all of our money back, lots of free stuff from their store and they even refunded our inspection fee!!
(Thank God for our inspector!!!)

Needless to say the last month and a half has been very frustrating.

A few days after that fiasco we found a Jayco 26P that fit our needs perfectly.
Length, weight, and lots of room for the wheelchair.

The inspector approved it all except for one of the slide wipers was 2 inches too short.
It did not touch the slide at all when it was going in and going out... except for the last few inches.

That was the only major(if you could call it that) thing he found!
YEAH, no broken frames!!!

SO, now I am on a quest to see if the wiper is "supposed to touch" the top of the slide at all.
Jayco says not...it is just there for "big" debris….and they will not send the dealer a new part.

I do not know anything about slides and wipers or what wipers are "supposed” to do.

Do any of you know?
Or maybe could point me to the right thread so this thread will not go off topic.

I started a thread over at Woodall’s forum and “most” people over there are being very nice and letting me know if there wipers touch. (most wipers do according to the posters) (LOL, one guy thought I was a "troll" because of the long posts that I made and how much emotion I put into them......but I was upset! lol)

Thanks so much for all of your help.


Oh....we got the 10' ramps in and they are much better than the ones we had.
yes, pondlady is correct, they are hard to maneuver.
But it is our only choice for now.
After they are extended fully they work fine, so we will just have to grin and bear it. LOL

[Herk7769]

You done good!

[pondlady]

I am still trying to figure out the best way to get my scooter on board. I think I have decided to put it on the front of the truck as was suggested by more than a few folks here.
We just bought a house in Arkansas and will be traveling there often. I want to drive the truck, so need an easier lift than the two ramps that get heavier every time I have to use them.

[ashamutt]

Hey Pondlady,

I am searching for you too.

Here is a picture of a front scooter rack...

Motorhome Magazine Open Roads Forum: Scooter rack - Front or back?

Maybe someone on here is familiar with it.


On the second page of the thread the last poster states that he carries his scooter on the front of an excursion...

http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/boa...5.cfm#24472755

[pondlady]

All I have to carry is a 135 pound Victory Pride mobility scooter. Seems like it should be easier than it is.
Wish I did have to tote a real motorcycle around. I probably would not tote it, but ride as I did for 42 years. Including one year on the road with a tent, a couple pair of jeans, a few t-shirts, a pot, a fork and spoon.

[ashamutt]

ahhhh...1968!
Cool expedition you must have had!!!!

Will the "front carrier" in the link that I posted not work? Is it too big? too small?
or, not wide enough for the 3 wheels?

Have you found anything that you might be able to use?

[pondlady]

Well, 1973 and it was a great expedition. I sold my bikes about 8 years ago, dammit.
The carrier you posted will indeed work. I bookmarked it for future use.

[ashamutt]

Will you ever consider getting a toyhauler?

A guy on another forum suggested for me and my hubby to get a toyhauler.
Said that they were great for wheelchairs.

He said that we could "split" the back ramp/door so as to create a 3 foot ramp (or wider if we wanted) and then we would not have to open the huge 8' wide door/ramp every time.
When we are in the market for a new one - in a few years - we are definitely going to consider this!

[ashamutt]

Cool!
Please post some pictures when you complete this project.
I would love to see it!!

[pondlady]

We have not yet considered that. Seems like a little thing like a 135 pound scooter does not need half an RV to carry it. And it comes apart as well. The heaviest part - the battery, weighs 30ish pounds. I can lift that on a good day :lol: And then horse the rest of the scooter in. The ramps weigh 30 pounds each, so lifting the battery seems almost easier than those bloody ramps.
At almost 70, I probably have 10ish years left as an RVer. I hope the one we have will last that long.

[Itsthetwoofus]

Originally Posted by rvron

One of the most inconvenient things of our travels is getting the bikes in/out of the back of my truck. My manual says not to add any bike rack/hitch to trailer as it could void the warranty - yet I see hitches on trailers all the time. Anyone have firsthand experience with this?

Your trailer has a frame so you can have a 2" receiver installed and get one of those cargo carriers and get the wheel holders that go on them and put your bikes on it.
I have one I rebuilt a little and carried my three wheeled Terra Trike all over the country. I put plywood on it to keep road dirt out and it worked just wonderful. Here is a picture of the frame and one the first night in AZ after our trip from Mi.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...k/IMG_3663.jpg and http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...k/IMG_3684.jpg
Then frame on the trailer will hold the cargo rack and bikes with no problem, but don't think it will hold anything else.
Hope this gives you an idea or two to mess with.

[pondlady]

We have talked about that here in a thread long ago. I was told that I could not add that weight without really messing up the towing weight. How much weight have you added?

[Itsthetwoofus]

Not really sure how much I added, but the rack is pretty heavy and I added 1/4" plywood to it and the trike is about 30 lbs. I'd say probably around 60 or 80 pounds total and I don't think that would hurt your towing any, unless you have a real lite trailer. You can put up to 500 lbs on these cargo racks.
Just the cargo rack and a couple bikes won't weight that much. It might be worth looking into though.
I had bought a little thingy that goes around the hitch and also around the rack and tightened up it keeps the rack steady with no rocking or movement of any kind.
See it here:Hitch-Vise Fit Guide for 2 inch factory and aftermarket hitches

[Herk7769]

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rack-1179.html

Is the thread you were talking about.

Many folks attach stuff to the Ultralite bumper and frame system.
Many folks have never had a problem.
Many folks are shocked to find out they have invalidated their frame warranty and their RV insurance when they alter the camper's frame.

I learned this the hard way when I had a VERY light bike rack (the kind that goes around the spare tire but attaches to the frame) with two small lightweight bikes on it. I could not keep the bumper caps on the bumper. Everytime I stopped for gas the caps were about to fall out. Just that little flex from the bikes moving was enough to twist the square bumper enough to work out the caps.

I called FR about a frame hitch that was welded/bolted to the frame and was told in no uncertain terms that the FRAME of the Ultra-lite was incapable of handling the torsion without cracking over time. The metal web of the I-beam was just too thin and the "arm" (torque) was too long.

I carry the bikes on our truck with a nose hitch now.

[Willybgh]

Best place to put bike rack on an ultra light is on the hitch A-frame. I did this and it worked great and was not in the way of the bunk when it was lowered.

Chris

[BillyandKris]

Originally Posted by Itsthetwoofus

Not really sure how much I added, but the rack is pretty heavy and I added 1/4" plywood to it and the trike is about 30 lbs. I'd say probably around 60 or 80 pounds total and I don't think that would hurt your towing any, unless you have a real lite trailer. You can put up to 500 lbs on these cargo racks.
Just the cargo rack and a couple bikes won't weight that much. It might be worth looking into though.
I had bought a little thingy that goes around the hitch and also around the rack and tightened up it keeps the rack steady with no rocking or movement of any kind.
See it here:Hitch-Vise Fit Guide for 2 inch factory and aftermarket hitches

This is my first time to post. I realize this message is very old. We have a 2013 Rockwood 26' Fifth Wheel and need to put 2" receiver to haul a Kuat two-bike rack weights 60 lbs. The two bikes are lightweight hybrids. So total about 130 lbs. bikes and rack. We were going to get a welder to beef up things a bit. After reading all these posts we are thinking we have messed up. Can you tell us more about how to do what you did. Our trailer is enclosed underneath with a membrane so you cannot see the frame. Our bikes are too expensive to hang on front of the truck catching bugs and what-all else. We were going to put a cover on them. Bike riding is one of our main pastimes. In the past have hauled them like this, but with a different type of bike rack that was just for a camper, but it was hooked to the bumper. This rack would go from truck to camper as needed while traveling. This camper seems a bit "bouncy".

[Herk7769]

Billy,

I think a few bugs from being on the front of the truck is better than getting to camp and finding your rear bumper, bike rack, and bikes missing.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by BillyandKris

This is my first time to post. I realize this message is very old. We have a 2013 Rockwood 26' Fifth Wheel and need to put 2" receiver to haul a Kuat two-bike rack weights 60 lbs. The two bikes are lightweight hybrids. So total about 130 lbs. bikes and rack. We were going to get a welder to beef up things a bit. After reading all these posts we are thinking we have messed up. Can you tell us more about how to do what you did. Our trailer is enclosed underneath with a membrane so you cannot see the frame. Our bikes are too expensive to hang on front of the truck catching bugs and what-all else. We were going to put a cover on them. Bike riding is one of our main pastimes. In the past have hauled them like this, but with a different type of bike rack that was just for a camper, but it was hooked to the bumper. This rack would go from truck to camper as needed while traveling. This camper seems a bit "bouncy".

I'm with herk you may regret you decision.

Turbs